Just saw the movie, and I give it a 4. Watchable, sometimes funny.
It was more of a travelogue–a little too “Taiwan newbie experiences” to fit into even the Dingleberry Film Festival. I think the filmmaker is a sexually frustrated young man. He also doesn’t seem to be able to speak Chinese so that might be another source of his frustration and his anti-white man crusade, considering the fact that the Chinese language abilities of most white men on this island can run rings around his. Poagao pretty much clocked this guy in his post.
999 out of 1000 aren’t racist, but when it goes bad in Taiwan, China or elsewhere in Asia it gets really bad.
The guys in the PRC are great at forming insta-mobs – huge collections of 50-100 guys who are glad to start shouting out that “the foreigner was stealing!”, “the foreigner was eating our babies!” or other assorted nonsense straight out of some Boxer Rebellion playbook.
The guys in Taiwan are also quite capable of doing it. There are exhaustive posts within this forum about the ability of Taiwanese guys to take some real/perceived slight and use it as an opportunity to speed-dial their 25 closest buddies to conduct pinata practice on a foreigner.
I generally stay out of trouble, pay my bills on time, and don’t try to get into situations where my ass might get kicked. That said, all it takes is ol’ mister 1 out of 1,000 to create a potentially life-changing experience with local Taiwanese-style racism. I obviously don’t think it’s enough of a risk to seriously consider leaving Taiwan anytime soon, but it does go a bit beyond the usual “big nose” stuff.
Flicka – does the director seem actually angry against foreigners in this movie or just white Americans?
Many people in Taipei are openly and unashamedly ‘mocking and racist’, more so to non-big-nosed foreigners. Now I understand Chinese, I’m often amazed by how little class some people have.
So when are the sequels coming? “Europeans Never Wash” and “East Asians all …(insert unbelieveably lame stereotype here)…” That would be on about the same intellectual level as ‘They come over here and steal our women’…
Actually I think this film would be likely to offend the left as much as the right. It’s kind of an equal opportunity offender. Imagine that you had started your day to the sound of New Years festivity fireworks, gone outside and been nearly creamed by a beetle nut chewing, blue truck driving merchant of death, got on the MRT and been called waiguoren fifteen times by an assortment of nose picking belchers only to arrive at work and discover that a psycho xiao jie has been in to share “pictures” and a sob story with the student body etc etc.
Now imagine that after a day like that you went home, got drunk and poured your frustration out in the temporary forum.
Imagine further that those ramblings were somehow adapted to the screen.
That is what this film is like, only in reverse, or something, kinda.
Anyway I admire anybody who can pack a camera on his back, head out, and make something that is at least shocking enough to be interesting. It’s rude, it’s crude. It’s insulting. It’s narrow minded and pathetic. It’s also at times painfully accurate.
Whatever, it sure ain’t over produced Hollywood drivel and there is surely something to be said for that.
(Yes, yes Hollywood produces some amazingly good films too, but for every great one there are ten gigantic wastes resources and talent.)
[quote=“lane119 (aka Cola)”]
I don’t think you get it. ‘‘Hello how do you do’’ is not said in a mocking or racist manner the way “chip chop suey” is said; ‘‘Hello how do you do’’ really is their way of saying ‘‘hello’’ to you. Really.[/quote]
In some cases it is simply hello, in some cases it is said in a mocking or racist tone. Really. I’d actually appreciate a nice hello every now and then. Instead I usually get, “Hey man!” or worse, “Hey baby!” because I’m black. This is exactly the equivalent of “ching-chong chop suey.”
[quote=“naijeru”] Instead I usually get, “Hey man!” or worse, “Hey baby!” because I’m black. This is exactly the equivalent of “ching-chong chop suey.”[/quote] Nah, I get, "Hey man! too and I’m nearly pale white. And even Yo! Where did they pick that up from?
Around the time of the Jerry MacGuire movie it was common to hear those who could form at least one English sentence say “Show me the money.”
Implying being anti-DPP is “Anti-Taiwan” and “Pro KMT” is another great line of propagoddamnedhorseshitnda from the DPP. Same with the, “Why do you hate Taiwan?”
Being anti-DPP does NOT make you “pro-China,” nor “Pro-KMT.”
Such polarizing horseshit is the product of “New boss same as the old boss” syndrome.
DPP are another KMT. Neither did anything to help the average Joe in the ling run, despite their claims to the contrary.
I agree though, Hou peaked awhile ago and is coasting by. His triumphs were in the last decade and there are more interesting individuals who haven’t lost their edge, keepin’ on keepin’ on (Tsai Ming-liang, for example) and retaining a very “Taiwanese,” edge without sucking up to the two asshole parties (KMT or DPP, nor the other asshole parties like PFP). They’ve other fish to fry.
As for the TAIPEI 101 idiot. Well, weenus envy. Blame others for your own feelings of inadequacey than actually going out and examining what it will take to feel adequate.
[quote=“mofangongren”]999 out of 1000 aren’t racist, but when it goes bad in Taiwan, China or elsewhere in Asia it gets really bad.
The guys in the PRC are great at forming insta-mobs – huge collections of 50-100 guys who are glad to start shouting out that “the foreigner was stealing!”, “the foreigner was eating our babies!” or other assorted nonsense straight out of some Boxer Rebellion playbook[/quote]
“All Men Are Brothers.” The Xiong Di syndrome.
The PRC masters this nationalist spin. The Koreas are good at it too. George Bush is getting his footing on it a well. Maybe his papa taught him what he learned while he was an ambassador in the PRC?
To be fair, they also do this on their “own kind.” It’s Xiong di syndrome, man. Ask high school students about school yard scraps. You have a society that functions (or malfunctions, in as many cases) in the “we” mentality. Of course, when shit goes down, the “we” mentality continues.
Outside of that beautiful human being who stood in front of a line of tanks in Tienamen Square that summer of 1989, it’s hard to think of singular individuals taking matters into their own hands to remedy situations or take stands in Taiwan or China. It’s not the natural instinct.
Same tends to apply to vandalism and tyranny.
How many Taiwanese goons does it take to screw in a lightbulb? 10! One to get miffed by the problem and the other 9 to back him up in getting it done!
Taiwan is an island to pick your battles wisely and understand your advantages of as being a foreinger, and the disadvantages. Don’t be a pus#y and stepin fetchit, but don’t go looking for trouble.
The people who won’t stand up to the situation and correct it are as bad as the instigators.
Just pick the time to make the stance wisely.
Sometimes it requires a smack down. Sometimes diplomacy. Sometimes it’s not worth it.
Learn local law and have character witnesses who can attest to yoru character.
Guangxi goes a long way, and contrary to the PRC style guangshi, sometimes being a nice, generous cat to people you genuinely like pays off in the long term. Making friends with someone from your local FAP, or being on good terms with a student whose father is a cop helps.
