Is David Carradine’s Legacy Honorable or Dishonorable and Why?
This blog post was posted by Wil Ford, listed under the Dead Celebrities category on June 6 2009 and tagged with bruce lee, david carradine death, david carradine murdered, david carradine suicide
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Atlasien — a regular commenter and guest contributor at Racialicious Weblog — has posted an interesting Weblog entry about the late star David Carradine. Atlasien has raised public awareness about David Carradine’s intentional or untentional racist portrayal of the half-white/half-Asian character — Kwai Chang Caine [Qián Guanchang] — on the 1970s Kung Fu TV series: anti-Asian racism is a problem that must be addressed, confronted and neutralized in Hollywood.
The reason why I’m posting this Weblog entry is to public discount a lame comment left on the Racialicious Weblog, on which racism is regularly discussed: what a commenter named [Name deleted for privacy issues] posted on the Weblog entry — entitled David Carradine’s Legacy of Shame — regarding anti-Asian racism is akin to dirty tactics employed by anti-Asian racism deniers and history revisionists, all of whom have been known to resort to “plausible deniability” to protect their cowardice “Führers.”
[Name deleted for privacy issues] try to emlpoy a clever anti-Asian racism and history revision tactics by his/her conveniently lifted passages from Herbert James Pilato’s greatly flawed book called “The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV’s First Mystical Eastern Western.”
Bad move. I instantly recognized racism denial and history revisionist tactics whenever I spot them on forums, blogs and websites.
Whether intentional or not, [Name deleted for privacy issues] should have thoroughly researched Herbert James Pilato’s 1993 book prior to his/her posting passages from the poorly researched book on the Racialicious Weblog, attempting to extinguish the justifiable distaste and public outcry against Carradine’s starring in the Kung Fu instead of the late Bruce Lee — who was first considered for the role.
Before I continue, I am not here to lecture anyone or fan the fire of anti-Asian racism. I am only here to share “facts.” I am not here to “repost” hearsay. Regarding Pilato, I think he is a good writer; however, he is not a “prolific” writer.
[Name deleted for privacy issues] is a lazy hack who thinks he/she can merely post passages from a biased book to support his/her claims that anti-Asian racism has never plagued the Kung Fu TV series.
After David Carradine’s untimely demise, I read my old copy of The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV’s First Mystical Eastern Western. As I read it, I cringe with agony. The many errors, misquotes and omissions render the entire book “off-balanced.”
Here’s one example:
Pilato had misquoted dialogue which was supposedly aired on the Kung Fu TV series. As I read the book yesterday, a recurring comes to mind: “Who blue-penciled this book?” There are so many errors and omissions in the book. Don’t take my word for it. Rent a few of the Kung Fu DVDs and/or watch Kung Fu clips on YouTube and compare the dialogue with the dialogue in his book.
I suspect Pilato had access to the original TV scripts but not the TV scripts which were later edited for the TV series, rendering the factual integrity of Pilato’s book absolutely “pointless.” In essence, he was merely quoting from the original Kung Fu TV scripts, not the actual TV scripts for the “aired episodes.” As a writer and a former soap opera actor, I suspect Pilato had obtained the wrong Kung Fu TV scripts.
Nonetheless, I still think the book is “good reading…” not “great reading.”
Here’s another fact:
Regarding Carradine’s casting as Kwai Chang Caine [Qián Guanchang], Bruce Lee was considering to take the role. However, once he was inundated with the original script treatment about the Caine character, he “balked and walked.” What he actually confided with Robert Ito is obvious: the Kwai Chang Caine character doesn’t reflect his Chinese heritage.
Here’s another fact:
Sadly, the Kung Fu TV series would have further destroy his public image after the one-season disaster known as Green Hornet or the Green Hornet TV series (1966–1967), in which Lee starred as Kato, the subservient stooge to Van Williams’s Britt Reid/Green Hornet character.
Strangely, Green Hornet’s Kato character was originally described as “Japanese;” however, the character was eventually describe as “Filipino.” Because Lee was Chinese, he felt his Chinese identity was being deemed “unworthy” for TV viewers during that brief time the show aired.
Since the inception of “Hollywood,” Chinese actors and actresses did not fare well in Hollywood, unless you consider the late Victor Sen Yung’s appearance on TV series Bonanza as something of which any Chinese would be proud: portraying Hop Sing, the Cartwright family’s cook/Chinese immigrant.
Oddly, Yung had starred as Jimmy Chan in all 11 Charlie Chan films during the 1930s and the 1940s. He was first cast as Charlie Chan’s “number two son” and was recast later as the Chinese detective’s “number one son.”
Ironically, two non-Asian (white) actors portrayed the Charlie Chan character who was “Chinese.” Many Chinese-Americans do not approved of the racist portrayal of Chinese characters.
Other Asian stars like Jackie Chan are typecast for martial arts flicks, while other Asian actors and actresses are cast for movies like the Joy Luck Club, which is only watched by Asian and a few non-Asian audiences.
Unfortunately, many talented Asian actors and actresses are avoided and/or overlooked for many leading roles for movies geared to the general audience, in which stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger have starred.
Here’s a fact about Bruce Lee, about which [Name deleted for privacy issues] may not have known:
The late prolific actor James Coburn told Lee to go to the Far East and rediscover his roots. Because Lee took Coburn’s advice, he was later afforded the opportunity to star in films that made his a timeless cult hero today:
The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon, Game of Death and Enter the Dragon — all of which films sparked a subculture for which Hollywood created the “great white hopes” like Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Sylvester Stallone.
Yes, Bruce Lee was also responsible for the Kung Fu TV series’ longevity. Remember, it was Lee’s fans who mostly watched the Kung Fu. Lee single-handedly sparked the martial-arts movement in the 1970’s and the 1980’s, during which time Kung Fu remain popular.
Despite Pilato’s blunders, The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV’s First Mystical Eastern Western is a good book. Sadly, it is not a great one.
Lastly, I would to make the following public statement: [Name deleted for privacy issues] — or whatever his/her real name is — I strongly urge him/her to thoroughly do his/her research before he/she post meaningless drivel on someone’s else Weblog. [Name deleted for privacy issues] is an Internet troll who loves to do “drive bys” on the Internet and leave lame comments on forums, sites and blogs for which he/she no respect.
I am not here to lecture anyone or fan the flames on anti-Asian racism. I am not here to fight with [Name deleted for privacy issues]. I am compelled to post a comment on this Weblog entry to counter racism, racism denial and revised history:
Anti-Asian racism still exist in Hollywood. Period!
David Carradine’s death has afforded anti-racism advocates the opportunity to raise awareness about four types of the worst societal menaces which plagued humanity… a racist, a racism denier, a holocaust denier, and a rogue history revisionist.
Here’s the facts: Kung Fu TV series was made for a predominantly white TV audience, most of whom were not ready for a genuine Chinese actor like Bruce Lee in the 1970s. Or, at least that what Hollywood thought at the time. I guess Hollywood thought white America could handle seeing a Chinese actor kicking white men’s butts week after week on TV; However, Chuck Norris portraying John Walker the roundhouse kicking Texas Ranger is acceptable.
Tsk! Tsk! Hollywood indeed has a double standard. Atlasien is right, anti-Asian racism still exist; however, I think the Asian-American community are able to cope with racism better than other ethnic group.
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