Diversity versus Pandering

YouTube channel Cinema Sins recently released a video titled "Everything Wrong with Independence Day: Resurgence," in which they identified 158 mistakes/ bad story-telling from the film. The video is snarky as heck but sadly, accurate. If you haven't heard already, the movie was a complete disaster, and disappointed fans who loved the original movie (like me).

And if that isn't enough, I would like to add one more "mistake"/ fault, and that is the film attempts to be diverse by including an over-abundance of new characters that are of different races, genders, and sexuality. On the surface, they are a welcome change, especially since even the pantheon of terrific Marvel comic movies aren't anywhere as diverse as this one cast in Independence Day 2 (ID2). Except that it couldn't have been more obvious that the diversity was merely to pander to the audience. And I'm not talking about the fact that a Chinese actress had to be included in the new squad to appeal to the money bags in China--although that too.

No, I'm talking about the fact that at the end of the day, despite trying to be "inclusive" and "diverse," the movie recycled the same trite Hollywood message, which is that only white men have the skills and leadership necessary to save the world. Let me give you 2 examples from this film alone that illustrate this point.
Also, I'm going to spoil the film for the you, but don't feel bad because it's not worth watching.

Example 1) Guess who leads the new squad of baby heroes? Liam Hemsworth, who is fine in the film, but it is his white, male character, Jake Morrison, who is at the forefront of taking down of the alien ships and Queen Bee. Sure, his sidekicks are a black man, a nerdy white men, the above-mentioned Chinese woman, and his white girlfriend-- "So diverse!" screams the film makers-- but really, they do everything because Jake tells them to do so. It is Jake who has the brains and bravado to stop the aliens.
Example 2: I was happy to learn that Sela Ward will play the president of the United States. Hooray, a female president, even if only on the big screen. But her character makes a mistake in dealing with an alien object and she dies. Okay, fine, I can accept that, except guess who takes over as the new president?

100 points for you if you said "another white man." So clever. This new president, combined with Liam Hemworth's muscles, saved the world again!

Bonus example: Want to guess which character planted the final bomb that blew up the alien ship? You guessed it--another white man. President Thomas Whitmore to be exact, which is supposed to be sad, but the film makers did such injustice to his character in the movie, I think Bill Pullman was relieved he wouldn't need to appear in any more sequels.

You know the film makers are pandering when they include such a diverse cast but barely do anything to either get the audience invested in these characters, or show how their race/ ethnicity/ gender/ sexuality enhances the movie. The partnering of Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith in the original worked so well because these two contrasting characters complemented each other (who knew?!), and were thus able to destroy the first alien ship. In this movie, the revolving door of characters made it difficult for any two characters to form partnerships that the audience cared about. Even Liam Hemworth's on-screen romance felt boring and predictable.

By all means keep the Captain Americas, Iron Men, Batmen and Supermen white, heterosexual males. That's how they were in the comics, so let them remain so. I'm also not against letting white males take the lead in superhero/ disaster films. But I honestly do not think it is that difficult to create new co-lead characters that are not white males, and that can work alongside (not under) the white male lead to save the world. Or even have more diverse supporting characters that actually do something meaningful. It would have just been as easy to put a white man as the first president who died, and then have Sela Ward's character step in as the next president who sets the plans in motion for the final attack. Now that would have been poetic since the aliens were also led by a female! Alien Queen versus Female President of U.S.A. = a scene that I would have loved to watch instead of the stupid ones we saw in the film.

If you want a good film that demonstrates how films benefit from having a diverse cast, watch Arrival. I just watched it 2 weeks ago, which is why it's the first example that came to my mind (I'm sure there are plenty of other great examples). I can't recommend this particular film enough though. Not only is the acting, plot, story-telling and cinematography EXCELLENT, central to the film is the relationship between a mother and her daughter, a dynamic that cannot be replicated even with a father. This is how you become more diverse: have a kick-butt female lead (with solid male supporting characters), and an in-depth exploration of a specific type of female-maternal relationship that is rarely flashed out on screen. Go watch it!

And please skip Independence Day: Resurgence. So not worth watching, even on Netflix!

Another Example of Chinese Patriarchy

My maternal grandmother passed away in October 2015, and we held a Buddhist funeral ritual for her. As dictated by the ritual, each family member sat according to their "rank" and position in the family. I was surprised at how the ranking went.

Top of the chain: eldest grandson of the eldest son of the deceased. Yes, not the son but the grandson! He even has a special title-- "dua soon"/ 大孙
==> Next, the eldest son and his wife of the deceased, followed by the other sons and their wives
==> "Adopted" sons, translated into English as "godsons" (borrowing from Catholicism)
==> Daughters 
==> Son-in-laws (husbands of daughters)
==> Grandchildren of the deceased who come from the sons, considered to be 内孙 or "inside grandchildren." Since these grandchildren are from the sons, they take the surname of deceased and "belong" to the family. 
==> Grandchildren from the daughters, considered 外孙/ "outside grandchildren."
==> Great-grandchildren.
[My grandmother lived till 97, and saw the birth of her great-great-grandchildren, which I think is quite a feat!]

In most modern day Singaporean families, this hierarchy isn't a big deal because it has no permanent or day-to-day repercussions. But I was still indignant for my mom and aunts. Even though they were the flesh-and-blood daughters of my grandmother, they were ranked lower than the "adopted" godson. Furthermore, three of my aunts are actually older than my uncle, so in terms of age, they are more senior than him, but because of his gender, he is ranked higher than them.

My mom and aunts weren't upset about being placed after the sons (real and adopted) because . Furthermore, according to Chinese tradition, the sons are expected to care for their parents in the old age. My grandmother lived with my uncle for her entire life, and he and his wife did take good care of her. Hence, no one (including I) was particularly bothered that my uncle ranked higher than my aunts. Sometimes, you just have to let some things go. 

Yet, I couldn't help but feel frustration from such archaic traditions. My mother and aunts took better care of my grandmother than her godson did; yet he still ranked higher than all of them. Men always ranked higher, even if they were not as filial. Moreover, a woman's position and rank in the family is completely dependent on her marital status/ husband, and if she was born from a son or daughter.

It is heartening that the traditional Singaporean Chinese mindset of favoring males over females has drastically reduced in recent decades, but hints of Chinese patriarchy still creeps in subtle and silent ways into our culture and everyday lives.

Own It!

My Facebook scroll has featured a growing number of posts/ articles that discuss public breastfeeding. Since I've never given birth and/ or breastfed, I haven't paid much attention to these posts, except be puzzled by why people are upset about public breastfeeding. I remember my mother breastfeeding my youngest sister in the hot, stuffy car, and on hindsight, believe it would have been easier on my mother and sister if she could breastfeed in public. But that was the extent of my "encounters" with breastfeeding as mothers usually breastfed in a private room.

Hence I didn't think much about it...until I watched this video produced by JoeySalads about a week ago (copy and paste https://youtu.be/sKjO0jZWkx4 if the hyperlink doesn't work). It recorded the reactions of people who passed a mother breastfeeding in public. I was shocked by the rude comments that men and women flung at the mother.

A week later, JoeySalads conducted another similar social experiment. This time, he recorded the looks/ comments of people who saw a woman dressed in a top with deep cleavage (I'll call her "the model"), and a mother breastfeeding in public. He first recorded the model and mother separately, then sat them next to each other. The results are in this video HERE. Please watch it. I was appalled by some of the comments made by people, especially the man who said that it was fine for the model to display half her boobs because it was "hot," but it was not okay for the mother because it was "disgusting."

Jaw
Drop.

In a rare twist, the comments section for both videos were very supportive about public breastfeeding, and I am impressed that the vast majority of the public seem to be comfortable with public breastfeeding. For once, the internet trolls are silent.

While I don't support the so-called "Free the Nipple" feminist campaign, there is nothing inappropriate in a mother briefly revealing her nipples to breastfeed her child in public, or showing half her boob while her child is sucking. Besides, how many mothers let their naked breasts "hang out" longer than necessary? Most of them either a) cover their child with a nursing cloth that I heard is hot and uncomfortable for the poor infant, or b) cover their breasts before and after the feeding as soon as possible. As JoeySalads and many others have pointed out, breastfeeding is natural and a non-sexual act, so no mother should feel guilty for baring her boobs in public within this context.

Furthermore, even if you disapprove of public breastfeeding, you should not make such rude comments to nursing mothers. This is basic etiquette. Public breastfeeding is not a moral issue, hence there is no need to correct these mothers. Leave quietly if you are uncomfortable with what you see.

So to you mothers who are breastfeeding, you continue doing so in public if you want to. Know that you have the support of the majority of the public (and me). And like what the video below says, OWN IT!

(Video link)

Finally a Kick-butt female protagonist and... WHERE IS SHE???

WARNING: MILD SPOILERS OF STAR WARS. Though all you need is to have seen a poster for Episode VII The Force Awakens to know who the major characters are going to be, and what this post is talking about. 

This piece of news has slid under the radar, but I'm so mad that I have to post about it. According to The Guardian, toy manufacturer Hasbro recently released another edition of its Star Wars monopoly game set, and it features Kylo Ren, Finn, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader as the character tokens. The article also mentioned that Target, the giant retail store chain, also released a toy figurine set that featured Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, Finn, Poe Dameron, a Stormtrooper and a TIE Fighter pilot.

To summarize, the characters featured in the new Star Wars toy sets are:
- Kylo Ren
- Finn
- Luke Skywalker
- Darth Vader
- Chewbacca
- Poe Dameron
- A Stormtrooper
- TIE Fighter pilot

Let's examine the official movie poster for Episode VII The Force Awakens (all images taken from www.starwars.com with my own modifications). I have identified characters featured in the poster that are part of the toy sets.

Missing from the poster (but included in the toy sets) are Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but given the popularity of these characters, I understand why toy makers included them. In fact, I am delighted by the blending of old and new generational characters.

However, a closer examination of the poster reveals the glaring exclusion of a major character from the toy set despite its importance. This omission has to have been a deliberate choice on the part of the toy manufacturers because not only is this character a major part of the film, this person is THE protagonist. Even without seeing the film, viewers can already glean the importance of this character from his/her size and placement in the poster.

Readers, meet the plucky, courageous and resourceful Rey (played by Daisy Ridley). She is one of the best female protagonists I've seen, and I adore her. Film critics have praised both the addition of Rey into the franchise and Daisy Ridley's acting (e.g. see HERE or watch THIS@1:08 and THIS@4:30), and welcomed the addition of Rey into the pantheon of "strong, female leads" that girls can look up to (Rey should be loved by feminists who hate the Disney Princesses). One of the best moments in the film has got to be when she, Finn and BB-8 are escaping an attack on her planet, Jakku. Finn kept clinging to her, and amidst the shootings and bombings, the exasperated Rey snorted (I'm paraphrasing here), "Why are you holding my hand? Stop holding my hand!"  


Not to mention the climatic lightsaber fight against Kylo Ren. Her sudden mastery of the Force is unrealistic, but even taking away that aspect of her character, Rey is still smart, loyal, tough and overall kick-butt! Most of all, she is likable and kind-- remember how she saved BB-8 from captivity, and refused to sell it despite being tempted by the offer? 

I would feel comfortable letting my daughters dress up as Rey for Halloween or identify Rey as their favorite movie heroine, like this: 

Photo credit: Ryan Finley's instagram (@ryno1013). I almost died from the adorable-ness. 

Yet, her character was left out of the new edition of monopoly and Target Star Wars figurine pack. And yes, this is a gender issue. Returning to the list of characters with toys, we observe: 

- Kylo Ren: MALE
- Finn: MALE
- Luke Skywalker: MALE
- Darth Vader: MALE
- Chewbacca: MALE
- Poe Dameron: MALE 
- Stormtrooper: can be male or female but we do not see their faces/ gender + insignificant character
- TIE Fighter pilot: can be male or female but we do not see their face/ gender + insignificant character

This lists is evidence that toy makers would rather merchandise insignificant, "gender-less" characters than produce toys featuring a likable strong female lead. Even the TIE fighter pilots, who are technically not featured on the poster (just the planes), made it to the toy list over Rey, the main character. Hasbro claimed to have excluded Rey because they wanted to avoid spoiling the film, a claim that doesn't hold up since filmmakers already revealed the centrality of Rey to the film months before The Force Awakens hit theaters. Such blatant misogyny of the toy industry, in particular Hasbro and Target, disgusts me. To be fair, Lego and Disney did produce toy figurines of Rey, but why does this double-standard even exist in the toy industry?

Thankfully, Hasbro was forced to do an about-face, after director J.J. Abrams called the move to exclude Rey from the toy line "preposterous" and "wrong." Fans also took to social media to campaign against Hasbro, using the hashtag #WheresRey or #WhereIsRey. As a result, Hasbro announced on its twitter feed last Wednesday that they will release a newer edition of monopoly that included Rey later this year. 

Now I wonder if this wasn't a brilliant maneuver on the part of Hasbro to force fans to buy 2 editions of the Monopoly: Star Wars game. Either way, I am disappointed with Hasbro and Target.

Chinese Patriarchy Part A

The Singaporean values system has undergone transformation since the 1960s, particularly in our attitudes toward women. Singaporean women are highly educated, financially independent, and enjoy more opportunities than other women around the world. As a result, many traditional concepts about the submissiveness and limitations of women have been eradicated.

Of course, Asian patriarchy still exists because Singaporeans are by-and-large moral conservatives due to a mix of tradition, heritage and religion. Few clamor for a complete overthrow of the gender system (à la Western feminism), and certain concepts about traditional gender roles persist, such as the idea that the husband is the main breadwinner, and women still oversee household chores and childcare. Patriarchy is also present in our language and rituals. Yet, since Singaporean women are educated and employed, patriarchy in Singapore is severely tempered (see THIS ARTICLE* from The Straits Times for instance).

Furthermore, patriarchy in my personal life is further curtailed by Church teachings. As I explained in a previous blog post, my faith educates men to treat women appropriately, and teaches women to love themselves. Yes, my patriarchal church makes me value my womanhood.

However, there are occasions when Singaporean Chinese patriarchy rears its ugly head in my life. Last year I attended an institute (Bible study) course about marriage and family (yes, it's the Eternal Marriage course but the other class didn't sound as interesting), and one of the topics was family traditions. The discussion was going fine until I asked a question: What happens when two good traditions run up against each other in a marriage? For example, during Chinese New Year families gather together and visit one another. What should a couple do if the family gatherings on both sides of the family occur at the same time?

The teacher, a more senior Chinese man, said, "Traditionally, the daughter 'marries out' of the family. So the woman should follow her husband and go to his family gathering." 

I should explain that in Chinese culture, married women "leave" their families and become part of their husband's families, which explains why sons are more valued in Chinese culture. Even the Chinese language reflects this distinction: the terms used to describe the act of marriage for women and men are different. The woman "嫁" (jia)/ "marries out" of her family, while the husband "娶" (qu)/ "brings in" a wife to his family. The character "娶" is a combination of the characters "取" and  "女" which means "take" and "female" respectively. As you can see, the Chinese language is innately patriarchal.

However, since I grew up in Singapore and am a member of the Church, the response of the teacher did not sit right with me. So I pushed back and said, "Well, but we don't live in those times when the women are really 'married out' and accept women's submission, especially in Singapore."

To which the teacher repeated that traditionally, since women marry out of the home, the wife should prioritize her husband's family above her own. (Ironic usage of the word "traditional" by the way.)

I vehemently disagree with his response, though I didn't say anything more because I didn't want to be that feminist. But I am stating right here that he was WRONG. My parents have 3 daughters and no sons. If my sisters and I really "marry out" as dictated by tradition, who will take care of my parents? There is no space in society, and especially in my church, for such Chinese "traditional" patriarchal thinking. Traditions are created and dictated by Man, and can be changed. We need to re-conceptualize the way we think about Chinese marriages. There must be a better way for husbands and wives to be filial and honor both sides of parents without favoring one side over the other.

* Theresa Tan, "Mum's at Work, Dad's Minding the Kids," Straits Times (June 21, 2015).