X-rated film shows students the reality of Asian sexuality (Daily Titan)
X-rated film shows students the reality of Asian sexuality
Darrel Hamamoto's porn flick gives Titans 'cultural education'
Julie Kim
Daily Titan Opinion Editor
Monday, May 9, 2005
An Asian-American couple was shown having sex on the big screen of the Mackey Auditorium in the Ruby Gerontology Center on Thursday.
The X-rated video, entitled “Yellocaust: A Patriot Act,” marked the conclusion of Cal State Fullerton’s celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“We wanted to present something that needed to be exposed,” said Asian-American studies professor Susan Shoho, who helped organize the event. “But it’s not about showing a skin flick; it’s about cultural education.”
UC Davis Asian-American studies professor Darrell Y. Hamamoto, who directed the six-minute politicized pornography, said he created “Yellocaust” for several reasons.
One reason is that the Asian community was going through systemic genocide by the United States military. To underscore that impression, Hamamoto edited into “Yellocaust” sounds of people wailing and a scrolling text outlining historical information.
For example, according to the video, 200,000 Filipinos died in the hands of American soldiers. The movie also addressed a proposal to sterilize Asian-Americans and claimed some Chinese men have been unable to procreate with their wives because of a United States ban on Chinese women entering into the United States.
In order to survive this “slow-motion Holocaust,” Asians must have sexual vitality, Hamamoto said.
But the problem is that the white-dominated media has portrayed Asian men as emasculated, Hamamoto added.
Asian-American studies senior Chaz Curry agreed.
“His attempt to justify the Asian-American male stereotype by making an adult film with the sole purpose of casting an Asian-American male is very radical, but at the same time very practical,” he said.
Lindsey Howell, a junior psychology major, attended the event and thought the professor’s viewpoint was interesting. “I respect and support creativity,” she said.
In addition to the pornography, Hamamoto showed “Masters of the Pillow,” a 60-minute documentary made by James Hou, a former student of his. In the recording, Hou documented the making of Hamamoto’s first-feature film, “Skin on Skin” – a 40-minute X-rated video, which was intended to arouse viewers unlike “Yellocaust.”
The Asian Pacific Student Association organized the event with funding from the Association for Inter-Cultural Awareness and support from the Asian-American Studies Department.
“There was no opposition,” Shoho added.
The presentation on “Yellocaust: A Patriot Act” was scheduled for April 15, but it was postponed because the club didn’t have proper funding.
Although some students in the audience snickered at the professor and his works, which have been parodied on “The Tonight Show” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” he handled the criticism.
“I don’t care if you laugh at me or think I’m evil,” Hamamoto said. “Someone had to do it.”
Shoho praised Hamamoto for “stepping out of the comfort zone when other Asians might not have been comfortable with change.”
“He was willing to be seen as a pornographer and not an Asian-American activist,” she added.
One CSUF student asked how his university viewed him after the release of his adult films.
“We’re known for cows, so they were happy I gave attention to [UC] Davis,” Hamamoto said.
Another student wondered why the professor delved into the porn industry instead of making conventional feature films.
The motive was accessibility: it’s easier to make money in the multibillion-dollar porn industry, after which he planed to invest in works by other Asian-American moviemakers.
Darrel Hamamoto's porn flick gives Titans 'cultural education'
Julie Kim
Daily Titan Opinion Editor
Monday, May 9, 2005
An Asian-American couple was shown having sex on the big screen of the Mackey Auditorium in the Ruby Gerontology Center on Thursday.
The X-rated video, entitled “Yellocaust: A Patriot Act,” marked the conclusion of Cal State Fullerton’s celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“We wanted to present something that needed to be exposed,” said Asian-American studies professor Susan Shoho, who helped organize the event. “But it’s not about showing a skin flick; it’s about cultural education.”
UC Davis Asian-American studies professor Darrell Y. Hamamoto, who directed the six-minute politicized pornography, said he created “Yellocaust” for several reasons.
One reason is that the Asian community was going through systemic genocide by the United States military. To underscore that impression, Hamamoto edited into “Yellocaust” sounds of people wailing and a scrolling text outlining historical information.
For example, according to the video, 200,000 Filipinos died in the hands of American soldiers. The movie also addressed a proposal to sterilize Asian-Americans and claimed some Chinese men have been unable to procreate with their wives because of a United States ban on Chinese women entering into the United States.
In order to survive this “slow-motion Holocaust,” Asians must have sexual vitality, Hamamoto said.
But the problem is that the white-dominated media has portrayed Asian men as emasculated, Hamamoto added.
Asian-American studies senior Chaz Curry agreed.
“His attempt to justify the Asian-American male stereotype by making an adult film with the sole purpose of casting an Asian-American male is very radical, but at the same time very practical,” he said.
Lindsey Howell, a junior psychology major, attended the event and thought the professor’s viewpoint was interesting. “I respect and support creativity,” she said.
In addition to the pornography, Hamamoto showed “Masters of the Pillow,” a 60-minute documentary made by James Hou, a former student of his. In the recording, Hou documented the making of Hamamoto’s first-feature film, “Skin on Skin” – a 40-minute X-rated video, which was intended to arouse viewers unlike “Yellocaust.”
The Asian Pacific Student Association organized the event with funding from the Association for Inter-Cultural Awareness and support from the Asian-American Studies Department.
“There was no opposition,” Shoho added.
The presentation on “Yellocaust: A Patriot Act” was scheduled for April 15, but it was postponed because the club didn’t have proper funding.
Although some students in the audience snickered at the professor and his works, which have been parodied on “The Tonight Show” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” he handled the criticism.
“I don’t care if you laugh at me or think I’m evil,” Hamamoto said. “Someone had to do it.”
Shoho praised Hamamoto for “stepping out of the comfort zone when other Asians might not have been comfortable with change.”
“He was willing to be seen as a pornographer and not an Asian-American activist,” she added.
One CSUF student asked how his university viewed him after the release of his adult films.
“We’re known for cows, so they were happy I gave attention to [UC] Davis,” Hamamoto said.
Another student wondered why the professor delved into the porn industry instead of making conventional feature films.
The motive was accessibility: it’s easier to make money in the multibillion-dollar porn industry, after which he planed to invest in works by other Asian-American moviemakers.
posted by blurp2000 at 2:07 AM
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