[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”512" caption=”Photo Credit: Fox Broadcasting Company”]
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With Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in the new show “Elementary” and Mindy Kaling from “The Office” as an OBGYN on “The Mindy Project,” Asian Pacific Americans are becoming more prevalent on television. Television shows are starting the trend of casting APAs into more non-traditional roles.
“Though Asians do seem to have a growing presence on TV, they’re always typecast into generic roles, such as the intelligent, no nonsense doctor or the uptight parents,” sophomore special education major Rachel Norris said.
Norris watches “The Mindy Project” and enjoys the quirky comedy that character Mindy Lahiri, an OBGYN on the show, is known for. Although the show is centered on an OBGYN and her doctor co-workers, the focus of the show and characters are not their professions, but the comedy and Mindy’s quest for the perfect guy. By not focusing on the stereotypical role of a doctor, the role that APA characters play can be more dynamic.
Kimberly Davis, an adjunct journalism professor and former associate editor at Ebony Magazine, pointed out that this is not the first APA role that does not focus on the race of the character. “Grey’s Anatomy” casted their roles blindly so the factor of race was not built into the characters written for the show. Davis had the notion that if more shows casted blindly, there would be less stereotypes portrayed on television.
[caption id=”attachment_3280" align=”alignright” width=”197" caption=”The new Sherlock Holmes series, “Elementary,” has Lucy Liu starring as Watson. Photo credit: tvfilmnews.com”]
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“I think shows like this definitely help break down some of the stereotyped roles on television today, because though the show is about doctors, they’re all shown to have various quirks and flaws that break the mold of the typical characters,” Norris said.
Mindy Kaling is the creator, writer and executive producer of “The Mindy Project,” which Davis said is a major achievement for an APA in television. Kaling, who is the first South Asian American ever to both star and create a sitcom, is certainly among the few women who are dominating behind the scenes. As the trend shows, women are beginning to have a stronger presence behind the camera, Kaling included.
As for actress Lucy Liu, her role on the new Sherlock Holmes show “Elementary” has become a topic of conversation. The modern adaptation bases the story in New York, where Sherlock helps the police department crack cases.The original “Sherlock Holmes,” a drama based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous character, paired the detective with a male sidekick, John Watson. This time, producers envisioned a woman in the role, deciding on Liu to be Dr. Joan Watson.
From what may be one of her most well known roles on “Charlie’s Angels,” to playing the female sidekick to Sherlock Holmes, Liu is breaking out of her typical action roles. When casting took place, CBS came to Liu to play the part. Davis said that Liu was a smart choice for the role and that though Liu plays a doctor, the character she embodies could be played by anyone.
“I don’t think it’s important that she’s Asian, but more important that she’s not the typical Watson,” Davis said.
Lindsey Ann Gardner, a junior elementary education major, agreed that Liu was a good choice for the part.
“I feel like Lucy Liu was cast to bring a bit of change to the traditional story line of Holmes and Watson,” Gardner said. “A strong female presence will change the vibe between the main characters, and from the network’s perspective, will make the show more desirable for both men and women.”
The increasing number of APAs shown on television in leading roles could be a step in the direction of getting rid of the stereotypical intelligent, uptight doctor that APAs normally play.
Instead, viewers might just get to see characters that are there for pure entertainment and not to reinforce the type of role that viewers think an APA should play.
