Last March, while I was in New York, my kids brought me to watch a new movie that was coming out — Everything Everywhere All at Once.
“You will love it!!!” They claimed.
It was a Friday evening after 9 pm, and my two overworked kids accompanied me to this movie’s March 25 limited releases movie premises.
I did not react as they had hoped, which surprised them.
Their surprises slightly surprised me as well.
But it was over midnight, and we planned many events the next day. We quickly moved on.
A few days ago, the home-visiting kids invited us to watch the new Avatar movie, and somehow this EEAAO movie was brought up again.
“But Mom did not like it.” Nine months had passed yet they still sounded disappointed and bewildered.
That made me pause, especially after discovering this movie was on Obama’s 2022 Year-End List and the many awards and nominations it has achieved so far.
I decided to dig into this subtle but essential discord.
Even after over thirty years of living in North America, I still need to become more accustomed to articulating some potential confrontational opinions, especially those very fuzzy and hard to pin down. After a few days of casual thought, I came up with the first word.
Stereotyped.
I immediately felt this word was too strong for my fuzzy uncomfortableness about this movie and its overall reactions, but I could not find better words.
I even hate the word “stereotyped.” It is a word too convenient for a person who falls into the “minority” part of the culture. It is a word overused these days to excuse everything that blocks our way.
So I gave ChatGPT a try today.
I was slightly amused that ChatGPT offered some strong opinions on the word “stereotyped.”
media that reinforces negative stereotypes or fails to accurately represent diverse groups of people. Stereotypes can be harmful because they can lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings about certain groups of people, and they can also contribute to a lack of representation and opportunities for those groups. It’s important for media to strive for inclusivity and accurate representation in order to promote understanding and equality.
Per suggestion, I then watched Cate Blanchett & Michelle Yeoh on EEAAO. I loved how eloquent and sightful Cate and Michelle expressed their opinions about this movie, which I am totally in line with, such as the empowerment of (aging) women. However, I still could not accurately describe my uncomfortableness about this movie and everything happening around it.
Well, seems ChatGPT not only did not help but also reinforced something that still lingered on my mind for uncomfortableness.
Ultimately, I decided it was just a movie that was not my type. Just simple as that.
There are many things in life we’d better not overthink.
Hi, can you help me articulate why I wouldn't say I like the movie — Everything Everywhere All at Once? I am a middle-aged Chinese American woman, and I think this movie is overly stereotyping us.
Certainly! It’s understandable to feel frustrated with media that reinforces negative stereotypes or fails to accurately represent diverse groups of people. Stereotypes can be harmful because they can lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings about certain groups of people, and they can also contribute to a lack of representation and opportunities for those groups. It’s important for media to strive for inclusivity and accurate representation in order to promote understanding and equality.
If you’d like to articulate your thoughts about the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” you may want to consider the specific stereotypes or misrepresentations that you feel are present in the movie. You could also think about the impact that these stereotypes or misrepresentations have on the way that people perceive and interact with Chinese Americans, and how these portrayals may contribute to larger societal issues.
It may also be helpful to consider your personal experiences and feelings about the movie, and how it has affected you as a Chinese American middle-aged woman. By sharing your perspective and thoughts on the movie, you can help to raise awareness about the importance of accurate and inclusive representation in media.
It adds more weight to this as my kids thought I would love to watch this movie and was surprised that I wouldn't say I liked it.
It’s understandable that you would be disappointed if your kids thought you would enjoy a movie and you ended up not liking it. It’s also understandable to be concerned if the movie reinforces negative stereotypes or fails to accurately represent Chinese Americans. Stereotypes can be harmful because they can lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings about certain groups of people, and they can also contribute to a lack of representation and opportunities for those groups.
It’s important for media to strive for inclusivity and accurate representation in order to promote understanding and equality. By sharing your thoughts and concerns about the movie with your kids, you can help to educate them about the importance of representation and the impact that media can have on society. You can also use this opportunity to discuss the ways in which media can influence our perceptions of different groups of people, and the importance of being critical and thoughtful about the media we consume.
It was too subtle and could quickly get the wrong way.
It’s understandable that you might feel frustrated with media that is overly subtle in its portrayal of certain groups of people, as this can make it difficult to accurately understand or represent those groups. It’s important for media to strive for inclusivity and accuracy in its representation of different groups of people, in order to promote understanding and equality.
If you feel that the portrayal of Chinese Americans in the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was too subtle and could be easily misinterpreted, you may want to consider explaining your concerns and thoughts about the movie to others. By sharing your perspective and raising awareness about the issue, you can help to promote more accurate and inclusive representation in media. It may also be helpful to think about the specific aspects of the movie that you feel were problematic or problematic and how they might contribute to misunderstandings or negative stereotypes about Chinese Americans.
It is not the media I am concerning; it is our kids' perceptions.
It’s understandable to be concerned about the way that media can influence your kids’ perceptions and understanding of different groups of people. It’s important for media to strive for inclusivity and accurate representation in order to promote understanding and equality.
If you feel that the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” reinforces negative stereotypes or fails to accurately represent Chinese Americans, you may want to consider discussing your concerns with your kids. By sharing your thoughts and perspective on the movie, you can help to educate them about the importance of representation and the impact that media can have on society. You can also use this opportunity to discuss the ways in which media can influence our perceptions of different groups of people, and the importance of being critical and thoughtful about the media we consume.
It may also be helpful to encourage your kids to seek out media that accurately represents a diverse range of people and cultures, and to think critically about the media they consume. By doing so, you can help to promote understanding and acceptance of different groups of people, and to encourage your kids to be more mindful and respectful of diversity and differences.
Yes, I felt I had the responsibility to articulate why I wouldn't say I like it, especially after it was ranked as one of the contenders for the 2023 Oscar and even on President Obama's most-liked movies list of 2022
It’s understandable that you might feel a sense of responsibility to articulate your thoughts and concerns about media that you feel reinforces negative stereotypes or fails to accurately represent certain groups of people. By sharing your perspective and raising awareness about the issue, you can help to promote more accurate and inclusive representation in media.
If you’d like to express your thoughts about the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” you may want to consider the specific stereotypes or misrepresentations that you feel are present in the movie, and how they contribute to misunderstandings or negative perceptions of Chinese Americans. You could also think about the impact that these portrayals may have on the way that people perceive and interact with Chinese Americans, and how they may contribute to larger societal issues.
It may also be helpful to consider your personal experiences and feelings about the movie, and how it has affected you as a Chinese American middle-aged woman. By sharing your perspective and thoughts on the movie, you can help to raise awareness about the importance of accurate and inclusive representation in media.
OK, upon your advice, I just watched the lengthy “Cate Blanchett & Michelle Yeoh | Actors on Actors 2022” and tried to understand better what bothered me in that movie. I conclude two things: The Chinatown wardrobe and laundromat business setup of the characters is so cliche on many layers. Secondly, the plot and comic style reminded me too much of Stephen Chow’s genre, which is on top of my distaste list. I only have a short list of such since I am a big movie fan of everything in general.
It’s understandable that certain elements of the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” might have bothered you, such as the use of cliche Chinatown settings and the plot and comedic style reminiscent of Stephen Chow’s genre. These elements may have contributed to your dislike of the movie and your perception that it reinforces negative stereotypes or fails to accurately represent Chinese Americans.
It’s important for media to strive for inclusivity and accurate representation in order to promote understanding and equality. By considering the specific aspects of the movie that you feel were problematic and sharing your thoughts and perspective on them, you can help to raise awareness about the importance of accurate and inclusive representation in media. You can also use this opportunity to discuss the ways in which media can influence our perceptions of different groups of people, and the importance of being critical and thoughtful about the media we consume.
