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Snake Alchemist

(3,318 posts) Mon Apr 9, 2012, 10:52 AM Apr 2012

I did not remember "Breakfast of Tiffany's" being so racist. [View all]

My wife and I wanted to watch a movie the other night and I suggested "Breakfast at Tiffany's" since she had never seen it (she's a bit younger than me). We turned it on and began watching it and in the very opening minutes we were witness to Mickey Rooney playing Mr. Yunioshi complete with buck teeth, thick glasses and a poor imitation of a Japanese accent. My wife looked at me and her jaw dropped open. I just looked back sheepishly. I had TOTALLY blocked out that character. Luckily, she enjoyed the rest of the movie, but it really put a damper on things initially.

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I did not remember "Breakfast of Tiffany's" being so racist. [View all] Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 OP

I bet we didn't think much of it at the time -- we've come a long way, thankfully. nt gateley Apr 2012 #1

True enough. But it's Breakfast at Tiffany's or Breakfast of Champions. GodlessBiker Apr 2012 #2

Goodbye blue Monday. nt raouldukelives Apr 2012 #40

Breakfast of Tiffany's sounds like a porn flick n2doc Apr 2012 #57

Weren't all of the Charlie Chan's white?? RockaFowler Apr 2012 #3

Yep, including Peter Sellars playing Chan in "Murder by Death" and... Poll_Blind Apr 2012 #6

The definitive Chan was - Warner Oland, Swedish by birth. sarge43 Apr 2012 #9

And Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto - Japanese - Peter Lorre is at least talented el_bryanto Apr 2012 #16

Even John Wayne got in on the act - played Genghis Khan LibDemAlways Apr 2012 #42

Yeah, I've had that happen when I show old movies to my youngest son. Poll_Blind Apr 2012 #4

Yeah. "Say, Dad, 'Ug' is from which Native American language?". n/t JHB Apr 2012 #63

I've seen it recently and thought the same... KansDem Apr 2012 #5

I know, it'a appalling...but that's what was accepted back then... joeybee12 Apr 2012 #7

I still marvel at Italian Al Pacino playing a Cuban Tony Montana in "Scarface."..n/t monmouth Apr 2012 #39

That actually was not so bad considering the lack of Cuban actors at the time. vaberella Apr 2012 #62

I never realized that was Mickey Rooney. The one I remember when this comes up is Hop Sing brewens Apr 2012 #8

Then there was "Hey Boy" from "Have Gun, Will Travel" immoderate Apr 2012 #12

Yes, but Joel Gray almost seemed to be praising Koreans in Remo Williams. Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #13

Remo Williams, thanks for the reminder. immoderate Apr 2012 #18

You know what's funny? MrScorpio Apr 2012 #24

"The Korean is the most perfect creature ever to sanctify the earth with the imprint of its foot." Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #26

I think Hop Sing was a nickname the white Cleita Apr 2012 #21

Both Hop and Sing are actually Chinese names XemaSab Apr 2012 #54

Movies are amazing windows into the past. Kablooie Apr 2012 #58

PBS did a series, Frontier House, where they reference a historical merchant with a similar name belcffub Apr 2012 #23

7 Brides for 7 Brothers intaglio Apr 2012 #10

It was certainly a different time. Johnny Rico Apr 2012 #11

When were the "Censored Eleven" released? MicaelS Apr 2012 #30

My bad. I thought they'd released them last year, as they said they were going to. Johnny Rico Apr 2012 #33

First JustAnotherGen Apr 2012 #14

cant blame this one on white christian straight males, Truman Capote wrote it bart95 Apr 2012 #15

Gore Vidal on Capote: "He's a full-fledged housewife from Kansas with all the prejudices." Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #27

seems like vidal had his own prejudices bart95 Apr 2012 #36

I thought you meant Vidal's anti-semitism Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #41

That person doesnt think anyone has the right to be offended by anything bigoted, ever, unless... stevenleser Apr 2012 #43

LOL Mr Dixon Apr 2012 #17

There was never a black person in Mayberry either and this was supposed Cleita Apr 2012 #20

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think maybe the first regular black character on TV Art_from_Ark Apr 2012 #47

I remember him and that show. I don't remember if he was the first. Cleita Apr 2012 #49

Now that I think about it, I Spy, starring Bill Cosby, also debuted in 1965. Art_from_Ark Apr 2012 #52

Are you thinking of "Julia"? Art_from_Ark Apr 2012 #53

Maybe that was it. n/t Cleita Apr 2012 #72

Actually daligirl519 Apr 2012 #51

That's good. I never watched it after the first few years. Cleita Apr 2012 #56

There was also the episode where Grand Kleagle Ernest T Bass killed those civil rights workers Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #66

LOL. . . daligirl519 Apr 2012 #74

Or Marlon Brando playing an Okinawan in "Tea House of the August Moon". Cleita Apr 2012 #19

I think much of the problem was that Hollywood.. Bigmack Apr 2012 #22

That's the first one that came to my mind. You beat me to it. nt Speck Tater Apr 2012 #25

Actually, Hollywood back then was run by another minority, Jews. Cleita Apr 2012 #50

Yeah, I hear you ZHerolds73 Apr 2012 #28

...or that scene when George Pepard takes Audrey Hepburn to a Klan picnic Bucky Apr 2012 #29

I really did laugh out loud Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #45

hollywood and tv thrive on stereotyping. it's a shorthand for introducing characters. unblock Apr 2012 #31

There's always Olivier corking up in "Othello" Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #32

Or Olivier and Heston in "Khartoum" intaglio Apr 2012 #59

That's right! And you have also reminded me of Heston wearing a heavy coat of Man Tan as Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #65

Alec Guinness and Anthony Quinn, Lawrence of Arabia sarge43 Apr 2012 #71

That's the era when the following Jello commercial aired: Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2012 #34

The 70's had a few bad ones too RockaFowler Apr 2012 #60

We progressed, but that progress stopped in 1981 and we've been backsliding ever since. n/t Egalitarian Thug Apr 2012 #35

I have a lot of old time radio shows on my iPod. randome Apr 2012 #37

I remember those Jack Benny ones. Cleita Apr 2012 #38

Those were the days when the only TV Asians were houseboys or Fu Manchu types mainer Apr 2012 #44

I'm not good at calling people out on soft racism. Then I feel like a heel. We are all a product of applegrove Apr 2012 #46

This was pointed out in Dragon: The Bruce Lee story SomethingFishy Apr 2012 #48

Racism against Asians is a time-honored tradition XemaSab Apr 2012 #55

And this film is post WWII and right before Vietnam War. n/t vaberella Apr 2012 #64

That Dr. Seuss? nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #67

It sure is XemaSab Apr 2012 #70

I can tell you as a child I saw it as racist. Watch any western for crazy racism. vaberella Apr 2012 #61

Chuck Connors as "Geronimo!" Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #68

Donna Reed as Sacajawea, The Far Horizons (1955) n/t sarge43 Apr 2012 #69

Do ya'll remember Lee in East of Eden? ananda Apr 2012 #73

. Go Vols Apr 2012 #75