“Do you own an elephant?”

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Two years ago, when I first started school in New York, I had to wait in a long line outside the Guidance Counselor’s office. The student standing in front me turned around to complain about the line and we eventually got talking. I told him that I had just moved from India and he surprised me with what is possibly the weirdest question I have ever been asked. He said,   ”So, did you like, own an elephant and ride it to school back in India?” For a moment, I thought he was joking. When his expression remained earnest, I realized that he seriously believed that families in India used elephants as a common means of transportation. He had seen elephants featured prominently in countless movies about India and had assumed that the animals were a part of everyday life there.

This incident shocked me and educated me to the extent of the media’s influence on how a culture is understood around the world. Our perception of other countries and cultures is a product of our view through the biased lens of popular media. The nature of media today is to play up only the quirky, exotic parts of a culture and neglect to mention the ordinary and everyday aspects that complete the picture. On the other hand, it’s understandable that the media exploits the differences between cultures. The unique elements make for interesting, often funnier, stories and thus, better profits. The problem occurs when we, as consumers, fail to realize that movies and television shows may not be true representations of a culture. We should be careful not to stereotype cultures and identify them only through the few elements that we have been exposed to.

It’s admirable that Mr. Hwang derives from his experiences with cultural misconceptions as an Asian American and uses it to write educative plays that explore this complex subject. I think in a world where the internet and globalization are erasing boundaries, people like Mr. Hwang can help us understand the reasons for pervasive misconceptions and ensure that cultural barriers don’t stand in the way of increasing global unity and connectivity.

Culturally Relevant

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In spite of arguable legislative efforts to erase racial and ethnic inequalities and promote a safe and accepting society, the United States, like most countries, breeds its fair share of cultural prejudice. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Noah Ringer, “The Last Airbender”, for example, released a casting notice looking for “Caucasians and other ethnicities.” The latter part of the phrase maintains the illusion of equal opportunity for actors of different ethnic origins, yet implicitly identifies Caucasians as fit for the role. Playwright David Henry Hwang attempts to “blur the lines of these categories we have for race” and, according to Patrick Healy, “consider internationalism today, specifically the frustrations experienced by Americans and Chinese who are united in capitalist greed but divided by their cultural sensibilities.”
In order to carry out this objective, Hwang has written “Chinglish,” a New York based production with soaring production costs and risky Mandarin dialogues (with English supertitles). The play appeals to the assumed relatability of an English speaker in a foreign country. It exposes a type of affection far more mature than love, “qingyi”. This sentiment is typical of a Chinese marital partnership “and sets up a surprising clash” between Daniel, a newcomer, and Xi, “a cagey, attractive bureaucrat whom Daniel falls for.”
The miscommunication and misgivings between the pair reveal an intrinsic divide among members of distinct cultures. The play draws attention to the cultural expectancies and behaviors of ethnically and racially diverse individuals. It also dispels racial stereotypes, such as Asian women working as manicurists. The actuality of Chinglish sets it apart from other Broadway productions and hopefully resonates with audiences who seek equal parts truth and comedy in theatre. Although I have experienced a minimal sense of cultural dissonance, I anticipate Chinglish and the realism that it brings to cultural interaction.

 

Destroying Barriers

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As societies grew and spread, race has been a major issue.  The acronym W.A.S.P. was created, where the first letter stands for white. On the opposite end of the spectrum were people of color who were projected as slaves.  However, as progress ensued, these ethnic misinterpretations were slowly broken down.

In today’s culture, race still plays some sort of role in everyday life.  Immigrants leave their country for better lives and come to America, but instead of diversifying the people in their environment they end up in locations where people of the same nationality reside.  This is understandable because people feel more comfortable with people of their race; however, this fear creates unseen barriers in cities.  For example, there are “white, Chinese, and brown” parts of Queens and that is how the majority of residents define their area.  I’ve heard stories of people walking into the “white” part of Queens and being stared at weirdly because it was “obvious” they didn’t belong.

The barriers we indirectly create have a lot to do with stereotypes that still exist.  Stereotypes have some truth to them sometimes, but as a generalization of a specific group is wrong.  Some people don’t realize the seriousness of stereotypes because a lot of them are created in environments where we are comfortable like around friends and family.  Even stereotypes that are thought of as good like “Brazilians are the most beautiful people on earth” can create standards that every person is judged by because of a few people.  In this way, stereotypes have created a misrepresentation of people.  People are judged by their ethnicity rather than their individuality.

Even though there is cultural misinterpretation, people today are trying to fix this.  Many people have friends that are of different races and backgrounds, which give them a broader idea of what different races are like.  In doing so, they develop a sense of understanding towards other people’s races.  For example, a lot of kids with nannies have seen me playing cricket and are able to identify the sport.  However, to people that are ignorant, cricket is regarded as a reason to make fun of a certain group of people.  The main reason certain people are oblivious to the cultures of other people is because they have not learned about them or refuse to.  For this reason, I believe the only way to fight misrepresentation of groups and individuals is to grant everyone exposure to different cultures.

Viewer vs Critic

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Suicide seems like a weird topic for a play, let alone a business.  In “Suicide Incorporated,” Andrew Hinderaker, does just that.  From Charles Isherwood’s review I felt that the Hinderaker did a decent job in his production.  Charles Isherwood wasn’t on either side of the spectrum in his review, he pointed out what he liked and things he didn’t like.  His review seemed a bit on the positive side though, which is kind of ironic since suicide is the main issue.

As a viewer, I felt Charles Isherwood enjoyed the production.  He noted it was “brisk and enjoyable” and had some humor in it.  He also seemed to enjoy the acting of the cast, all of which were males.  His overall tone was positive when he described his experience with the play.

His criticism came when he became a critic.  He pointed out the obvious flaws in creating that type of business.  He also mentioned that one would have to buy into the belief that this type of organization could belief even with all the legal problems surrounding it.

The two sides that Isherwood presents is interesting because that is the way I sometimes think.  There’s the viewer and critic that everyone has inside them.  When watching a production, the viewer ultimately determines if the production was satisfying.  Then once everything is said and done, the critic analyzes the work and determines if it was properly produced and set up.  The viewer is related with certain things like emotions and closure, while the critic is more analytical and logical.

Having these two sides present and obvious leads to a more complete review and Isherwood’s presentation of this makes me interested in “Suicide, Incorporated,” which is showing at the  Black Box Theater at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theater on 111 West 46th Street.

Fashion and Music

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A gifted pianist, Yuja Wang captures the audience not only with her music, but also with her sense of fashion. A young lady of 24 years old, Ms. Wang would have a different idea of what to wear to a recital in which she stars in. So at her Hollywood Bowl event, located in Hollywood known for its’ glamor, Ms. Wang decided to go with a bright orange, body hugging dress. This daring outfit stirred up a big commotion afterwards. Many people thought her dress was inappropriate and thought it would lower her image. That is understandable, but I think Yuja is free to choose whatever she wants to wear as she would have thought about how it would affect her before she wore it.

With her wonderful skills that show how great a pianist she is, I don’t think what she wears should have any affect on her image as a pianist. Actually, I think it’s wonderful that she dresses in what she wants and in something appropriate for the location of the event. In her event at Carnegie Hall, she wore a simple black dress with black shiny stilettos. Tommasini mentions and describes the pieces she plays with so positively that I would consider attending one of her performances. What I loved about his review is that not only did he love her music, he states that he was unaffected by her wardrobe and that he does not see anything wrong with what she wore. This just goes to show that people are making a big deal out of nothing.

Society Today

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As history shaped and reformed ideas of people in the world, everyone has their own perception of other races, ethnicity, and culture that is not their own. Much of these conceptions are influenced by what is seen on television, movies, and even commercial ads as society becomes more technologically advanced. I think that sometimes certain ideas of race, ethnicity, and culture of others and even my own are misrepresented, usually by stereotypes.

Many movies that come out in America where the main actor or actress is Asian, talents that would seem attractive to the audience and bring in revenue are the only things that are focused on. In the Rush Hour series, the plots used all revolved around how Jackie Chan would display his Kung Fu skills. Another movie that involve an Asian main actor was Ninja Assassin, that also revolved around displaying fighting skills that would awe the audience.In a way it feels as if the movie industry see Asians and think of fighting skills.

Also, in the Rush Hour series, besides the fighting, there were parts that revealed bits and pieces of the Chinese culture were not entirely correct or even seemed to mock it as well. I remember one part in one of the Rush Hour films where a a Chinese Buddhist monk was introducing his name to Chris Tucker’s character and the monk had spoken his name in an American way as to cause confusion, which then became comedic. I don’t have anything against these movies, as I find them humorous myself, nor do I have anything against this scene, since I did burst out laughing as well, but thinking back I feel a bit mocked by it because the monk’s name is actually my sister’s first name and a part of my own name as well. Not only that, but it feels as if they think the Chinese language is funny, because the monk could have introduced his character name in Chinese but instead it was introduced in the English way.

I think that for people to really understand another race, culture, and ethnicity, they have to experience and learn it themselves from where it originated. I agree with David Henry Hwang’s idea that what you are doesn’t mean you can’t try to accept or in a way be another. I love my own race, ethnicity, and culture, but I am interested in Japan’s and South Korea’s culture sometimes more than my own that my mom claims I was probably reincarnated from one of them.

On Concerto’s and Tomassini’s

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In Tomassini’s “Bartok at Home, With a Touch of the Mischievous,” He discusses the creative work of Hungarian-born pianist Andras Schiff and with the help of the Hungarian group Muszikas, Bartok can achieve a level of musical talent comparable to those of classical masters. He praises Mr. Schiff’s vibrant concertos. I found his context necessary, but dry. His writing style showcases his knowledge of the classical musicians and composers. Tomassini describes fluently the artists whose works are nothing short of brilliant.

Words like pummeling, propulsive, engulfed, and steely are great example of how Tomassini utilizes adjectives to his advantage. He reveals a different facet of various music performances. These adjectives elaborate on how the sound and tones of the instruments were received by the audience. Tomassini follows a logic that the reader can easily understand. The sequence of the concertos and the colorful compliments make this review.

 

A Fall of Just Words

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Alastair Macaulay’s dance review about The Fall For Dance Festival highlights the best and worst performances of the festival. The festival itself was a mixture of great free-flowing and expressive dancers accompanied by evocative musicians. Macaulay focuses on three performances and describes the strongest parts.

I really enjoyed his descriptions of the dancer Lil Buck. In short, he is fluid. Macaulay describes Lil Buck’s dance as “dazzling ripples along his arms and through his shoulders” and these words strike me. When I read these words over again Macaulay successfully paints the image/performance in my head – and that is what makes this a convincing review. Also Macaulay incorporates YouTube links in his reviews to make it much more interactive.

Yet, even though the review itself is great at displaying these images. I cannot comprehend how Macaulay derives these conclusions from what he saw. I feel that dance reviews are not exactly the most useful type of art review for everyone. Dance is interesting – but a dance review is just a heap of metaphors and adjectives. I guess that after reading so many theater reviews, I feel that these dance reviews are lackluster. I hope that I can see what Macaulay is seeing when we watch it on Wednesday.

Packed with powerful words and images, but nothing enticing.

 

 

Shakespeare’s Controversial (and possibly Irrelevant) Identity

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The new movie Anonymous has caused quite an uproar with its premise that the man we know as William Shakespeare might have actually been a fraud. But debates about Shakespeare’s identity have been around for a long time. There have been suggestions that Shakespeare was actually just the front for a group of writers working together, that he plagiarized from an earlier author and even that he was actually a ‘she.’ So, the movie’s theory that Shakespeare’s works were actually written by Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford is not really that shocking. Nonetheless, it has caused quite a stir. But to play the devil’s advocate, does it really matter? Would Shakespeare’s identity have any real impact on our view of the work itself? Ben Brantley examines this interesting counter argument in his article, Who Wrote Shakespeare? Who Cares?

I agree with Mr. Brantley, it really doesn’t matter to me who Shakespeare was. Of course, I am curious about the truth of the matter. For history’s sake, the true identity of the person/persons who wrote those great works needs to be discovered. But, like Mr. Brantley discusses in his article, great works of art transcend their creators. When it comes to Shakespeare, the words and the infinite ways in which they can be interpreted are far more interesting than the possibly false identity of the playwright.

In fact, I have always considered the possibility that the Shakespeare works have been written by more than just one person. At times, I find the work too diversely interpret-able and universal to have plausibly come from the thoughts of just one person.  If indeed, William Shakespeare was the glove maker’s son from Stanford-upon-Avon, I stand in profound admiration for the genius of one man. If not and it turns out that he had help, then, it wouldn’t surprise me. Mr. Brantley makes a good point; however shocking Shakespeare’s real identity turns out to be, the work will remain as important and profound as ever.