catapult magazine

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banzai

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jonner
Aug 01 2003
10:16 am

I haven’t seen the show, but from what i’m hearing, these seem to be pretty valid criticisms:

“The problem with the show is context. There are no shows on network television featuring Asian casts except “Banzai.”

It’s not Fox’s responsibility to portray a United Nations of happy prime-time characters, but “Banzai” sticks out like a festering sore compared with shows such as “Bernie Mac,” a funny sitcom with an all-black regular cast that doesn’t pander to stereotypes.

“This is like an Asian minstrel show,” said Guy Aoki, head of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, a Los Angeles media watchdog group that picketed in Hollywood last week while Fox execs were promoting the network’s fall lineup to TV critics. “Can you imagine the black version of ‘Banzai?’””

http://www.accessatlanta.com/hp/content/entertainment/features/0727banzai.html

From what i’ve heard, the ‘minstrel show’ metaphor seems pretty dead-on.