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the fob life
So Fresh Off the Boat has been in the news recently as it's due to premiere soon, though I've been excited since I saw the trailer lst year. There's been a lot of good articles and commentary about the show recently (and its production, and what it represents), not least by the author of the memoir the series is based on, Eddie Huang.
Here is his Vulture piece (long, and a journey, so well worth the whole read): Bamboo Ceiling TV
This part in particular struck me: "Our parents [thought] it was impossible to have a voice in this country, so they never said a word. We are culturally destitute in America, and this is our ground zero. Network television never offered the epic tale highlighting Asian America’s coming of age …"
On why Huang has taken his criticisms of how the show's been produced public:
"I want to encourage criticism. I really encourage it. And I think I'm pretty clear in the article telling people you have to come, you have to talk about this, because the article, the conversation, Asians coming out — when the voices are heard, they have to adjust. Because it's a business and they're trying to sell to these markets. And when the markets are explicit about what they want and how they want to be represented and not represented, the studio and network will acquiesce. They're not on a mission to not represent us. They just don't know how to."
The show's producers, actors, and creators have also faced some terrible reporting, but I'd like to highlight one article that I think summarizes well why that matters (and why this show matters). From The Atlantic's Why Can't Critics Talk About Fresh Off the Boat?:
The bottom line was that almost nothing asked by the assembled audience, the cream of the cultural critic profession, had much to do with Fresh Off the Boat itself. In sessions for other shows, cast and producers were asked about character development, about plot arcs, about target audiences and competition—questions related to the craft and content of their series. The questions aimed at the Fresh panel were about external controversies like Huang’s New York essay and Park’s risky role in The Interview, the state of Asian Americans on screen, the reason why ABC chose to make the show (which Huang answered bluntly: “Asians have money. You want the money? Make things for them”). And also, chopsticks.
These questions wouldn’t have been surprising if the assembled critics had not yet had the chance to watch the show. But they had—three full episodes. And as most were quick to point out later, they really liked it. What they didn’t seem to have was context: The show is so singular, so dissimilar to anything on TV now or coming to TV this winter, that they stumbled out of the gate in how to explore it. Is the show’s name offensive or subversive? Does the show recapitulate or shatter stereotypes? Most of the jokes seem to be on the series’ non-Asian characters—the last 30 seconds of the pilot episode in particular are going to cause some white viewers to react with hostility. Is this inversion progress, or provocation, or both?
Even after seeing three episodes, it seemed that though the packed room of hundreds of critics (nearly all non-Asian) had found it funny and charming, they weren’t quite sure what they’d seen, and to some degree, whether they had the permission to laugh.
Personally, I am glad these conversations and articles are happening, and I'm glad the show is happening and therefore generating these conversations. I want the Asian-American (Chinese-American) experience to exist in mainstream America's consciousness, even if in an imperfect cornstarch sitcom manner. I don't care if it's not my exact experience because it's not about me, just as it's not solely about Eddie and his experience anymore.
I want -- I want a lot of things, but I want this show to be funny and entertain me and make me go, yess, I know that feeling. I want my friends to be able to watch this show and feel the same way (to laugh at the jokes, to relate to an awkward moment, to go "Yep.") and maybe I want this show to make non-Asian-Americans a little uncomfortable, because we aren't all the same, but to be able to get something out of it too. I want this show to do well. I want other shows to exist.
How much do I love Lucy Liu as Watson on Elementary? So much! I love Elementary (this season is dear to my heart). But how tired I am of Lucy Liu being our go-to Asian actor? How much do I want all kinds of Asians, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Indian, nerds, ninjas, power CEOs, sorority girls, billionaire assholes, pop stars, superspies, sweet-faced but pushy grandmothers. We are slowly getting there, making progress, and that makes me happy. But I'm also happy to have something directly about the Asian-American experience.
Sometimes I wonder if it's contradictory, to want Asian-Americans in media without it having to be All About Being Asian. I don't want every character to be part of an after school special about What It Means To Be Asian In America. But at the same time -- let's talk about what it means to be Asian in America! I kind of want something focused on that story and that experience. Not everything. But some things. Like Fresh Off the Boat.
February 4 on ABC, 8:30 pm ET! I'll be watching.
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I am not Asian American, but it gives me a chance to see into a life that is/was different from mine and at the same time not so very different (I suspect).
Your post resonates with me because it reminded me of my feelings when Black'ish came on.
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