Whilst Crazy Rich Asians is one of the first movies with a real intention towards progressive change as it involves a completely Asian cast representing Asian culture in a way that differs from the typical stereotypes, it doesn’t adequately represent all the values of an Asian culture.
I agree with some of the perspectives regarding how this movie does expose various audiences towards Singapore and the Asian culture surrounding it as previously, several people from different backgrounds didn’t even realise Singapore existed! It depicts some of the highlights of Singapore very well, as it captures the wealthy areas of Singapore effectively, properly representing certain nuances of Asian culture. For example, the notion of women in Asian families having to conform to the family traditions and beliefs is true to this day, even if it represents a rather regressive way of thinking. It definitely demonstrates how Singaporeans are rather well off, and how developed the country is given the images selected and shown, however, I don’t think the movie represents the entirety of Singapore, hiding the less wealthy areas.
The movie is based around American Asians representing Asian culture, which to me, seems more of an American culture, as one of the perspectives mentioned. There seems to be conformation to ‘white’ norms, suggesting that’s how Asians should be like or already are. Additionally, the amount of wealth you possess indicates your social class and respectability, which seems slightly regressive given the noble intentions of the movie. In a way, I feel like the movie was attempting to match up to a typical American movie, which may subside the original intentions of representing Asian culture. For example, the ‘mean girls’ idea that is shown in the movie of two girls sort of fighting over a man is not only a misogynistic image, it insinuates a very common idea found in most American movies of women running after men.
However, at the end of the day, the movie has made a lot more people aware of Singapore and certain aspects of Asian culture, which is a positive change. It also represents a positive image of Singapore and Asians, which does invite people to be more accepting of different cultures.
