By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
Bill Maher has apparently lost it.
In some twisted thinking, he’s blaming racist Asians for Hollywood’s diversity problem.
WTF, you say?
This is how Maher’s thinking goes.
Hollywood has discovered its foreign box office can make as much money as its domestic take. There are lots of people in Asia, and lots of moviegoers.
“Hey,” says the Hollywood executive,”We can sell a lot of movie tickets in Asia.”
That realization has opened up roles for Asian actors. It’s Hollywood’s bid to capitalize on the Asian cash cow.
Maher’s in his opening monologue Friday on Real Time took that logic a bit too far.
“They don’t want to see Black people in their movies,” Maher said of Asian moviegoers. Knowing that, Hollywood executives aren’t casting Blacks in their movies, according to the talk show host.
Asian American spoken word poet Beau Sia had plenty to say about Maher’s ill-gotten logic.
Check out these tweets.
thank god white bill maher told it like it is. hollywood’s diversity issue is ASIAN PEOPLE’S FAULT. #billmaherforVPtrump2016
— beau sia (@BeauSia) January 23, 2016
bill maher thinks ASIANS why there’s a diversity problem in hollywood & not the lovely colonizers who brought you slavery & the klan
— beau sia (@BeauSia) January 23, 2016
this is me & bao phi’s maher exchange part 1 @jesifiable pic.twitter.com/v45eKiOtnM
— beau sia (@BeauSia) January 23, 2016
Is there prejudice in Asia against Blacks. Yes, there is. Just like there’s prejudice in the U.S. against Blacks as evidenced by the backlash from some Star Wars fans to the casting of Blacks, Latinos and Asians in Star Wars. The most prominent was John Boyega as Finn.
So stop making excuses, Maher. Stop blaming Asians for Hollywood’s racist problems. Asian Americans are just as hurt by Hollywood’s lack of diversity than any other ethnic group. Stop the victim blame game.
