Our last week's analysis in desexualization of the Asian male brought forward my attention to the new Expedia commercial, released in January of 2012. The above clip shows Michael Ian vacationing around the world, filling the role of the dominant, white, heterosexual male. Towards the end of the clip, Ian is seen to be pursuing a woman, when he is interrupted by an Asian man wearing the same sweater. The man is portrayed as clumsy, stumpy, foreign, and stripped of all forms of masculinity. Ian's initial reaction to noticing their matching attire is a form of embarrassment and shame. By wearing the same sweater as the Asian man, Ian is symbolically castrated. Such a portrayal depicts the oppression and inferiority induced by the media on Asian men. The commercial projects the dominant ideology of the white, male dominance and once again creates a social hierarchy, where the minorities are placed at the bottom of the ladder.
Question:How would the commercial differ if Ian and another white male were wearing the same attire?
No comments:
Post a Comment