Where's Waldo?
Well hello!
There are a few things to know before we begin our journey down Media Criticism Lane.
First, please note that I'm not an expert - nor do I pretend to play one on TV. Any thoughts on the movies or shows listed in this blog come from someone who has only ever taken one film class in her life (though I'm hoping that'll change soon!). I approach these topics from the perspective of someone who genuinely loves stories and storytelling, and, more importantly, someone who wants the media we consume to do a whole lot better.
Second, I will do my best to address issues that I find when I'm watching a TV show or a movie, but I might not be the right person for some topics. If that's the case, I'll find someone who is, and signal boost whatever they've written. It's very important for me to bring as many voices to the table as possible, so if you know of an article or a critic that I can share out/link to in my analysis, please let me know!
Additionally, I think it's important to be upfront about who I am before I start ranting about representation. I'm bi-racial (Filipina mother, White father), and for most of my life, trying to find representation in movies and TV was a lot like playing Where's Waldo. Like...if I tried hard enough, surely I would find something in the never-ending Sea of Whiteness. Even now, as I type out this post and google 'bi-racial Filipino character,' all I'm seeing are articles on mixed-race celebrities, or book recommendations on the experiences of bi/multiracial individuals (this page is a really cool excerpt!).
But...yeah. That's it? That's... all I've got to work with.
That's all I've ever had to work with.
I remember being so excited when Mulan came out because she was Asian. I knew that she wasn't the same sort of Asian that I am (again, there don't seem to be any characters that are the same sort of Asian as I am), but, at the time, I knew I fit under that big, vague umbrella of 'Asian-ness.'
I didn't look white enough to identify with Sleeping Beauty or Belle, and it wouldn't be until Moana came out in 2016 that there was a small spark of familiarity with a character and their story.
Of course, Disney's issues, especially with the way they portray characters who aren't White, can (and will) be it's own blogpost. But, the point stands.
For nine-year-old me, Mulan (and the first Yellow Power Ranger) were basically all I had.
But what does that mean for someone who longs for something so...impossible? How do you find Waldo, when Waldo was never in the book to begin with?
Or what do you do when you find some alternate universe version of Waldo? One who isn't quite right - who isn't quite who you were looking for - but who's there, nonetheless.
And this is just the beginning of my endless quest for representation. The tip of the proverbial iceberg, if you will. Because what happened to nine-year-old me, who clung to Mulan as if she was the only thing keeping me afloat in that Sea of Whiteness?
I'll tell you what. Or part of it, anyway: I didn't think I was the right kind of Asian. I became ashamed of who I was, and one of the cultures I'd been born into. I started to situate Mulan above my Filipino friends. I was angry that I wasn't the good Asian. For so long, I distanced myself from something that was a part of me because I didn't think it was good enough to be associated with.
And, many years later, I'd learn about Colorism. I'd learn how, in many communities (but for the sake of this post, we'll focus again on the big 'Asian' umbrella), folx with lighter skin were/are seen as the ideal. Anyone with darker skin is seen as lesser - in whatever way you want to spin it. Less beautiful, less put-together, less educated, just... lesser.
Suddenly, it made sense. Of course I'd idealized the East Asian Mulan and rejected my Pacific Islander identity. Of course I, as a bi-racial person with lighter skin, would be treated differently than my Filipino friends with darker skin. A chorus of 'of course's rang out.
But, after the song ended, I was left with one question: Why?
Why wasn't I represented in movies and TV shows? Why was Mulan my only Disney Princess option? Why weren't there more stories out there that could help make a bridge over the Endless Sea of Whiteness?
Why wasn't Waldo in the book? Where did Waldo go?
It's my hope that through this blog, I can start to figure out the answers to some of these questions. To find Waldo. In order to do this, I'll discuss TV shows, movies, and books, to see where media does representation well - or where it can do much, much better.
So, feel free to join me in my next post, wherein I critique Season 2 of Stranger Things. While I liked the season overall, I have a few thoughts on things it can improve on in the future - and a couple of detrimental tropes that they fell into along the way.
I hope that, together, we can find a way to make a new version of Where's Waldo?. One where you don't have to try at all to find him. Instead he's just there. And, hopefully, he has company.
There are a few things to know before we begin our journey down Media Criticism Lane.
First, please note that I'm not an expert - nor do I pretend to play one on TV. Any thoughts on the movies or shows listed in this blog come from someone who has only ever taken one film class in her life (though I'm hoping that'll change soon!). I approach these topics from the perspective of someone who genuinely loves stories and storytelling, and, more importantly, someone who wants the media we consume to do a whole lot better.
Second, I will do my best to address issues that I find when I'm watching a TV show or a movie, but I might not be the right person for some topics. If that's the case, I'll find someone who is, and signal boost whatever they've written. It's very important for me to bring as many voices to the table as possible, so if you know of an article or a critic that I can share out/link to in my analysis, please let me know!
Additionally, I think it's important to be upfront about who I am before I start ranting about representation. I'm bi-racial (Filipina mother, White father), and for most of my life, trying to find representation in movies and TV was a lot like playing Where's Waldo. Like...if I tried hard enough, surely I would find something in the never-ending Sea of Whiteness. Even now, as I type out this post and google 'bi-racial Filipino character,' all I'm seeing are articles on mixed-race celebrities, or book recommendations on the experiences of bi/multiracial individuals (this page is a really cool excerpt!).
But...yeah. That's it? That's... all I've got to work with.
That's all I've ever had to work with.
I remember being so excited when Mulan came out because she was Asian. I knew that she wasn't the same sort of Asian that I am (again, there don't seem to be any characters that are the same sort of Asian as I am), but, at the time, I knew I fit under that big, vague umbrella of 'Asian-ness.'
I didn't look white enough to identify with Sleeping Beauty or Belle, and it wouldn't be until Moana came out in 2016 that there was a small spark of familiarity with a character and their story.
Of course, Disney's issues, especially with the way they portray characters who aren't White, can (and will) be it's own blogpost. But, the point stands.
For nine-year-old me, Mulan (and the first Yellow Power Ranger) were basically all I had.
But what does that mean for someone who longs for something so...impossible? How do you find Waldo, when Waldo was never in the book to begin with?
Or what do you do when you find some alternate universe version of Waldo? One who isn't quite right - who isn't quite who you were looking for - but who's there, nonetheless.
And this is just the beginning of my endless quest for representation. The tip of the proverbial iceberg, if you will. Because what happened to nine-year-old me, who clung to Mulan as if she was the only thing keeping me afloat in that Sea of Whiteness?
I'll tell you what. Or part of it, anyway: I didn't think I was the right kind of Asian. I became ashamed of who I was, and one of the cultures I'd been born into. I started to situate Mulan above my Filipino friends. I was angry that I wasn't the good Asian. For so long, I distanced myself from something that was a part of me because I didn't think it was good enough to be associated with.
And, many years later, I'd learn about Colorism. I'd learn how, in many communities (but for the sake of this post, we'll focus again on the big 'Asian' umbrella), folx with lighter skin were/are seen as the ideal. Anyone with darker skin is seen as lesser - in whatever way you want to spin it. Less beautiful, less put-together, less educated, just... lesser.
Suddenly, it made sense. Of course I'd idealized the East Asian Mulan and rejected my Pacific Islander identity. Of course I, as a bi-racial person with lighter skin, would be treated differently than my Filipino friends with darker skin. A chorus of 'of course's rang out.
But, after the song ended, I was left with one question: Why?
Why wasn't I represented in movies and TV shows? Why was Mulan my only Disney Princess option? Why weren't there more stories out there that could help make a bridge over the Endless Sea of Whiteness?
Why wasn't Waldo in the book? Where did Waldo go?
It's my hope that through this blog, I can start to figure out the answers to some of these questions. To find Waldo. In order to do this, I'll discuss TV shows, movies, and books, to see where media does representation well - or where it can do much, much better.
So, feel free to join me in my next post, wherein I critique Season 2 of Stranger Things. While I liked the season overall, I have a few thoughts on things it can improve on in the future - and a couple of detrimental tropes that they fell into along the way.
I hope that, together, we can find a way to make a new version of Where's Waldo?. One where you don't have to try at all to find him. Instead he's just there. And, hopefully, he has company.
^^ That's me, before I knew that Waldo had run away.
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