I ’ll go first …
Unless you’ve been driven off the road and stranded in the desert, you’ve probably seen A24’s latest seriesBeef. Netflix dropped the 10-episode series, starringSteven YeunandAli Wong, earlier this month and it’s since generated a lot of buzz on the internet, includingrave reviews, discourse around the Asian Americanidentity, andcontroversy.
Since we’re in an era of increased Asian representation andBeeffollows the intense story of nuanced and complex Asian American characters, I want to know from fellow Asian folks: What are your thoughts or feelings onBeef? I’m talking everything from representation to the show’s take on anger and generational trauma to the reception of the show.
For starters, the series centers around Asian American characters, but I think it’s clear that — unlike Asian characters who are limited to their cultures and subsequently presented as flat in other stories — the characters inBeefare augmented by their cultures to create dimensional, complicated characters.
As Beef creator Lee Sung JintoldVariety, “Yes, these characters happen to be Asian American, but there’s so much more to them than just that … Just the fact that they are Asian American says a lot on the posters, so allowing the show and the world and the characters to overtake that — it just happened organically more than anything else.”
At the same time, the show’s Asian American lens can’t be overlooked asBeefexplores the nuances and intricacies of anger. Like theNew YorkTimesstated, “What makes it one of the most invigorating, surprising and insightful debuts of the past year is how personally and culturally specific its study of anger is. Every unhappy person in it is unhappy in a different and fascinating way.”
For instance, while Amy struggles to express heremotionsand connects this to her upbringing — communication was never her Chinese American father’s forte, while her Vietnamese immigrant mother “thought talking about your feelings was the same thing as complaining” — Jordan, a wealthy white woman, perceives her disposition as a “serene Zen Buddhist thing.”
Similarly, amongst the numerous stories about the show, BuzzFeed Newspublished a postcalled, “Netflix’sBeefConfronts Asian Parent Stereotypes,” Inversepublished an articlecalled, “HowBeefCuts To The Heart Of Asian American Angst,” and HuffPostpublished a piececalled, “Finally, A Show About Angry Asians.”
That being said, the series has alsoreceived backlashfor its casting, namely around David Choe, who plays Danny’s cousin Isaac. Now, I’m not asking anyone to debate their take on David Choe. However, it is fair to acknowledge how the controversy has affected both the general and your personal perspectives of the show.
For example, some people have wondered if it’s perhaps reductive to allow Choe’s problematic past to overshadow the merits ofBeefand its place in Asian Americanpop culture. I’ve also seen others point out this being a theme in Hollwyod not limited toBeef, as (especially white) celebrities protect or support their problematic peers.
On the other hand, as SF Chronicle’sarticle, “We’re In Asian America’s Peak Media Moment; ButBeefHas Poisoned The Well,” notes, thanks to the rise of Asian representation, we — as viewers — have the space to be more selective and critical about Asian content. And that criticism doesn’t have to be limited to the casting controversy.
So, given that, I want to know how you feel about Beef. Did you love it? Hate it? Did it make you reflect on certain things? Did you see yourself in any characters?
I’ll go first…
