‘Joy Ride,’ ‘Shortcomings,’ ‘Beef’ and the Onscreen Rise of the Flawed Asian American
“Over the next few years, the meaning of AAPI will become even more diverse,” said Jeremiah Abraham, co-producer of Yellow Rose, who runs a marketing and communications agency dedicated to Asia. American project. “There are more talented people out there than we give access and opportunity to.”
“Beef” chronicles the feud between wealthy entrepreneur Amy, who feels pressure to sell her small business, and struggling contractor Danny, who can’t seem to catch a breather. Anger is all-encompassing in this series, but it manifests differently between the two tormentors. Married to the gold of the art world, Amy must overcome all kinds of humiliation to put a smile on her face. Danny, feeling burdened by his responsibility to his younger brother Paul (Young Maginot) and his ex-convict cousin, breaks into Amy’s house like a weasel and urinates in the bathroom.
As Amy and Danny’s quest for revenge involves those they love, the series gives viewers a closer look at the Korean church-going community in Southern California, presenting multiple versions of the masculinity of the Asian-American characters. To do.
Joseph Lee, who plays Amy’s lonely and approval-seeking husband George, said he felt “vulnerable and insecure” in his role. According to Maginot, Paul is taking notice of his brother and cousin’s toxic masculinity and trying to find a different path. “There is no example that represents all of them,” says Lee.
(“Beef” itself has been the subject of considerable outrage this year. 2014 podcast episode In it, David Cho, who plays his cousin, resurfaced talking about coercing a masseuse to give him oral sex. He later said the story was a hoax. However, amid the uproar surrounding this revelation, some viewers, including many Asian Americans, whether to support the show. )
Actors said working on a show like Beef, with an all-Asian cast, pushed race back into the background and put the spotlight on nuanced characters like George and Paul. .
