..what asian american men have been saying all along. Check out this article I found on the net from asianguy.com. It seems to share the view about the asian fetish directed towards asian american women by the caucasian male media powerbase. Thus, putting the asian male on the media back burner. A quick interesting read.

Still a Big Step Behind...a closer look at Asian women in today's media

Author anonymous by request

I often hear my Asian brothers say that in this country, Asian women sit in a position of power, that Asian women are much more privileged than Asian men in the media and entertainment industry. There is no use in denying that Asian women such as Lucy Liu, Connie Chung, Lisa Ling and Sung Hee Lee are highly visible figures in mainstream American culture who wield influence over the masses. On the one hand, it is nice to see that Asian women are finally getting more coverage and recognition in television, film, and literature. There were certainly no such images during the 80s, where my formative and adolescent years were spent. The images of beauty and glamour then, came EXCLUSIVELY in the form of white blondes with big hair and big asses. As a female who was barely recognized by the opposite sex growing up, I now have to practically beat away white and black men with a stick. One would ask, shouldn't I be grateful for this change?

There is an ugly, dark side to the recent uptake of Asian women in the media, and contrary to popular belief, not all Asian women are supportive or appreciative of this new trend. To understand this, let us take a closer look at the aforementioned Asian women and examine what other images they portray other than being attractive (on a grand widely held scale of beauty, that is.) Lucy Liu, most known for her role as a lawyer, Ling Woo, on Ally McBeal. Ling is feisty, bitchy, exaggerates the slope of her eyes with her make-up, and has an exclusive taste for white men. Surely, one could argue that Lucy Liu's character is not conditional to her ethnicity (as most of the other female characters are sexually exotified), but the fact is that she plays the role of an Asian female. Ling Woo was created by the minds of the white producers as the Asian woman who is not ashamed of her Chinese heritage, but in fact, uses as a tool to lure white men into her exotic world.

Next, there is Connie Chung, one of America's most famous anchorwomen. Connie Chung not only shuns invitations to speak at Asian American conferences and declines to support Asian American advocacy groups, she has joked about going to China and finding that all of the relatives looked the same.

Lisa Ling, another newbie to the entertainment industry, appears in an Old Navy commercial with 5 other men, in which she asserts that she wants a "strong" "good-looking" man. Among the 5 men, none are Asian. When Ling recounted a story on The View about being confused with Lucy Liu, she had neither the gall nor the pride to defend herself or her race.

And then there is Playboy's beloved Sung Hee Lee. While I am indifferent to women who choose to pose nude, I cannot help but feel a certain amount of spite towards Asian women such as SH Lee who provide fuel for the widespread objectification and subjugation of Asian women as white men's' sexual toys. Does anyone else see the huge irony in the fact that while Asian female characters are still a rare entity in the drama, adventure and comedy sections of video stores, their images flood the porn sections?

Today's Asian female character has been molded to please the white man. There are other Asian female faces who are not subject to the same stereotypes or narrow roles, but they are far less known. The Asian female who is known by the masses is under full control of the white hierarchy. She does not make me proud, nor do I feel that she represents the sisters well. There are definitely some Asian women who enjoy the attention and exotification by white men, and some even use it to their advantage. These women, I must say, have allowed white society to corrupt their minds. However, the majority of Asian women that I know, do not drool at the sight of white men like the characters on television. In fact, many find them outright repulsive. And while most ugly-duckling-turned-swans bask in the attention they receive later in life, I scoff at this. For one thing, I was never an ugly duckling. And for another, I am smart enough NOT to be flattered by men who gawk at Asian women because they have been spoon-fed an Asian fetish. I also have enough respect for myself, that I will not subject myself to being white man's flavor-of-the-month. And if white men look at me and think that I will get on my knees for them, have they ever been wrong!

In the current environment, Asian women may appear to be in positions of power and fame, but scratch the surface and you will see that a white man is holding her up and controlling her with puppet strings. She is nothing I should be grateful for. While Asian men say that the Asian man has a long way to go in mainstream entertainment, I say Asian women have a long way too. Realistic images of Asian men and women are yet to make it in mainstream American culture. My brothers and sisters, we need to be public in our support for one another and not let Hollywood images clutter our perceptions of beauty, power and where we stand vis-a-vis one another. Beauty and power do not come served on a white platter, they come from our community, they come from our brothers and sisters, and they come from ourselves. Of course there are grounds for us Asians to be just as individualist as white people. But when an Asian person sells out, he or she not only sells himself out, he sells the entire community out. Do not be fooled by the media or sucked up by the masses. And my sisters, be proud of your roots and be proud of your fellow Asian brother!

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