A couple things: - I’m not saying that the singing clip is a knock against his character in any way, I’m pointing out that it’s an innocuous “cringe” thing but because the internet tends to overanalyze the actions of people they don’t like, it gets used as ammunition against him (and if you look at social media rn that is the case) - sorry I got Bob Iger and Bob Chapek mixed up lmao, two Bobs one company, it gets confusing 💀
i think mentioning the singing clip is fine, but it's just a little arbitrary and weightless compared to the stuff that's relatively glossed over in your video like the incel digital footprint & literal bigotry also not mentioning his part in the constance wu situation in favor of the mostly mild barbie shit is weird too
You should really inform yourself before making a video like this. I Like your channel but really dissapointed in the quality and lack of research in this video. This video has massive anti-asian male energy. He was "cringey" for posing next to ryan gosling? Asian ken is not allowed to sing Ken's song because he's not white ken? Asian men have constantly been ridiculed for trying to act masculine/cool and been called relegated to being incel, nerdy or awkward. Funny how the internet freaks out when an Asian is casted as a masculine guy. And then acuse him of being... nerdy, awkward and an incel... I get your a pop culture channel but at least have some commentary on the deeper reason people dislike him beyond just parroting back why the internet "says" they dislike him. Asian men are constantly getting shit on in media so it makes sense he has a massive chip on his shoulder. Also, those Men's Asian subreddits were made for asian men to basically talk about how to date in a country that's violently racist toward asian men. Most american women proudly say they would never consider dating an asian guy. Incel subcultures within those communities are never okay but it makes sense some men just give up and become hopeless living in such a racist country that openly hates them. If you have any asian male friends they will resonate with these struggles and the desire to be a part of a poistive asian male community that uplifts them. Finally not mentioning the biggest elephant in the room: HIM COSYING UP TO THE CCP!!! That was the ultimate reason to be suspicious. An asian actor working for disney/marvel ready to sell out his beliefs to make money and launch his career. That's a legitimate reason to dislike him. Everything else is mostly veiled racism imo. I'm not even asian. I have asian male friends so I'm AWARE of these issues. Really wish you would have at least mentioned that political backdrop in this video.
The fact that singing clip is considered cringe in and of itself is proof that Barbie failed at its watered down feminism. As an Asian man, he should be able to sing a song that makes fun of white, het, cis male fragility without public outcry. Outcry that is essentially saying he's appropriating it from a character who fits the identity markers *being roasted* by that song. The other stuff he's doing is def more fodder for a cringe argument. ilu that moment in the vid just rubbed me wrong.
The way u acted over the singing clip compared to other things is cringe. Head in hands - overacting much? This video is very misleading. Certain points were glossed over. Which should have been focused on. I still don't know specificly why is being canceled other than Ryan not wanting him to touch him and him singing the Ken song.
Honestly, I think the most "problematic" thing he's done so far is comment on every little thing said about him. It kind of shows how he can't handle any criticism, valid or not. But he needs to be careful with having a known online presence because one little slip up and he could end his career. I say this to all famous people: get off social media! Take your millions of dollars and go travel the world, not fight with trolls or chronically online people who will try to cancel you at every waking breath.
Can rich people with so many resources ever really be canceled? Not really, not for long. But I agree it’s far more enjoyable & healthy to live your life far away from constant scrutiny that you can carry around in your palm. Definitely true for everyone & a good life lesson
This is why I could never be famous lol. I’m well aware I would be this exact kind of famous person (bothered by every little comment). I can’t imagine Simu and celebs like him are anything but constantly miserable.
I would like to add that her reaction to the Ken singing as if she hasn't seen it 10000 xs was equally as cringe as him singing it. Who tf cares, Ryan didn't write/doesn't own the song OR being Ken.
I agree. I remember seeing him go off on TikTok because an East Asian girl said that he shouldn’t be the face of East Asians in the west and he was like ‘why should I’ I feel everything is also added on because let’s be honest, he’s East Asian and a leading man; there hasn’t been much Asian actors to break the mold. So it’s added on
I think Simu got very famous very fast, after his only real big role starring in the Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience (which I had been a fan of him in that show even before he was cast as Shang Chi). Before getting into acting, he was just a very bad accountant according to what he's said. So when he got really famous really fast and had a lot of external pressures/expectations of becoming an icon of representation, his behavior becomes understandable. Overall, I still like Simu and think he's trying his best but definitely could benefit from getting a little thicker skin.
yea I was going to say the same thing, I thought disney/marvel coached their actors on stuff like this but maybe since the movie wasn’t expected to do super well they neglected to do so?
But we can't get thick skin. Only get better at ignoring the wounds. I can't fairly tell others to handle what we aren't built to handle. Celebrity culture is crazy.
my whole thing with the simu liu drama is that… white male celebrities do all this AND more without getting this level of hate. I’m sick of actors of color being held to such a standard that even small, bad things from 10 years ago can destroy their fan base and have people dogpile them just because that energy is never directed to white celebrities in such an aggressive way. yes point out what simu has said is wrong, but the level of hate is beyond overkill.
I personally don’t like either doing too much like this, regardless of color of skin. But it’s funny how for white people, the problem is when they don’t speak enough, cuz “they have to use their privilege”. Still, he has the right number of free speech, and I have the right to find him cringe as hell lmao
As an Asian, I hate the way one face is being used to represent an entire race in conversation though. Even as an ex-fan of MCU, I think there are other talented 'Asian Americans' actors working today that has more impact in the industry than Simu Liu 2 prominent roles (i.e. Steven Yeun since The Walking Dead to award films like Burning and Minari, voice acting lead in Invincible, and this year's Beef). Still, I wouldn't brand him as a representative of an entire race because being the face of Asian means he is a stand in for 40+ countries and around 4.7 billion people. It's just impossible.
Not just that… he’s just not even the most handsome or most talented actor in terms of English speaking male asians… he’s just bland. There’s so many asians actors much more talented, but he looooooves being the representative, and he can’t see he’s being used as the diversity hire.
@@CaulkMongler In Steven's case, I think he really chose roles he's passionate in (as well as awards contenders). Invincible is also one of the biggest American animations in recent years and same comic writer as TWD.
I mean.... he's taking jobs and getting paid. It's not his fault that he's also Asian. 🤷♀️ Why not just let the man get paid? He's not the first name that comes to mind when I think Asian representation in film. I don't see any form of tokenism with him. He takes movies,he gets paid, like anyone in any job would like to. Y'all just sound like haters.
As an AAPI member, Simu was a strong force during his rise to fame post Shang Chi because he was a person thst represented the 1st/2nd Gen immigrant experience. He was proud of his culture and his immigrant roots and he wasnt afraid to show it. However, despite his cringe, I think I fell out love with him when he made fun of Constance Wu post suicide attempt. Even if he did apologize sincerely to her, he has zero ability to read the room and constantly has that cringe dude bro persona.
@@Poopieboi-tp3tw Yeah, it's not really talked about because Constance Wu wasn't like by many people at the time due to stuff with Fresh Off the Boat and her SA claims.
@@genevieve3589 It wasn't on Twitter. It was at the Unstoppable Gala. Constance had just come back from her suicide attempt and was afraid of being ostracized because of her opinions (which lead to a media backlash) and her attempt. Producers told her no one would make fun of her. Simu didn't get the message and made fun of her.
Can you compare a white actor of comparable fame and influence who doesn’t get as much hate for the same stuff? I mean comparable fame btw so think carefully. Simu has done two, I repeat two big films and only starred in one.
@@LouisKing995 Mark Wahlberg permanently blinded a vietnamese man when he was nineteen in a racially motivated attack and he continued to have a better career, way more famous than simu liu. There are also caucasian actors who have accusations of sa against them that somehow never got cancelled or dogpiled on.
Simu is chronically online in the WORST way. I was turned off by the Reddit stuff when it came out but for him to continue to comment on every piece of criticism said about him and needing to always defend himself when he’s out here getting these HUGE roles is just ridiculous. This combined with his ability to suck the vibe out of every situation just makes for a really unlikable person.
You're not allowed to sing a song from a musical you're in? Like the lead character owns the song??? That is wildly ridiculous. So if I was only in chorus of act 1 of a musical I can't sing a song from act 2? That's a sick world. I like this series because it reminds me how much this stuff doesn't matter. His biggest mistake was responding to angry broke people (speaking as one). I'd love to see the inverse of this series. People the internet loves or has vaulted to fame. Do they exist? If they don't, does that speak to human nature, the internet, or both? If the process is inevitable for every celeb or YTuber on a long enough time span, then does it even matter?
It's also hilarious because the song he's singing is "I'm Just Ken" and the character he played *is a Ken* . Literally all the Kens end up singing the song in the movie together - he had to learn this song as part of his performance. Now it's 'cringe' if he performs it at all?????? And the justification is he shouldn't sing it because he wasn't the lead?????? Crazy take imo.
Celebs really need to get off Twitter. They're shooting themselves in the foot with the click of a button. Tweets never go away. U can end your image in a second. Stop replying to fans' critics, stop thinking no one's paying attention to your tiktoks, and find a new way to promote your craft that doesn't involve a split second decision to reply to a troll or post something controversial (or could be turned into something controversial).
I’m a Canadian and I’ve really loved him since Kim’s Convenience, I was worried he’d done something really serious… but it’s mostly cringe insecurity and social media mismanagement. People can grow from that…
It's unfortunate that he criticized the show in Vanity Fair. In my opinion, actors do themselves a disservice when they forget their place, and speak out against the people who gave them the opportunities. With just a decade in the acting business, he wrote a book on his life story, so he takes himself very seriously.
@@singtweetypie depends on the criticism. i loved the show but in retrospect often it was obvious that the writer's room were full of white writers and the subject matter was pretty surface level. But if he wasn't criticising that, i've also seen him see the show as kind of a stepping stone for him, and he doesn't really appreciate what the show did for so many people. At the end of the day, he is clearly just one cringe chinese canadian guy who made it.
One Asian actor I think is very underrated is Eugene Lee Yang. I want him to take over the world. I’m also really excited to see what Charles Melton does in the future, he was incredible in May December.
I wonder why tho? Sincerely. it's such a feel-bad way to feel-good. Negativity is intrusive online too...I can start looking at bonsais & end knowing some new crime exists😭😭😭😮💨
I’ve never even heard of anyone “falling out of love” with him, but that has a lot to do with the fact that I do NOT engage with celebrities on social media so I end up missing anything that doesn’t make my few trusted gossipy news sources. This one will be interesting for me!
I had no idea about any of this "controversy." This all just seems like inane naval-gazing from terminally-online children who pick apart body language in TikTok reels without any sense of a larger context.
you lost me at the "secondary Ken." he was represented as Goslings antagonist the entire movie and the Ken song is sang by all of the Kens so he would/should be able to sing it too
I don't think he has any actual real controversy. I think a lot of people are miffed by him because he gives a lot of liberal obnoxious theater kid (derogatory) energy. Just like Lin Manuel Miranda.
For underrated actor that deserves more Hollywood love got to say Simu's Kim's Convenience co-star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Such a lovely down to earth guy who I feel like hasn't yet cracked into upper Hollywood rungs yet but fudge do I hope people fall in love with him as Iroh in the new Avatar project.
so true I watched some videos of him talking about Kim's convenience and it's "downfall", and despite the topic being sad he talks in optimistic way. i think he's cool
He sang a song, you say? A song that someone else sang in a movie he was in? Burn the witch! Also FYI his "big break" was the show Kim's Convenience in Canada (which then became a hit outside of Canada). Whoever is reading this, if you haven't watched that show yet, check it out. It's funny, sweet and charming.
As a wrestling fan, I get hyped every time I hear a non-wrestling person say heel-turn. Also this is going to be a good way for me to unwind post-dinner.
*This is all a nothing burger.* Russel Crowe is STILL working btw. Brad Pitt is doing just fine btw. Mark Wahlberg got gigs and an Oscar nom AFTER what he did. So I kindly couldn't give less of a fuck. 😊 And what's with him performing the song? Ryan Gosling was the main singer but he was the 2nd half of the number. Why tf can't he perform the song for fans?? I dont see this hate with Jack Black constantly throughout the year performing 'Peaches'....
Defending pedophiles isn't a good look. As a survivor of grooming, people who encourage empathy towards abusers often lets them get away, even harm victims again. We need to feel sorry for the victims primarily, not abusers. It's a shame, because I'd love to see more prominent Asian actors in Hollywood. I guess we're stanning Henry Golding now.
I know what you mean. I always try to show sympathy for all people and look at things from different perspectives. Then I think about what happened to me and imagen how it would feel if people only talked about how bad they felt for him. How hard it would be if they acted like he was the victim. Claiming that it's not his fault he had those urges, and he couldn't control it. I don't think I would have been able to stomach it.
Fancasts seem to choose actors that more closely align with western beauty standards when the internet talks about the other Asian actors who could do the same roles as Simu. The fancasts I've seen prioritize men with thinner noses, lighter skin, and/or double eyelids. I dunno that just never sits right with me.
i can think of so many white actors who have done way “worse” or cringe things and no one cared. simu is probably the most visible east asian actor at the moment i feel he’s become a lightning rod for racist hate
because people think it is normal for the white to be worse .but many Chinese don't like this type,he can not represent the Chinese . there is no chrisma at all. and even worse
Out of all the Asian male actors, I really respect and love Steven Yeun. The dude is likable, cool, authentic, confident in his own skin. If any of them should represent Asians in entertainment, it's him but I bet he will hate that, no one wants to represent their race cause that's way too much pressure to have to be perfect in everything you do and you can't please every one.
I LOOOOVED him in his skits with Conan o brien! Conan has been on tv on a daily basis for about three decades so by now he is certified genuinely kind. And it felt like Steven is cut from the same cloth ❤ the Korean spa kit was my favorite!!!
I think Simu has awesome “I-don’t-always-take-myself-as seriously-as-I-could” but “I-will speak-my-mind” energy. Folks looking for problems with a person will find what they’re looking for. Personally, I’m always thrilled when he pops up in a project.
Off topic but he really does sound like ryan gosling to me, i wasn't looking at the screen when that clip of him singing played and i genuinely thought that was ryan gosling for a second 😭
Asian American here and I'm going to be brutally honest. I think parts of our community suffer from a lot of secondhand cringe and "we don't claim him" energy because there is so little representation of us in Hollywood. A lot of us are quite nervous about how we're shown to the mainstream audiences, and Simu being cringe and also, I'm just gonna be honest, not very attractive, makes a lot of AsAms want to instinctually distance themselves and not get associated w him. Personally, I don't care. I've heard from people who knew him in person that he was a really great guy. Is he cringe? Yes. Is he kind of a dummy who says problematic sht sometimes? Yes. Should he learn how to take criticism and log off? Yes. People are valid for being upset by the problematic things he's said, but let's be honest, what a lot of people don't want to admit is that the MAIN reason why people turned against him is because they're upset that hollywood didn't get a cool, hotter asian man to represent us instead. I'm a bit of a hypocrite bc I really dislike Awkwafina (though Awkwafina is objectively a lot more problematic), but I also recognize it's not the actors fault that Hollywood chooses cringe, dare-I-say minstrel-like characters to represent POC. I'm not going to direct my frustration with Hollywood to the Asian man. Get mad at the white ppl who chose him. (I also think Awkwafina is aware she's a minstrel while Simu is not). Finally, as many other people are pointing out, it's important to keep in mind that so many of the people who the internet is "falling out of love with" are minorities. And to add to that, minorities who aren't conventionally attractive.
Oh man I've been unwillingly following his career since like 2016-ish when he was in Kim's Convience, I'm not sure about others but for my friend group (all of us being asian-canadians) have always given us the ick with how constantly he would try to champion himself as hollywood's asian representative. In the Subtle Asian Traits facebook group he would always post #relatable content in regards to his upbringing and representing asian-ness, looking back I think this constant praise he got in Subtle Asian Traits is why he gets so defensive now. He really had a bubble of never being able to do wrong, so now in the spotlight he dosen't know how to deal with it
I know this is for the chronically online but damn... i think everyone should take a deep breath and remember there's way bigger fish to fry. lets all go touch some grass
Since he was in the article you showed, I do need to see Manny Jacinto in more stuff, bigger stuff, rom-coms even if he wants to star in them (please), he showed to be a great actor in The Good Place.
These videos always take me by surprise, as I’ve literally rever heard of any of this drama. “How the internet fell out of love with____” ….they have? When?? As a chronically online person myself, these takes often come off as too chronically online, even for me (even if they’re decent takes at the end of the day). Like at this point, it almost seems like the internet has fallen out of love with everyone lol.
A lot of this ended up being conjecture, and the fact that he sang the Ken song is such a nothing-burger. Like who the fuck actually cares, it's a song from a movie he was in. Gosling doesn't own the song. And if you do care, seriously please go touch some grass or something... With that said, I can still see why some folks don't like him. I personally am kind of agnostic and don't care for him one way or the other. Even if all of the worst allegations aren't true, he does come off as arrogant and self-righteous from the little social media interactions I've seen him in. But I mean there are a ton of other annoying celebs, this isn't that unique of a case. I think someone just needs to sit down with him and bring him back down to earth, knock him down a peg. But yeah, if the serious allegations towards the front end of the video are true.... yeah, he would really need to get out.
I mean, I didn’t say it was a cut against his character lol, I did point out that it’s innocuous but that people tend to overanalyze behavior on the internet when they already don’t like somebody, and if you search his name on social media that’s exactly what’s happening
I think people have the ability to and often do change their views over time, and I hate the idea that one cannot ever make mistakes. Watching this video made me realize that many people get far too invested in things like representation and celebrities. It reinforces this purity politics culture and takes away energy from actual things helpful to marginalized communities.
Legit never heard any of this before. If the Reddit is his, that's pretty damning. I don't necessarily agree with the assessment about "Just Ken" mainly because of how the message of every Ken being "Kenough" makes all of Gosling's Ken an anthem for all Kens and not just him. Though again, if that Reddit is his, "Kenough" would not be the right word for him.
My response of who is an underrated actor is Manny Jacinto-- because the person who wrote that article about Simu Liu used his picture LOL. But yeah he was super funny in The Good Place and since Im filipino it would be nice for him to start being featured in A-list movies. I don't like being grouped in with East Asians because IM NOT ONE so I totally agree with the article about how it seems like Hollywood is using Simu as The Asian Actor yknow, like it can't just end there because Southeast and South Asians exist too
I loved him back when he was Jung in Kim's Convenience, but I get why people are getting frustrated with him. I guess not everyone is equipped to handle that much fame, especially gaining it so quickly. It's a bummer though, Shang Chi was good too.
I am a fan of Simu Liu since his role on Kim's Convenience, which led me to his work with Wong Fu Productions. I read his "We Were Dreamers" book, which gave me insight into his story. I watched Shang Chi, which had a lot of traditional chinese aspects in it. I was able to relate outside of the superhero part of the story. I was able to meet Simu at an AwesomeCon event in Washington DC a couple years back. He has a way of making you feel like the only person in the room, receiving 100% of his attention for the moments you are with him amidst the whirlwind of chaos going on all around. Simu has also done quite a bit of charity work in the Asian community over the last few years, which is great. He recently released some songs and videos over the past months. He may have closed one of his coffee house jam sessions with the Ken song. I agree that Simu should try and ignore the haters out there, but I also think he should pay a little more attention to his fans. Fame is a balancing act.
I'm not Asian, so my opinion on this doesn't matter much. But I remember seeing that woman's TikTok, and it was the first time I heard any complaints about Simu Liu. Her comments surprised me because when I think "the face" of Asians in Hollywood, the men at least, I don't really think of Simu. I think of John Cho first and foremost because he's been around for so long. Then I think of Steven Yuen because he's a genius. Then Daniel Dae Kim and Harry Shum Jr. and Henry Golding. But I guess the woman's wider point is that, thanks to Marvel, Simu now has the possibility to grab even bigger roles than those offered to the men I just named? And if the internet thinks he's "cringe," I guess I could see how that would bother someone.
13:11 when we talk about celebrities, not being able to take criticism, it seems like we forget that they are real people!! Especially because we are all hyper online at this point, it is impossible for a celebrity to not be constantly aware of the people who hate them.
Reminds me of rachel Ziegler and the hate she was getting in the sense that i feel bipoc dont necessarily get the media training that their whote counterparts get so they stumble what they want to say and people are less forgiving of bipoc
The whole thing is weird, it doesn't really seem like that much of a problem. He does stuff that isn't even THAT cringey, it's on the level of normal awkward things that we all do everyday. The hate on him seems so forced. The only thing he really needs to do is to stop letting things get to him, but he probably just has an argumentative personality and needs to learn to let things go being that he's so huge now.
If this is the worst the internet has on him, I think he's alright. Yeah getting off of social media and ignoring the criticism would be the right move, but that's true for all of us, famous or not. He was in his late teens/early adult life when social media was just getting its legs and things were a lot more personal back then, so I'm not surprised that he may have developed an emotional response to being criticized online.
I've met Simu before. My brother works on movies and they became fast friends. He's a good guy. Truly. I'm unaware about everything that's happening but for the short time I spent with him and my brother, I genuinely enjoyed his company. My brother had absolutely nothing bad to say about working with him on set either 🤷🏾♀️
Another thing with Simu standing on this weird position as "paragon to the asian community" is his unwillingness to stand up to other famous people when it comes to asian community related issues. Everybody knows Mark Wahlberg hatecrimed an old asian guy and probably paid him later on to say nice things about him, but Simu was unwilling to have a stance on that publicly or otherwise (weirder because he always has an opinion on shit) because they starred in the same movie.
He did that, but then still starred in a movie later on with Mark Wahlberg. Simu defended his choice to star with Mark Wahlberg and deleted his tweets in 2018 calling out Mark. To me, him doing that by deleting old tweets and going back on his words of why he wanted Mark to be held accountable for his hate crimes. Mark also wanted his record to be wiped clean. The common denominator with these two is they’re both men who don’t want to be held accountable for their past wrong doings and will do anything to tell others “it’s all in the past, I’ve grown up and etc.” It’s fine to at least acknowledge that yes people can change and move on/forgive, but people don’t forget and people aren’t entitled to forgiveness if people don’t want to forgive. To me, I feel like Mark probably paid him to speak good and Simu sold himself to wanting to look good in Hollywood (he probably thought if he did this, he’d be the face of AAPIs in Hollywood, but he’s surely wrong with his internet history and recent actions whenever an Asian woman criticizes him on TikTok/IG). Honest to god, I’m not a fan of him.
@@jennyngo4292 right, you put it a whole lot better than me. it's a prime example of simu dropping parts of his public self as a 'member of the asian community' whenever it doesn't benefit him anymore or business is in jeopardy
So TLDR the internet tries to cancel people over nothing mostly , I haven’t watched many of his movies only Chang chi and Barbie but I liked his performance in both of them , the Reddit stuff is a bit iffy but I think it’s more of a wording problem more then what he meant
There was nothing cringey to me about him singing, and usually I hate that stuff. It was cute and well done and in character... who cares? wouldnt people be freaking out and fangirling if their fav cinnamon roll white boy celebs did this?
Huh interesting video, I hadn't really heard anything about any of this, I assumed people generally liked him lol but that was just based on the reception to Shang-Chi - haven't really seen people talk about him that much otherwise. Definitely think it's dangerous to be putting random people on blast for criticising him to his much bigger audience, that never ends well... Not sure I fully get why the I'm Just Ken performance is a problem though, but I guess maybe that would depend on the context
He was literally just singing a song from a movie he was in, not throwing shade at Gosling. I agree that that’s a reach, and I don’t see how it’s cringe either
1000% I haven't heard ANY hate or cringe about Simu and videos like this will just make people think they should hate on him. How is the song "Ryan's song"? And there wasn't anything cringe about what he did that isn't different than something Ryan Reynolds or Ben Affleck would do to be funny and exaggerated. Like a "I'm too sexy" exaggerated.
I know she wouldn't do it it, but I would not mind seeing Lily Gladstone a bit everywhere for a bit. Loved her in Flower Moon, First Cow, and Certain Women. Especially considering the other movies that she did, haven't gotten distributing partners. And again it can be argued if she's underrated or not currently. But post Flower Moon I would like to see her in more things.
@@erikdaniels0n Yes! I would love to see more Greta Lee & Teo Yoo. I also love Hong Chau but I would say she's so consistently in projects with interesting directors. But again I would love to see her get some major studio play and have bigger parts. Another two Asian actors that I would like to see studios and take a chance on following the buzz of their previous films (and awards noms) are Stephanie Hsu and Charles Melton.
this seems like no one really knows the guy but will call him cringe, his responses to things actually felt fun but also all these digs on him just seem like they hate him for being a human being
It's very funny to me in hindsight that he's controversial in China when he rose to fame for Shang-chi, which didn't even make it to the Chinese cinemas, because some felt he's not handsome enough by their standard and his representation is making Chinese people look bad as a result. Turns out there are more valid reasons to dislike this guy and how Hollywood handles Asian representation.
i think the clip of him singing is being taken out of proportion. is it a bit cringe? yes, but he's just a performer at heart, the audience seemed to be into it, and he was a part of the biggest movie of the year, im not even a fan of his but he's just having fun
Once again this can be solved by him getting off social media. Responding to every single thing said about him is the WORST thing he can do for his reputation, career, and mental health.
This is a good case where you can just not respond. In fact, a lot of people can just not type up every single thought they have and respond to all of it.
I'm a huge Simu Liu fan since i saw Kims convenience and every other thing I've seen him in, hes a good actor but needs to grow thicker skin if he's gonna be having so much online interactions. I really want him to succeed in Hollywood. I agree that he should stop being online like a regular person, bc he's literally a huge star in big movies.
I think another reason for his pushback, at least for me is the Marky Mark situation. I think people enjoyed him calling out Mark Wahlberg but then him deleting the post and doing a movie with him is nasty
I have definitely joined some Asian Diaspora subreddits that I later found out were populated by a lot of incel dudes and I'm not even a dude. I'm not defending him if he did post that stuff, but how does anyone know that those posts were even from him? Just because someone used that account and said they were him? It could be anyone. Kims Convenience subreddit doesn't need any ID verification to do an AMA, it's a small subreddit for the show. And if he did not post those comments, he's probably tired of everyone thinking he's a homophobic incel based on that.
when he told the story of how he didn't get get a role in crazy rich asians because he didn't have "it factor"... i think he expected people will have a 'oh no but you're so hot simu! they were so wrong for this!' type reaction. but instead most tweets were pretty much agreeing with CRA casting people 😭 asian diaspora twitter had a field day lmao. mean he might be attractive i guess but it's fair to say he lacks that romcom charm. it was surely a Day lmao
that tiktoker around 12:17 shared the same view I had. (I'm Chinese american). When Shang Chi came out, I was absolutely in love with the movie. It led me to Kim's Convenience in which I also really enjoyed. I was basically watching anything he had to say in anticipation that he plays a larger role in the MCU. Then I noticed all his interviews instead of jsut alluding to asians getting mainstream representation, he 100% took the credit and like he was our messiah finally speaking for us. It was pretty off putting. He had a chance to raise up the community as a whole, but instead took the crown and flaunted it. I'm extremely glad Michelle Yeoh got the due she deserved. She accepts it with grace. However maybe this is being cynical in my middle age, but I feel like Hollywood really pushed asian things around and post pandemic as a fad... and that may start dying out.
Thank you for your incredible video essays. I’m sorry that so many people are harassing you because you’re the new popular target of the week as you comment on pop culture figures. What you do brings so much joy and connection. You are incredible and bring so much joy to the world. Please don’t let your voice and light be diminished by internet trolls.
Dang, if you had asked me, i would have just said "the game awards", cos i didn't know any of this, but that game awards presentation singlehandedly lowered my opinion of him. like, stop talking and just present the award dude. nobody cares how you broke your foot
Reminds me of a video on the Barbie press tour when a reporter asked Margot which actor was most similar to their Barbie/Ken and she responded with "Simu"
1:45 a big reason why the Shang Chi sequel has been in development hell is because Marvel tapped the director of the first movie and undoubtedly of the sequel as well, Destin Daniel Cretton, to helm Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is going to be the first of the Infinity War/Endgame style two parter (allegedly 3 parter now) that will cap off the MCU’s messy as hell multiverse saga. In November, it was announced that Cretton had left Kang Dynasty in favor of directing other projects with Marvel, such as Shang Chi 2, which most likely wouldn’t have started filming until either 2026 or 2027 due to Cretton being tied down with Avengers. Apparently they’re looking at a 2025 or 2026 release for Shang Chi 2 now, so we’ll see. It’s one of the few modern Marvel movies I’m genuinely excited about, and I say that as somebody who is still on the Marvel train
Great job!A few API actors that I think are underrated and would love to see get bigger roles/breakout are Sabrina Wu, Tati Gabrielle, Mia Isaac, Brianne Tju, Havana Rose Liu, Megan Suri, Joel Kim Booster Andrew Koji, Avantika Vandapau, Merle Dandridge, Karen Fukuhara, and Brenda Song (I’d love to see her have a huge comeback in a critically acclaimed show or movie)
Great video Kayla but one thing that I think you missed that made some people dislike simu (especially on twitter) was him making a movie with mark wahlberg, after criticing him on twitter for being racist and attacking asians in the past.
I guess I’ve been out of the loop because the first time i heard he was cringe was when he sang “I’m just Ken”. And even at that point i literally saw nothing wrong with it. Is it not okay to sing the song from the movie he was just in?
Simu tweeted about the AMA to promote it from his official twitter account, just in case any one is wondering if that was really him (including a reference to the rampart bit)
I’m going to die if he responds to this video 😂 She is already in a few blockbusters but my vote is for Rachel Zegler. I want to see her starring in all blockbusters.
I can't help but feel like some of the hate he gets online is a bit of a stretch because one of the key aspects of the cancel culture cycle is that people will just see what they want to see and agree with it because they didn't like that figure to begin with. Especially if they are unsubstantiated rumors or screenshots. Simu does keep saying things that aren't well thought out and is a little "rizzless", and some of it has definitely aged poorly. If he could just take a break from social media and instead focus on getting a role that works for him that would be helpful to getting his reputation back.
Meh. I guess I'm controversial and problematic because I still like him and thought he was fabulous in Barbie. And I think him singing the song is funny and people should get over it.
I went to the same university as him and there’s a big rumour going around that he came back to speak on a Chinese students club event back on his Kim’s Convenience days and then slept with some first years and gave them chlamydia lol. heard it from someone in that club too. The other thing is he constantly talks about his humble beginnings but he went to one of the most expensive private schools in Toronto. Anyways, most people in my uni dislike him.
Tangential to this, but shoutout to the Asian UA-camr bubble around like 2010. I desperately want an Asian diaspora creator dive into the humor and general vibes at the time. Nearly every famous Asian person came through Wong Fu Productions, for example. The rise of Subtle Asian Traits and the term "boba liberal", all of it. Asian tiger mom jokes, reductive stereotypes, so much more
The Reddit comments were bad, but they were dug up from a few years ago and taken out of context imo. Simu hasn't done anything even vaugely controversial since. Idk why people are so obsessed with picking apart everything a person says or does.... like who cares if there was an 'awkward' moment on a red carpet?!?!
Yeah some stuff wasn’t smart but I feel like ppl are over sensitive about him. Like in the end, give the guy a break.some ppl did way worse and didn’t get that hate weirdly
Love the video Kayla! Small correction: It was actually Bob Chapek who called Shang Chi an “experiment”, this was the CEO during COVID before Iger returned in 2022
I recently saw another video mentioning him after the Oscars and it seems that some Asians do not like him because he plays into liberal jokes. I think they want him to be the "model minority/Asian". Henry Golding was getting a lot of roles at one point and no one said anything about him being a token. Also, Awkafina (with her problematic self) also doesn't receive backlash for "taking roles" when she was in crazy rich Asians, Raya and the last dragon and Chang Chi and The Little Mermaid just to name a few. This man is barely starting his correct and he got the Marvel boosts, so yes he is going to be in more things the other newbies. Don't get me wrong, he is cringe and awkward and needs to stay offline because replying and reposting people you disagree with is crazy. But I think some of the hate is a bit anti-Asian. Yes, even from other Asians.
There’s literally nothing cringe about him performing that song. He LITERALLY played a Ken. He was central to the Ken song in the movie, and anyone would use that to leverage their rising star. And responding to online criticism is fair play. It’s not about having “Marvel money,” it’s about defending your reputation when you’re still trying to build it. This video is bogus.
A couple things:
- I’m not saying that the singing clip is a knock against his character in any way, I’m pointing out that it’s an innocuous “cringe” thing but because the internet tends to overanalyze the actions of people they don’t like, it gets used as ammunition against him (and if you look at social media rn that is the case)
- sorry I got Bob Iger and Bob Chapek mixed up lmao, two Bobs one company, it gets confusing 💀
i think mentioning the singing clip is fine, but it's just a little arbitrary and weightless compared to the stuff that's relatively glossed over in your video like the incel digital footprint & literal bigotry
also not mentioning his part in the constance wu situation in favor of the mostly mild barbie shit is weird too
You should really inform yourself before making a video like this. I Like your channel but really dissapointed in the quality and lack of research in this video.
This video has massive anti-asian male energy. He was "cringey" for posing next to ryan gosling? Asian ken is not allowed to sing Ken's song because he's not white ken?
Asian men have constantly been ridiculed for trying to act masculine/cool and been called relegated to being incel, nerdy or awkward. Funny how the internet freaks out when an Asian is casted as a masculine guy. And then acuse him of being... nerdy, awkward and an incel... I get your a pop culture channel but at least have some commentary on the deeper reason people dislike him beyond just parroting back why the internet "says" they dislike him. Asian men are constantly getting shit on in media so it makes sense he has a massive chip on his shoulder. Also, those Men's Asian subreddits were made for asian men to basically talk about how to date in a country that's violently racist toward asian men. Most american women proudly say they would never consider dating an asian guy. Incel subcultures within those communities are never okay but it makes sense some men just give up and become hopeless living in such a racist country that openly hates them. If you have any asian male friends they will resonate with these struggles and the desire to be a part of a poistive asian male community that uplifts them.
Finally not mentioning the biggest elephant in the room: HIM COSYING UP TO THE CCP!!! That was the ultimate reason to be suspicious. An asian actor working for disney/marvel ready to sell out his beliefs to make money and launch his career. That's a legitimate reason to dislike him. Everything else is mostly veiled racism imo.
I'm not even asian. I have asian male friends so I'm AWARE of these issues. Really wish you would have at least mentioned that political backdrop in this video.
The fact that singing clip is considered cringe in and of itself is proof that Barbie failed at its watered down feminism. As an Asian man, he should be able to sing a song that makes fun of white, het, cis male fragility without public outcry. Outcry that is essentially saying he's appropriating it from a character who fits the identity markers *being roasted* by that song. The other stuff he's doing is def more fodder for a cringe argument. ilu that moment in the vid just rubbed me wrong.
The way u acted over the singing clip compared to other things is cringe. Head in hands - overacting much? This video is very misleading. Certain points were glossed over. Which should have been focused on. I still don't know specificly why is being canceled other than Ryan not wanting him to touch him and him singing the Ken song.
Girl! Cringe? Actors = Cringe. Actors cringe for a LIVING.
Honestly, I think the most "problematic" thing he's done so far is comment on every little thing said about him. It kind of shows how he can't handle any criticism, valid or not. But he needs to be careful with having a known online presence because one little slip up and he could end his career. I say this to all famous people: get off social media! Take your millions of dollars and go travel the world, not fight with trolls or chronically online people who will try to cancel you at every waking breath.
Yeah he comments on everything !! But are we surprised over some of the stupid cancellations he has gotten
Can rich people with so many resources ever really be canceled? Not really, not for long. But I agree it’s far more enjoyable & healthy to live your life far away from constant scrutiny that you can carry around in your palm. Definitely true for everyone & a good life lesson
This is why I could never be famous lol. I’m well aware I would be this exact kind of famous person (bothered by every little comment). I can’t imagine Simu and celebs like him are anything but constantly miserable.
I would like to add that her reaction to the Ken singing as if she hasn't seen it 10000 xs was equally as cringe as him singing it. Who tf cares, Ryan didn't write/doesn't own the song OR being Ken.
I agree. I remember seeing him go off on TikTok because an East Asian girl said that he shouldn’t be the face of East Asians in the west and he was like ‘why should I’ I feel everything is also added on because let’s be honest, he’s East Asian and a leading man; there hasn’t been much Asian actors to break the mold. So it’s added on
I think Simu got very famous very fast, after his only real big role starring in the Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience (which I had been a fan of him in that show even before he was cast as Shang Chi). Before getting into acting, he was just a very bad accountant according to what he's said. So when he got really famous really fast and had a lot of external pressures/expectations of becoming an icon of representation, his behavior becomes understandable. Overall, I still like Simu and think he's trying his best but definitely could benefit from getting a little thicker skin.
yea I was going to say the same thing, I thought disney/marvel coached their actors on stuff like this but maybe since the movie wasn’t expected to do super well they neglected to do so?
But we can't get thick skin. Only get better at ignoring the wounds. I can't fairly tell others to handle what we aren't built to handle. Celebrity culture is crazy.
@@chasebarber10🤣
my whole thing with the simu liu drama is that… white male celebrities do all this AND more without getting this level of hate. I’m sick of actors of color being held to such a standard that even small, bad things from 10 years ago can destroy their fan base and have people dogpile them just because that energy is never directed to white celebrities in such an aggressive way. yes point out what simu has said is wrong, but the level of hate is beyond overkill.
THIS!!!
this especially when mark wahlberg committed TWO anti-asian hate crimes yet he still has a career
@@kaallleeee He did?! Ew 🤢
I personally don’t like either doing too much like this, regardless of color of skin. But it’s funny how for white people, the problem is when they don’t speak enough, cuz “they have to use their privilege”. Still, he has the right number of free speech, and I have the right to find him cringe as hell lmao
he beat up an elderly viet man in the 90's@@justjoannak
As an Asian, I hate the way one face is being used to represent an entire race in conversation though. Even as an ex-fan of MCU, I think there are other talented 'Asian Americans' actors working today that has more impact in the industry than Simu Liu 2 prominent roles (i.e. Steven Yeun since The Walking Dead to award films like Burning and Minari, voice acting lead in Invincible, and this year's Beef). Still, I wouldn't brand him as a representative of an entire race because being the face of Asian means he is a stand in for 40+ countries and around 4.7 billion people. It's just impossible.
Not just that… he’s just not even the most handsome or most talented actor in terms of English speaking male asians… he’s just bland. There’s so many asians actors much more talented, but he looooooves being the representative, and he can’t see he’s being used as the diversity hire.
The fact Steven Yeun hasn’t been in more mainstream work despite being such a beloved character of TWD is such a travesty to me.
@@CaulkMongler true but its nice to see hes in some really cool productions, at least theyre not mainstream things that are super mid hahaha
@@CaulkMongler In Steven's case, I think he really chose roles he's passionate in (as well as awards contenders). Invincible is also one of the biggest American animations in recent years and same comic writer as TWD.
I mean.... he's taking jobs and getting paid. It's not his fault that he's also Asian. 🤷♀️
Why not just let the man get paid?
He's not the first name that comes to mind when I think Asian representation in film. I don't see any form of tokenism with him. He takes movies,he gets paid, like anyone in any job would like to. Y'all just sound like haters.
As an AAPI member, Simu was a strong force during his rise to fame post Shang Chi because he was a person thst represented the 1st/2nd Gen immigrant experience. He was proud of his culture and his immigrant roots and he wasnt afraid to show it.
However, despite his cringe, I think I fell out love with him when he made fun of Constance Wu post suicide attempt. Even if he did apologize sincerely to her, he has zero ability to read the room and constantly has that cringe dude bro persona.
I didn't know he did that. That's awful.
@@Poopieboi-tp3tw Yeah, it's not really talked about because Constance Wu wasn't like by many people at the time due to stuff with Fresh Off the Boat and her SA claims.
Oh that’s not nice of him
Could you tell me more about simu liu and Constance wu? Did he quote retweet her tweet back then or?
@@genevieve3589 It wasn't on Twitter. It was at the Unstoppable Gala. Constance had just come back from her suicide attempt and was afraid of being ostracized because of her opinions (which lead to a media backlash) and her attempt. Producers told her no one would make fun of her. Simu didn't get the message and made fun of her.
White actors do 100x worse and don’t get this level of hate. If being defensive is the worse thing he has ever done , maybe we shouldn’t pile on.
Why can’t we have Shang-Chi, we can’t have nothing without some scandal coming along.
I think the whole point of the video was to point out that it’s not the worse things he’s done (allegedly ofc)
take it from all the asian women who's DMs he slid in- leveraging his fame, he's not that different from the white douches who try the same.
Can you compare a white actor of comparable fame and influence who doesn’t get as much hate for the same stuff? I mean comparable fame btw so think carefully. Simu has done two, I repeat two big films and only starred in one.
@@LouisKing995 Mark Wahlberg permanently blinded a vietnamese man when he was nineteen in a racially motivated attack and he continued to have a better career, way more famous than simu liu. There are also caucasian actors who have accusations of sa against them that somehow never got cancelled or dogpiled on.
Simu is chronically online in the WORST way. I was turned off by the Reddit stuff when it came out but for him to continue to comment on every piece of criticism said about him and needing to always defend himself when he’s out here getting these HUGE roles is just ridiculous. This combined with his ability to suck the vibe out of every situation just makes for a really unlikable person.
You're not allowed to sing a song from a musical you're in? Like the lead character owns the song??? That is wildly ridiculous. So if I was only in chorus of act 1 of a musical I can't sing a song from act 2? That's a sick world. I like this series because it reminds me how much this stuff doesn't matter. His biggest mistake was responding to angry broke people (speaking as one). I'd love to see the inverse of this series. People the internet loves or has vaulted to fame. Do they exist? If they don't, does that speak to human nature, the internet, or both? If the process is inevitable for every celeb or YTuber on a long enough time span, then does it even matter?
It's also hilarious because the song he's singing is "I'm Just Ken" and the character he played *is a Ken* . Literally all the Kens end up singing the song in the movie together - he had to learn this song as part of his performance. Now it's 'cringe' if he performs it at all?????? And the justification is he shouldn't sing it because he wasn't the lead?????? Crazy take imo.
No it’s just awkward and cringe
Celebs really need to get off Twitter. They're shooting themselves in the foot with the click of a button. Tweets never go away. U can end your image in a second. Stop replying to fans' critics, stop thinking no one's paying attention to your tiktoks, and find a new way to promote your craft that doesn't involve a split second decision to reply to a troll or post something controversial (or could be turned into something controversial).
People liked celebrities more when we never saw them or heard from them unless they had a project to promote.
Like what?
@@hothotheat3000true it makes them uninteresting when you know everything abt them.
He's canceled bc he sang the Ken song? even tho HE PLAYED a Ken?
which btw other Ken's sang along with Ryan both diagetically and literally.
I couldn’t stand being famous and having everything I do and say get overanalysed
I’m a Canadian and I’ve really loved him since Kim’s Convenience, I was worried he’d done something really serious… but it’s mostly cringe insecurity and social media mismanagement. People can grow from that…
It's unfortunate that he criticized the show in Vanity Fair. In my opinion, actors do themselves a disservice when they forget their place, and speak out against the people who gave them the opportunities. With just a decade in the acting business, he wrote a book on his life story, so he takes himself very seriously.
@@singtweetypie depends on the criticism. i loved the show but in retrospect often it was obvious that the writer's room were full of white writers and the subject matter was pretty surface level. But if he wasn't criticising that, i've also seen him see the show as kind of a stepping stone for him, and he doesn't really appreciate what the show did for so many people. At the end of the day, he is clearly just one cringe chinese canadian guy who made it.
One Asian actor I think is very underrated is Eugene Lee Yang. I want him to take over the world. I’m also really excited to see what Charles Melton does in the future, he was incredible in May December.
i agree he was so good in Nimona
He was actually in one of my workplace's diversity training videos. It was wild to see.
@@lordskeletor481 whaaaat that's crazy! like he was one of the talking heads or just in the background?
I'm convinced that more and more people are just thriving on the down fall of others.
I wonder why tho? Sincerely. it's such a feel-bad way to feel-good.
Negativity is intrusive online too...I can start looking at bonsais & end knowing some new crime exists😭😭😭😮💨
I’ve never even heard of anyone “falling out of love” with him, but that has a lot to do with the fact that I do NOT engage with celebrities on social media so I end up missing anything that doesn’t make my few trusted gossipy news sources. This one will be interesting for me!
"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villian" especially in the internet 😂
I had no idea about any of this "controversy." This all just seems like inane naval-gazing from terminally-online children who pick apart body language in TikTok reels without any sense of a larger context.
you lost me at the "secondary Ken." he was represented as Goslings antagonist the entire movie and the Ken song is sang by all of the Kens so he would/should be able to sing it too
Do Ariana grande next. The last thing she did just topped it off for me. Cheating on her husband with a married man is WILD.
She is a toxic person.
I don't think he has any actual real controversy. I think a lot of people are miffed by him because he gives a lot of liberal obnoxious theater kid (derogatory) energy. Just like Lin Manuel Miranda.
The Lin Manuel Miranda comparison is not just because unlike Lin, Simu hasn't said anything political.
For underrated actor that deserves more Hollywood love got to say Simu's Kim's Convenience co-star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Such a lovely down to earth guy who I feel like hasn't yet cracked into upper Hollywood rungs yet but fudge do I hope people fall in love with him as Iroh in the new Avatar project.
In a perfect world, Paul would be the big Hollywood breakout. So funny, talented, intelligent and kind.
so true I watched some videos of him talking about Kim's convenience and it's "downfall", and despite the topic being sad he talks in optimistic way. i think he's cool
Mackenyu is the goat, check one piece live action!
He sang a song, you say? A song that someone else sang in a movie he was in? Burn the witch!
Also FYI his "big break" was the show Kim's Convenience in Canada (which then became a hit outside of Canada). Whoever is reading this, if you haven't watched that show yet, check it out. It's funny, sweet and charming.
As a wrestling fan, I get hyped every time I hear a non-wrestling person say heel-turn. Also this is going to be a good way for me to unwind post-dinner.
lol! my sister is a massive WWE fan so I am familiar with heal-turns and kayfabe 😂
as a wrestling fan, it didnt even hit me it was wrestling terminology until right now cuz im so used to it lol
And we know that heel turns happen in a snap. Turning baby face is a long road.
*This is all a nothing burger.* Russel Crowe is STILL working btw. Brad Pitt is doing just fine btw. Mark Wahlberg got gigs and an Oscar nom AFTER what he did. So I kindly couldn't give less of a fuck. 😊
And what's with him performing the song? Ryan Gosling was the main singer but he was the 2nd half of the number. Why tf can't he perform the song for fans?? I dont see this hate with Jack Black constantly throughout the year performing 'Peaches'....
Defending pedophiles isn't a good look. As a survivor of grooming, people who encourage empathy towards abusers often lets them get away, even harm victims again. We need to feel sorry for the victims primarily, not abusers.
It's a shame, because I'd love to see more prominent Asian actors in Hollywood. I guess we're stanning Henry Golding now.
harry shum jr as well !
hi I would suggest censoring p*doph*les just because I don’t want your comment to get auto-removed by UA-cam lol I’ve seen it before
@@mimigigihereManny Jacinto too
and teo yoo!
I know what you mean. I always try to show sympathy for all people and look at things from different perspectives. Then I think about what happened to me and imagen how it would feel if people only talked about how bad they felt for him. How hard it would be if they acted like he was the victim. Claiming that it's not his fault he had those urges, and he couldn't control it. I don't think I would have been able to stomach it.
Fancasts seem to choose actors that more closely align with western beauty standards when the internet talks about the other Asian actors who could do the same roles as Simu. The fancasts I've seen prioritize men with thinner noses, lighter skin, and/or double eyelids. I dunno that just never sits right with me.
i can think of so many white actors who have done way “worse” or cringe things and no one cared. simu is probably the most visible east asian actor at the moment i feel he’s become a lightning rod for racist hate
because people think it is normal for the white to be worse .but many Chinese don't like this type,he can not represent the Chinese . there is no chrisma at all. and even worse
cough cough "Mark Walhberg" cough
Out of all the Asian male actors, I really respect and love Steven Yeun. The dude is likable, cool, authentic, confident in his own skin. If any of them should represent Asians in entertainment, it's him but I bet he will hate that, no one wants to represent their race cause that's way too much pressure to have to be perfect in everything you do and you can't please every one.
I LOOOOVED him in his skits with Conan o brien! Conan has been on tv on a daily basis for about three decades so by now he is certified genuinely kind. And it felt like Steven is cut from the same cloth ❤ the Korean spa kit was my favorite!!!
I think Simu has awesome “I-don’t-always-take-myself-as seriously-as-I-could” but “I-will speak-my-mind” energy. Folks looking for problems with a person will find what they’re looking for. Personally, I’m always thrilled when he pops up in a project.
Off topic but he really does sound like ryan gosling to me, i wasn't looking at the screen when that clip of him singing played and i genuinely thought that was ryan gosling for a second 😭
he did well but the vibe is off... maybe its just weird to see someone do karaoke stone cold sober.
Asian American here and I'm going to be brutally honest. I think parts of our community suffer from a lot of secondhand cringe and "we don't claim him" energy because there is so little representation of us in Hollywood.
A lot of us are quite nervous about how we're shown to the mainstream audiences, and Simu being cringe and also, I'm just gonna be honest, not very attractive, makes a lot of AsAms want to instinctually distance themselves and not get associated w him.
Personally, I don't care. I've heard from people who knew him in person that he was a really great guy. Is he cringe? Yes. Is he kind of a dummy who says problematic sht sometimes? Yes. Should he learn how to take criticism and log off? Yes.
People are valid for being upset by the problematic things he's said, but let's be honest, what a lot of people don't want to admit is that the MAIN reason why people turned against him is because they're upset that hollywood didn't get a cool, hotter asian man to represent us instead.
I'm a bit of a hypocrite bc I really dislike Awkwafina (though Awkwafina is objectively a lot more problematic), but I also recognize it's not the actors fault that Hollywood chooses cringe, dare-I-say minstrel-like characters to represent POC. I'm not going to direct my frustration with Hollywood to the Asian man. Get mad at the white ppl who chose him. (I also think Awkwafina is aware she's a minstrel while Simu is not).
Finally, as many other people are pointing out, it's important to keep in mind that so many of the people who the internet is "falling out of love with" are minorities. And to add to that, minorities who aren't conventionally attractive.
thank u
Oh man I've been unwillingly following his career since like 2016-ish when he was in Kim's Convience, I'm not sure about others but for my friend group (all of us being asian-canadians) have always given us the ick with how constantly he would try to champion himself as hollywood's asian representative. In the Subtle Asian Traits facebook group he would always post #relatable content in regards to his upbringing and representing asian-ness, looking back I think this constant praise he got in Subtle Asian Traits is why he gets so defensive now. He really had a bubble of never being able to do wrong, so now in the spotlight he dosen't know how to deal with it
But acting like people aren't attacking is a bit hypocritical. He is on the defensive and rightfully so.
I know this is for the chronically online but damn... i think everyone should take a deep breath and remember there's way bigger fish to fry. lets all go touch some grass
Since he was in the article you showed, I do need to see Manny Jacinto in more stuff, bigger stuff, rom-coms even if he wants to star in them (please), he showed to be a great actor in The Good Place.
These videos always take me by surprise, as I’ve literally rever heard of any of this drama. “How the internet fell out of love with____” ….they have? When??
As a chronically online person myself, these takes often come off as too chronically online, even for me (even if they’re decent takes at the end of the day). Like at this point, it almost seems like the internet has fallen out of love with everyone lol.
the only one that makes sense is Brendon Urie tbh
In the fall I heard about the incel allegations and I was surprised
A lot of this ended up being conjecture, and the fact that he sang the Ken song is such a nothing-burger. Like who the fuck actually cares, it's a song from a movie he was in. Gosling doesn't own the song. And if you do care, seriously please go touch some grass or something...
With that said, I can still see why some folks don't like him. I personally am kind of agnostic and don't care for him one way or the other. Even if all of the worst allegations aren't true, he does come off as arrogant and self-righteous from the little social media interactions I've seen him in. But I mean there are a ton of other annoying celebs, this isn't that unique of a case.
I think someone just needs to sit down with him and bring him back down to earth, knock him down a peg.
But yeah, if the serious allegations towards the front end of the video are true.... yeah, he would really need to get out.
This is one of my favourite series on UA-cam. It’s great! Perfect to binge, informative, and here I am eating a snack just chilling and watching this😊
This video is a huge reach. Omg he played a song that Ryan Gosling sings. How is that a cut against his character?
I mean, I didn’t say it was a cut against his character lol, I did point out that it’s innocuous but that people tend to overanalyze behavior on the internet when they already don’t like somebody, and if you search his name on social media that’s exactly what’s happening
@@kaylasays You humans are all racist
I think people have the ability to and often do change their views over time, and I hate the idea that one cannot ever make mistakes.
Watching this video made me realize that many people get far too invested in things like representation and celebrities. It reinforces this purity politics culture and takes away energy from actual things helpful to marginalized communities.
Legit never heard any of this before. If the Reddit is his, that's pretty damning. I don't necessarily agree with the assessment about "Just Ken" mainly because of how the message of every Ken being "Kenough" makes all of Gosling's Ken an anthem for all Kens and not just him. Though again, if that Reddit is his, "Kenough" would not be the right word for him.
My response of who is an underrated actor is Manny Jacinto-- because the person who wrote that article about Simu Liu used his picture LOL. But yeah he was super funny in The Good Place and since Im filipino it would be nice for him to start being featured in A-list movies. I don't like being grouped in with East Asians because IM NOT ONE so I totally agree with the article about how it seems like Hollywood is using Simu as The Asian Actor yknow, like it can't just end there because Southeast and South Asians exist too
I loved him back when he was Jung in Kim's Convenience, but I get why people are getting frustrated with him. I guess not everyone is equipped to handle that much fame, especially gaining it so quickly. It's a bummer though, Shang Chi was good too.
I am a fan of Simu Liu since his role on Kim's Convenience, which led me to his work with Wong Fu Productions. I read his "We Were Dreamers" book, which gave me insight into his story. I watched Shang Chi, which had a lot of traditional chinese aspects in it. I was able to relate outside of the superhero part of the story. I was able to meet Simu at an AwesomeCon event in Washington DC a couple years back. He has a way of making you feel like the only person in the room, receiving 100% of his attention for the moments you are with him amidst the whirlwind of chaos going on all around. Simu has also done quite a bit of charity work in the Asian community over the last few years, which is great. He recently released some songs and videos over the past months. He may have closed one of his coffee house jam sessions with the Ken song.
I agree that Simu should try and ignore the haters out there, but I also think he should pay a little more attention to his fans. Fame is a balancing act.
I'm not Asian, so my opinion on this doesn't matter much. But I remember seeing that woman's TikTok, and it was the first time I heard any complaints about Simu Liu. Her comments surprised me because when I think "the face" of Asians in Hollywood, the men at least, I don't really think of Simu. I think of John Cho first and foremost because he's been around for so long. Then I think of Steven Yuen because he's a genius. Then Daniel Dae Kim and Harry Shum Jr. and Henry Golding. But I guess the woman's wider point is that, thanks to Marvel, Simu now has the possibility to grab even bigger roles than those offered to the men I just named? And if the internet thinks he's "cringe," I guess I could see how that would bother someone.
13:11 when we talk about celebrities, not being able to take criticism, it seems like we forget that they are real people!! Especially because we are all hyper online at this point, it is impossible for a celebrity to not be constantly aware of the people who hate them.
The internet is horrible. They are always looking for a reason to tear someone down.
Reminds me of rachel Ziegler and the hate she was getting in the sense that i feel bipoc dont necessarily get the media training that their whote counterparts get so they stumble what they want to say and people are less forgiving of bipoc
The whole thing is weird, it doesn't really seem like that much of a problem. He does stuff that isn't even THAT cringey, it's on the level of normal awkward things that we all do everyday. The hate on him seems so forced. The only thing he really needs to do is to stop letting things get to him, but he probably just has an argumentative personality and needs to learn to let things go being that he's so huge now.
If this is the worst the internet has on him, I think he's alright. Yeah getting off of social media and ignoring the criticism would be the right move, but that's true for all of us, famous or not. He was in his late teens/early adult life when social media was just getting its legs and things were a lot more personal back then, so I'm not surprised that he may have developed an emotional response to being criticized online.
I've met Simu before. My brother works on movies and they became fast friends. He's a good guy. Truly. I'm unaware about everything that's happening but for the short time I spent with him and my brother, I genuinely enjoyed his company. My brother had absolutely nothing bad to say about working with him on set either 🤷🏾♀️
Another thing with Simu standing on this weird position as "paragon to the asian community" is his unwillingness to stand up to other famous people when it comes to asian community related issues. Everybody knows Mark Wahlberg hatecrimed an old asian guy and probably paid him later on to say nice things about him, but Simu was unwilling to have a stance on that publicly or otherwise (weirder because he always has an opinion on shit) because they starred in the same movie.
He did that, but then still starred in a movie later on with Mark Wahlberg. Simu defended his choice to star with Mark Wahlberg and deleted his tweets in 2018 calling out Mark. To me, him doing that by deleting old tweets and going back on his words of why he wanted Mark to be held accountable for his hate crimes. Mark also wanted his record to be wiped clean. The common denominator with these two is they’re both men who don’t want to be held accountable for their past wrong doings and will do anything to tell others “it’s all in the past, I’ve grown up and etc.” It’s fine to at least acknowledge that yes people can change and move on/forgive, but people don’t forget and people aren’t entitled to forgiveness if people don’t want to forgive. To me, I feel like Mark probably paid him to speak good and Simu sold himself to wanting to look good in Hollywood (he probably thought if he did this, he’d be the face of AAPIs in Hollywood, but he’s surely wrong with his internet history and recent actions whenever an Asian woman criticizes him on TikTok/IG). Honest to god, I’m not a fan of him.
@@jennyngo4292 right, you put it a whole lot better than me. it's a prime example of simu dropping parts of his public self as a 'member of the asian community' whenever it doesn't benefit him anymore or business is in jeopardy
So TLDR the internet tries to cancel people over nothing mostly , I haven’t watched many of his movies only Chang chi and Barbie but I liked his performance in both of them , the Reddit stuff is a bit iffy but I think it’s more of a wording problem more then what he meant
He got his "big break" in Kim's Convenience. Canadian famous, but still...
There was nothing cringey to me about him singing, and usually I hate that stuff. It was cute and well done and in character... who cares? wouldnt people be freaking out and fangirling if their fav cinnamon roll white boy celebs did this?
Huh interesting video, I hadn't really heard anything about any of this, I assumed people generally liked him lol but that was just based on the reception to Shang-Chi - haven't really seen people talk about him that much otherwise. Definitely think it's dangerous to be putting random people on blast for criticising him to his much bigger audience, that never ends well... Not sure I fully get why the I'm Just Ken performance is a problem though, but I guess maybe that would depend on the context
He was literally just singing a song from a movie he was in, not throwing shade at Gosling. I agree that that’s a reach, and I don’t see how it’s cringe either
1000% I haven't heard ANY hate or cringe about Simu and videos like this will just make people think they should hate on him. How is the song "Ryan's song"? And there wasn't anything cringe about what he did that isn't different than something Ryan Reynolds or Ben Affleck would do to be funny and exaggerated. Like a "I'm too sexy" exaggerated.
I know she wouldn't do it it, but I would not mind seeing Lily Gladstone a bit everywhere for a bit. Loved her in Flower Moon, First Cow, and Certain Women. Especially considering the other movies that she did, haven't gotten distributing partners. And again it can be argued if she's underrated or not currently. But post Flower Moon I would like to see her in more things.
and if we’re talking about Asian or Asian-American actors, Greta Lee, Hong Chao and Teo Yoo
@@erikdaniels0n Yes! I would love to see more Greta Lee & Teo Yoo. I also love Hong Chau but I would say she's so consistently in projects with interesting directors. But again I would love to see her get some major studio play and have bigger parts. Another two Asian actors that I would like to see studios and take a chance on following the buzz of their previous films (and awards noms) are Stephanie Hsu and Charles Melton.
i think awkwafina should be in more movies shes great in everything she has been in.
this seems like no one really knows the guy but will call him cringe, his responses to things actually felt fun but also all these digs on him just seem like they hate him for being a human being
It's very funny to me in hindsight that he's controversial in China when he rose to fame for Shang-chi, which didn't even make it to the Chinese cinemas, because some felt he's not handsome enough by their standard and his representation is making Chinese people look bad as a result. Turns out there are more valid reasons to dislike this guy and how Hollywood handles Asian representation.
damn bro I'd be salty online too. They did him so dirty wtf
Omg a bonus "how the internet fell out of love" episode?! Thank you for the early Christmas present!
i think the clip of him singing is being taken out of proportion. is it a bit cringe? yes, but he's just a performer at heart, the audience seemed to be into it, and he was a part of the biggest movie of the year, im not even a fan of his but he's just having fun
I wish Manny Jacinto got cast instead of him as Barbie. He seems like a way sweeter guy and he was amazing in The Good Place.
Man i had no idea about any of this?? as usual, great job Kayla, interesting and informative and moving at just the perfect pace, thank you!!!
Same
Once again this can be solved by him getting off social media. Responding to every single thing said about him is the WORST thing he can do for his reputation, career, and mental health.
This is a good case where you can just not respond. In fact, a lot of people can just not type up every single thought they have and respond to all of it.
never heard of this dude in my life but you bet your bottom dollar i’m watching anyway
I'm a huge Simu Liu fan since i saw Kims convenience and every other thing I've seen him in, hes a good actor but needs to grow thicker skin if he's gonna be having so much online interactions. I really want him to succeed in Hollywood. I agree that he should stop being online like a regular person, bc he's literally a huge star in big movies.
I think another reason for his pushback, at least for me is the Marky Mark situation. I think people enjoyed him calling out Mark Wahlberg but then him deleting the post and doing a movie with him is nasty
I have definitely joined some Asian Diaspora subreddits that I later found out were populated by a lot of incel dudes and I'm not even a dude. I'm not defending him if he did post that stuff, but how does anyone know that those posts were even from him? Just because someone used that account and said they were him? It could be anyone. Kims Convenience subreddit doesn't need any ID verification to do an AMA, it's a small subreddit for the show. And if he did not post those comments, he's probably tired of everyone thinking he's a homophobic incel based on that.
when he told the story of how he didn't get get a role in crazy rich asians because he didn't have "it factor"... i think he expected people will have a 'oh no but you're so hot simu! they were so wrong for this!' type reaction. but instead most tweets were pretty much agreeing with CRA casting people 😭 asian diaspora twitter had a field day lmao. mean he might be attractive i guess but it's fair to say he lacks that romcom charm. it was surely a Day lmao
that tiktoker around 12:17 shared the same view I had. (I'm Chinese american). When Shang Chi came out, I was absolutely in love with the movie. It led me to Kim's Convenience in which I also really enjoyed. I was basically watching anything he had to say in anticipation that he plays a larger role in the MCU. Then I noticed all his interviews instead of jsut alluding to asians getting mainstream representation, he 100% took the credit and like he was our messiah finally speaking for us. It was pretty off putting. He had a chance to raise up the community as a whole, but instead took the crown and flaunted it.
I'm extremely glad Michelle Yeoh got the due she deserved. She accepts it with grace. However maybe this is being cynical in my middle age, but I feel like Hollywood really pushed asian things around and post pandemic as a fad... and that may start dying out.
Thank you for your incredible video essays. I’m sorry that so many people are harassing you because you’re the new popular target of the week as you comment on pop culture figures.
What you do brings so much joy and connection. You are incredible and bring so much joy to the world. Please don’t let your voice and light be diminished by internet trolls.
I’m praying for you my good sis. I hope he doesn’t see this and get defensive on whatever social media he decides to use.
Lol, but he might.
Dang, if you had asked me, i would have just said "the game awards", cos i didn't know any of this, but that game awards presentation singlehandedly lowered my opinion of him. like, stop talking and just present the award dude. nobody cares how you broke your foot
ryan gosling has a DUI. ppl's priorities are so effed up
Reminds me of a video on the Barbie press tour when a reporter asked Margot which actor was most similar to their Barbie/Ken and she responded with "Simu"
1:45 a big reason why the Shang Chi sequel has been in development hell is because Marvel tapped the director of the first movie and undoubtedly of the sequel as well, Destin Daniel Cretton, to helm Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is going to be the first of the Infinity War/Endgame style two parter (allegedly 3 parter now) that will cap off the MCU’s messy as hell multiverse saga. In November, it was announced that Cretton had left Kang Dynasty in favor of directing other projects with Marvel, such as Shang Chi 2, which most likely wouldn’t have started filming until either 2026 or 2027 due to Cretton being tied down with Avengers. Apparently they’re looking at a 2025 or 2026 release for Shang Chi 2 now, so we’ll see. It’s one of the few modern Marvel movies I’m genuinely excited about, and I say that as somebody who is still on the Marvel train
He's reminded me of JYP in that singing clip! 😭
Great job!A few API actors that I think are underrated and would love to see get bigger roles/breakout are Sabrina Wu, Tati Gabrielle, Mia Isaac, Brianne Tju, Havana Rose Liu, Megan Suri, Joel Kim Booster Andrew Koji, Avantika Vandapau, Merle Dandridge, Karen Fukuhara, and Brenda Song (I’d love to see her have a huge comeback in a critically acclaimed show or movie)
Also, Ashley Park and Simone Ashley
Great video Kayla but one thing that I think you missed that made some people dislike simu (especially on twitter) was him making a movie with mark wahlberg, after criticing him on twitter for being racist and attacking asians in the past.
I guess I’ve been out of the loop because the first time i heard he was cringe was when he sang “I’m just Ken”. And even at that point i literally saw nothing wrong with it. Is it not okay to sing the song from the movie he was just in?
Simu tweeted about the AMA to promote it from his official twitter account, just in case any one is wondering if that was really him (including a reference to the rampart bit)
I’m going to die if he responds to this video 😂
She is already in a few blockbusters but my vote is for Rachel Zegler. I want to see her starring in all blockbusters.
I can't help but feel like some of the hate he gets online is a bit of a stretch because one of the key aspects of the cancel culture cycle is that people will just see what they want to see and agree with it because they didn't like that figure to begin with. Especially if they are unsubstantiated rumors or screenshots.
Simu does keep saying things that aren't well thought out and is a little "rizzless", and some of it has definitely aged poorly. If he could just take a break from social media and instead focus on getting a role that works for him that would be helpful to getting his reputation back.
i think he looks like a nice guy , some people need a life
This just tells me that ppl need lives. There are actual bad ppl doing horrible things in the world
Meh. I guess I'm controversial and problematic because I still like him and thought he was fabulous in Barbie. And I think him singing the song is funny and people should get over it.
I went to the same university as him and there’s a big rumour going around that he came back to speak on a Chinese students club event back on his Kim’s Convenience days and then slept with some first years and gave them chlamydia lol. heard it from someone in that club too. The other thing is he constantly talks about his humble beginnings but he went to one of the most expensive private schools in Toronto. Anyways, most people in my uni dislike him.
Tangential to this, but shoutout to the Asian UA-camr bubble around like 2010. I desperately want an Asian diaspora creator dive into the humor and general vibes at the time. Nearly every famous Asian person came through Wong Fu Productions, for example. The rise of Subtle Asian Traits and the term "boba liberal", all of it. Asian tiger mom jokes, reductive stereotypes, so much more
Anyone else singing along to the background music? "Juuuust the two of us..."
hahaha it’s my fave background music mix in my rotation
been waiting for this one! thank you kayla says
Loved him in Kim's Convenience. Haven't seen Barbie. So everything in this video will be educational for me.
The Reddit comments were bad, but they were dug up from a few years ago and taken out of context imo. Simu hasn't done anything even vaugely controversial since. Idk why people are so obsessed with picking apart everything a person says or does.... like who cares if there was an 'awkward' moment on a red carpet?!?!
what i'm learning from this channel is that the internet doesn't like anyone anymore lol
this really reminds me of the Selena situation where so much of it would be away if he just stayed off the internet lol
Yeah some stuff wasn’t smart but I feel like ppl are over sensitive about him. Like in the end, give the guy a break.some ppl did way worse and didn’t get that hate weirdly
Love the video Kayla! Small correction: It was actually Bob Chapek who called Shang Chi an “experiment”, this was the CEO during COVID before Iger returned in 2022
Damn, I didn’t know this was happening and I’m online all the time 😵
I recently saw another video mentioning him after the Oscars and it seems that some Asians do not like him because he plays into liberal jokes. I think they want him to be the "model minority/Asian". Henry Golding was getting a lot of roles at one point and no one said anything about him being a token. Also, Awkafina (with her problematic self) also doesn't receive backlash for "taking roles" when she was in crazy rich Asians, Raya and the last dragon and Chang Chi and The Little Mermaid just to name a few. This man is barely starting his correct and he got the Marvel boosts, so yes he is going to be in more things the other newbies. Don't get me wrong, he is cringe and awkward and needs to stay offline because replying and reposting people you disagree with is crazy. But I think some of the hate is a bit anti-Asian. Yes, even from other Asians.
There’s literally nothing cringe about him performing that song. He LITERALLY played a Ken. He was central to the Ken song in the movie, and anyone would use that to leverage their rising star. And responding to online criticism is fair play. It’s not about having “Marvel money,” it’s about defending your reputation when you’re still trying to build it. This video is bogus.