Following the recent release of two U.S. soldiers who sexually assaulted a female Korean police officer, another Hollywood movie is stoking criticism of U.S. attitudes toward Koreans. The romantic comedy "Because I Said So", released in Korea last Thursday, features a Korean-run massage parlor at the beginning where the staff shout "fast, fast", are atrocious at massage, listen in on the conversations of the customers and talk about them behind their backs in Korean. Many viewers here felt it was hard to concentrate on the rest of the movie because of the unpleasant feelings that generated.
Koreans have on the whole had a rough ride in Hollywood movies. The Oscar-winning anti-racism tract "Crash" was criticized for portraying only Koreans among the multiple races it featured as greedy without redemption. In the film, an exploitative Korean who is in hospital after being hit by a car driven by African-Americans is seen as talking to his wife about money even in extremis.
The most egregious example was the movie "Falling Down", directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Michael Douglas. It was released here in 1997, a full four years late, due to opposition from civic groups. In the early part of the movie, a recalcitrant Korean shopkeeper is subjected to a tirade by Michael Douglas' Angry White Guy. "You come to my country, take my money and don't even learn my language?" Douglas asks. "Do you have any idea how much money my country has given your country?"
In "Outbreak", about the Ebola Virus, Korea is a breeding ground for viruses. In "Do the Right Thing" by Spike Lee, a Korean appears as the owner of a grocery shop who is insulted by African-Americans.
North Korea, meanwhile, is of course convenient shorthand for evil. Examples are the James Bond film "Die Another Day", on a lighter note "Team America: World Police", and "Stealth". When it comes to Hollywood insults, it seems, the two Koreas are already united.
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