It’s not a controversial statement to say that we don’t see a many sitcoms centered on Asian families. ABC is trying to change that with Fresh Off the Boat, which is based on series producer Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name.
Since many reporters aren’t used to seeing Asian-based shows on TV, they’re prone to asking insanely idiotic questions about Asian culture. The very first question of the Fresh Off the Boat panel at the Television Critics Association junket was about as painful and awkward as you could imagine:
“I love the Asian culture. And I was just talking about the chopsticks, and I just love all that. Will I get to see that, or will it be more Americanized?”
Yikes.
US Magazine reports, though, that the cast handled it in stride. Rather than get indignant, they took the insane question and simply ran with it:
The surprised-looking cast didn’t miss a beat as actress Constance Wu, who plays Huang family matriarch Jessica Huang, said, “Yeah, we got some chopsticks.”
Producer Eddie Huang added, “Yeah, we got a lot of chopsticks,” with writer and executive producer Nahnatchka Khan adding, “Wait till Episode 5. It’s all about chopsticks.”
Not backing down, the reporter then continued the line of questioning, asking, “Will there be more about the culture or is it more about the becoming more American?”
Huang joked, “It’s more about the chopsticks.”
Huang, Wu, and Randall Park, who plays patriarch Louis Huang and infamously portrayed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in The Interview, then riffed off one another.
“The original title was ‘Chopsticks,’” Park joked.
“But ‘Chopsticks’ was too controversial, so we changed it,” Wu said.
“There was also rights issues with the piano song,” Huang added.
Good to know they have a sense of humor even in the face of essentially racist questioning. Hopefully, this is a good omen for the show.
[via UPROXX]
