8 Things We Liked and Disliked About Fresh Off The Boat
Reviews 9 years ago 239,466 views
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10. comment for 8 Things We Liked and Disliked About Fresh Off The Boat
20. comment for 8 Things We Liked and Disliked About Fresh Off The Boat
30. comment for 8 Things We Liked and Disliked About Fresh Off The Boat
Accusing the title of being just for provocation while you yourself seem to just ride the hype around the show in this vid. As many gave commented before, the show is based on a book of this title which is actually based on the experiences of its author Eddie Huang.
Sorry again but this video is a shame.
I simply hate.
Words have power.
It's very good and the mon is funny
She sexy and funny and smarter than every one .
Did u see the show were she goes for her green card .
Funniest show on TV
Mon is hot and so funny
I am white Italian American 3generation
"She takes her mother shopping, and to impress her she shoes how u can get cheap shoes , at the "Left Feet Only Store "
50. comment for 8 Things We Liked and Disliked About Fresh Off The Boat
yeah right
I'm watching the title of your next video and it reads "East coast Asians vs West coast Asians" hahahahahahaha!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! I'm sorry you're just like the peeps on the t.v show!
I hope you enjoyed more of it. I live in HK and find it a bit difficult to access episodes easily (watched the 12 eps on a plane)
i watched the in summer 2016, so a couple of your criticisms didn't make sense. the name comes from the book. and the real Eddie Huang is majorly into hip-hop. in fact his criticism is that the show isn't enough hardcore hip-hop.
100. comment for 8 Things We Liked and Disliked About Fresh Off The Boat
I think the show, while funny and relatable in some ways, is too stereotyped. The title, as you said, is a misnomer, and in my mind contributes to the stereotype that Asians are perpetual foreigners.
My fav parts are the asian perm and when the family was watching the commercial the dad has made. It literally had me dying.
She's gorgeous!
1) The show is based off of Eddie Huang's life. It's not meant to encompass every singles Chinese/ Asian family.
2) You guys seemed to have a lot of expectations for this show. Just curious, if there were other shows with a large Asian cast on TV, would you guys be as critical? Because the burden would certainly be lifted off this show. As it stands, you guys made this show to be the one and only show that should represent Asian Americans and it shouldn't have to.
I wanted to check with you if you had watched Eddie Huang's interview talking about this TV show based on his book Fresh off the Boat.
Thank you for your commentary and I appreciate your representation of Asian-Americans here on YouTube :-)
Hahah. just realized the main son character looks like the son from Pawn stars. Hoss, or whatever his name is.
Are they assimilated rather than FOTB, yes. But remember that to the general public most ethnic families are seen as alien and immigrants even if they were several generations deep in the US. The fact that they're an asian household is alien enough for most people, which is 'effed up but true. How many times have you been asked where you're really from?
The hook that landed me to keep watching the show was the kid, who you guys really didn't like at all. I was an immigrant kid, albeit Latino, trying to fit during the same time period, not wanting to bring home made food to school, wore the air jordans, loved my hip hop and balanced out the external culture with how I related with my family in our ethnic environment that would have been weird to outside viewers.
I would propose that the best thing about this show is that it serves as another bridge between the asian community and the "mainstream" in popular culture. In this case as a tv show that pulls non-asian viewers to relate to the family and characters. To see that they're not all that different from us. In that sense, that is how this show is a game changer. Are there stereotypes and cheesy jokes, yes. But, it also does what the Cosby Show and many others have done by making an asian family not seem like an alien family, but making them an all-American family in their own flavor.
FRESH off the boat is FRESH as FRESH prince of belair
White (European)
White (American)
Latino (non Mexican)
Asian
Black
Mexican
Native American
Arabic ( only like 2% said they would find an Arabic man desirable understandably)
I would agree that the show relies a little on stereotypes at the beginning, but I think this is partly to make the show instantly accessible to people, but also you can't break a stereotype without addressing it. I think having that as a starting point allows the characters to grow and take people on a little humanising journey. I'd really like to see the show do a little education on modern Chinese history, I think the fact that they are a taiwanese family is a great opportunity. Obviously it's a family sitcom so there's only so much you can do or expect but king of the hill did a good job for giving a little insight into Laotian history.
I mean, my dad is Asian and he is a LOT like Randall Park's character. He is not a white guy trapped in an Asian man's body; rather, he embodies what a lot of people come to America for: a bright future for their kids, financial opportunities, just achieving the American dream. As for the show's title, my interpretation is that no matter your background, people here are going to look at you as an Asian before they see you as your own person, and so labels are going to happen and we have to fight that. Also, Eddie is supa fresh!
TLDR : Your commentary made Taiwanese-American families seem like they can't be American.
this is so true
Real pure blood Asian here. I got in trouble in school. My mom went to the school and whoop the principal and teacher's (literal sense) butt! Sorry that your parents didn't stand up for you :(
Well, there are SOOO many things. I'm afraid the reply will get too long but yeah.
In the show, the family is Chinese or either Taiwanese (I don't exactly remember). However, the show doesn't focus on the fact that it's chinese, but it just conveys an image of "Asian Immigrants". In Asia, they don't recognize themselves as Asians, they recognize themselves as their nationalities. So the fact that a type of people, who are not even "one of us", get to represent "us" is extremely disturbing. And especially when it's described in a humiliating way like the family in the show. Although the family in the show live in a nice house, they act like some ghetto people with no manners no education what soever, even if the person who's watching the show is a lower income person, they won't act that way. The family in the show act like people with no dignity at all. And East Asia is so much more modern and developed at least compared to the way the family in the show's home country is represented (Yes even China). So people will be annoyed that Americans are displaying Asia as a shit place.
My favorite episode is the mom trying to be a Realtor
I have seen just a few episodes and it does appear the show is a bit disjointed but there have been some dialog gems and the cast is likable. When Wu's character tells the new babysitter about her mother, that she will fight you for dominance then fall asleep... loved it. A German broad with big honkers walks into a bar... funny.
If I might point out, the style of the character telling of his experiences goes back at least to a short lived sitcom called My World And Welcome To It. It was about a husband and father (played by William Windom) who was forever befuddled by his wife and daughter The show was well received but sent the feminists through the roof and soon was cancelled.
Asians who didn't laugh with stereotypical jokes are just as racist as the others.. You guys have bold western accent, and you criticize the actors? some of them are Koreans for f**k sake.. Randal Park is korean, and the grandma on the show is Korean too.. you guys haters can't expect these actors speak like Taiwanese,, I don't know where do you guys live but both of you seems like had live in western country for long time from you accent. I dare you to make video how Taiwanese speak English as natural as it should be..
You guys made Asian stereotypes worse than ever by how you want the show represents your blood perfectly.. I'm Chinese Indonesian who live in Chinatown for 20years, and now i live and work with local people. I can relate to the show, i find it very funny and not offended at all.. Or are you guys raised by tiger mom? You just make yourself looks bad..
Show is based on the real Eddie's life from his memoir Fresh Off the Boat, so it's the real Eddie's choice of title.
Guess what--the guy who plays the Dad, Randall Park, has Korean parents and played Kim Jong Un in The Interview!
You guys who did this video need to do some research.
How many times are you going to say you dislike a child? Pretty mean.
It's based on Eddie Huang's book.
It's about his life.
Also, I can't stand by the "Lets be happy that we finally have a show that represents our community" cheer I hear a lot. The show doesn't represent/depict what is implied by the title, as Michael said. That was my biggest issue with the show. The family isn't fresh off the boat. The issues depicted in the show may be representative for what Asians face in America, but the family dynamic is not a fresh off the boat family dynamic, at all. I'm just reiterating what was already said in the video, so I won't go on.
But thank you for giving words to the feelings I couldn't define.
To address your views on being unable to related to Eddie Huang's obsession with hip-hop, I'd like to point out that you're probably dealing with a different kind of east and west disparity: the east and west coasts of the U.S.! I grew up on the east coast of the U.S. and practically all of the Asian guys who fit in were all about hip-hop and the ones who weren't, completely fit the bookish stereotype. I'm Chinese-American and had a friend who was Bangladeshi-American and he and I would often talk about how we were the only yellow and brown kids we knew who leaned more towards the rocker side of the divide; everyone else being obsessed with hip-hop. Asians who want to socialize really do take to hip-hop like a fish to water; that's one of the "true stereotypes" for Asians in America… at least on the east coast. Hip-hop is more accepting to them; even ebonics' syntax and pronunciation is more in tune with how Asians would talk. Why I said it's probably a difference between east and west coasts is that California has a lot more Asians than the east coast, so it's probably easier for Asians to fit in without adopting something from outside themselves. My sister didn't really "get back in touch with her Asian side" until moving out to California. Also, from what I heard, the real-life Eddie Huang is obsessed with hip-hop.
Finally, you said that this show "opens the door for a lot of Chinese and Taiwanese Americans... and Koreans... Japanese...But mostly let's be serious here, there's a serious lack of representation among mainland Chinese and Taiwanese Americans in movies and films." You do realize that there's a serious lack for the entire Asian RACE in Hollywood, right? Not just "mainland Chinese and Taiwanese Americans." And in many times where Asians are represented in Hollywood, they actors cast are typically Chinese/Taiwanese. And if the character has an ethnicity of say, Vietnamese, they're still typically casted with Chinese/Taiwanese actors and actresses.
I understood where you guys were coming from, but you guys came off very offensive and very biased. I wish next time you guys will try to stop generalizing and stop making it obvious that your opinions are heavily biased.
We Cubans call "reffy".
Eddie Huang wrote this so what does this say if he makes his character less like able and a bit of a snot sometimes. He wrote his parents parts so its both the actors and the writing" which eddie did" that makes them this way.. This is a sitcom written for both asian and non asian audiences. If it is successful it will allow others to follow so maybe there will be more than 2 shows based on asian characters.
Did they actually say that an asian guy's writing about race is racist? Why don't these guys write a sitcom. I would think it would be like a dark korean horror movie. An asian tiger mom floating through a wall into a darkened room to smack the kid for getting a B+ instead of an A. The father never gives hugs……………………
The stuff they critique is what makes a sitcom.
I don't like all of Huang's stuff but he is a pretty dynamic dude so credit to him. Oh and Constance Wu is hot.
Using your definition of FOB in this video doesn't help your argument for the show. They may have lived here for many years and the kids have grown up in America but that doesn't mean that they or at least the parents are not fully assimilated into culture. They can be considered Fresh Off the Boat because of the fact that the mom doesn't understand the neighborhood women and has a hard time making friends, or that the dad is trying so hard to run a American Cowboy Restaurant because he believes that it is the best way to attract the white people. If you actually watch the show, pay attention to how many times they talk about the "white people". No, the father is not completely detached and emotionless and the grandma helps Eddie with his thug walks, that doesn't make them fully assimilated even if it doesn't make the fully fresh off the boat either.
This is really the only issue that I took offense to out of your video which I couldn't really sit through. If anything you just made a SUPER racist comment on how you see immigrants, people of your own race, background, and culture, and even your own family, and that is not at all cool.
Fresh Off the Boat is awesome.
2) I liked how straightforward they were about race in the show. it is based on eddie huang's memoir and he lived in the 90s in a community with very little asian people. it's not surprising he experienced race-sensitive problems and i'm happy abc chose to present at least some of his experiences in a way that didn't sugarcoat it too much.
3) it's a memoir! how unique do you want a coming of age story to get? its a genre for a reason! most follow a general premise and what makes this show unique is its viewpoint from a new character on tv, the asian-american first gen kid.
4) of course not all characters are relateable to everyone. i just wanted to point out that for me and a decent amount of my friends, one of our parents was the conservative, stick to our roots dictator. and the other one was the one who embraced the american culture. maybe not always completely, but at least in some things, if not most. i think you'd be hardpressed to find ANY immigrant asian parents who has not accepted at least one small part of american culture, be it food or music or clothes. To have two characters that represent each of these stereotypes for comedic value is all the better. you can find parts of your own parents in each of them.
5) just because you're close to your parents doesn't mean that you're not fresh off the boat! what makes you so adamant that if you are able to talk and joke with your parents, that means you're westernized? aren't you the one pushing the stereotypes now?
I do agree with some of the things you said, mostly near the end, about the show still trying to find its identity. although, i think the reason for that is because so many asian americans, really, haven't found their identity yet. so trying to have show portray something that's already so intangible is difficult. so i understand that's its still confused because we are watching the beginning of a show that will really help present and future asian americans find their voice, their culture, and their individual identity. It's also true that some of the writing didn't ring true, like asian americans threatening to sue. but this is one of the first shows on television starring asian americans. even the real eddie huang, who disliked the writing of the show in the beginning, stated that he understood the need for these jokes. fresh off the boat is introducing basically a culture that's unfamiliar to most of america. this is the first true portrayal of asian american life and struggle. its not always easy to get people to enjoy something foreign so the show needs to find a way to relate with the masses. all we can do is hope that this show will help open doors in the future for more portrayals of asian americans in the media so we can further educate about our culture.
They're treated like White peope born in China.
I find that most of us Asians, regardless of where we have put down roots, have similar mothers. Lol. The mum in FOB has the best lines. Constance does such a great job.
Another similarity we share? We need to help Asian talents and Asian shows in Hollywood to have
more opportunities by showing them our support & watching shows like FOB. It was not easy to secure this opportunity to create a series starring Asian talents. Let's support it so that more opportunities can arise from it, then we can talk about creating better stories and characters. The priority is to show the suits that Asians have an audience.
HEY! MORE-OOOON!
all i see it as a person that hasn't assimilated to another culture, as opposed to them being 'uncivilized', 'uneducated', etc.
the way you say it sounds like you are saying that the 'other'[in this case Asian] cultures are uncivilized/unmanned/uneducated <i>because they aren't from the same culture they haven't assimilated into.</i> and that just sounds really derogatory.
i personally think most of these shows are cookie cutter production. so a lot of borrowing is normal. anyways keep it real 哈哈哈
The Parents in the Show are kinda spot on, especially the Tiger mom. The dad not so much. If being raised by a tiger mom like Jessica Huang , no kid in their right mind rebels the way Eddie Huang does. No Asian kid in existent would rebel against Jessica Huang.
Well thats good for you.
He did say he grew up in dc so that atmosphere influenced him a lot before going to florida
Those other "varieties" of Asian Americans you claim are equally defaultable aren't genuine as stand alones though, those are the ones that just adopted western media culture and pretend they are what they aren't just to fit into the crowd. A lot of it just ends up as cultural apropriation but thats how he grew up and valid for a single perspective.
He never meant to represent all Asians, because the entire problem with western media has been that they try to represent all Asians with really shallow characters who are all basically the same. Eddie is just a person. Yeah he's Asian and that's a huge part of his identity but it does not define every aspect of who he is. Some Asians are into Hip Hop like Eddie, or like Jay Park and G-Dragon. Some Asians are shy and studious, like you, and some are not, like me.
America has seen enough of the "boring, shy, socially awkward but super book-smart Asian" with just about every background Asian character in movies and shows. Its time to show that Asians come in a much wider variety than just that. This show is just one of the (hopefully) many that will come and help the world understand what it means to be Asian American. As that happens, maybe we can also have the shy smart Asian as the main character of another show.
Also, isn't Eddie Huang representing Eddie Huang? Ultimately the show isn't about an Asian family, it's about Eddie Huang's family - even if it has been rewritten to fit ABC's agenda.
Jeremy's parents are one of those that balanced being strict and supportive.
By your logic then, Jeremy Lin is not an "accurate" representation of Asian kids because his parents allowed him to pursue his dream to play basketball rather than go the traditional route of being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer.
Eddie's character isn't supposed to be a noble, wise hero. It's obvious that he's a flawed character who has room for personal development. Nothing wrong with that. There's nothing funny about perfect, respectful robots who have no sense of individualism.
Reality isn't funny. This isn't reality. No one's claiming it is. It's a comedy sitcom. Lighten up and laugh a little.
There are not a lot of Asian Kids that can relate to Eddie Huang. For instance, being extremely rebellious and demanding money from parents. There is no way an Asian parent will accept this kind of attitude from an Asian kid. The one slight sign of being disrespectful is a one way ticket to being caned till you can't sit.
I remember just asking for anything, I got denied and when I complained I was punished because I should have acted better and not disrespectful.
Throughout the entire show practically, Eddie Huang could act as rebellious as he wanted and he would not get punished gravely. That my friend is all bullshit. No Asian kid acts rebellious and gets away with it.
My point is, stop whining about Asians being lumped into one thing when white people are lumped together even faster and more often than Asians. If I pointed to someone whom was Asian, many people ask are they Chinese or something else? If pointed to a European, people look at me and are like "so what? it's just another white person". At least many people are interested in your cultures and what to be respectful. When non-whites encounter a white European they don't give 2 fucks about their culture.
Also, if you count Kung Fu in 1972, but the actor (David Carradine) was not Asian. Would have been cool if Bruce Lee had the role.
Now on the other hand, my mom didn't show me one bit of affection. When I was little or grown up. I asked her once why she never hug me and she said because Chinese people don't that! But, I told her dad does it all the time, and she said, well I don't! So that was that, I guess.
In the end, my dad did love the whole thing about being an American and we would do all that stuff. Like celebrating the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas and more. We would go out and watch games. Now this doesn't mean he forgot how to be Chinese, nope. We did that stuff too. He just wanted us to do it all because well we're Americans!
Personally, I think your own experiences are skewing your outlook on this show. You mention the part about Eddie getting in trouble at school and 'No Asian parent would ever be on the kid's side' is a pretty ridiculous generalization because its almost like you're saying Asians have no heart or a brain to discern whats ok and whats not. For me at least, my parents have stood up for me plenty of times in these kinds of matters. I don't know if you had heartless parents or something but when my parents found out I was being picked on for being Chinese, they flipped their wigs and screamed at the school.
As for parents defending kid in principal's office scene in FOB. Well, that actually happened to me (not as dramatically though) Basically I was bullied at school, and I settled it with a pretty bad fight during recess with broken noses (how this sort of thing is normally resolved in China) that landed me in the principal's office. I was not disciplined at home (though I did have to go to detention), but was told this is not how things are settled in America, but I should defend myself when being bullied.
Just be glad that theres asians on tv now. Complain later, when theres enough asian representation, that there should be more chinese or what not on television.
BTW I am Asian.
TV channels seem to try "alternative" comedies from time to time hoping that it will be popular due to the novelty. For black folks, big hits like The Cosby Show and Sanford and Son relied on big name black comics. The lesser known comedies that were on nobody remembers. Gay community got Will and Grace. All white people, hetero-crazy white woman, main gay guy is non-flaming, and the flaming gay guy is the comedy relief for every episode via stereotypical "funny gay" behaviour. I can't even think of a big Latino hit. George Lopez's show was like all those other black shows that just never broke out. It's ironic to me that Hollywood seems so narrow-minded(and bigoted) with its decision making, but it's very obvious that the only color they're really interested in is "Green".
I'll just keep watching subbed Korean dramas on cable in the meantime. Wish we could get more Chinese and Japanese tv.
Read in the paper that the author wished the show had retained more of his book...
Info from Wiki:
Margaret Cho had a television show (All American Girl, 1994), about how she didn't want to obey her traditional Korean parents,
Mr. T and Tina, 1976, is credited as being America's first television show to feature an Asian (in this case, actor and character - Japanese) in the leading role Pat Morita played Taro Takahashi, an inventor who lives with free-spirited American Tina Kelly.
Both shows were short lived.
XD
The parents are funny, the main kid not so funny.
do not have a good communication with their kids
they always consider parents always correct, and you are wrong
they strict about sharing feeling with own childrens
and not funny, asian parents are mostly not funny
Because Asians have very limited type of roles, I guess. We sort of generalised it and think about how it relates to our family. No, we don't have a dad like that. No, we didn't have 'the talk', etc.
But this show isn't trying to do that. It's not trying to stereotype or generalise Asians. ( I know the jokes and stuff are stereotyped but it was mixing in with culture. )
Like when you watch a white family on TV, you don't think. Oh my family doesn't do that. Or my friend's mum isn't like that. Why should we think the same when watching an Asian family on TV?
This is why the Randall Park character is American-style (rather than Asian style parenting where father tells mother he's disappointed in you-the child, and then mother relays the message to you, instead of him talking to you directly). ABC just wants to show an American family who happens to be Asian with tiny little quirks, that's all, so that any advertiser like Glade cleaning products and Applebee's can sponsor it. Network family sit-com is all about safe clean cut shows where 9 year old children can watch with their mom and dads. And the odd character(s) trying to fit in is a normal plot-line for TV, like Malcom in the Middle or The New Adventures of Old Christine. I hope you guys understand why the Fresh off the Boat is the way it is...... :)
P.S. "The Goldbergs" on ABC is a family sit-com about a Jewish family with a main character as a child living in the 80's and voice-over by the adult version of the child. Same premise as Everybody Hates Chris. And Fresh off the Boat. ABC likes formulaic "safe" shows. Somebody just need put up the money and make a show on HBO or Showtime or Netflix about the Asian-American or Asian-Australian or Asian-Canadian or Asian-British experience, that's all.
LOL! I don't remember what commercials were shown but I know McDonald's has done an excellent superb job advertising to Asian folks. There's a McDonald's commercial in every Asian language in the United States, at least here in California on TV and radio (foreign language stations). The show Fresh off the Boat is not that funny, tho. Very middle of road and bland like this: child goes to school and sees that his classmates has something that he doesn't. So he wants it and does something he's not supposed to do to get it. But he gets in trouble with the principal or the law, and his parents talk to him and they hug and lesson learned. Kind of boring and normal, which means no one gets offended, which means every demographic can watch it. And while everyone from gay republicans to single mothers to Russian immigrants is watching it, Lay's Potato Chips or Taco Bell comes out with a commercial announcing a new flavor. Then everybody who's been watching the Fresh off the Boat TV show, goes "ooh, that looks good, i want to eat that" and then they buy it. This is how network family sit-com works.
I didn't see everyone hates chris, but the show reminds me of an asian version of The Goldbergs. I guess it just fits in the 'culturally different family' sitcom genre.
-You're Welcome
But what i'm trying to say East Asian's in know way claimed the term. I mean i'm from Canada, where we actually have more East Asians, but the term is used with all immigrants, especially Africans! Nobody actually owns the term! But i'd say if we wan't 2 claim it, then you say it belongs to people of color!
-Thanks