Connect
To Top
EntertainmentView All

Ah, Grasshopper, Let Us Enlighten You with Facts About ‘Kung Fu’

2. A Strong Example of White-washing in Hollywood

Many Asians balked at the casting of a Caucasian man in the Chinese-American role, but it’s a long tradition in Hollywood. In The Slanted Screen, a 2006 documentary on the subject, Japanese American actor Mako Iwamatsu talked about a conversation he had with Kung Fu studio executives back in the day: “I recall having a meeting with executives of Warner Bros. about David Carradine portraying a Chinese character in Kung Fu. And I remember this vice president said, ‘If we put a yellow man on the tube, audiences would turn the switch off in less than 5 minutes.’” Cringe!

David Carradine
youtube.com

More in Entertainment