Ken Jeong and modern day minstrelsy

I could not get through the hot steaming pile of garbage that is Ken Jeong’s Netflix special. I am not sure where Mr. Jeong’s strengths in entertainment lie, but his stand-up comedy is akin to LeBron’s stint with the Lakers. Not very well planned, underachieving, and what appears to be a sad ending to a long career*.   

I’ve long held fault with Mr. Jeong, though I’m beginning to question whether or not it’s completely his fault. He’s best known for his role in 2009’s the Hangover - Leslie Chow, the most ridiculous concentration of asian male stereotypes I’ve ever seen in my life. A thick Asian accent, broken English, and small-dick jokes galore. (But if you happen to like those things, definitely check out his special. There’s tons of that in there.)

Of the portion of the special I was able to make it through, Ken Jeong was extremely grateful for his role in the Hangover and the opportunities it provided him. For me it begs the question, is it worth your dignity for career advancement? Before Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage had a similar dilemma - except he refused to play roles typically offered to actors of his stature (elves and leprechauns), and because of it struggled early on. But I would argue that it’s because Peter held out on the trivial, reductive roles that he was able to land such a significant role in Tyrion Lannister.

I’ll even throw in a personal example regarding dignity and career: my first month in Boston, I tried to be a good networker and reached out to a well-known freelancer in the area. We met up and over a beer he told me a pointless story that somehow ended in an asian penis size joke**. He told me he’d keep me in mind for work opportunities as we left, but all I could think about was the fact that he thought so little of me that he’d make that kind of joke the first time we met. I ended up blocking him, despite the fact that 75% of musician freelance work is about connections. It was a depressingly difficult decision to make, but I personally refused to compromise my ideals and self-worth just for work. 

Ken Jeong’s career is one that I imagine will fade into obscurity pretty quickly. He made a career playing up outdated stereotypes for mainstream amusement. Was he hired over and over again because of his acting range and skill? Or was he hired because he served a purpose? A tired punchline to a joke that Asians have heard for decades? 

For those of you that have made it this far, I’ll leave you with this final thought. There are plenty of talented asian actors in Hollywood: John Cho, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Steven Yeun, Scarlett Johansson***, and Daniel Dae Kim, to name a few. Ken Jeong’s fame and recognition arguably surpasses all of those actors and actresses. Why? Asian men and women have been killing it in all fields and yet one of the most famous names we’ve had since the 2000s is William Hung. Maybe this is all a coincidence. This could be me just seeing what I want to see. But maybe it’s American mainstream culture subconsciously still trying to keep Asians in the space we’ve been put in for so long: non-threatening, subservient playthings. 

But what do I know, I’m just a drummer. 

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*DAMN I’m good at metaphors!!!   
**Ironically, this was right after he was telling me the importance of first impressions... 
***Ghost in the Shell... never forget.