Thursday, 11 June 2009
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My Take On "The Hangover"
Another addition to a long list of "whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" movies. Funny mostly.
Basically it's a bunch of white guys on the cusp of middle age out on a last Safari, or anyway its modern day equivalent, that is. They go to Las Vegas to celebrate one of their friend's upcoming wedding by living dangerously on the wild side one last time.
In this wild and exotic place called Las Vegas where they expect to let their inhibitions go, they meet several quaint natives like a bumbling Black man who just happens to be a drug dealer (really). A Mike Tyson reduced to a Phil Collins-loving, French bulldog-cuddling overgrown child who just happens to own a tamed tiger. No need to fear the big black man's dick in this movie.
Another interesting character is gangster-wanna-be Mr. Choy, a lisping and effeminate Chinese man complete with that annoying Chinatown accent. In one scene, he jumps out naked from a car's trunk- and for some inexplicable reason he is shown penis-less. Talk about literal emasculation.
Speaking of penises, there is one shown. And it's the Rainman-ish Alan's. See, even the half-wit has a real dick.
In the end, as these types of movies must, everything gets tied up nice and tidy. The 4 white guys go back to their safe and predictably genteel lives represented by the white wedding. The things that happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas, only the memories (once regained) remain, like Safari trophies on the wall.
Enjoy the movie.
Mancouch asks: do you think "The Hangover" is inadvertently racist?
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Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 5 Views: 0 9426 Comments: 0 189 View all posts by TheUnbearableLightnessofPeeing@xanga
Comments (22)
I saw this movie today. I thought it was hilarious. :) Racist? Meh. Maybe. But, you could pretty much take anything and claim it's racist. Just depends on who's looking at it.
I'm not sure how this movie was racist. That's pretty much the last thing I was thinking. The guy pretty much just copied his character over from "Role Models."
I honestly don't see with the fact that it's 4 white guys going to Vegas has to do with anything. I think you went in thinking that and let that taint your entire experience. There was next to nothing to do with race in the movie. You're just grasping at straws.
But also I read your post with a lot less enthusiasm once I saw your username. Kundera for the suck.
@Dorkasaur@xanga - hey I did acknowledge the movie was funny-until some of the elements made me pause- did they really have to do that? I think it's not too much of a stretch to state that some of the characters, especially Mr. Choy's , was blatantly stereotypical- they should have thrown in an Italian mobster and an Irish nanny to make it even funnier, don't you think?
And to say that you can pretty much call anything racist is a little too glib and dismissive.
@linkbruin - actually I didn't come in thinking anything- aside from the expectation that it would be a funny movie based on the previews; and as I said, this is my "take" on the movie- some of the elements I thought were unnecessary.
Now if they were all black guys or all asian guys or all mexican or whatever and there was a character or situation that gave me pause because it was "stereotypical" or demeaning I would be writing this post still. The goal of my post is to point out what I think are elements of the movie that may be considered offensive. And now YOU know. Whether you agree or not is beside the point. You are "aware".
As for Kundera- I guess you failed to appreciate the irony in my username. And I have to ask: is you opinion of Kundera based on a movie based on his book, or from hearsay, or from actually having read his novels?
dude, you are lame. even more so for the even more lame response to people's responses. let's see what lame response you'll have for this, and subsequent responses.
You're an idiot for thinking this movie is racist.
Mr. Choy was hilarious. Do you think Ken Jeong had a problem playing the part?
And "Black Doug" was funny also. You don't think Mike Epps smokes weed in real life? Suits him to be a drug dealer in a movie.
"Basically it's a bunch of white guys on the cusp of middle age out on a last Safari"
Sounds like you're the one with a race problem.
Get your head out of your ass, you fucking moron.
Hey guys - easy now! I thought it was an thought provoking post, and definitely worth sharing.
And to the OP, Dr. Ken (the actor who played the Asian gangster) was shown without a penis... b/c he has a small penis. The scene was actually his idea!
http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/calling-dr-ken-jeong-getting-naked-for-the-hangover/7887
@TheUnbearableLightnessofPeeing@xanga - Umm...not much irony in your username. I've read a couple of Kundera books and didn't enjoy them at all. Especially "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." Don't assume you're the only guy who has read his writing.
I think you're pretty alone in your thoughts on this movie, but hey everything should be reduced to race right?
FAT JESUS! YOU ARE LITERALLY TOO STUPID TO INSULT!!
i really liked it....
4 white guys, a stolen chinese man in a trunk, and a drug dealer black guy.
Tough call on the racism.
Easy call on how hilarious it all was.
I want to watch this movie. But Im scared of wasting 10 bucks if it sucks. If I hear enough good reviews and recommendations for it then I'll chance it.
@MangoWOW@xanga - it's a good movie; I'll attest to that
awesome movie haha
Nothing racist about this movie at all. If anything it totally sounds like something that would happen to me and my friends.
Haven't even heard of it.
DAMNIT AUSTRALIA!
GET WITH IT!!!!
I'm Chinese and I loved Ken Jeong's part - I didn't have anything wrong with it! Yes, he acted like a English-impaired asshole, but it was so hilarious!
wtf, racist? how is this movie racist?
out of context, the film was awesomely funny. but then when i think about it, and i realise that everything they did was because they "got drunk and couldn't remember" i was just repulsed.
if anyone wants a look at american society: here it is.
that is our society.
i hate that this film basically glorifies drinking and makes it look like hangovers are fun.
not the case.
Exactly! God, throwing in accents is SO stereotypical! Cause all Asians in America lose their accent the second they come here, obviously.
I'll be one of the few to mostly agree with your assessment. I thought it was a hilarious movie, but you're right, why were those characters such stereotypes? I will say, though, that MOST of the characters were odd, including the cops, Heather Graham's character, the wedding chapel people, etc. So I didn't think it was that bad for some of the non-white characters to be so outlandish when just about EVERYONE was. And I can see what you're saying about Mike Tyson, but he still does manage to seriously injure some characters. And what was so funny about his character was how it turned his image of a tough badass on its side... sort of.
It makes me roll my eyes when people say things about "you're trying to see race" or worse, "anything can be racist." Like it or not, that's denying that there is (intentional or unintentional) subtle racism in this world. And that is a very stupid thing to deny. It definitely exists. Saying "anything can be racist" sounds like you're saying "nothing is actually racist" (subtext: "so quit talking about racism, I hate hearing about it, I don't want to think about it, I don't want my perceptions to be challenged" OR "I see enough racism in my life that I'd like to think it doesn't also exist in the movies I enjoy")
Yeah, some people go overboard in their analyses. Does that mean that it shouldn't be talked about at all? Or that someone don't have a sense of humor just because they see crude stereotypes?
PS- Don't fool yourself that just because the characters are played by actors of a certain race, that they're unwilling to play a stereotypical character, even one that might demean their race/gender/etc. Happens all the damn time.
1) "Cusp of middle age"? I seem to recall that the characters were in their late 20's.
2) Dr. Ken isn't shown penis-less, he just has a small penis.
3) As a White person, I have to say there is nothing funnier than White people arguing about racism. STFU on both sides of the argument and let those affected by it decide if it is or isn't.
Wow, I can't believe how much hate you're getting for this post.
Yes, the movie was absolutely racist! Just do a google search for "The Hangover Ken Jeong racist stereotype" and you'll see that many people have made this same observation.
I think one thing everyone's forgetting here is that Ken Jeong is Korean, and he speaks perfect English. He's not Chinese; he was doing his impression of what he thinks Chinese fobs sound like. He pranced around like an idiot, showed off his non-penis, and referred to his "tiny Chinese balls." How is that NOT a racist stereotype? I'm truly amazed at the blindness on display here... and from Asian people to boot!
Yup, it's racist...and sexist. The only real humans in the movie are white men. You have to be an white dude to not see that...
Also, the soundtrack is "black," to give the whole thing a little more "color."