Fresh Off The Boat- ABC's new sitcom about Chinese immigrant family

[shortylickens]

Even in a world with zero racism, it's faulty logic to assume powerful positions would match demographics. Power isn't derived demographically, it's dynastic. My lily white family descended from northern European stock doesn't know anybody rich and powerful, and so I have exactly the same opportunity to become a CEO as an Asian person does. That's not due to racism, that's due to money and connections. There is no bamboo ceiling. There's a green ceiling. A wealthy, powerful person who came to the US from India or China could easily become a CEO in the US.

What the fuck are you doing making sense?
Did you forget you were on Anandtech again?

 

[MongGrel]

Ready the phasers, Mr Sulu.

J/K.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Show link

This show is getting some attention because it's a US' first Asian family oriented show on a big network (non-cable). Apparently it's based on this guy named Eddie Huang's memoir with same name. He owns a restaurant and I guess it's successful (a porkbun place in St. Marks, NYC).

I watched the first two episodes, some thoughts:

• It's a network sitcom- jokes are rather tame and it's not groundbreaking by any means
• Randall Park does okay, he's the guy played Kim Jong Un in The Interview. He plays the near EXACT same feel. His fake Asian accent is annoying (he has perfect 'American' accent IRL). There's no such Asian accent like that, not based on Chinese/Korean/Japanese nor SE languages.
• I thought the show would be pretty cringe-worthy with predictable lowbrow Asian immigrant jokes. And they were. However, it's endearing in a way. They're not forced and and used with discretion.
• A nice side benefit is that the show takes place in the 90's- all along with its nostalgia (90's gangsta rap). This is fun no matter what ethnicity the viewers are.
• Constance Wu (the wife) is actually smoking hot, even in those fob clothes. Actually, they make her hotter in a fetish way.:wub:
• The oldest kid steals it and carries the show. He's literally the Bart Simpson on the show. He genuinely made me laugh couple times.
  
  
  
  
  

i accidentally saw part of this show and it just wasnt that funny. zeze says the jokes are tame and maybe thats why. asian people without accents faking asian accents is lame. this is a funny asian accent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmTiqKPnhiQ&list=PL6943A5E1575B5DC2

that guy eddie huang in real life has a food show on vice that is pretty interesting and hilarious

 

[MongGrel]

God, who let OBLAMA crawl out of the woodwork.

 

[SheHateMe]

This was pretty funny. I too have asked my mom to pack me "White People" lunch when I was a kid and I'm not asian. She was packing me a lot of bullshit and I'd come home and watch TV and the white kids had better lunches than I did.

 

[alcoholbob]

Seriously? Asians are marginalized? I sincerely hope that's tongue-in-cheek and my sarcasm meter is failing...

Lol citing college enrollment statistics when all of the major colleges in US practice quotas on Asians, which usually clusters around a 13% admission rate regardless of grades. My high school had several Asian students score above 1550 (out of 1600) on the SAT with tons of extra curriculars and athletics yet couldn't get into the any of the Ivy League schools and ended up going to Berkeley which is one of the few schools that doesn't practice a hard quota on Asians and as a result is the most overrepresented school.

 

[BoberFett]

Tears are rolling down my face as I think about the plight of the poor disenfranchised Asians in the US.

No wait, that's laughing.

LMFAO!

 

[stlc8tr]

Even in a world with zero racism, it's faulty logic to assume powerful positions would match demographics. Power isn't derived demographically, it's dynastic. My lily white family descended from northern European stock doesn't know anybody rich and powerful, and so I have exactly the same opportunity to become a CEO as an Asian person does. That's not due to racism, that's due to money and connections. There is no bamboo ceiling. There's a green ceiling. A wealthy, powerful person who came to the US from India or China could easily become a CEO in the US.

Except we're not talking about just C-level positions. It's across the board in upper management.

But of course, why did I participate in a thread about race in ATOT.

It's same old arguments over and over again. We should just make them into macros.

 

[Childs]

Vanishing Son was the best all Asian show, although that only ran in syndication. Kung Fu was about Asians, even though they didn't cast one as the lead. lol

 

[richardycc]

Saw the first 2 preview episodes last night, it was very choppy with a lot of little scenes. I guess Sitcom is supposed to be like that, but they were not funny, so when the scene was over, I was like ‘that was it, where was the funny part?’ I will watch it tonight, hopefully it will get better or funnier.

 

[JimKiler]

In the year 2015 shouldn't we have already seen a bunch of sitcoms about non-immigrant Asian families?

But you could say it is 2015 and we have not seen very many intelligent or funny shows on TV, instead we are reduced to A reality TV or B crap like Homeboys in Outer Space. So much TV is garbage and asking why there are not specific gems in there is silly.

 

[Insomniator]

I hope this is better then sullivan & son. That show was so bad it was offensive, and not because my gf is Korean. It was just offensively cringe worthy bad the entire... 2 episodes we saw.

 

[dethman]

I just watched the first 5 episodes. it's actually kind of funny and promising. mostly because of the crazy parents esp the mom I think. don't really like the main kid character though.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Favorite episode so far has been with the mom and honey. Mom is really stealing the show.

 

[Staples]

The show is ok. I hated that thug wannabe on his show on Vice.

 

[shortylickens]

But you could say it is 2015 and we have not seen very many intelligent or funny shows on TV, instead we are reduced to A reality TV or B crap like Homeboys in Outer Space. So much TV is garbage and asking why there are not specific gems in there is silly.

I didnt say anything about gems.

 

[gorcorps]

Don't forget the failed Indian one. Although this is not family based and probably riding off of The Office's success.

I thought outsourced was funny. Was kind of bummed it didn't get any success and they canned it immediately.

 

[drbrock]

Yeah I think outsourced was better than this show even though I am enjoying it too.

I think outsourced came out too early with a lot of competition. Comedy has been kind of weak lately. Goldbergs and Archer are the only shows that are continuously funny for me. Even Parks has been sliding recently.

 

[StrangerGuy]

lol Chinese food.

Once you taste the real stuff you seriously wouldn't want to go back to the bastardized Amurika version.

 

[Bob the Coder]

We're enjoying it. One of few shows that the entire family enjoys. I really don't give a shit if Park's accent is authentic. It's a fucking sitcom. Eddie kills it. Tons of bonus points for nostalgia.

 

[Zeze]

lol Chinese food.

Once you taste the real stuff you seriously wouldn't want to go back to the bastardized Amurika version.

Gimme a break, that elitism is so 90's.

I know tons of authentic Chinese FOBs that love Americanized Chinese food. Why? Because it's a cuisine on its own, has no effect in real Chinese food.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

lol Chinese food.

Once you taste the real stuff you seriously wouldn't want to go back to the bastardized Amurika version.

Saying Chinese Food is like saying American food. Its meaningless.

Tons of American Chinese food was originally created by Chinese people using ingredients that they had never used before in the US.

 

[Zeze]

Saying Chinese Food is like saying American food. Its meaningless.

Tons of American Chinese food was originally created by Chinese people using ingredients that they had never used before in the US.

Yup,

Also cuisine is not static. It's constantly evolving- VERY FAST right before our eyes.

Koreans have this stew called Army Stew (budae jigae). It's basically a hot spicy stew with fresh veggies and leftover canned meat from US army barracks during the Korean War (spam, hotdog, etc). It's gotten so popular as a drinking food, it's pretty much a staple in Korea.

A Japanese chef in US invented the California Roll for US audience- it contains NO raw fish & the rice is inside out as he realized Americans don't like the initial touch of the nori (naver/seawood paper). Guess what, it's gotten so popular back in JAPAN.

 

[McLovin]

It's asian jim!

I was wondering how long it would take before someone noticed that.

 

[McLovin]

I think that's part of the humor, you're a FOB to everyone even if you were born in Stillwater, OK...because that's the experience for every american born asian.

I see what you fucking did there lol