Monster Hunter pulled from Chinese cinemas over racist scene

[polynucleotide]

Chinese regulators are in the midst of censoring the film #MonsterHunter after controversy broke out online on opening day https://t.co/WrVO3ZkzRe
- Variety (@Variety) December 5, 2020
Monster Hunter -- the film based on the video game series -- has been pulled in China a day after its release after backlash over a racist scene

Comments

[babarsuhail]

the scene in question. Who wrote this joke, a 5 year old??

Great writing in the Monster Hunter movie... pic.twitter.com/jTRnKOClCi
- Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) December 4, 2020

[coquettishkat]

ugh the replies to that tweet are so ignorant jfc

[colossusx]

In the scene, a white male character and an Asian character played by Jin are driving together at high speed. “What?” says the former. “Look at my knees!” shouts Jin. “What kind of knees are these?” asks his companion. “Chi-nese!” jokes Jin, punning on the word’s last syllable.

Though some might view this as camaraderie and banter over a bad pun, Chinese viewers were incensed after the exchange was interpreted as a reference to an old, racist schoolyard rhyme insulting Asians. “Chi-nese, Jap-a-nese, dir-ty knees, look at these,” it apparently sing-songs, accompanied by knee slaps and slant-eyed gestures.

variety

[invisiblegirlx]

Wtf? This is gross. Never heard that before.

[iznanassi]

in the year 2020 they added this to the movie, bc there is no other way to portray PoC being friendly unless they debase themselves!

[pseudonygma]

MTE.

But also, isn't Jin American Chinese? How much of this was in the script, and how much of this is improv and him trying to be edgy? The amount of people that the final cut must've gone through and no one, not a single soul, thought that off-handed line was not only awful but rather important enough to be kept in? Disgusting.

[houndooms]

I swear this movie fell out of a portal from the year 2007. That's the only reason I can explain how a movie adaptation of a video game that takes place in a fantasy setting ended up being about the U.S. military. All it's missing is a Three Doors Down song.

[coquettishkat]

the “joke” in question is awful and throws me back to kindergarten when my best friend pulled her eyes and did the rhyme. that was the very first instance i remember of being made aware that my eyes were not only different but perceived as narrow and ugly and unattractive, and to this day i still feel overly conscious about them lol

[lyra_loo]

Same, bb. It sucks.

[coquettishkat]

big hugs <3

[revertigo]

You better not.

I am SEA and I have big eyes with double eyelids and I still had dumb fucks pulling their eyes to make fun of me. It’s really less about how you look and more about how racist and ugly they are.

[invisiblegirlx]

Who thought this was a good idea? Yikes.