Youtube

After watching the several Youtube videos and having a discussion on them, I left class still unsure of how I felt. I agree with the multiple students who found Youtube to be a good source for Asian Americans to showcase their work. It is definitely a place for them to jumpstart their careers, as most would probably not have the opportunity to present their work to film and music producers. To those who choose to do so, I absolutely commend them for being brave enough to put everything out there for the public to see--there are some rude people out there who are not shy about sharing their opinions. However, I have finally come to my own conclusion that it is the subject material that still makes me question whether these Youtube videos are a good thing. Though I am not an expert when it comes to Youtube, I've watched my fair share of videos. Some have caused me to fall on the floor laughing, while others just weren't so good. I have developed a lot of respect for the artists who post things that everyone can relate to. On the other hand, when watching videos like the ones we saw in class, I don't know whether laughing is always appropriate. Many of these videos portray Asian American women using everyday stereotypes. Being an Asian American women myself, I actually get slightly offended and feel uncomfortable when watching videos that put us in a negative light. True it will get many views and laughs, but while doing that, it is making it okay for non Asian American viewers to do so. As Prof. Suh said, perhaps there intentions are just to make people laugh, but I think there are better ways to do so, rather than just reinforcing stereotypes.