Ramifications of movie worth a closer look

Memoirs of a Geisha is just a movie. And yes, the poster is just marketing. But the controversy surrounding Memoirs does not question the author or director's ability to provide an entertaining and well-marketed story. Rather, it focuses more on the authenticity of their portrayal of Japanese culture and its implications on the greater Asian community.

Because Asian representations in the U.S. media are so often limited to the martial artist, geeky immigrant or hypersexualized female, the emergence of Memoirs carries with it both the opportunity of presenting a new aspect of Asian culture and the risk of reinforcing stereotypes. Because many, including Mineko Iwasaki, whose life the book is based upon, accuse author Golden of presenting geishas as little more than stylized prostitutes, I worry that Memoirs will only advance the fetishization of Asian women. The question then becomes: Can we trust the audience to know the difference between entertainment and reality? Where do we draw the line between the appreciation and appropriation of culture?

To build a buzz for Memoirs, Sony Pictures created tie-ins that include Banana Republic's limited line and Fresh's beauty product line that "captures the mystery of the Geisha with a scent that is understated, exotic and completely sensual." Most of these items are only vaguely connected to authentic Japanese products and customs, yet they're marketed as authentic and further reinforce the image that Asian women are the exotic "other."

The problem is when "exotic" is used either to hold you at an arm's length as foreign or to objectify you in a perverse embrace as a sexual experience; both override how "unique" and similar you truly are. The reality remains that the media does influence how we view each other and ourselves.

Finally, the criticism against Chinese actors portraying Japanese characters has its roots in a violent history which includes Japanese imperialism and the Rape of Nanking (a.k.a. the "Forgotten Holocaust"of WWII). Memoirs may be "just a movie," but when you are the one living with stereotypes and historical resentment, it becomes much more.

It becomes personal.

Caroline Shou

Trinity '06