Is DirectTV’s New Commercial Witty or Just Plain Bad?

Take a Vietnamese comedian and put him in a commercial with stereotypically Asian things and two hot white chicks. Funny or distasteful?

Take a Vietnamese comedian and put him in a commercial with stereotypically Asian things and two hot white chicks. Funny or distasteful? Take a look.

Yes, there are koi fish, stone lions, bamboo fixtures, traditional Asian architecture, and a short Asian man with a fobby accent. Although this borderlines distasteful, I find it more funny and empowering than anything.

Kudos to DirectTV for using a Vietnamese-American comedian known for cracking us up about Asian stereotypes! The juxtaposition makes the choice of using ultra Asian devices much more insightful than offensive.

Also, this character is like Mr. Chow played by Ken Jeong in the Hangover series, being so over the top and absurd that we know (or at least we should know) that he is merely poking fun at Asian stereotypes, not using them to misrepresent them.

So tell me, are you offended or laughing out loud? Share your points of view here.

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  • Mtuck6250

    It is funny. I mean he is getting paid for this so it’s really his judgement. 

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  • nhoJ

    I like the script, but the accent “Not So Funny”. It’s actually OLD to me. Boring….

  • aok

    Really really really stupid… Direct Tv’s commercials suck! Especially the “stray animals” one! Distasteful!

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  • Chinese college jock

    More funny than offensive, is it?

    I’m guessing you’re one of those asian(?) women who don’t primarily date asian men if at all? (Don’t hold me accountable for it; it’s a decent speculation.)

    No matter. More pertinently, have you asked other decent asian guys as to whether or not they found this more funny than offensive? Because, I guarantee you that on the whole you will not be happy with the responses you’ll get. (Unless you’re speaking to those idiot numbskulls who were infantile to begin with and regretfully accept these puerile caricatures as their asian selves after having grown up with caucasian TV images)

    As for you, Mtuck6250 – The commedian making the decision to star in the ‘merical and getting paid for it doesn’t ellude the very irritation of the commerical itself.

  • Chinese college jock

    Jenni, I almost left something out.
    You say that he is “merely poking fun of asian stereotypes, not using them to misrepresent them.” Considering, however, that not many positive and sexy images of Asian men exist in the media, commericials like these are indeed indirectly portraying a mis-represented image of asian men, whether you want to admit it or not. Just saying.