Disorienting: Asians on Screen

Available for over a year

Comedian Phil Wang takes a personal look at the representation of East and South East Asians in the West - on stage, screen and beyond. He shines a light on many ingrained racist stereotypes, reflects on yellowface and whitewashing - all at a unique moment. With a backdrop of an alarming rise in violence and threat in the shadow of COVID-19, East and South East Asian artists, writers and others in the media are mobilising like never before to fix the longstanding issues and address a persistent form of racism that gets largely overlooked. Phil encounters magic crystal lanterns, starships and ouija boards. He takes a yellowface ride from Fu Manchu and Suzy Wong, to James Mason with a dodgy moustache and an even dodgier accent, through to 21st century Hollywood. Phil also discovers the dark power of stereotypes, from the screen to the playground to the street and in the bedroom. With contributors: * Academics, Diana Yeh, Xun Zhou and Lu Gram * Actors and writers Daniel York Loh and Chloe Mi Lin Ewart, * Master illusionist, Jim Steinmeyer * Musician, Emma-Lee Moss (also known as Emmy the Great), Producer: Richard Ward Executive Producers: Max O'Brien and Sean Glynn A Novel production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2020.