The Bitch Report: How "Harold and Kumar" Subverts Racial Paradigms

["The Bitch Report" is a weekly column written for Always Watching by Angie J. Han. You can find more of Angie's writing at her personal blog, Bitch Happy.] 

If a movie breaks barriers and nobody notices, does it make a difference? In 2002, director Justin Lin tried and failed to prove that America was ready for an Asian-American cast with Better Luck Tomorrow. The hype surrounding the unusual casting actually had the effect of making it difficult to see the characters as anything but a bunch of Asians, and the film was quickly forgotten.

Two years later, a group of Caucasians achieved what Lin couldn’t with Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, perhaps still the only mainstream American film to feature two Asian-American male leads. Audiences of all stripes laughed and sympathized with the characters without noticing the breakthrough that had just taken place. Which, of course, is precisely what made it so radical.

In honor of the release of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay today, below are four reasons why Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle might be the most racially subversive pothead comedy you’ve ever seen. 

1) "Harold & Kumar" was targeted at a general audience

There’s a reason why most things aimed at “general” audiences feature white, male protagonists—there is a pervasive belief in the entertainment industry that while black people can identify with white characters, or women can relate to “male” problems, white men can’t understand anyone but themselves.

The producers of Harold and Kumar quietly ignored this rule by casting two Asians as drugged out Everymen and expecting that young stoners of all colors would be able to enjoy the film all the same. And they did. The movie performed well enough to give rise to a sequel, and is no more thought of as an “Asian” movie than Superbad is thought of as a “white” movie.

2) Harold and Kumar are not defined by their ethnicity...

In the rare instances where Asians actually appear in popular film or television, they tend to be pigeonholed as martial arts masters, or hopeless nerds, or perhaps Westernized young people fighting against their immigrant parents’ old-fashioned, Eastern ways. There’s nothing wrong with any of these roles per se, but when lame stereotypes are the only images that Asians are allowed to project of themselves, it gets frustrating.

In contrast, Harold and Kumar are people first—goofy, lazy, stoned people who also happen to be Asian. When Kumar fights with his dad about his future, it’s not because becoming a doctor is the Indian way but because all parents prefer their children to become successful professionals than dead-end drug addicts. You wouldn’t think that being stereotyped as a pothead would be a step up, but in some weird way, it is.

3) ...But at the same time, the film doesn’t completely ignore race

On the other hand, it would be just as regressive to pretend we live in a post-racial utopia, and Harold & Kumar neatly avoids that trap. As in real life, racism is rarely the focus of the film, but it’s often part of the backdrop. Blatant bigotry shows up long enough to be skewered, as when police arrest a sleeping man for a crime because he’s the only black guy around, but then it steps back into the shadows to let the main plot run its course.

4) The Asian guy gets the girl

Is there any figure in mainstream cinema that gets less love than the Asian male? Jet Li, one of the coolest, most badass movie stars of any race, co-starred with the gorgeous Aaliyah in a movie that had “Romeo” in the title and still couldn’t garner more than an awkward hug. Harold, on the other hand, hooks up with his hot Hispanic neighbor in the elevator. It’s perhaps the only time I recall seeing an Asian-American man portrayed as being anything but entirely undesirable. Harold’s no George Clooney, but he’s smart, likeable, and good-looking, and Maria’s lucky to get him.

Closing Thoughts

I haven’t seen Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay yet—it hits theatres today—but from the trailers and clips I gather that the story has taken a sharp turn toward racial satire. It looks funny enough, but it makes me a little sad to see the subtlety go. Whereas last time, the pair found themselves in their predicament because of an uncanny craving for hamburgers, this time their story has everything to do with the color of their skin.
 
In the years since Harold & Kumar, Asian-Americans have gained some ground, primarily on the small screen with shows like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and Cashmere Mafia. There’s still a long way to go—the Asian guy in Eli Stone is exactly like your typical Zen guru but without the difficult accent—but Asian America is steadily becoming normalized. Ironically, the best indication that progress has been made is that it’s barely noticeable—like Harold and Kumar, the best roles blend in, because they read as regular characters.

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You can also hear Dave, Adam, Devindra and Angie review Harold & Kumar Escape from Guanatnamo Bay on the latest episode of The Watchers Podcast.