No Asian men on TV or in ads

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1845

    Larry T.
    Member

    Why do TV news programs use Asian women as reporters and anchors, but not Asian men? And why do magazine photo ads with a racially diverse group use an Asian woman instead of an Asian man?

    User Detail :  

    Name : Larry T., Gender : M, Age : 38, City : Portland, State : OR, Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, 
    #43686

    Rhiannon
    Member

    I don’t know why there are so few Asian men represented in the media, but it’s a shame. Usually, the only ones you see are martial artists. One nice exception to this is Curtis, a 29-year-old Asian-American lawyer who is on Big Brother. He’s intelligent, funny, sexy and might actually win!

    User Detail :  

    Name : Rhiannon, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 29, City : Eden Prairie, State : MN, Country : United States, Occupation : Professor, Social class : Middle class, 
    #15107

    Kent
    Member

    What you observe is not practiced outside the United States. CNBC Asia – an English-language program for Asia and Australia – uses both men and women of all races. The United States seems to be very backward compared to Europe, Asia or Australia, preferring men to women as TV authority figures; and I assume network figures worry about Asian men, by virtue of their gender, being seen to be in authority. Presumably they feel Asian women, of the subsidiary gender, carry little threat to the audience.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Kent, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 57, City : Melbourne, State : NA, Country : Australia, Occupation : Consultant, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #24194

    Joe29378
    Participant

    TV personalities in the US, especially TV anchors, need to be perceived as ‘sexy’ or ‘cool.’ In the US, there is no significant demographic that sees Asian men as anything other than ‘nerdy’ (not even the Asian women). Therefore, broadcasting companies think that Asian men wouldn’t attract viewers.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Joe29378, Gender : M, Race : Asian, Age : 25, City : Charlotte, State : NC, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #41297

    kame
    Member

    American stereotypes for newscasters dictate that the males display a personable personality along with intelligence and integrity. It’s slightly different for women, who must not only display integrity, but also a certain polished sexuality. Asian men are still stereotyped as the passionless scientist geeky types who can’t communicate, while asian women have that stereotyped exotic nature that make them appealing sexually. But this leads me to ask: why do I see more African American male newscasters than African American female newscasters?

    User Detail :  

    Name : kame, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 
    #22680

    Andrea K.
    Participant

    We usually watch the NBC six o’clock news, and there is a reporter called Ken Kashiwahara (I think that’s how you spell it) who is on frequently. I’m quite sure I’ve seen Asian men in print ads, but they tend to be younger. One reason that might explain this is that many of the older-generation Asian-American men are relatively short. There is still, I think, a preference for pictures showing the woman shorter than the man, and many fashion models are taller than the average woman to start with.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Andrea K., Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 40, City : Farmington, State : ME, Country : United States, Occupation : teacher/musician, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 
    #45300

    David
    Participant

    I am an Asian male, but my insight into this is objective. I have a friend who used to anchor on CLTV News in Chicago (a local station). The broadcast industry (perhaps all of American visual media) is very focused on image and appeal. Of course, sex appeal permeates everything these days. This friend of mine was always wearing a full canvas of make-up, even when we were in night school together! She explained that broadcast, like Hollywood and like any other tv network, manipulates visual appeal for those great ratings. So you put on-the-air the most attractive, charismatic people that you can find. That means…hunky gentlemen and thin attractive women…NOT men who have stereotypically been downgraded as second-class citizens (such as Asian men). Where are the Asian-Indian male broadcasters? Same rationale. The media is biased because we, ourselves, are biased. It’s our fault.

    User Detail :  

    Name : David, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian-American, Age : 27, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : Law Clerk, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
    #18962

    Sarah28400
    Participant

    It’s not common practise to show Asian men in a position of authority – also notice that more often than not, an Asian female reporter is paired with a white male reporter.

    User Detail :  

    Name : Sarah28400, Gender : F, Race : Asian, Religion : Agnostic, City : San Francisco, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 
    #43258

    Asianguy23527
    Participant

    I am a college student who happen to be Asian, I just stumble upon this forum. It’s 2003 and still no progress. It’s cruel, cruel world, what can I say. That’s life. There is no ad of Asian men whatsoever in clothing store ad that I shop in. That why I shop in Thrift store from now on. 🙂 I was raised in the mid-western America and throughout my life and I never see anything positive about Asian men in mainstream America. It has made me stronger, more motivated and driven realizing the psyche of people in this country. America is a great and funny country. I don’t understand it either and I won’t even try. Stay positive!

    User Detail :  

    Name : Asianguy23527, Gender : M, Race : Asian, Age : 19, City : Des Moine, State : IA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.