The Last Dragon Was Problematic and We Still Love It: How We’ve Become Too Smart for Our Own Good
Trigger Warning — this blog post is problematic because I never claimed not to be.
I met up with my friend, her boyfriend, and his son at Freedom Plaza in downtown DC last night to watch a screening of The Last Dragon. The screening was part of the DowntownDC Summer Flicks x Shaolin Jazz Can I Kick It? series of classic kung fu films, underscored with classic hip hop, soul, and pop hits. I love the 80s and much of the art created during the decade so of course I had to be there. Before the film started, my friend’s boyfriend jokingly but not jokingly asked, “Is this film cultural appropriation?” I responded jokingly not jokingly, “Yep. I mean look at Wu-Tang Clan.” Although, the Wu never claimed to have discovered martial arts (like some folks “just discovered chopped cheese sandwiches”) or gave the different styles of fighting new names (cornrows are actually boxer braids, if you didn’t know). We should all be in agreement knowing without martial arts culture, there would be no Wu-Tang Clan. Problematic language — yes. Appropriation — depends on who you talk to. But no one complained in 1993 when we first heard “Protect Ya Neck” and “Method Man” and the term cultural approriation probably just existed in black studies literature and classrooms. Wu-Tang Clan could still sell out a show in Tokyo or Hong Kong. Side note — my Wu-Tang name is “Arrogant Criminal”. The algorithm must know my alter ego.
The film began and DJ 2-Tone Jones kicked off the scoring with Whodini’s “Five Minutes of Funk”. Throughout the film, he infused more joints like Dr. Dre’s “Deep Cover”, Lady of Rage’s “Afro Puffs”, Vanity 6′s “Nasty Girl”, Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love”, 50 Cent’s “Wanksta”, and Liquid Liquid’s “Cavern”. Despite the nostalgic mood I was put in while watching, I remembered I was still in 2017 when I had a head-in-hand/SMH moment — the scene where Bruce Leroy greets his family with Papa-Sahn, Mama-Sahn, etc. Go inside a Chinese food carryout in the black neighborhoods of DC and Prince George’s County’s inner beltway towns and you may still hear a man 40+ refer to the woman at the counter as Mama-Sahn or Mama. However, much like the word retarded, you can’t say Mama-Sahn anymore. There was plenty of problematic language used in other scenes:
Ain’t no masters here dude, ain’t no slaves either…The Master doing his wisdom thang…you want wisdom you buy fortune cookie…Take a hike cool breeze…Look here chump the Master don’t see nobody! Specially no jive cooley’s…Yeah he don’t see no one who don’t know how to get down baby! You dig bro you too square! Let me say it so you he can understand Jim. You go now, chop, chop, Haulee ass outta this place! Am I sayin’ it right, my man? Like, hasta la pasta, you know? — Hasta lumbago! — Sayonara! — Catch you on the flip-flop! — Sayonara! (when Bruce Leroy goes to the fortune cookie shop looking for the master)
You’re nothing but a misguided midget asshole with dreams of ruling the world… (Angela curses and walks out on Eddie Arkadian)
You see, people… people are afraid of Oriental dudes. Give ’em a little move, a little scream, and lotsa attitude. Check this out. (Johnny Yu on why he doesn’t actually have to fight; also, is Oriental really an inappropriate term?)
…but how about something in a medium sized oriental? No thanks, I’m not Jewish. (Angela replies to Johnny Yu while at Bruce Leroy’s studio; I think this is a reference to the tradition of Jews going to Chinese restaurants on Christmas because they don’t celebrate the holiday)
Each of these scenes, I felt a little discomfort because I’m more socially conscious than I was in 1985 at age 3 and almost every year after I watched this film. The majority of rap, rock, pop, and house music (with lyrics) I love is problematic. One of my favorite house tracks is “Beat that Bitch (with a Bat)” by Johnny Dangerous — a song my friends and I looked forward to hearing at the maybe 13 years closed Hung Jury Nightclub and I’d have no problem hitting the dancefloor if I heard it today. No I’ve never wanted to beat any woman with a bat. Yes, I understand due to newly discovered problematic world we live in dancing to this song supports violence against women. But you know what? Well-intentioned black people still pay to see R. Kelly perform, well-intentioned white people still watch Woody Allen movies. None of these activities means the adult participants want to have romantic or sexual relationships with minors. Maybe they’re just more forgiving (read: cognitively disssonant) than other folks. We’re all problematic — whether through our actions or what we give our attention. In order for Western society to not be problematic, it would take generations of undoing generations of socialized behavior. Even after this undoing, problematic behavior could certainly return. Something I’ve always wondered is would we still find much of the art forms we love interesting if there was nothing problematic about them? A lot of the best art we’ve ever seen comes from pain experienced by said artist. Does this mean we should learn to love and respect more? Absolutely. Yet I think it’s unrealistic to think we can live in a world void of hate and pain.
I heard laughter and cheers in the crowd during the entire film screening. It’s safe to say the majority of the crowd was intelligent and socially conscious. Many of the people who I knew there fit into those categories. I also think it’s safe to say a good majority of the crowd also had a few head-in-hand/SMH moments during the aforementioned scenes. This doesn’t mean we have to always take ourselves or life so seriously because the perspectives of other people different than us do. The strongest, most aggressive of fighters needs rest and relaxation to remain effective. This includes laughing at ourselves and the world around us knowing we don’t have to make everything a battle. Pride and prejudice exists within all of us. Our knowledge, religion, or moral compass compared to other people doesn’t come with an offense exemption option. We should actually be asking ourselves if we put some good with our bad today. Ya know, balance?
Union Market is screening Coming to America on July 7th for its drive-in film series. Don’t even get me started on how problematic this film is. I’ll be there.
