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10 Insanely Racist Classic Movie Moments

10 Insanely Racist Classic Movie Moments
VOICE OVER: Patrick Mealey
Why was this ever considered okay?! For this list, we'll be looking at the worst and most insensitive racial elements found in widely beloved films. Our countdown includes unfortunate moments from "A Christmas Story", "Annie", "Gone with the Wind" and more!

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Insanely Racist Moments in Classic Movies That You Forgot About. For this list, we’ll be looking at the worst and most insensitive racial elements found in widely beloved films. You won’t find any Disney or animated picks, as those deserve their own lists. What do you make of these sequences? Let us know in the comments below!

#10: “Deck the Halls”

“A Christmas Story” (1983)
Widely regarded as a Christmas classic, this film is both endearing and hilarious, beautifully capturing the nostalgia many share for childhood Christmases. Near the end of the movie however, the Parker family visit a small Chinese restaurant and are entertained by the employees. The men are heavily accented, and their attempt at singing “Deck the Halls” is criticized by another employee. It’s quite a problematic sequence. Not only is it propagating a stereotypical “Asian” accent, but it’s also encouraging the idea that this accent is something to laugh at. It’s a bizarre and disconcerting moment that ruins the story’s otherwise warm tone. This sequence was updated and subverted in the 2017 Fox special “A Christmas Story Live!”

#9: Making Fun of Indigenous People

“Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” (1995)
The cinematic landscape was arguably dominated by one thing in the ‘90s, and that was Jim Carrey playing wacky and now-iconic characters. In this sequel to the classic original, Ace Ventura makes his way to Africa and interacts with various Indigenous people. The entire storyline has an undertone of racism to it, embodying the white savior complex as Ace helps solve a dispute between the Wachati and Wachootoo peoples. Ace also continuously pokes fun at them, and the movie thereby uses their culture, language, and rituals as a crude outlet for comedy. In doing so, it portrays them as “other” in an incredibly racist way.

#8: Asian Bond

“You Only Live Twice” (1967)
One of Sean Connery’s last appearances as James Bond, “You Only Live Twice” sees the special agent heading to Japan to prevent a nuclear war between America and the Soviet Union. While there, Bond is given a makeover to look more Japanese. And it is unfortunate, to say the least. Not only is the very idea of an Asian makeover ridiculously misguided, it’s not even convincing. Bond is simply given a horrendously ugly wig and bushy eyebrows, and the whole thing is both offensive and embarrassing. Suffice to say, James Bond donning yellowface is not one of the franchise’s iconic moments – far from it, in fact.

#7: Punjab & the Asp

“Annie” (1982)
The first movie adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, “Annie” has a big racial diversity problem. There are essentially only two major characters of color, and they are both portrayed in seriously offensive ways. Named Punjab and the Asp, they work as bodyguards for the wealthy and white Daddy Warbucks. That alone is problematic given the undertones and power dynamics at play, but there’s more. Punjab is an Indian man who’s played by a Trinidadian-American actor, a casting decision that many have since called out and criticized. Plus, both he and his co-worker are given names that are suspect and lazy, to put it mildly. Oh, and the seemingly Japanese Asp gives Annie karate lessons, because of course he does.

#6: Long Duk Dong

“Sixteen Candles” (1984)
This classic teen film from John Hughes is certainly a product of its time, and not in a good way. Much ink has been spilled regarding both its casual promoting of sexual violence and the horribly offensive character of Long Duk Dong. Japanese-American actor Gedde Watanabe put on a stereotypical Asian accent for the role, and he was later approached by some viewers who found his performance offensive. Numerous Asian-American groups also denounced the film, calling Long Duk Dong “stereotypical” and “racist.” Molly Ringwald, the ‘80s icon and star of “Sixteen Candles,” has also called him “a grotesque stereotype.” It’s easy to see why, considering his inappropriate accent and behavior - and the unwarranted gong sound that follows him.

#5: The Indigenous Characters

“The Searchers” (1956)
Though it's regarded by many as the best Western around, “The Searchers” presents a disturbingly offensive portrait of Indigenous people. The story takes place amid the historical Texas–Native American wars of the 19th century. The Indigenous characters are portrayed as evil villains and systematically shot down in action sequences. They’re also mistreated, and even the supposed “hero,” Ethan Edwards, attempts to kill his own niece to avoid seeing her among the Comanche. Some argue that this offensive depiction serves the racial themes of the movie and the general subversion of the white Western hero. Regardless, that doesn’t make it any easier to digest. It also doesn’t excuse the chieftain Scar being played by a white German-American in redface.

#4: The Whole Movie

“Gone with the Wind” (1939)
When it comes to cinematic classics, few compete with “Gone with the Wind.” The epic to end all epics, Victor Fleming’s seminal work has made more money than any other film when you account for inflation. However, it’s impossible to ignore its warped depiction of American history, something that has resulted in much controversy. Black viewers in particular were vocal, immediately calling out the negative and one-note portrayal of Black characters. The way that the movie praises and dignifies both slavery and the Confederacy is also quite problematic. Nothing has really changed. “Gone with the Wind” continues to stir debate for its misaimed application of pseudohistory, and it was temporarily pulled from HBO Max in 2020.

#3: Asian Mysticism

“Big Trouble in Little China” (1986)
John Carpenter’s “Big Trouble in Little China” is a martial arts cult classic, starring Kurt Russell as truck driver Jack Burton. Jack and his buddy Wang Chi venture into a magical underworld hidden in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It’s here where all the trouble begins – not just from a plot perspective, but a racial one. The idea of a white man entering a spiritual land, fighting a bunch of Chinese individuals, and defiling their iconography is dodgy at best, horribly racist at worst. The movie also plays into the thorny trope of magical Asian characters partaking in mystic otherworldliness and using it for nefarious purposes. “Big Trouble in Little China” is big trouble, indeed.

#2: “Indian Culture”

“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984)
This is widely regarded as the darkest entry in the “Indiana Jones” franchise. It’s incredibly violent and also rather unsympathetic, with its depiction of so-called “Indian culture” proving especially difficult to digest. The North Indian society depicted in the film is rather destitute and in desperate need of a savior. On top of that, the people and their customs aren’t given any kind of depth or authenticity. Even worse is the Thuggee cult, who partake in sacrificial activities, mistreat kids, and so much more. Sure, you could argue that this isn’t necessarily meant to represent Indian culture as a whole - just this specific evil cult. But it still plays into racist Orientalism and depicts another culture as “strange” and immoral.

#1: Mr. Yunioshi

“Breakfast at Tiffany's” (1961)
The ‘60s were a very different time - one in which yellowface was seemingly applied without a shred of remorse or shame. It was wrong then, and it’s wrong now. Perhaps cinema’s worst and most blatant instance of this comes via “Breakfast at Tiffany's”, with white Brooklynite Mickey Rooney playing the Japanese Mr. Yunioshi. The character is a gross caricature, with Rooney speaking in an offensive Asian accent and wearing a mouthpiece to give himself buck teeth. Various people involved in the movie, including producer Richard Shepherd and director Blake Edwards, have expressed remorse for the yellowface and voiced their desire to recast the role.
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