Tyler Brooks
Long Duk Dong is a fictional character in the 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film Sixteen Candles, written and directed by John Hughes. Played by Japanese-American actor Gedde Watanabe, the character has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people. In the film, Long Duk Dong is a Chinese foreign exchange student who stays with the grandparents of the film's protagonist, Samantha, played by Molly Ringwald. The character's first scene sees him hanging upside down from a bunk bed, saying What's happening, hot stuff? to Samantha. Long Duk Dong has been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film | Sixteen Candles |
| Year | 1984 |
| Genre | Coming-of-age comedy |
| Character | Long Duk Dong |
| Actor | Gedde Watanabe |
| Character Description | Chinese foreign exchange student with a thick accent, an "uncool" hairstyle, and a penchant for practicing conversational English |
| Character Portrayal | Offensive stereotype of Asian people, specifically Asian men |
| Impact | Influenced racist taunts and quotes in junior and high schools |
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What You'll Learn
Long Duk Dong is a foreign exchange student
Long Duk Dong is a fictional character who appears in the 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film Sixteen Candles. Played by Japanese-American actor Gedde Watanabe, the character is a Chinese foreign exchange student and a supporting character in the film set at a US suburban high school.
In the film, Long Duk Dong stays with the grandparents of the film's protagonist, Samantha, played by Molly Ringwald. He is accompanied by the sound of a gong and practices his conversational English with others. He has an uncool hairstyle with a middle parting and is mystified by American food, calling himself "The Donger".
Long Duk Dong has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people, reinforcing tropes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign. His character's femininity is portrayed as a source of weakness, and his love interest, Marlene, is physically larger than him, with their relationship providing comic relief that feminizes Asian American men and constructs alternative gender and sexuality as aberrant.
Watanabe has expressed that he had a great experience making Sixteen Candles but recognized in retrospect that he was ""a bit naive" about his role. He acknowledged that while his character was funny, it upset many people and contributed to harmful stereotypes.
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The character is considered an offensive stereotype
Long Duk Dong, played by Gedde Watanabe in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people. The character is a Chinese foreign exchange student who stays with the grandparents of the film's protagonist, Samantha. He is portrayed as socially inept, with a thick accent and bumbled attempts at American catchphrases, such as "What's happening, hot stuff?" and "No more yankie my wankie. The Donger needs food!".
The character has been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign. Asian Americans who grew up in the second half of the 1980s reported being called "Donkers" in school and being taunted with quotes from the character's stilted English lines. The character's femininity has also been criticised as making him weak and a source of laughter.
In addition, the character's love interest, Marlene, or "Lumberjack", is physically larger than him, which has been interpreted as further reinforcing gender stereotypes and constructing alternative gender and sexuality as aberrant.
Watanabe himself has expressed some regret for taking on the role, saying that he was "a bit naive" about how it would affect people. He recalled an experience where an Asian woman approached him to complain about his portrayal, and he acknowledged that he now understands how many people were upset by the character.
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Gedde Watanabe played Long Duk Dong
Watanabe's portrayal of Long Duk Dong has been called an "offensive stereotype" of Asian people. The character speaks with a thick accent and attempts to use American catchphrases, such as "Whass happenin', haaht stuff?". Despite this, Watanabe has stated that he did not initially perceive the role as offensive, citing the scarcity of roles for Asian actors at the time. He acknowledged some problematic elements of the character but appreciated how it sparked conversations about Asian representation in media.
Long Duk Dong has been described as a cringeworthy and naive portrayal of an Asian-American character. The character has been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes, such as the socially inept and lecherous but sexually inept Asian man. However, some commentators have noted that the character defies stereotypes by getting the attractive American girlfriend and being a "party animal".
Watanabe's performance as Long Duk Dong led to him being cast in several accented roles. He has since reflected on his portrayal, recognising its impact on ongoing discussions about Asian representation and the evolving opportunities for more nuanced portrayals of Asian characters in Hollywood.
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Long Duk Dong's love interest is Marlene
Long Duk Dong, played by Gedde Watanabe, is a Chinese foreign exchange student in the 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film Sixteen Candles. The character has been called an offensive stereotype of Asian people, perpetuating tropes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign.
In the film, Long Duk Dong finds a love interest in Marlene, an athletic and chesty young woman. Marlene, played by Debbie Pollack, is known as "Lumberjack" due to her towering frame—when they embrace, Dong's head rests on her chest. In one scene, she rides an exercise bike with Dong on her lap, reinforcing the gender role-swapping dynamic of their relationship.
The filmmakers' portrayal of this relationship has been criticized for feminizing Asian American men and presenting alternative gender and sexuality as aberrant. In retrospect, Watanabe acknowledged that he was “a bit naive" about his role, expressing that he did not anticipate the impact his character would have on audiences.
Despite the criticism, Watanabe's performance as Long Duk Dong left a lasting impression, with the character's memorable lines and eccentric personality becoming ingrained in popular culture.
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The character's appearance is accompanied by a gong sound
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 described as an offensive stereotype of Asian people.
Long Duk Dong is a Chinese foreign exchange student who stays with the grandparents of the film's protagonist, Samantha, played by Molly Ringwald. His character's appearance is accompanied by a gong sound. 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".
In one of the film's scenes, Dong, hanging upside down from a bunk bed, says, "What's happening, hot stuff?" to Samantha, with his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. A gong sounds in the background. In another scene, a drunken Dong is found sprawled face-down on the ground, saying, "Ohh, no more yankie my wankie. The Donger need food!".
The character has been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes of Asian men as socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign. Despite the criticism, Watanabe has expressed that he had a great experience making the film, though he recognises that he was naive about his role at the time.
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Frequently asked questions
Gedde Watanabe played Long Duk Dong.
Long Duk Dong's first line in Sixteen Candles is "What's happening, hot stuff?".
Long Duk Dong refers to himself as "The Donger".
Long Duk Dong's love interest is called Marlene, but she is also referred to as "Lumberjack".
Long Duk Dong has been called an "offensive stereotype" of Asian people, perpetuating tropes of Asian men as "socially awkward, sexually inept, and perpetually foreign".
