CBC Posted October 12, 2004 at 06:22 AM Report Posted October 12, 2004 at 06:22 AM Why chinese/aisan women are more popular in interracial marriage than Chinese/Asian men? And I heard people say asian women exotic but never heard men exotic. why? what's wrong? Watch the movies, you can find sexy asian women (e.g. Lucy Liu), but cannot find sexy men(Jacky Chan is COOL,not sexy ) ? Is there any social factors behind it?
Ian_Lee Posted October 12, 2004 at 06:34 PM Report Posted October 12, 2004 at 06:34 PM FYI: Lucy Liu is considered ugly per Chinese standard (this has been discussed in another thread). Maybe you have not paid much attention to entertainment news in Asia. Celebrities like Sammo Hung (CBS series "Martial Law") married a Korean girl and Cantopop Star Sam Hui married a Hawaiian girl. By the way, Jackie Chan is neither considered "cool" nor "sexy" even in Asia.
Alveranter Posted October 12, 2004 at 08:24 PM Report Posted October 12, 2004 at 08:24 PM Jackie Chan is cool.. but ugly =)
Catdiseased Posted October 12, 2004 at 09:11 PM Report Posted October 12, 2004 at 09:11 PM Hes funny but ugly...
CBC Posted October 12, 2004 at 11:03 PM Author Report Posted October 12, 2004 at 11:03 PM I know they are not considered good-looking. Good looking Chinese men would not have a chance in Hollywood. Chinese women appear in Hollywood only as sexy asian dolls. I just feel Chinese men are not considered sexy, which to me is the only reason that there are not many interracial marriage between a chinese male and non-chinese female. I'm sorry if I offend someone here.
Ian_Lee Posted October 12, 2004 at 11:37 PM Report Posted October 12, 2004 at 11:37 PM Good looking Chinese men would not have a chance in Hollywood. Chow Yun Fat is widely considered good looking in Asia and also cool (but old). So far Chow has made 4 movies in Hollywood ("Anna and the King", "Corruptor", "The Replacement Killer" and "The Bullet Proof Monk"). He co-acted with renowned actress like Jodi Foster in love scene. And his non-Hollywood movie "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" netted over US$120 million in US alone. I think this good looking Chinese man is more successful than any Aussie including the Crocodile Dundee guy has ever been in Hollywood.
woodcutter Posted October 13, 2004 at 12:54 AM Report Posted October 13, 2004 at 12:54 AM I think that East Asian men are sometimes considered too traditional and conservative to be very sexy. Also they often have a willowy figure, and most women like a tough dude.
bhchao Posted October 13, 2004 at 05:21 AM Report Posted October 13, 2004 at 05:21 AM Well Chow Yun-Fat is considered tough, and charismatic too. In his previous films, you will almost always see him firing two guns while wearing sunglasses. Zhang Ziyi had a crush on him and he was her biggest idol. Also Mira Sorvino and Jodie Foster would not have starred with him if he lacked sex appeal. You also have to consider that Replacement Killers was a lousy movie, yet Mira still did it with Chow Yun-Fat!
bhchao Posted October 13, 2004 at 07:44 AM Report Posted October 13, 2004 at 07:44 AM Chinese women appear in Hollywood only as sexy asian dolls Michelle Yeoh was no doll in Tomorrow Never Dies. She outclassed Pierce Brosnan, held her own, and surpassed him in terms of charisma. Undoubtedly she was the true star of the film.
chengdude Posted October 13, 2004 at 03:56 PM Report Posted October 13, 2004 at 03:56 PM The stereotype of the emasculated Asian Male is a well-trod topic, especially among Asian-Americans. The last two flashpoints that triggered a flood of debate were the William Hung Phenomenon that began on the TV show "American Idol" and a photo parody in Details magazine titled "Gay or Asian?" A Google search using any number of keywords will yield more op-ed pieces, forum discussion/ranting, and academic punditry/pontificating than you probably care to read.
Ian_Lee Posted October 13, 2004 at 07:05 PM Report Posted October 13, 2004 at 07:05 PM There is a subtle difference Asian male and Asian American male. The male figures that we are now talking like Chow Yun-fat and Jackie Chan are all Asian male, not Asian American male. They are only expatriates in US like Roddy as expatriate in PRC. If fellow posters still consider Asian male as "willowy" or "Asian or gay", then probably they forget what they just watched in Athens barely two months ago. Male Asian athletes from PRC, Japan and South Korea triumphed in various Olympics arena -- gynmastics, diving, weightlifting, hurdles, swimming,......etc. In fact, they are ranked in the top 10 medal contending countries. Apparently the above descriptions like "willowy" is very outdated. By the way, by any account there are more gays within White male American population than within Asian male American population.
wushijiao Posted October 13, 2004 at 10:54 PM Report Posted October 13, 2004 at 10:54 PM If fellow posters still consider Asian male as "willowy" or "Asian or gay", then probably they forget what they just watched in Athens barely two months ago. I've never heard of this sterotype. But, sure China did well at the Olympics, yet that doesn't mean a lot of those atheletes aren't gay! Gay people play sports as well. Anyway, it seems that part of the problem is due to Hollywood (not to beat an easy scapegoat!). There needs to be more Asian-American actors who do non-kongfu movies, including romantic comedies in order to change the "social constructions of sexuality" of the world's people.
skylee Posted October 13, 2004 at 11:40 PM Report Posted October 13, 2004 at 11:40 PM Why chinese/aisan women are more popular in interracial marriage than Chinese/Asian men? Perhaps Chinese/Asian men also prefer chinese/aisan women to western women.
Quest Posted October 14, 2004 at 12:11 AM Report Posted October 14, 2004 at 12:11 AM Because asian men are not as influential as white men.
Ian_Lee Posted October 14, 2004 at 12:39 AM Report Posted October 14, 2004 at 12:39 AM Anyway, hardly anybody is looking for a spouse merely because she is "exotic". If you are looking for "exotic" woman, I would say the Eskimo or Ainu is more exotic than Chinese! Indeed, there is deep underlying reason why some western male prefer Chinese female to western female as spouse. It is their "inferiority complex" towards the western female. After the woman's liberation movement, western male loses their traditional dominant role in the family. Their wives may be the breadwinner and their bosses are very likely female. Somehow misled by the image stereotyped by Hollywood, the western male perceive Chinese female as the weaker group that they can dominate as their grandparents did 100+ years ago towards the western female.
badboy Posted October 14, 2004 at 02:23 AM Report Posted October 14, 2004 at 02:23 AM Indeed, there is deep underlying reason why some western male prefer Chinese female to western female as spouse...It is their "inferiority complex" towards the western female...Their wives may be the breadwinner and their bosses are very likely female...the western male perceive Chinese female as the weaker group that they can dominate Well, maybe some men are like that. But not here. I prefer Chinese women to western women, and it's not because of some inferiority complex. For whatever reason, liberation or whatever, Western women try to be like men too much. Chinese women retain a feminity and elegance that Western women lack, and are prettier too. I live with my Chinese girlfriend, and she makes good money in IT - actually more than I do. She is smart (started university at 15 in China), independent, and wouldn't take any kind of crap if someone tried to dominate her. And that's why I like her.
xuechengfeng Posted October 14, 2004 at 02:35 AM Report Posted October 14, 2004 at 02:35 AM Because asian men are not as influential as white men. With all the work going to China, will this change?
Lu Posted October 14, 2004 at 07:25 AM Report Posted October 14, 2004 at 07:25 AM Ian Lee, even thought Asian countries did very well in the Olympics and there are a lot of well-muscled Asian men, the average Asian man is still more slender than the average Western man. It's in the genes, can't do much about it. And I must say that I really don't mind, as I find the 'willowy' figure just more shuai.
LiYuanXi Posted October 14, 2004 at 08:04 AM Report Posted October 14, 2004 at 08:04 AM Hee hee... me too like "willowy" figures, more 斯文.
wiz_oz Posted October 14, 2004 at 08:21 AM Report Posted October 14, 2004 at 08:21 AM This issue is not just applicable to China. In Malaysia, more girls of chinese origin are married to other races (Malay, Indian and other than the other way round. I have no idea why. Perhaps traditionally, girls are married into the husband's family. As such less family objection to a girl dating and marrying some other races. But to be fair this seems to be more and more even.
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