Chloe Adams
Long Duk Dong, played by 28-year-old Gedde Watanabe, is a fictional character in the 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film Sixteen Candles. The character has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people, reinforcing tropes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign. However, Watanabe has reflected on the role, stating that he did not find his character offensive at the time and that it has driven positive change by becoming a subject of study in Asian studies classes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the character | Long Duk Dong |
| Name of the movie | Sixteen Candles |
| Year of release | 1984 |
| Genre | Coming-of-age comedy film |
| Actor | Gedde Watanabe |
| Actor's ethnicity | Japanese American |
| Actor's place of birth | Ogden, Utah |
| Actor's date of birth | June 26, 1955 |
| Character's ethnicity | Chinese |
| Character's role | Supporting character |
| Character's background | Foreign exchange student |
| Stereotype | Offensive stereotype of Asian people |
| Stereotype breaker | Mystified by American food, calls himself "The Donger" |
| Love interest | Marlene, an athletic and chesty young woman |
| Age | Not explicitly mentioned |
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What You'll Learn
Long Duk Dong was played by 28-year-old Gedde Watanabe
Long Duk Dong, the Chinese foreign exchange student in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, was played by 28-year-old Gedde Watanabe. Watanabe was born Gary Watanabe in Ogden, Utah, in 1955, and is of Japanese-American descent. He began his career in theatre, working as a street musician in San Francisco while honing his acting skills. In 1976, he landed his first role as a member of the original Broadway cast of Pacific Overtures.
Watanabe's performance as Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles has been described as "notorious" and "cringeworthy", with the character being called an offensive stereotype of Asian people. Long Duk Dong has been criticised for reinforcing tropes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign. Despite this, Watanabe recalled his experience making the film as "great", and he acknowledged the popularity of his character.
To prepare for the role, Watanabe spent time with a friend who had a thick Korean accent and auditioned in character using his friend's accent. He later admitted that he was "a bit naive" about the role and didn't realise how it would affect people. Watanabe reflected on his portrayal, saying:
> "My training and my teachers had taught me that getting a character is about going for the intention. The Donger loved everything about America: the fun, the girls, the cars. So I didn’t so much go for the jokes, but played to his excitement and enthusiasm."
Following his role in Sixteen Candles, Watanabe was cast in several accented roles but later mostly stopped using exaggerated Asian accents for his parts. He went on to have a successful acting career, appearing in films such as Gung Ho (1986) and UHF (1989), and voicing the character of Ling in the animated film Mulan (1998) and its sequel.
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The character is a Chinese foreign exchange student
Long Duk Dong is a fictional character in the 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film Sixteen Candles, written and directed by John Hughes. The character, played by Japanese-American actor Gedde Watanabe, is a Chinese foreign exchange student and has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people.
Watanabe, who was 28 at the time of filming, recalled that he did not find his character offensive at the time. He said: "Frankly, I was like, this is a good job, and I'm going to get paid more doing one week in this movie than I did for all the years I was in the theater. It didn't really occur to me that it was a stereotype, because there wasn't really anything out there for Asian actors at the time. It was just so scarce. So I didn't think it was stereotypical or racist. Isn't that weird?".
Watanabe's character has been described as a grotesque stereotype and cringeworthy, emblematic of Hollywood's reliance on offensive Asian stereotypes. The character has been criticised for reinforcing tropes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign.
In the film, Long Duk Dong stays with the grandparents of the film's protagonist, Samantha, played by Molly Ringwald. He practices his conversational English with others, has his hair parted down the middle in an "uncool" style, is mystified by American food, and calls himself "The Donger". He also finds a love interest in Marlene, an athletic and physically larger woman.
Watanabe has since reflected on his portrayal, saying that he was “a bit naive” about his role and didn't realise how it would affect people. He recalled an experience where an Asian woman approached him to complain about his portrayal. Despite the criticism, Watanabe notes that his character has been a driver of positive change, with people studying Long Duk Dong in Asian studies classes and having conversations about the portrayal of Asian characters in media.
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Long Duk Dong has been criticised as an offensive stereotype
Long Duk Dong, played by Japanese American actor Gedde Watanabe, is a Chinese foreign exchange student in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles. The character has been criticised as an offensive stereotype of Asian people.
In the film, Long Duk Dong is accompanied by the sound of a gong, has an "uncool" hairstyle, and practices his conversational English with others. He calls himself "The Donger", and finds a love interest in Marlene, an athletic woman who is physically larger than him.
Some viewers have found the character entertaining and relatable. However, others have criticised the character as a racist and offensive caricature that perpetuates stereotypes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign. The character's use of pidgin English and lack of respect for personal space have been cited as particularly offensive elements.
In retrospect, Watanabe recognised that he was “a bit naive” about his role and came to understand how his portrayal affected people. He recalled being confronted by Asian women who were angry about his role and upset about the impact of such stereotypes on Asian Americans in media.
Critics have described Long Duk Dong as a “grotesque stereotype” and a “stain” on Hollywood's history of representing Asian characters. The character has been criticised for reinforcing negative tropes and contributing to the feminisation of Asian American men.
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The actor auditioned in a fake Korean accent
Long Duk Dong is a fictional character who appears in the 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film Sixteen Candles. The character, played by Japanese-American actor Gedde Watanabe, has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people.
Watanabe's agent informed him of the role as a foreign exchange student, and he decided to spend time with a friend who had a thick Korean accent. He then went to audition "in character" using his friend's accent.
Watanabe recalled his portrayal attempt, saying:
> "My training and my teachers had taught me that getting a character is about going for the intention."
Watanabe became well-known for his role as Long Duk Dong, but he also expressed his naivete about the impact his character would have. He later recognised that many people were upset about his portrayal of the foreign exchange student, recalling an experience where an Asian woman approached him to complain about his performance.
Watanabe was cast in several accented roles after Sixteen Candles but later mostly stopped using exaggerated Asian accents for his roles.
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The character is remembered for the line What's happenin', hot stuff?
Long Duk Dong is a fictional character who appears in the 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film Sixteen Candles. The character is played by Japanese-American actor Gedde Watanabe, who was 28 at the time of filming. Long Duk Dong is a Chinese foreign exchange student and a supporting character in the film set at a US suburban high school.
The character is remembered for the line "What's happenin', hot stuff?", delivered in a thick Korean accent, which Watanabe learned from a friend. The character's broken English and bumbled attempts at American catchphrases are considered offensive but also hilarious. The character has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people, reinforcing tropes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign.
Watanabe reflected on the role decades later, saying he didn't find his character offensive at the time. He acknowledged that some lines were problematic but also expressed his hope that his portrayal had a positive impact, sparking conversations about Asian representation in media.
Long Duk Dong became a well-known character, and Watanabe's career took off after the film's release. However, the character has been criticised for perpetuating negative stereotypes of Asian men and contributing to harmful taunting of Asian Americans in schools.
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Frequently asked questions
Gedde Watanabe, the actor who played Long Duk Dong, was 28 years old during the filming of Sixteen Candles.
Gedde Watanabe was born on June 26, 1955, and is currently 68 years old.
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes. The film is set in a suburban US high school and follows the story of its protagonist, Samantha, and a Chinese foreign exchange student named Long Duk Dong, who stays with Samantha's grandparents.
