April 14th 2020

London Harrah, Briana Verdugo, Mohammad Qasem

-How does Asian rhetoric emerge out of the backdrop of “spectacle of racism” as Pham & Ono call it? In what ways do parody and pop culture open spaces for racialized communities to create real political force that effectuates change?

In response to the mimicry and mockery that is associated with “spectacle of racism” Asian rhetoric finds an authentic voice. The fight against the false and faulty narratives that other cultures put upon Asian Americans creates a space for a true identity to emerge. People tend to find ways to downplay racism as a joke or less serious than it is because they are engaging with a community that they are a part of. 

Parody used in conjunction with the popularity of pop culture definitely has the potential to create a real political force of change due to the catching comedy that people can relate to. There are many entertainers who utilize this method of creating change by bringing up the topic, but overly joking about it which will make it memorable, but also will promote how wrong or inaccurate that stereotype is. Mocking people in order to receive attention is also a way of using parody to create change on a matter. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Viewing Message: 1 of 1.
Warning

Important: Read our blog and commenting guidelines before using the USF Blogs network.