About a week ago I ran across a comment elsewhere online about a very interesting documentary called "Seeking Asian Female" that's currently showing for FREE, on PBS. Today is the last day of the free showing (after that, you'll have to ante up for the documentary on DVD), so if you're looking for something interesting to watch on your computer tonight, definitely check this out.
The film, as the title suggests, centers on the issue of Western/American (read: White) Men, and their fascination with Asian Women. Why are they so fascinated? Is it a dehumanizing fetish? And if so, so what? Isn't it decidedly American to be able to have the Right to Do You? SAF is directed by Debbie Lum, herself an Asian Woman with a White Male hubbie, although she is adamant that her marriage is "different" from the subject of her film.
And who is the subject of her movie? Enter Steven, a White, 60-year old, twiced-divorced Man who lives near San Fran and works as a cashier at the local airport. Ms. Lum decides to use him as her subject after interviewing a slew of White guys who had a mean case of Yellow Fever, in part because the guy is so outgoing and gregarious. What he lacks in looks and youth and status and money, he more than makes up for in sheer balls-outness. Sure, the guy does come across as a bit odd at first, some may even say creepy - but I can promise you I can find just as many instances of Men and especially Women, who go gaa-gaa over fill-in-the-blank attributes about certain types of Men, and last time I checked, nobody was accusing them of being creepy or having weird fetishes. Again, do you, right?
Lum shadows Steve for months, as he continues his five year long search for an Asian bride, and finally hits paydirt, when he comes across Sandy - a 30 year old clerical worker from Shenzen, one of China's bustling city centers. Sandy doesn't speak a lick of English (she has since become fluent in English) and has worked her way from the factory floor to her current position at the time she met Steve; because she didn't attend college, came from a poor family in the mountains and, at the age of 30 is considered an Old Maid by Chinese standards, Sandy decides to give romance with Steve a whirl, agreeing to marry him and come to America.
And that's when the fun really starts - and where a major tenet of mine is borne out. See, while I am a staunch supporter of my brothers who wish to seek their romantic and sexual fortunes overseas, I am also under no illusions that the Women "over there" are any better or worse, than the ones "over here" - for me, Women are Women, pretty much no matter where you go. Sure, the foreign ladies may be "better" in thus and so ways, but overall, there really is no such thing as a Drama-Free Woman, LOL. Sure, you might be able to get a Woman with less drama; but drama free?
Nah.
The inevitable problems that crop up between Steve and Sandy are to me, just like the problems any relationship anywhere are likely to have, and I have to admit in some ways are endearing. I won't spoil the ending for you, so I'll leave off here, and pickup the rest of my take on the whole ball of wax later this week.
But I will say this, for now: Seeking Asian Female - not just the topic itself, but the focus on one Man's, and one Woman's quest to find each other - is a lot more to it than meets the eye. In an age where we as Americans in particular, are having a great debate about what is essentially to Right to Find Love, SAF can and should, give us all something to really think about.
Check it out - you'll be glad you did.
Now adjourn your arses...
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