AMERICAN SOCIETY, STEREOTYPICAL ROLES, AND ASIAN CHARACTERS IN M*A*S*H Ashley Marie Stevens A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2016 Committee: Michael Brooks, Advisor Kristen Rudisill © 2016 Ashley Marie Stevens All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Michael Brooks, Advisor M*A*S*H is an iconic, eleven season (1972-1983), American television series that was produced on the tail end of the Vietnam War during a period of upheaval for the American public. Set in Korea during the Korean War, M*A*S*H was a satire on the war in Vietnam. As a result, M*A*S*H presents numerous Asian (Korean) characters throughout the series, but often in limited, stereotypical roles. Despite producing America’s most watched final season episode “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” and being granted several Emmy nominations and awards, M*A*S*H has all but evaded lengthy academic study. This thesis primarily uses newspapers, both local and national, to understand how Asian stereotypes are presented in M*A*S*H with relationship to American society. Through the analysis of seven Asian-centered character roles, including; farmer/villager, houseboy/housekeeper, prostitute, war bride, peddler/hustler, orphan, and enemy, I explore the foundations of these stereotypes as well as how they were being utilized to reassure Americans of their own communal, Cold War, beliefs in a time of distress. I explore how these roles change and adapt over the course of the series and what may be motivating these changes, such as the Asian- American, Civil Rights and women’s rights movements, and changing Cold War ideologies and objectives. iv For my Parents, Grandmother and Aunt, Debbie v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe a debt of gratitude to all who helped me on this project and only wish I had a better means of thanking them for all of their support. This project would not have been possible without the help and mentoring of Dr. Michael Brooks and Dr. Kristen Rudisill. Their careful reading, supportive suggestions and insightful comments were central to the successful completion of this project. I am grateful for their guidance in developing my own academic voice and careful polishing of my writing style. I want to thank the graduate history department at Bowling Green State University and my cohort for their friendly advice and communal support. Finally, I would like to thank and apologize to my family, for enduring lengthy conversations with me about M*A*S*H for the past few months and always remaining reassuring. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 1 Goals and Methodology............................................................................................. 1 M*A*S*H – From Book to Movie to Television...................................................... 2 The Wars: Korea and Vietnam................................................................................... 6 Social Change: Women, Asian-Americans, Civil Rights, and Gay Rights............... 9 Intervention and the Cold War................................................................................... 13 Historiography............................................................................................................ 15 CHAPTER ONE: SEASONS 1-5 (1972-77) ROLES AND REALITY .............................. 22 Overview and Introduction........................................................................................ 22 Houseboy/Housekeeper............................................................................................. 25 Peddlers and Hustlers................................................................................................ 29 Farmer/Villager.......................................................................................................... 35 “Moose”/ Prostitutes................................................................................................... 40 War Brides.................................................................................................................. 44 Orphans...................................................................................................................... 47 The “Enemy”............................................................................................................. 54 Conclusion................................................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER TWO: SEASONS 6-11 (1977-83) “OPERATION FRIENDSHIP” ................. 60 Overview and Introduction........................................................................................ 60 Houseboy/Housekeeper............................................................................................. 62 Peddlers and Hustlers................................................................................................ 66 vii Farmer/Villager.......................................................................................................... 69 “Moose”/ Prostitutes................................................................................................... 75 War Brides................................................................................................................. 78 Orphans...................................................................................................................... 81 The “Enemy”.............................................................................................................. 86 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 90 CONCLUSION: THE LEGACY OF M*A*S*H................................................................... 92 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................... 96 APPENDIX A: SEASONS 1-5 CHARACTER ROLES EPISODE GUIDE......................... 101 APPENDIX B: SEASONS 6-11 CHARACTER ROLES EPISODE GUIDE........................ 103 1 INTRODUCTION Goals and Methodology Stereotypes are often created from a combination of fear, songs, sayings and images that are repeated and commonly accepted by one community about another. Newspapers, word-of- mouth and media help spread and maintain these stereotypes, and M*A*S*H, as an extremely popular American television comedy show, is not an exception. Asian stereotypes following World War II had a strong influence from and on the Cold War ideologies of the United States. The belief in the U.S. as a “policing force” for the rest of the world supported stereotypes surrounding those who the U.S. was then in the process of “protecting,” in particular Korea and Vietnam. The stereotype of a weak, docile, yet untrustworthy and subversive Asian character in need of U.S. assistance, protection, and reformation not only legitimized the U.S. role as “policing force” but helped the continuation of these stereotypes. Popular media, specifically M*A*S*H, utilizes established East Asian stereotypes to support a community belief in the U.S. as a superior, protecting force for the rest of the world. This thesis will use the television series M*A*S*H as a case study to understand how East Asian stereotypes can be employed to support larger collective beliefs while showing that these stereotypes are also fluid and adaptable, as they were affected by social movements of the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. Through the examination of seven Asian-specific character roles; houseboy/housekeeper, prostitute, war bride, farmer/villager, peddler/hustler, orphan and enemy, I explore the foundations of these stereotypes as well as how they are being utilized to reassure Americans of their own beliefs in a time of distress: the Vietnam War. Chapter one outlines Asian character stereotypes presented in M*A*S*H during its first five seasons (1972-77) to establish the real-life influences on these stereotypes, their accuracy 2 within the show, and their prevalence (level of occurrence). Chapter two considers seasons six through eleven ((1977-83), including the final episode) to understand the changes that have arisen over the course of the show’s production as well as what may have contributed to any changes, or lack of changes, in representation. Specifically, chapter two focuses on the social movements of the time period in which the show was produced, to understand the role these movements may have played in altering media representations of Asian-Americans. As America turned inward, to focus on its own social problems following the Vietnam War, M*A*S*H also changed. The noticeable shift during season five (1976-77) with the departure of Frank Burns (Larry Linville) following the end of the Vietnam War signaled a drastic change in the character of the show from a message against military bureaucracy to a discussion on the individual struggles faced by the show’s main characters.1 This shift serves to divide the series into two parts; pre and post, Vietnam War. Chapter one and two reflect this division within M*A*S*H and America. M*A*S*H – From Book to Movie to Television M*A*S*H has become one of America’s best known situational comedies. Beginning as a book by the same title by H. Richard Hornberger writing under the name Richard Hooker, M*A*S*H grew in popularity to become first a movie, then a television series.2 The book that sparked the