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Success of ‘American Idol’ Castoff William Hung a Mixed Bag for AA Community
He’s got millions of fans, a gig on “The Tonight Show” and a recently released album, but the phenomenal success of “American Idol” castoff William Hung is a mixed bag for members of the Asian American community. Hung’s off-tune rendition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” did nothing for the “American Idol” judges except to elicit belly-aching laughter. But for the legions of fans watching the popular FOX TV show, including many AAs, the Hong Kong born, UC Berkeley civil engineering student’s honest and seemingly serious approach to the audition was an “idol” performance prompting William Hung fan clubs and various websites across the country. But for some AAs, the mainstream community’s embrace of Hung’s bucktoothed, accented and awkward performance harkened back to the days of the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”-type racist portrayal of the Asian male stereotype, once again placing the spotlight on an Asian for comic relief. “I think racism has a big part to do with his popularity,” said Emil Guillermo, a radio and TV commentator and author of “Amok: Essays From an Asian American Perspective.” “He’s a non-threatening image of an Asian American. Our community is growing, we have more than our share at the great universities like Cal and Harvard. People have anxieties about Asian American males. Hung’s innocence let’s people deal with it.” With little AA representation, male or female, in the mainstream media today, whether in film, radio, or TV, some AAs question the mass hysteria surrounding this awkward young man. “If it were truly balanced we wouldn’t care. And there’d be nothing to question. But, things are so far out of balance we are sensitive to what little we have, and therefore also much more critical and suspicious,” said Chris Tashima, actor and director whose film “Visas and Virtue” won an Academy Award. “I do wonder what those record label execs were thinking,” said Tashima. “We all know how ‘Asian’ he looks — he’s such a nerd — and if he were hunky and sexy, and still sang like that, nothing would have caught on, I don’t think. So, it’s convenient that he’s so geeky, and he can’t help but be promoted for what he is, or how he looks.” Hung’s album “Inspiration” (KOCH Records and FUSE) was released in stores nationwide April 6 and more than 30,000 copies were sold in the first week. In addition to his hit, “She Bangs,” the album includes Hung’s rendition of “Circle of Life” by Elton John and The Eagles’ “Hotel California.” Mixed in with Hung’s off-key performances are inspirational thoughts and a DVD featuring exclusive interviews and studio footage. He’s also got his own official website with millions of fans logging on to find out the latest news about their “American Idol” castoff, numbers that exceed even that of Britney Spears’ popular website. Hung performed on “The Today Show,” “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and even had his own show, “Idol Worship: The William Hung Story.” Requests for an interview by the Pacific Citizen were never returned. Although there are those in the AA community questioning the reasons for Hung’s popularity, the engineering student has just as many AA fans who are wholeheartedly enjoying his 15-going-on-16 minutes of fame. The official William Hung website was created by Don and Laura Chin of Northern California who pumped in their own money to start the fan site after seeing Hung’s honest and humble performance on “American Idol.” “I just thought [Hung] was real sincere and authentic. He sings because he enjoys singing, which is rare,” said Don Chin, a second generation Chinese American. “I don’t know why people are upset,” said Chin, who is puzzled that some AAs feel Hung’s popularity is due to racism. “I don’t know what Asians want as a role model. There’s no basis to what they are saying.” Columnist Guy Aoki is taking a “the glass is half-full” approach to Hung’s current popularity, assuming people are being sincere in their support of the popular singer. “In a world full of cynicism [Hung’s] uncynical attitude is a breath of fresh air,” he said. Aoki does not believe Hung’s current success has to do with racism. “I think there was some racism in how the judges laughed at him when he first auditioned,” he said. “But as far as people accepting him, I think it’s the opposite — they’ve accepted him despite his being a walking Asian FOB stereotype. He beat the odds by being himself, despite that self being very awkward.” And among Hung’s legion of fans are a number of females, many of them AA. There’s a “Win a Date With Will Hung!” section on Hung’s official website where women are encouraged to write in and send photos; among the posted shots are several young AA women. One young woman named Nicole writes, “I think he is absolutely adorable. I am a 29-year-old single lady. He has the courage to do what most of us only dream of. He is obviously very intelligent and … his 15 seconds of fame is turning into a little bit more than that. I love it, I’m so happy for him.” It’s obvious a number of AAs are taking Hung’s current success as lighthearted amusement, something to enjoy without picking apart and analyzing the why’s, what’s, and how’s. But Guillermo believes this attitude can be dangerous. “Nothing is lighthearted,” he said. “Making fun of slavery makes it okay. Making fun of the living stereotype of William Hung is a way to legitimize real negative feelings toward Asian Americans. He’s being exploited.”
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