NCRR Protests Paramount Studios Film
“The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard”

In the R-rated “comedy,” “The Goods,” Korean American car salesman Teddy Dang is beaten by a group of Caucasian car salesmen who think he is Japanese. Guy Aoki, founder of Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) and a longtime NCRR member, called on NCRR to support a protest of Paramount Studios. The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), NCRR, and about 35 individuals picketed in front of Paramount Studios on August 21, 2009. Angered and frustrated by the continued demeaning portrayal of Asian Americans in the media, the spirited group picketed as passing motorists honked their horns in approval.

In response to the outrage, Adam Goodman, Paramount Studios CEO, emailed an apology to JACL’s Floyd Mori shortly before the demonstration took place. He recognized that there was racially demeaning language in “The Goods” and withdrew the offensive promotional trailer. Asian Americans, however, demanded that Paramount re-edit the full length feature film to remove the offensive scene.

Who would have thought that twenty-seven years after Vincent Chin was beaten to death by two white auto workers, Asian Americans still need to protest racist hate crime portrayals in the media.
For more information see the Rafu Shimpo article at:
http://rafu.com/news/?p=3519