Marco Polo
I just finished watching the whole Marco Polo series on Netflix.
Has anyone else seen this?
After finishing it, I am a bit confused as to why it got such negative reviews from critics. Don't get me wrong, I'm not raving about it...I think it was OK. It's nothing to write home about. If I had to rate it, I would give it a strong C +, possibly even a B -. It had its moments - there was a naked woman doing battle with three soilders, and a blind monk who was a martial arts expert.
Also, I'm really not understanding some of the critics saying that it played into Asian stereotypes and that it was offensive? I am so confused by this! As an Asian man who spent my college years studying cultural appropriation, I am always the first to point out how some movies are crazy offensive (really Juno? There is like only ONE person of color in the entire movie, and it's an Asian person who doesn't speak English? Really Todd Solondz? All your movies are completely about the White experience, which is OK, but you just had to bring that one person of color in, and that person usually is a caricature of the grossest steroetypes of their race?).
Marco Polo is probably one of the LEAST offensive movies I have seen regarding Asian people. The women portrayed are strong, capable characters who are not crying with an accent "I must save honor! I must save honor!" They are not waiting for a White man to save them. These characters don't speak with an accent.
By the way, have I ever mentioned how i HATE IT when they make Asian people in movies talk about HONOR? NO ONE DOES THAT, PLEASE GO STAB YOUR WRITERS.
I always cringe, because it's like people expect me to suddenly break out and say "Oh, I must not run this red light, it will betray my family's honor!" NO ONE SAYS THAT. NO ONE THINKS THAT. PLEASE GO DROWN YOURSELF.
The Asian women of Marco Polo are not Dragon Ladies or helpless Damsels in distress. The Asian men of Marco Polo are not sexless, one dimensional oppressors of women, which every single piece of literature in the last hundred years have portrayed them to be (Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club, I am talking about you).
So...really, I am befuddled by the criticism of the show. If anyone has seen this show, please let me know your thoughts! I would really like to know why they're so hard on it.
Has anyone else seen this?
After finishing it, I am a bit confused as to why it got such negative reviews from critics. Don't get me wrong, I'm not raving about it...I think it was OK. It's nothing to write home about. If I had to rate it, I would give it a strong C +, possibly even a B -. It had its moments - there was a naked woman doing battle with three soilders, and a blind monk who was a martial arts expert.
Also, I'm really not understanding some of the critics saying that it played into Asian stereotypes and that it was offensive? I am so confused by this! As an Asian man who spent my college years studying cultural appropriation, I am always the first to point out how some movies are crazy offensive (really Juno? There is like only ONE person of color in the entire movie, and it's an Asian person who doesn't speak English? Really Todd Solondz? All your movies are completely about the White experience, which is OK, but you just had to bring that one person of color in, and that person usually is a caricature of the grossest steroetypes of their race?).
Marco Polo is probably one of the LEAST offensive movies I have seen regarding Asian people. The women portrayed are strong, capable characters who are not crying with an accent "I must save honor! I must save honor!" They are not waiting for a White man to save them. These characters don't speak with an accent.
By the way, have I ever mentioned how i HATE IT when they make Asian people in movies talk about HONOR? NO ONE DOES THAT, PLEASE GO STAB YOUR WRITERS.
I always cringe, because it's like people expect me to suddenly break out and say "Oh, I must not run this red light, it will betray my family's honor!" NO ONE SAYS THAT. NO ONE THINKS THAT. PLEASE GO DROWN YOURSELF.
The Asian women of Marco Polo are not Dragon Ladies or helpless Damsels in distress. The Asian men of Marco Polo are not sexless, one dimensional oppressors of women, which every single piece of literature in the last hundred years have portrayed them to be (Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club, I am talking about you).
So...really, I am befuddled by the criticism of the show. If anyone has seen this show, please let me know your thoughts! I would really like to know why they're so hard on it.
