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TOPIC: Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall

Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #13

Incognito wrote: And for some additional references:


1. The movie is on Complex Magazine's list of The 50 Most Racist Movies:

www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/05/the-50-most-racist-movies/


2. Back when the movie came out in 1986, there were complaints about the racist stereotypes it perpetrated.

articles.latimes.com/1986-07-11/entertainment/ca-20135_1_big-trouble

Chinese for Affirmative Action and other members of Asian media groups say it is unlikely that a white man would come into an Asian community to save the day. They also say that director John Carpenter's comedy adventure, which had mediocre box office figures its first five days, ($3,827,185 according to Daily Variety) is racist and will encourage anti-Asian prejudices among young moviegoers.
....

While many who went to the screening said they enjoyed the movie, some Asian organizations believe the film contains ethnic stereotypes that would offend many Asian-Americans.


3. www.ew.com/article/2016/07/16/big-trouble-little-china-oral-history

Some members of the Chinese community were upset by what they regarded as the stereotypical depictions in a “white man’s product” and by the fact that hardly any nonwhite female characters talk in the film.

...

Despite the casting of Dun, Hong, and Wong in prominent roles, the film became a point of controversy for Asian-American activists concerned the movie was trafficking in racist stereotypes. At one point during production, 25 protesters arrived at one of the movie’s locations to distribute leaflets complaining that film concerned “a macho, smart-aleck truckdriver and his Chinese ‘yes’ man.”

CARPENTER: It was a San Francisco guy who said, “Now, this is a movie for white people.” It was really unpleasant. What are you going to do? You’re right, I am Caucasian! You’re right! And then we were picketed. It was unbelievable. What a world!


It sounds like your issue isn't as much with the booth as it is with the source material the booth and game are based on.

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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #14

Mike Steele wrote:

Incognito wrote: And for some additional references:


1. The movie is on Complex Magazine's list of The 50 Most Racist Movies:

www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/05/the-50-most-racist-movies/


2. Back when the movie came out in 1986, there were complaints about the racist stereotypes it perpetrated.

articles.latimes.com/1986-07-11/entertainment/ca-20135_1_big-trouble

Chinese for Affirmative Action and other members of Asian media groups say it is unlikely that a white man would come into an Asian community to save the day. They also say that director John Carpenter's comedy adventure, which had mediocre box office figures its first five days, ($3,827,185 according to Daily Variety) is racist and will encourage anti-Asian prejudices among young moviegoers.
....

While many who went to the screening said they enjoyed the movie, some Asian organizations believe the film contains ethnic stereotypes that would offend many Asian-Americans.


3. www.ew.com/article/2016/07/16/big-trouble-little-china-oral-history

Some members of the Chinese community were upset by what they regarded as the stereotypical depictions in a “white man’s product” and by the fact that hardly any nonwhite female characters talk in the film.

...

Despite the casting of Dun, Hong, and Wong in prominent roles, the film became a point of controversy for Asian-American activists concerned the movie was trafficking in racist stereotypes. At one point during production, 25 protesters arrived at one of the movie’s locations to distribute leaflets complaining that film concerned “a macho, smart-aleck truckdriver and his Chinese ‘yes’ man.”

CARPENTER: It was a San Francisco guy who said, “Now, this is a movie for white people.” It was really unpleasant. What are you going to do? You’re right, I am Caucasian! You’re right! And then we were picketed. It was unbelievable. What a world!


It sounds like your issue isn't as much with the booth as it is with the source material the booth and game are based on.



Well, it was a questionable move to make a game out of the source material.

And a questionable move to decorate the booth that way.

So far, most of the responses on the GenCon forum are "the booth is okay because it is a reflection of the source material." But that ignores the underlying issues with the source material.

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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #15

As fans of Blazing Saddles {which uniformly makes wonderful fun of Stupid bigoted white people} here is a link to an NPR program on Blazing Saddles which I think shows the difference with Satire about white Biggotry and the rather crude "little China" movie which I do not believe was created as Satire

www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/02/07/272452677/blazing-saddles-the-best-interracial-buddy-comedy-turns-40
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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #16

Incognito wrote: You do realize that many ethnic enclaves (such as many Chinatowns) only exist because of housing and other discrimination?


Of course I do. I was talking about how many have evolved into tourist attractions, and all that entails.

To quote:
www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/big_trouble_in_little_china.html


Clearly some found it offensive. I could point you to reviews that say the opposite. I do know Carpenter fought the studio, and failed, when they insisted on trying to portray Burton as the hero of the movie. They didn't get it; he was always obviously intended to be the bumbling sidekick to the true hero. That's why they put in that senseless set of bookends in the insurance office. In spite of what Egg said, Burton was a buffoon, start to finish.

Not being a mind reader, I don't know Carpenter's true intent. But, when Jack Burton is essentially a much more obnoxious and much more inept white version of Short Round, I thought the satire was pretty obvious.

Which doesn't mean some weren't offended. But I don't fault GenCon for not censoring the booth when they allow chainmail-bikini-clad models in the same hall.

It's all how you look at it. "To Kill a Mockingbird" depicted racists railroading an innocent man, but the movie wasn't racist, though some might see it that way. "Blazing Saddles" and "Huckleberry Finn,"ditto. Mel Brooks even wrote movies with dancing Nazis.

Jack Burton had Neanderthal views of Asians and women, and never realized how lucky he was to survive the night, or who kept him alive. He saw the world through bigoted eyes. He was clearly a racist and male chauvinist. Whether the movie was is debatable. That's all I'm saying.

Meanwhile, HP Lovecraft wrote some of the best scary fiction in centuries, in spite of his being indefensibly racist. Some of his stories can't even be published in their original versions due to the slurs and white supremacy dripping from them. Ripping good yarns, nonetheless, with a bit of editing for 21st century eyes.

"Ceci n'est pas une pipe" - Magritte

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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #17

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Haven't seen the movie, didn't notice the booth.
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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #18

bpsymington wrote: Haven't seen the movie, didn't notice the booth.


Do you have an entirely uninformed opinion you'd like to share?

:-P

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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #19

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Forar wrote:

bpsymington wrote: Haven't seen the movie, didn't notice the booth.


Do you have an entirely uninformed opinion you'd like to share?

:-P


Very tempted to make political joke, but I have been behaving myself, at least here! :laugh:
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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #20

This movie is literally a guilty pleasure - as a fan of 80's terrible campy movies, Big Trouble in Little China has always been one of my favs.

However, as I have gotten older and wiser the blatant racist stereotypes are harder to ignore.

"It's okay because we're staying true to the source material" doesn't really fly these days.

Using a movie that falls heavily into the cultural appropriation, racist stereotypes makes Upper Deck a contributor to said problems.

This would be like making a game based on Auschwitz where you play as the SS okay, because it's just the source material that's awful, the game couldn't possibly be awful by association, right?

I found this months ago that pretty much sums it up:


Except replace people with movies, books, etc.

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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #21

Disclaimer: I am not trying to cause any personal arguments or throw insults at anyone, I am just challenging the charge of the topic. I know I am making a huge mistake wading into this topic being so new here (and will most likely be quickly ostracized) but I would like to point out the flaws that I see in this charge and give a different perspective respectfully:

If you find BTILC racist I would assume that would also find the True Dungeon Monk Class a little racist since a lot of the Monks powers are pretty stereo-typically identical to what was shown in BTILC. Using the logic here, I guess I should be offended about the stereotypical Italian Chef on Pizza Boxes and Italians being synonymous to the Mob as that is pretty racist in itself. (While I do roll my eyes at it sometimes I know it’s the context of what its associated with and let it roll off with a “What ev’s”.

Keep in mind that BTILC was heavily influenced from the campy, over the top Kung-Fu movies that were made by the Chinese. It was mashed up with the equally over the top western action hero movies. Many of the key Heroes were Chinese and as some have pointed out Kurt was the over confidant bumbling Westerner. It was and is a fun movie and should be treated as such nothing more (I do think it would be a fun world to role play in in the vein of Kara-Tur/Shadowrun mash up). We live in such an age of such over sensitivity that anything and everything is looked at as racist now. Personally, in my experience the most racist people are the ones who point it out in everything. I am in no way accusing you of that, I just think you are taking this a little too seriously and personal. I'm sure you feel the opposite about my opinion of it which is cool. Forum are meant for debate and exchange of ideas. Right?

Remember life is too serious to take seriously. That is my 2 cents (and my two thumbs battling Lo Pan’s magic.)
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Last edit: by JACKOFTRADZE.

Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #22

Michael DiBartolo wrote: Disclaimer: I am not trying to cause any personal arguments or throw insults at anyone, I am just challenging the charge of the topic. I know I am making a huge mistake wading into this topic being so new here (and will most likely be quickly ostracized) but I would like to point out the flaws that I see in this charge and give a different perspective respectfully:

If you find BTILC racist I would assume that would also find the True Dungeon Monk Class a little racist since a lot of the Monks powers are pretty stereo-typically identical to what was shown in BTILC. Using the logic here, I guess I should be offended about the stereotypical Italian Chef on Pizza Boxes and Italians being synonymous to the Mob as that is pretty racist in itself. (While I do roll my eyes at it sometimes I know it’s the context of what its associated with and let it roll off with a “What ev’s”.

Keep in mind that BTILC was heavily influenced from the campy, over the top Kung-Fu movies that were made by the Chinese. It was mashed up with the equally over the top western action hero movies. Many of the key Heroes were Chinese and as some have pointed out Kurt was the over confidant bumbling Westerner. It was and is a fun movie and should be treated as such nothing more (I do think it would be a fun world to role play in in the vein of Kara-Tur/Shadowrun mash up). We live in such an age of such over sensitivity that anything and everything is looked at as racist now. Personally, in my experience the most racist people are the ones who point it out in everything. I am in no way accusing you of that, I just think you are taking this a little too seriously and personal. I'm sure you feel the opposite about my opinion of it which is cool. Forum are meant for debate and exchange of ideas. Right?

Remember life is too serious to take seriously. That is my 2 cents (and my two thumbs battling Lo Pan’s magic.)


I agree with this, I don't see Big Trouble in Little China as racist, and I still see it as a Comedy Classic which holds up very well to this day.

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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #23

Michael DiBartolo wrote: I know I am making a huge mistake wading into this topic being so new here (and will most likely be quickly ostracized)

Actually, no. Even if we were to completely disagree with the premise, we're not the type to ostracize someone who makes a well-reasoned, polite argument.
Have you looked it up in the TDb ?
Please post TDb corrections in this thread .
If I write something in teal, it should not be taken seriously

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Pseudo Offensive Upper Deck Booth at Dealer Hall 7 years 6 months ago #24

I always assumed the Asian characters weren't very fleshed out but, as has been pointed out, they are the heroes in the movie. Jack Burton was such a chauvinist pig that he drove 'The Pork Chop Express' :)

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