Better Luck Tomorrow Nina Kobalia, Elaine Wong, Joseph Nicolai The Oppositional Gaze and Counter Stories

Top Critics… “It makes you think about the clichéd pictures of Asian kids in the popular imagination and how painful it must be for them to carry the burden of perfection.” - April 25, 2003 Robert Denerstein Denver Rocky Mountain News

Asian Stereotypes Achieving academic excellence, active participants of extracurricular activities, intelligent, ambitious, traditional mentality Achieving academic excellence, active participants of extracurricular activities, intelligent, ambitious, traditional mentality U.S. media’s Asian stereotypes: U.S. media’s Asian stereotypes: Male: Polite and undesiring, “desexualized” or “feminized” Male: Polite and undesiring, “desexualized” or “feminized” Female: Exotic, aggressive/opportunistic sexual beings, predatory gold diggers, cunning Dragon Ladies, submissive Female: Exotic, aggressive/opportunistic sexual beings, predatory gold diggers, cunning Dragon Ladies, submissive

Model Minority Character Ben: Ben: Jock on the basketball team Jock on the basketball team Achieved excellent grades in school Achieved excellent grades in school Volunteered for the community Volunteered for the community Post-Secondary Aspirations Post-Secondary Aspirations

Film Quote "It's a never ending cycle. When you got everything you want, what's left? You can't settle for being happy, that's a f*cking trap. You gotta take life into your own hands, do whatever it takes to break the cycle. That's what it is, breaking the cycle.“ - Steve "It's a never ending cycle. When you got everything you want, what's left? You can't settle for being happy, that's a f*cking trap. You gotta take life into your own hands, do whatever it takes to break the cycle. That's what it is, breaking the cycle.“ - Steve

Producing the Oppositional Gaze… Ben and his “gang”: Ben and his “gang”: Fraud Fraud Create cheat sheets Create cheat sheets Study sessions with alcohol Study sessions with alcohol Selling drugs Selling drugs Consuming drugs Consuming drugs Possessing guns Possessing guns Causing /initiating violence Causing /initiating violence Hiring prostitutes Hiring prostitutes Commiting Murder Commiting Murder Stephanie: Stephanie: Getting a tattoo Getting a tattoo Adopted by a Caucasian family Adopted by a Caucasian family In an alleged pornographic film In an alleged pornographic film

The Defense….. Roger Ebert yelling at Sundance Film Festival Roger Ebert yelling at Sundance Film Festival A person who stood up [after a screening] and said: A person who stood up [after a screening] and said: ‘You know how to make a movie. But why…with the talent up there and yourself make a film as so empty and amoral for Asian- Americans and for Americans?” ‘You know how to make a movie. But why…with the talent up there and yourself make a film as so empty and amoral for Asian- Americans and for Americans?” According to MTV.com: “How could you make a movie that was so denigrating to your race?' According to MTV.com: “How could you make a movie that was so denigrating to your race?' Ebert stood up and said: Ebert stood up and said: ‘What I find very offensive and condescending with your statement is, nobody would say to a bunch of white filmmakers ‘how could you do this to your own people?’ …… [Asian Americans] do not have to ‘represent their people’.” ‘What I find very offensive and condescending with your statement is, nobody would say to a bunch of white filmmakers ‘how could you do this to your own people?’ …… [Asian Americans] do not have to ‘represent their people’.”

Director’s Quote Lin said that the title "Better Luck Tomorrow" refers to how the film explores the whole youth culture of today, specifically Asian American, but also just the general mentality of teenagers. Lin said that the title "Better Luck Tomorrow" refers to how the film explores the whole youth culture of today, specifically Asian American, but also just the general mentality of teenagers. “ You go to suburbia, you look at upper middle class kids, and through the media they've literally adopted urban gangster mentality." “ You go to suburbia, you look at upper middle class kids, and through the media they've literally adopted urban gangster mentality." Ex. When the foursome has driven off after getting in a fight and beating up the white guys at the party they see what looks like an actual gang of African American guys driving by them Ex. When the foursome has driven off after getting in a fight and beating up the white guys at the party they see what looks like an actual gang of African American guys driving by them

Character transition Characters are complex and change through the movie Better Luck Tomorrow starts of displaying “model minority” stereotypes but then pass over into “yellow peril” stereotypes Better Luck Tomorrow starts of displaying “model minority” stereotypes but then pass over into “yellow peril” stereotypes Model Minority – considered positive stereotype whereas Yellow Peril negative Model Minority – considered positive stereotype whereas Yellow Peril negative

Model Minority vs. Yellow Peril Yellow Peril -Kawai’s article “in the world of Hollywood films Asian stereotypes possess superhuman intellect and ambition” as well as “subhuman immorality and ambition” (p.6). Yellow Peril -Kawai’s article “in the world of Hollywood films Asian stereotypes possess superhuman intellect and ambition” as well as “subhuman immorality and ambition” (p.6). Between the four of them there is nothing that they cannot do Between the four of them there is nothing that they cannot do They possess the Yellow Peril qualities of being: strategic, mature, cunning, “super awesomeness” – they are feared They possess the Yellow Peril qualities of being: strategic, mature, cunning, “super awesomeness” – they are feared

Characters as having “two faces” Kawai “the model minority has two faces. The myth presents Asian American as silent and disciplined: this is their secret to success” – new Yellow Peril Kawai “the model minority has two faces. The myth presents Asian American as silent and disciplined: this is their secret to success” – new Yellow Peril They oppose but at the same time they are connected (as displayed in the movie) They oppose but at the same time they are connected (as displayed in the movie) “People of Asian descent become the model minority when they are depicted “People of Asian descent become the model minority when they are depicted to do better than other racial minority groups, whereas they become the to do better than other racial minority groups, whereas they become the yellow peril when they are described to outdo White Americans” (Kawai, pg.8). yellow peril when they are described to outdo White Americans” (Kawai, pg.8).

Chang, Hyphe-Nation; Or, Screening 'Asian Canada' – Ethnicity is presented as being insoluble: American, Chinese, American-Chinese Hyphe-Nation; Or, Screening 'Asian Canada'Hyphe-Nation; Or, Screening 'Asian Canada'

We often refer to percentages. But what would this look like? How do you represent this? More importantly, how much of this representation reflects the person themselves or others looking at the person? The only mutable area is the hyphen.

Because images represent and constitute our cultural reality, representation becomes pivotal. You have to identify a group in order to promote it.

On the one hand, you can promote a group for being faultless. But, as one Filmaker put it this makes for boring entertainment… And on the other hand….

You can radically break down stereotypes, but this representation may give the impression that this alternative representation is the mainstream. For example, a movie on radical queer Asians in Vancouver could give the impression that Vancouver is being overrun by radical queer Asian.

Is Better Luck Tomorrow an Asian, American, or Asian-American film? If so, how do we know?

Discussion How do you define Asian-American? Is it defined by popular culture? Or society around politics How do you define Asian-American? Is it defined by popular culture? Or society around politics What would be the audiences’ reaction to the film if it was a white director? What would be the audiences’ reaction to the film if it was a white director? Game - What Asian ethnicity do you think each character in Better Luck Tomorrow is? Why do you say so? Game - What Asian ethnicity do you think each character in Better Luck Tomorrow is? Why do you say so?