I really liked watching Better Luck Tomorrow. The downward spiraling of these "perfect and over achieving" Asian Americans was very interesting. They had everything, the wealth and the intelligence, but the pressure of being the model minority got to them, causing them to participate in number of unexpected events. The fact that their straight A's protected them from getting into any trouble was interesting to see. It's as if no one would blame them for anything because they were the model minority, and perhaps people didn't think that Asian men were masculine enough to commit such tough crimes. Although their masculinity was somewhat shown through violence (beating of the white kid), their gun possession emphasized their lack of masculinity. Also, they were put into their place, the inferior masculinity, by the Latino men with guns.
The author questions Steve's sexuality, but I personally didn't agree with her. When I watched BLT,I never got the feeling that Steve was a homosexual, because he was always linked with a female (Stephanie and "Barbie"). I also liked the part where Lee talks about how BLT reinforces and reconfigures the yellow peril ideology. The white sex worker reinforced this idea when she made sure that Ben understood that she's the one who is in control of the situation, and that she's the one who will lead. The way Ben willingly accepts this also emphasized this idea. Again, their lack of masculinity and the failure to achieve dominant masculinity was shown when Virgil pulled his gun out on the white female. Finally, I really don't understand what Steve meant by when he said his parents need a "wake up call", and that he wanted to "end the cycle". Tomorrow during our group presentation, I'm eager to hear what our classmates have to say about this.
I felt that Better Luck Tomorrow was a very interesting film. This film did many things to uphold and challenge many of the stereotypes and pre-existing characteristics that are help to the Asian American community. The most notable was the "model minority." In the film Ben talks about how they were able to get away with being out of the house until four in the morning because of study groups. In the beginning of the film, Ben's only priority seems to being doing all he can to get into a good school, and obtaining as many high qualifications as possible. However, as the film progresses we see a shift in the boys in attempts to become more recognized and accepted through means of acting as they thought they needed to conform or assimilate to the American (white) ideal or habits.
In Lee's article, she continuously refers to this idea of diaspora, which is the movement away from their established homeland or heritage. This seemed to be an important theme in Better Luck Tomorrow, as the boys started getting further immersed into their life of crimes. Ben first makes this transformation as he agrees to use his intelligence of the "model minority" to create cheat sheets for money.
As a feminist, it seems that Lee would not feel positively about the limited and negative portrayal of women in this film. Lee states how "masculinity" is a important role in this film, which is interesting due to the many contradictions to "masculinity." Even though the boys first display their masculine side as Asian American when they beat up one of the white "athletes" that was causing trouble for them at a party. To me their masculinity was downsized in a few different scenes. When they are driving home from the party, they pull up next a couple hispanic men who figuratively castrated these boys by threatening them with their guns, and they boys have no response to this. Another scene is when the white prostitute claims she will control the entire experience they have together. When she says this to Ben he seems to accept his position as a passive Asian American male. The women that do show up in this film are not portrayed in a positive light. Stephanie is an Asian American "model minority" student who has a relationship with Steve, who cheats on her with a white girl from his school. Stephanie herself also has a teetering relationship with Ben himself. The only other women portrayed in this film is the prostitue the boys pick up who is also white, and takes control of their situation.
Overall, I found Lee's interpretation of the film very interesting in regards to her view on diaspora and the multiple conflicting and contradictory Asian American qualities and stereotypes.
2 comments:
I really liked watching Better Luck Tomorrow. The downward spiraling of these "perfect and over achieving" Asian Americans was very interesting. They had everything, the wealth and the intelligence, but the pressure of being the model minority got to them, causing them to participate in number of unexpected events. The fact that their straight A's protected them from getting into any trouble was interesting to see. It's as if no one would blame them for anything because they were the model minority, and perhaps people didn't think that Asian men were masculine enough to commit such tough crimes.
Although their masculinity was somewhat shown through violence (beating of the white kid), their gun possession emphasized their lack of masculinity. Also, they were put into their place, the inferior masculinity, by the Latino men with guns.
The author questions Steve's sexuality, but I personally didn't agree with her. When I watched BLT,I never got the feeling that Steve was a homosexual, because he was always linked with a female (Stephanie and "Barbie").
I also liked the part where Lee talks about how BLT reinforces and reconfigures the yellow peril ideology. The white sex worker reinforced this idea when she made sure that Ben understood that she's the one who is in control of the situation, and that she's the one who will lead. The way Ben willingly accepts this also emphasized this idea. Again, their lack of masculinity and the failure to achieve dominant masculinity was shown when Virgil pulled his gun out on the white female.
Finally, I really don't understand what Steve meant by when he said his parents need a "wake up call", and that he wanted to "end the cycle". Tomorrow during our group presentation, I'm eager to hear what our classmates have to say about this.
I felt that Better Luck Tomorrow was a very interesting film. This film did many things to uphold and challenge many of the stereotypes and pre-existing characteristics that are help to the Asian American community. The most notable was the "model minority." In the film Ben talks about how they were able to get away with being out of the house until four in the morning because of study groups. In the beginning of the film, Ben's only priority seems to being doing all he can to get into a good school, and obtaining as many high qualifications as possible. However, as the film progresses we see a shift in the boys in attempts to become more recognized and accepted through means of acting as they thought they needed to conform or assimilate to the American (white) ideal or habits.
In Lee's article, she continuously refers to this idea of diaspora, which is the movement away from their established homeland or heritage. This seemed to be an important theme in Better Luck Tomorrow, as the boys started getting further immersed into their life of crimes. Ben first makes this transformation as he agrees to use his intelligence of the "model minority" to create cheat sheets for money.
As a feminist, it seems that Lee would not feel positively about the limited and negative portrayal of women in this film. Lee states how "masculinity" is a important role in this film, which is interesting due to the many contradictions to "masculinity." Even though the boys first display their masculine side as Asian American when they beat up one of the white "athletes" that was causing trouble for them at a party. To me their masculinity was downsized in a few different scenes. When they are driving home from the party, they pull up next a couple hispanic men who figuratively castrated these boys by threatening them with their guns, and they boys have no response to this. Another scene is when the white prostitute claims she will control the entire experience they have together. When she says this to Ben he seems to accept his position as a passive Asian American male. The women that do show up in this film are not portrayed in a positive light. Stephanie is an Asian American "model minority" student who has a relationship with Steve, who cheats on her with a white girl from his school. Stephanie herself also has a teetering relationship with Ben himself. The only other women portrayed in this film is the prostitue the boys pick up who is also white, and takes control of their situation.
Overall, I found Lee's interpretation of the film very interesting in regards to her view on diaspora and the multiple conflicting and contradictory Asian American qualities and stereotypes.
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