Maddie James
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles has been criticised for its portrayal of Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student from an unidentified Asian country. Long Duk Dong is awkward, nerdy, and communicates in broken English, causing him to be mocked by the other characters. While some have called the character a racist caricature, others have defended the character and the actor, Gedde Watanabe, who played him. Watanabe has stated that he did not think the role was stereotypical or racist at the time, but recognised that the character has become controversial. The film has also been criticised for its depiction of women, with leading actress Molly Ringwald reflecting that movies of that era were appalling in how they portrayed women.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of movie | Sixteen Candles |
| Year of release | 1984 |
| Genre | Teen comedy |
| Character in question | Long Duk Dong |
| Played by | Gedde Watanabe |
| Character profile | Foreign exchange student, awkward, nerdy Chinese exchange student who communicates in broken English and American catchphrases |
| Criticism | Racist, stereotypical, offensive Asian stereotypes, part of Hollywood's offensive depictions of Asian men |
| Actor's take | Didn't think the role was stereotypical or racist, didn't think about whether the character was offensive, happy to be a working actor at a time when Asians were scarcely represented on screen |
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What You'll Learn
Long Duk Dong: A racist caricature?
Long Duk Dong, played by Gedde Watanabe, is a character in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles. He is a foreign exchange student from an unidentified Asian country. Long makes his first appearance hanging upside down from the top bunk, waggling his eyebrows at the female protagonist, and attempting conversational English with the line: "What's happenin', hot stuff?".
Long Duk Dong has been criticised as a racist caricature and one of Hollywood's most offensive Asian stereotypes. Asian-American groups have described the character as stereotypical and part of a long history of Hollywood's offensive depictions of Asian men. Critics have also pointed to the character's broken English and American catchphrases, which cause him to be mocked by other characters in the film.
However, actor Gedde Watanabe has stated that he did not think the role was racist or stereotypical, explaining that he was happy to be a working actor at a time when Asians were scarcely represented on screen. He also noted that the character played against stereotypes in certain ways, such as getting the girl and being popular at parties.
The character of Long Duk Dong highlights the complexities of assessing past works through a contemporary lens. While some may view the character as a racist caricature, others may see him as a product of his time, reflecting the societal norms and media depictions acceptable to that era.
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The line between comedy and offence
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles, written and directed by John Hughes, has been criticised for its portrayal of Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student from an unidentified Asian country. The character has been described as a "racist caricature", with his portrayal deemed to be part of a long history of Hollywood's offensive depictions of Asian men.
Long Duk Dong is an awkward, nerdy Chinese exchange student who speaks broken English and uses American catchphrases. His first appearance in the film involves him dangling from the top bunk of a bed, waggling his eyebrows at the female protagonist, and asking, "What's happenin', hot stuff?". Critics have described the character as a stereotypical Asian nerd, with his portrayal contributing to a history of racist depictions of Asian men in Hollywood.
However, the actor who played Long Duk Dong, Gedde Watanabe, has stated that he did not think the role was stereotypical or racist at the time. Watanabe, who is of Japanese descent, has said that he was just happy to be a working actor during a time when Asian actors were scarcely represented on screen. He also noted that the character played against stereotypes in some ways, as it was unusual for an Asian character to "get the girl and party and be in bliss".
The debate surrounding Sixteen Candles highlights the fine line between comedy and offence. While some viewers found the character of Long Duk Dong offensive, others found him funny, and the character has endured as one of the most memorable aspects of the film. In defence of the film, some have argued that it is a product of its time and that demanding political correctness of older media is hypocritical and boring.
Ultimately, the impact of a comedic portrayal depends on the audience's perspective. What some may find humorous, others may find hurtful or offensive. As societal norms and sensitivities change over time, media that was once considered acceptable may now be deemed inappropriate or offensive. Thus, the line between comedy and offence is a subjective and evolving boundary that is influenced by cultural and historical contexts.
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Oriental tropes in cinema
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles has been criticised for its portrayal of Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student from an unidentified Asian country. Long Duk Dong has been described as a racist caricature, with his character embodying several offensive stereotypes about Asian men.
Long Duk Dong's first appearance in the film sees him hanging upside down from a top bunk, waggling his eyebrows at the female protagonist, and attempting conversational English with the line, "What's happenin', hot stuff?". He is portrayed as awkward and nerdy, communicating in broken English and American catchphrases, and struggling to understand American food.
The character has been criticised as a racist stereotype, with Asian-American groups decrying the character as part of a long history of Hollywood's offensive depictions of Asian men. Long Duk Dong has been described as "Hollywood's most offensive Asian stereotype", and as every quintessential Asian stereotype rolled into one.
However, the actor who played Long Duk Dong, Gedde Watanabe, has stated that he did not think the role was stereotypical or racist at the time. Watanabe has reflected on the lack of representation for Asian actors during that period and has noted the progress made since, with more diverse and multi-dimensional Asian characters being portrayed in media.
The criticism of Sixteen Candles highlights the issue of Oriental tropes in cinema, where Asian characters are often reduced to stereotypes that perpetuate harmful stereotypes and contribute to the marginalisation of Asian communities. While Sixteen Candles may have reflected the standards of its time, it is important to recognise how media depictions can shape societal perceptions and contribute to broader issues of representation and inclusion.
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Hollywood's progressiveness and pitfalls
Hollywood has long been accused of pandering to stereotypes, and one film that has come under scrutiny in recent years is John Hughes' 1984 classic Sixteen Candles. The film has been criticised for its portrayal of the foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong, played by Gedde Watanabe. The character has been called a racist caricature, a stereotypical nerdy Chinese exchange student who speaks broken English and is mocked by the other characters.
However, the actor himself has stated that he did not think the role was racist or stereotypical at the time, reflecting that he was just happy to be a working actor when Asian representation on screen was scarce. In a 2014 interview, Watanabe shared his vision for the character's future, which included a successful career and a large family, a much more fulfilling life than what the filmmakers likely had in mind.
The film Sixteen Candles is not the only work of John Hughes that has been re-evaluated in recent years. Actress Molly Ringwald, who starred in several of Hughes' films, has also criticised The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles as "racist, misogynistic...homophobic". She reflects that movies of that era were "appalling in their depiction of women", with one-dimensional characters and tropes that are no longer acceptable.
While Hollywood has made some progress in terms of representation and moving away from stereotypes, the re-evaluation of films like Sixteen Candles highlights how far the industry still has to go. It is important to acknowledge the pitfalls of the past and present and to continue striving for more accurate and diverse representations on screen.
Despite the controversy surrounding Sixteen Candles, it is worth noting that not everyone agrees with the criticism. Some have defended the film, arguing that it is a well-written and insightful analysis of what society deemed acceptable at the time. Additionally, Watanabe's portrayal of Long Duk Dong has been seen as playing against stereotypes, as the character gets the girl and parties, which was unusual for Asian characters at the time.
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John Hughes' character set
John Hughes' 1984 film Sixteen Candles has been criticised for its portrayal of Long Duk Dong, a Chinese foreign exchange student who speaks in broken English and uses American catchphrases. Long Duk Dong has been called a racist caricature and one of Hollywood's most offensive Asian stereotypes.
Long Duk Dong is played by Gedde Watanabe, who has defended his decision to take on the role, stating that he did not think the character was stereotypical or racist at the time. Watanabe has acknowledged the scarcity of roles for Asian actors during that period and has reflected on the impact of the character, stating that it is nice to imagine Long Duk Dong having a fulfilling life after the events of the film.
Some critics have noted that the character of Long Duk Dong is a standard part of Hughes' character set, which includes jocks, geeks, cheerleaders, and kids desperate to be accepted by the popular crowd. While Sixteen Candles has been criticised for its portrayal of Long Duk Dong, it is not the only film by Hughes that has come under scrutiny. Actress Molly Ringwald, who starred in several of Hughes' films, has criticised The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles for their depiction of women, noting that films of that era were often appalling in the way they portrayed female characters.
The discussion surrounding Sixteen Candles highlights the complex relationship between comedy and offence, and how societal norms and expectations have evolved over time. While some viewers find the character of Long Duk Dong offensive, others have found humour in the character's antics despite recognising the racist stereotypes he embodies.
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Frequently asked questions
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles has been criticized for its portrayal of foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong, played by Gedde Watanabe, as a racist caricature. Long Duk Dong is an awkward, nerdy Chinese exchange student who speaks in broken English and uses American catchphrases, leading to him being mocked by other characters. While some viewers find the character offensive, others find him humorous.
Gedde Watanabe has stated that he did not think the role of Long Duk Dong was stereotypical or racist when he took it. He has acknowledged that the character is problematic in retrospect but attributed this to a lack of education about racial parameters during the time period in which the film was made. Watanabe also highlighted the scarcity of opportunities for Asian actors at the time, expressing excitement about the improved Asian representation in media today.
Asian-American groups have criticized Long Duk Dong as a stereotypical and offensive depiction of Asian men, perpetuating a long history of Hollywood's racist portrayals. Martin Wong, co-founder of Giant Robot magazine, which covers Asian and Asian-American pop culture, stated that every Asian man in high school or junior high during the era of John Hughes movies was called "Donger." However, some viewers have also found humor in the character, understanding Watanabe's perspective that it was unusual for an Asian character to be portrayed in a positive light in the 1980s.
