Constructing a New Asian Masculinity: Reading Lilting Against Other Films by Asian Filmmakers
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Date
2016-10-27
Authors
Cheng, Feng
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
In western media, Asian men have traditionally represented as either effeminized or emasculated. First providing a historical and ideological account for such representations, this thesis proceeds to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the three strategies that Asian filmmakers have adopted to counter this stereotype: the assimilationistic strategy, the segregationistic strategy and the integrationistic strategy. Eventually, this thesis proposes a new way to cope with dilemma by providing a close reading of a British independent film, Lilting. It argues that a fourth strategy, which is named the dynamic strategy, can be detected. Because in this film masculinity is presented as a fluid quality that flows through different characters and does not attach to race or any other fixed identity, there is no need to struggle against the demands imposed by the white hegemony.
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Keywords
Asian masculinity, Lilting, Strategy, White hegemony