An Analysis of the movie Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
In this analysis, we are traveling to measure the ideological deductions of racial stereotypes in comedy through a textual analysis of the Hollywood comedyHarold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Comedies that have a confusion of Asians, Black, and White normally involve this characters in a really piquant mode with racial stereotypes in the movie. However a figure of characters find the film’s racial gags unoffending and they enjoy the functions they assume in the movies. These diversified characters from different races does non show any negativeness of presuming functions that at times are viewed as exposing their races as inferior.
This essay is focused to accomplish the end of eschewing off the inclination of disputing racial stereotypes and promoting taking it lightly as a manner of making wit and developing the originative industry. The hit comedy,Harold and kumar travel to White Castleshows that, race can be a signifier of comedy that Hollywood and Americans love. The movie will demo that, blending of ethnicities can convey comedy to life merely every bit good if non better than a comedy movie of one ethnicity or predominately Caucasic. This statement is backed up by the success of the comedyHarold and Kumar Go to White Castlethat moved multitudes since its shot in the twelvemonth 2004. This comedy was top notch and due to this grounds it did really good in the volume of gross revenues.
Some secondary beginnings of information that will endorse up my statement are among the undermentioned class readings:The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras Countyby Mark Twain,Lonely Heartby Damon Runyon. I will besides utilize the cognition I have acquired from the talks touching on this issue of contention.
Hollywood ethnicity of movies has been a cliche and an issue of contention over old ages. The minority races in America feel that they are left out of the major action on phase. Some argue that, they are merely left to take the phase for character traits that undermine their peculiar races. However, non all Hollywood films with Asians have a negative mentality or are violative. In fact, some Hollywood films such as “ Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story ” and “ The Joy Luck Club ” have been widely accepted by the Asiatic Americans so much ( USA Wang: 1993 ) .
Asiatic people have been widely seen as unable to be absorbed into American society. Harmonizing to this position, anything Asiatic is therefore inherently “ foreign ” to America ( USA Wang: 1993 ) . For illustration, from the thick speech pattern of the Goofy Chinese exchange pupil in “ Sixteen Candles ” who is given the name “ Long Duk Dong ” is used for inexpensive laughs, while the legion Fu Manchu films have presented the Asian character ‘s culturally typical address and visual aspect as emblems of unfathomable immorality.
However, success of some films like “ Gandhi, ” “ The Last Emperor, ” and “ The Joy Luck Club ” proves that, audiences have to do some attempts to be able to see outstanding Asiatic American lead characters on phase out of their arresting endowments ( USA Wang: 1993 ) . Using Asiatic American supporters in Hollywood films can make more amusing and wit.
One film that besides thrived good was the film “ Robin Hood: Prince of Thiefs ” and its success was attributed mostly to the fact that, it had a topographic point for a outstanding black character in its scene. Globalization is one of the dynamic forces that assisted a batch to alter this state of affairs of go forthing aside characters from other races to Hollywood. The betterment in planetary engineerings has made it possible to acquire entree to the Asiatic market with comparatively small attempt. Asiatic civilizations have late begun to be stylish in Western society. Movies such asThe Joy Luck Club( USA Wang: 1993 )Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon(Wo hu canglong.China ; Lee: 2000 ) ,Hero(Ying Xiong.China ; Yimou: 2002 ) orThe House of the Flying Daggers(Shi Mian mai fu .China ; Yimou: 2003 ) had set the temper for Asiatic film. This is because they had a great influence to the Americans who saw the potency in other civilizations on the side of moving
This comedy commences with a scene that takes the audience to larn the business of Harold. This is because it begins with taking the audience to investing bank. Meanwhile a conversation ensues at the office and Harold co-workers suggest to party during the dark. The co-workers seem to insulate Harold in this program. Harold goes in front and calls his roomie by the Kumar. Harold and Kumar are the lead characters in this comedy. Kumar on the other manus, is a immature adult male who is prosecuting to fall in a medical college so as to work his male parent. Despite the fact that Harold was threatened non to go forth workplace lest he will be reported to the foreman he went in front and fell into Kumar’s trap of go forthing the occupation topographic point so that they can travel to “get high” ( after smoking weed ) . There is an incident of wit that occurs here. Regardless of the fact that, Kumar was in an interview to use for the medical school he received Harold’s call and his pick of words about cracked my ribs, ” “ Fuck that shit, since when has making your work prevented you from acquiring high? ”
Both Kumar and Harold are amusing work forces and every bit good back up my statement of utilizing a mix of races in a film leads to more gags and wit. Harold hastily leaves his office and drove place. As he was parking his auto he discovered that person else parked a Ford in his reserved parking topographic point. When he tried to reason out his instance the cats in the Ford says, ” “ this is America, fellow, larn how to drive ” . This shows how racism has taken over America. The Caucasic Americans discriminate the Asian and other immigrant Americans. Another defeat followed Harold when he followed his dream miss Maria inside the lift to implore her to drop in his house but unluckily forgot to press the button to his floor so his programs backfired. He eventually bids pass to Maria as they parted ways and each went to their several houses.
On reaching to their room he finds Kumar and they agree to see White palace. The two thrust towards where they thought the white palace was but to their surprise the White palace and been relocated. What existed where the White palace used to be was a Burger Shack. Fortunately enough they were directed to where the White palace was. As they were driving towards the White castle the two were smoking weed and purchased some of it at Princeton to from Cindy Kim. As they smoked weed these two characters were noticed by the guards who advanced towards them and they had to run for their freedom and life. These scenes create some signifier of wit seeing grownups playing fell and seek with the guards and to do affairs worse the two fell in women’s bathrooms. They successfully escape this guards and create problem for Bradley who is found by the guards with several axial rotations of weed and is taken to imprison. The two continued with their journey to White palace. On the manner, Kumar decides to make another humourous scene where he goes in front and answers a call of nature, I mean a short call in a shrub, a really crude action.
He so returns in the vehicle where he sits unaware that a raccoon had entered the auto. The raccoon progresss towards Kumar’s caput and bite him. This makes the thousand decide to hotfoot to the infirmary since they had the frights that the raccoon had hydrophobias. At the infirmary it was confirmed that, Kumar wasn’t infected with hydrophobias. Before they managed to go forth the infirmary and continue to White palace Kumar’s pa noticed them and scorns him for neglecting at the interview in the medical college. However, he asked him to seek and make the best in the concluding interview at the medical college.
Kumar sneaks with his dad’s occupation ticket with the purposes of perforating into the hospital’s chemist and acquire the marihuana but events turns against him where he was mistaken for his pa and was given a undertaking of executing an operation to a adult male that had been shot. He did the operation successfully despite the fact that he was straining at the beginning. The patient that Kumar operates gave them waies to White palace. As they drove they saw Maria go outing a theater hall and this distracts Kumar who was driving doing them lose control but the auto was non to a great extent damaged it got a harm in one of the tyres. They had to seek aid from a tow truck and besides had to guarantee that the tyre was repaired. Freakshow who was mending their tyre took them to his place where his married woman asked the two immature energetic gentlemen to sleep together her. To the surprise of Kumar and Harold even Freakshow joined in and asks whether they were willing to do it a 3. This makes Kumar and his opposite number to fly utilizing their auto. For them to acquire the way they carried a adult male by the name Neil Patrick Harris who at the terminal of it all proved non of great importance to them since he did non besides show them the way. He had a concealed docket that the two cats ne’er had the slightest thought about.
When Kumar and Harold got out of the auto to seek way to White palace they found that Neil had fled with the auto and he was nowhere to be seen. They went to nearest constabulary station and reported the affair. As Harold and Kumar went to the constabulary station, Harold was held into detention for a offense he had committed. Inside the gaol he saw Bradley who had been caught earlier. Kumar who was left free was non contented with his best friend behind bars so he decided to put a program that made Harold flight from the prison.
As they fled the officers who were trailing them, they met the chetah they had earlier watched had escaped from a menagerie. This happens to be a bad happenstance for the two. They managed to fly the bulls and the chetah every bit good. When they arrived place they stole their neighbor’s auto and decides to drive until they gets the White palace. On the streets they drove excessively fast such that a constabulary began trailing them. They managed to get away this trap every bit good. When they arrived at the border of a drop they looked down and saw WHITE CASTLE. This made them so overwhelmed. On reaching they placed their orders and had tonss of merriment. They besides met Neil who gave Kumar the auto keys and gave them 200 $ as an apology.
Once they were through with holding merriment they both declared that, they were traveling to alter their ways of life. Kumar purposed to go to his interview at the medical school and Harold declares non to work at his occupation topographic point any longer. Harold who had a crush on Maria besides purposed to near her and expressed his fondness for him. Maria falls for him and even goes out with him. She so asks Harold to give her some clip because she was go forthing for Amsterdam for 10 yearss. On acquiring back to his room he excitedly portions the good intelligence with his friend Kumar who creates some amusing by stating Harold, ” a hot biddy like her in Amsterdam for 10 yearss is “ the buss of decease ” and she could come back taken” .
This film succeeded in turn outing incorrect those who argued that a blending up characters from different races can non accomplish the end of making wit.
On the other manus we have groundss back uping combination of characters from different races leads to more gags fromThe Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. In this plot line its author has successfully used two major characters. He chose Mark Twain from eastern civilization and Simon Wheeler from Western civilization. The two have brought wit in more than one scenario. For case when Simon Wheeler was narrating the narrative of Jim Wesley some wit rose when he was adverting about the stake affecting the toad. The storyteller said, ” good, smiley says, easy and careless, he is good plenty for one thing should judge he can out leap any toad in Calaveras County.” The wit that ensues here is when the alien whom Wesley was to wager with said, he didn’t have a toad of his ain to wager with. This made Wesley to go forth the said ‘champion’ toad in the custodies of his opposition unaware that, the opposition can make anything to his toad so as to win the stake. This made Wesley free the stake to the alien though the trade was unjust.
The relationship between the comedy Harold and Kumar go to White Castle and the novelThe Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras Countycan non be taken for granted. This is due to the fact that, the true have similar ways of portraying racial stereotypes and turn outing that amusing and wit calls for blending up characters from different races.
Finally, the last grounds that supports my thesis is theLonely Heartby Damon Runyon. The conversations between Nicely Nicely and the Widow Crumb leave every reader of this novel with an unfastened oral cavity. The writer has depicted Nicely Nicely has a really amusing character. For case, when Widow Crumb asked Nicely Nicely, do you love me? Nicely replies, “love you? ” he continues stating, ” why, I love you like anything. May be more. You are a fantastic cook. How can I assist loving you? ” he says. The writer of this novel besides goes farther to convey some component of racism in his authorship for case he mentions, ” a thin character with a nose like a herring comes out from town and there is another character with him who has beards that smell of maize whiskey……….” . This statements were used to mention to the white adult male. This is apparent by the reference of people with long nose like herring.
The book has by big extent tolerated the subject of racism and has brought out this subject in signifier of wit. This plot line relates to the comedy Harold and Kumar go to White Castle merely in the manner difference in colour has efficaciously been connected with wit to cut down the strength and the negativeness associated with racial disparities. However, the two plot lines have good met their intended intents of showing wit through usage of people of diversified races as a medium.
It is apparent that, the comedy Harold and Kumar go to White Castle was staged and moved multitudes and entertained a batch of Americans and other viewing audiences across the universe. Despite the fact that, racial favoritism and racial stereotypes is prevailing in America it can’t be denied, films and comedies with characters from all races come out to be amusing and incorporate more gags than comedies acted by people from one race or ethnicity. This has been evidenced by the comedy and the two novels we have analyzed above. The two taking characters Kumar and Harold leave everyone who watches this comedy with laughter and if you watch it for the first clip it is likely you suffer from ‘rib breakage’ . What I basically mean is, the comedy Harold and Kumar goes to White palace and the two books we have analyzed above met their intended intent of conveying wit and turn outing to the people in the universe and Hollywood that, pick of characters irrespective of their race can do a comedy hit and beat the remainder of the films acted by people from one race.
Believe you me, those who have watched this comedy must hold preserved it so that, whenever they are stressed or feel weary they can merely play the film and their tempers restart back to normal. The histrions in this film nevertheless may be termed debatable in a manner since they go farther to warrant racial differences through creative activity of gags and entertaining people. This has rendered racial stereotypes natural, unoffending and unchallengeable. It necessitates for inoffensiveness in comedy since if it were non it would take to rating and creative activity of barriers to creative activity of comedies that in one manner or the other express racial favoritism and racial stereotypes. We besides gathered grounds that audiences of different races do non prosecute with racial stereotypes in comedy in unvarying ways. In comparing to White viewing audiences who interpreted minority characters purely within the confines of stereotypes, Black and Asiatic participants found a positive beginning of pleasance in the apparently violative portraitures of their ain race.
Work cited
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- Stephanie Zacharek. “Harold & A ; Kumar Go to White Castle” 2005. Retrieved January 12,2005 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.salon.com/2005/01/11/harold_kumar/
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