Master of None: And What It means to be Asian in America


Friday September 1, 2017


The term “golden age of TV” has been around for quite some time now; since the late 2000s, with shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones, the viewers have been exposed to quality content that no movies could offer. And the expansion of streaming services into creating their original projects seemed to only increase the amount of great content; shows like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards became downright sensations without having to air a single episode on primetime television. There is a trend, however, among these shows previously mentioned. While they are radically different in subject matter, genre, and even the target audience, all of these shows feature casts that are predominantly white. It doesn’t matter if the show is set in a fantasy land or the White House, there are only white people to be seen. What’s even worse is that I can’t name a single Asian character from any of these shows. While Glenn from Walking Dead was a major character since the beginning, his death didn’t lead into a new Asian character. At this point, the marginalization of Asians in media shouldn’t even surprise anyone; the history of underrepresentation, or even worse, misrepresentation of Asians goes as far back as the beginning of commercialized motion picture. The industry either wants Asian actors to put on an accent or completely disregard them. Now, there is Master of None . A show featuring an Asian protagonist. A show written and produced by two Asian creators. A show that speaks directly about what it means to be Asian in an industry full of prejudice and misunderstanding. And this show also happens to be one of the most critically acclaimed series Netflix has ever created. Master of...... Read more on Full Issue!



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