Opinion / How Godfrey Gao paved the way for Marvel’s first Asian superhero Simu Liu, star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Did Hollywood and white colonialism perpetuate the stereotype of Asian men being unattractive? This author thinks so, and argues Gao helped change the dialogue
Asians on both sides of the Pacific are having a moment. From the mesmeric power of K-pop to the touching tales of Asian immigrant communities brought into focus by Lulu Wang’s Farewell, there is renewed interest in Eastern cultures. This, in turn, has created a counterbalance to the deep-rooted, racist narrative that Asian men are unattractive – a stereotype perpetuated by Western colonialism and Hollywood.
Remember Mickey Rooney's yellow-faced, bucktoothed portrayal of Mr Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Today, we see a shift from zero to heartthrob as Asian men start to take leading roles. Think John Cho in Searching, a bulked-up Kumail Nanjiani of The Big Sick and six-pack flexing Simu Liu of Kim’s Convenience, who will appear as Marvel’s first Asian superhero in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Attractive men exist in every race, ethnicity and nationality. But before this decade, popular Western culture seemed to emasculate Asian men, while on the other hand, exoticising and hypersexualising Asian women. In 2014, co-founder Christian Rudder of popular dating platform OkCupid released data showing that Asian men and black women were the least desirable on their site.
In came Godfrey Gao, a tall, bearded, bicultural Asian man with roots in Canada and Taiwan. He had that perfect look and background that transcended racial barriers, and Asians all around the world were eager to claim him as their own.
He was approved and brought into the folds of high fashion and marketed as the first Asian male face to represent Louis Vuitton in 2011 at just 27 years old. After that, he graced the cover of hundreds of fashion magazines and starred in a handful of films. Then the media stories started flooding in about how Asian male beauty was being redefined.
However, an issue remained. We were only propping up supermodel-looking Asian men while erasing the diversity and representation of the most populated race on the planet, comprising 48 different nationalities with thousands of varying cultures. While unquestionably beautiful, Gao only represented a type of Asian male beauty, the kind Western media uses to show how racially sensitive and inclusive they are. Gao was that one Asian friend at the party in the sea of white people.