Perhaps portraying that on the big screen would help bring exposure to the issue, right? Maybe, but not in the case of “Sixteen Candles.” They simply used his name as a source for more laughs. Now, anyone who has a foreign name can attest that having your name made fun of is a common experience. Speaking of Donger’s name… Hughes takes any opportunity possible to poke fun at it. However, based on his name, it is obvious his character is not Japanese because parts of his name are not in the Japanese alphabet. But wait? Wasn’t he supposed to be Chinese? So, Dong is first introduced as Chinese, but then has various aspects of Japanese culture tossed into his identity. It is also what Japanese people say when they drink.
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He then jumps out of the tree shouting “bonsai” - an art form regarding trees planted in containers, which is associated with Japanese culture. And then, Dong, completely wasted, is seen in a tree wearing a kimono (a traditional Japanese article of clothing from the Heian period). At one point, he drives to the song “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors.
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A lot of Long Duk Dong’s screen time is spent watching him crash Samantha’s grandparents’ car. Of course, it’s impossible to have an Asian character without the classic “bad Asian driver” archetype. However, the comedy is lost in the blatant racism that comes with it. Watanabe’s character is constantly introduced by the sound of a chiming gong, a traditional Chinese instrument, for comedic effect. But that does not excuse the fact that they unflinchingly use the term throughout the course of the film.Īdditionally, Mr. Historically, the term was used to marginalize Chinese immigrants in the 19th century. However, after seeing him in her brother’s room, Samantha tells her mother “there’s a very weird Chinese guy upstairs.” Not only that, but “Donger” is also commonly referred to as “Chinaman,” which is a derogatory term used to describe people of Chinese descent. To be fair, in the ‘80s, Asians were lumped into one culture and were considered interchangeable. Sadly, Hughes can’t seem to decide what race to make his character, so Long Duk Dong becomes a caricature of various East Asian stereotypes. They never actually disclose his race at any point in the movie, though. Long Duk Dong is an Asian transfer student, who came to live with Samantha’s family, and bunks with her brother Mike Baker (Justin Henry). Let’s first discuss the character Long Duk Dong, also known as “Donger,” played by Gedde Watanabe. Gedde Watanabe, who played Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles.
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Though it does have its sweet moments, many of the jokes and nuances in the film that were deemed funny and relatable have not withstood the test of time. The movie was created to be a rom-com that highlights the pop culture of that era. Though John Hughes’ other notable works, such as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Weird Science contain offensive and outdated jokes, 36 years after it’s debut, it is evident that the film “Sixteen Candles” is the one that has aged the worst. To make matters worse, a nerdy freshman named Ted (Anthony Michael Hall) seems to be the only guy in school who notices her. Meanwhile, Samantha is an awkward teen wallflower, obsessing over her virginity and not living up to the standards of bodily perfection and popularity. The high school power couple appears to have it all, as if they were already adult pillars and role models of their community. Samantha, a Sophomore, spends most of her time pining after Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), a popular senior, who has a seemingly perfect girlfriend named Caroline Mulford (Haviland Morris). The film tells the story of Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald) who wakes up on her sixteenth birthday to find it completely overshadowed by her sister’s wedding, scheduled to take place the next day.
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It was the first hit film directed by John Hughes, who’s movies sought to capture an era of teenage angst in the ’80s. When “Sixteen Candles” was released in 1984, it quickly became a smash hit, labelled as a classic.