# Do racist attitudes keep Asian American men from being accepted as fully erotic men? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2004, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940 "2004-05-13T12:35:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@dook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dook)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/41 "2004-05-14T18:16:55Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > **Alcatraz** , your sig is inappropriate. If you want to make your opinions known on abortion, go to Great Debates and open or post to a thread about abortion. > > Lynn > For the Straight Dope Thanks for the tip, Lynn. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/42 "2004-05-14T18:55:11Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > Somebody like David Wu, a Taiwanese-American who was a VJ on the Cantopop channel of Star TV, a cable network that’s based in Hong Kong and watched across most of Asia. He’s a hot, muscular surfer dude who would introduce videos in Chinese and then lapse into California-accented English. Yes, [Daniel Wu](http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/wu_daniel.htm) would be a great cross-over choice. He can even act. Swoooon… I would guess that part of the reason we don’t see Asian men as leading men is partly due to some left-over racism. Not “you aren’t good enough” racism, but “we never considered an Asian” racism. And as someone pointed out, it’s only been in the last 30 or so years we’ve even had black leading men. And the reason Asian American women don’t have posters of Asian men on their walls is due to lack of exposure. A caucasian girl raised in Japan would probably have posters of J-Pop stars on her walls. And look at the thriving “we love asian guys” communities. The large bulk of them are made up of fangirls who started getting into J-Pop or anime and _then_ realized how incredibly hot some Asian guys are. At least, this was my path. (although, I’m a little old to considered a fangirl) ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/43 "2004-05-14T19:03:07Z")
\ I just gotta say… if I read the word “erotic” as “erect” ONE MORE TIME, I’m going to have a hard time looking my Asian-American coworker in the eye the rest of the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_world_s_most_deadliest)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/44 "2004-05-14T19:11:07Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Yes, [Daniel Wu](http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/wu_daniel.htm) would be a great cross-over choice. He can even act. Swoooon… Holy pete, I clicked on your link and couldn’t believe it, this Daniel Wu character looks almost exactly like my friend Tim. I have to email him that link. /should have seen 19 year old Tim with dreadlocks…wrrrrawr ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/45 "2004-05-14T20:06:08Z")
> [@The world's most deadliest...](#): > > Holy pete, I clicked on your link and couldn’t believe it, this Daniel Wu character looks almost exactly like my friend Tim. I have to email him that link. > /should have seen 19 year old Tim with dreadlocks…wrrrrawr Hmmmm, how old is your friend Pete? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/46 "2004-05-14T20:07:59Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Hmmmm, how old is your friend Pete? 🙂 Tim, I meant, Tim. :smack: Geez… (I have no idea where this Pete guy came from) ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/47 "2004-05-14T22:43:20Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > And the reason Asian American women don’t have posters of Asian men on their walls is due to lack of exposure. Not just Asian-American women, but women in general. In fact, I think that your statement (with which I agree wholeheartedly, BTW), reflects a casual assumption on society’s part. We casually assume that it’s the _Asian women_ who would go for Asian men. In contrast, it’s considered common and ordinary for Asian females to date men of other races. I remember one discussion I had last year, wherein I said that Asian men frequently complain about being limited in their dating choices. One guy immediately piped up, “But there are plenty of Asian women out there!” In other words, the implicit assumption was that they can always date, if they date Asian women. He didn’t realize it, but the wording of his reply implicitly emphasized why Asian men tend to have limited dating choices. ---
**Author:** ![The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_world_s_most_deadliest)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/48 "2004-05-14T23:03:13Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Hmmmm, how old is your friend Tim? 🙂 (Corrected for posterity, and because we’re cool like that) Tim is now 28 and unfortunately getting ready to sign up with the military. Being a military brat himself (father was American, mom is Japanese), I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Tim also has a wonderful 8 year old boy named Calvin who looks just like him. On good terms with babymomma, but absolutely single and lookin’ for the right lady. 😉 Hobbies are Playstation 2, checking out jam bands, and acting like an incurable romantic. And thus ends my pimping of Tim. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/49 "2004-05-14T23:29:45Z")
Might wanna consider even the ratio between percieved hot western actresses, and percieved hot western actors. I’m willing to bet that more actresses are seen as sex symbols than men, simply beacause looks are so much more important to the male psyche. On the other hand, Asians are generally smaller, rounder and less hairy than the average caucasian. All well and good for the females, and it seems that oriental females are quite the fetish in the porn industry, however, not so good for the men. Jawlines aren’t as well defined, small eyes, look pre-pubecent : not so good. Therefore, I’m not surprised at all that asian men are seen as less sexy - it’s the same reasons why our females are seen as more sexy, because they’re small, innocent and vulnerable. Males are not supposed to be small, innocent or vulnerable. Anyway, which female wants to date someone shorter than you are? Sigh. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/50 "2004-05-15T00:15:27Z")
This thread does highlight tha there are a lot of mixed ancestry (Keanu, Tiger Woods, etc.) Asian American men, but most people don’t think of them as “asian.” Seems strange to me but there you go. ---
**Author:** ![BytopianDream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@BytopianDream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BytopianDream)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/51 "2004-05-15T00:50:51Z")
Tia Carrere is Hawaiian IIRC. Asian men do need some serious media love. I have just the thing for both Asian men and women. Asian Pride Porn: [http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/content/atom\_489](http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/content/atom_489) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940/52 "2004-05-15T02:25:16Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Not in that particular role; however, she is an Asian actress that I’ve frequently heard men declare their lust for. But do they know her name? You’ve already dismissed Asian actors of even Ken “Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominee” Watanabe for having low name-recognition value, and I’d bet that more people could correctly identify him than her. > [@](#): > > - > > Moreover, even if you disregard Ziyi, there are still the numerous other instances that I pointed out of Asian female leads being coupled (often frequently and with great abandon) with non-Asian men. Not all of these are big names, but their presence is pervasive, and there is a dearth of comparable counterparts among Asian male actors. \*You keep changing the subject. Are you talking about American women of any race finding Asian men unattractive, or the frequency with which Asian men are paired with non-Asian women in romantic films? Because they’re not the same thing. > [@](#): > > - > > Again, nope. Zhang Ziyi may have been a martial artist, but the others weren’t. Moreover, while not all of these were well-known names, they are at least notable examples – whereas there are scarcely any comparable examples among Asian male actors. \*Notable examples of women I’ve never heard of in movies I’ve never seen…but for some reason stars like Jet Li, Chow-Yun Fat, and Ken Watanabe aren’t famous enough for you to consider “notable” examples of attractive Asian men in American film. No wonder you see such a large discrepency between treatment of Asian men and Asian women; you’re applying a completely different standard to each group. > [@](#): > > - > > Heck, in _Sixteen Candles_, Molly Ringwald was horrified at being pursued by Gedde Watanabe’s geeky Chinese character. When was the last time you saw that type of dynamic between a white male and an Asian female? \*When was the last time you saw such a dynamic between a white woman and an Asian man? _Sixteen Candles_ was 20 years ago. And, as disturbingly racist as the depiction of Long Duck Dong was, he did hook up with a tall, busty white girl in the end. > [@](#): > > - > > In _Anna and the King_, there was a dint of romance between Jodie Foster’s character and Chow Yun-Fat’s, but Hollywood didn’t even grant them a peck on the lips. So Hollywood may occasionally let Asian men play the “romantic” lead, but only if this role is stripped of its romanticism. \*It really is amazing the way you can make the “evidence” support your theory by finding some reason to discount anything that contradicts it. I didn’t see the movie, but I know plenty of women thought that the role was romantic. > [@](#): > > - > > I’ll grant that, but still, Tia Carrere is quite obviously of Asian descent, whereas it’s not so obvious that Keanu is. Oh, Keanu’s eyes certainly give a hint of his Asian genetics, but I would never consider his Asianness to be as obvious as Tia’s. \*And again with your subjective opinion being presented as some sort of solid fact about the entertainment industry. I always thought Keanu was obviously part Asian. I don’t know what the “average woman” thinks on the subject, but I’m surely not the only one who noticed. > [@](#): > > - > > And I’ve already provided numerous examples which show that they do. Heck, the fact that Lucy Liu is recognized _at all_ as a sex symbol, with no comparable male counterparts, demonstrates this. Lucy Liu has no comparable Asian female counterparts either, and given the way you’ve dismissed every possible male contender I wouldn’t expect you to admit that she had a male counterpart even if there were an Asian Orlando Bloom. Although Orlando Bloom rose to fame playing a completely asexual role in a fantasy adventure epic, so I guess he shouldn’t count as a white male sex symbol by your reckoning either. > [@](#): > > - > > Besides, the magazines don’t need to revamp their formulas. Heck, they just need to feature the occasional Asian male hottie now and then, maybe even in a non-exclusive cover. \*The last time I picked up a copy of _Tiger Beat_ was…never…so I have only your word for it that they don’t feature the occasional Asian male hottie already. Have you conducted some sort of study on this subject, or are you just assuming that there are no Asian men ever featured in the pages of such magazines? > [@](#): > > \*If you’re going to claim that Asian men are just as popular as whites or blacks (or even comparatively popular), then I fail to see any evidence to support that claim. \*I have provided no such evidence because I have made no such claim. I know plenty of American women who like Asian men, but I have no way of knowing how popular Asian men are relative to white men among the general public. All I have done is dispute your claim that one can accurately judge the sexual appetites of the American public by looking at the media, especially since nothing in your posts has demonstrated that you understand the American media industry well enough to make any sort of educated analysis of it. I’ve got a degree in this field, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable making the sort of bold claims you have. I must also question your frequent assertions that black men have a better time of it in the media than Asian men. Black men are not often cast in romantic lead roles, they are rarely cast opposite white women, and unlike Asian men they are frequently stereotyped as dangerous thugs. Why? Because the American media is racist. Duh. But that doesn’t mean the American _people_ are all racist (thank goodness), or that racist entertainment is all the American public wants. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-racist-attitudes-keep-asian-american-men-from-being-accepted-as-fully-erotic-men/244940.md?page=2)