When you think of successful popular Asian music stars in America not many names come to mind, but one of those few names is William Hung. Wulliam Hung was a contestant on the hit series American Idol. He was everything the American Idol shouldn't be; goofy, nerdy, and above all horrible at singing, but he somehow achieved national fame and recognition.
Why was this no talent excuse for a singer given so much attention? I didn't really think much about this paradox until I was given this assignment in my first english class. After thinking about the assignment I realized that there is much more to the William Hung phenomenon than meets the round eye. William Hung is, and is supposed to be, a comical image. Just look at the picture. Everything about him is humorous; he stands and looks awkward, has bad teeth and is paler than freshly fallen snow. In this picture he is an icon, a role model for the freaks and geeks. This image screams "Hey if this guy can make it, anybody can!".
When observing this image one must ask, who is controlling this image and what is its target audience, to reveal the racial implications. The makers and promoters of American Idol, and the reality TV fad, are exploiting William Hung's image and using it as an advertising ploy. William Hung is not being celebrated as a musican or entertainer, he is being mocked and humiliated as the audience laughs. The target audience of this fiasco does not encompass the Asian American community, that should and most likley does take offense to the fact that many talented Asian performers struggle to make it and one of the few to be recognized is a mockery and shame.
Why was this no talent excuse for a singer given so much attention? I didn't really think much about this paradox until I was given this assignment in my first english class. After thinking about the assignment I realized that there is much more to the William Hung phenomenon than meets the round eye. William Hung is, and is supposed to be, a comical image. Just look at the picture. Everything about him is humorous; he stands and looks awkward, has bad teeth and is paler than freshly fallen snow. In this picture he is an icon, a role model for the freaks and geeks. This image screams "Hey if this guy can make it, anybody can!".
When observing this image one must ask, who is controlling this image and what is its target audience, to reveal the racial implications. The makers and promoters of American Idol, and the reality TV fad, are exploiting William Hung's image and using it as an advertising ploy. William Hung is not being celebrated as a musican or entertainer, he is being mocked and humiliated as the audience laughs. The target audience of this fiasco does not encompass the Asian American community, that should and most likley does take offense to the fact that many talented Asian performers struggle to make it and one of the few to be recognized is a mockery and shame.
No comments:
Post a Comment