Qin Zhou from "The Devil Wears Prada 2" / Courtesy of Walt Disney Korea
Ahead of next week’s release of "The Devil Wears Prada 2," calls for a boycott are growing as critics say the film depicts a Chinese character with a racist stereotype.
According to Chinese media outlets on Wednesday, the character at the center of the film's racism controversy is Qin Zhou, played by Chinese American actor Helen J. Shen.
The character, who appears as an assistant to Andrea Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, drew backlash from Chinese netizens in that the name resembles “ching chong,” a racist slur historically used in the West to mock Chinese people.
"'Ching chong' is a symbolic racist slur historically used in the West to ridicule Chinese immigrant workers in the 19th century," wrote Hong Kong's Oriental Daily News. "It implies contempt and discomfort towards Chinese accents and intonation."
Qin Zhou’s portrayal in the film also drew criticism. She is depicted in checkered shirts and glasses, openly criticizing her superior in public and behaving in a self-important manner. Criticisms arose that the character reinforces a Western stereotype in that Chinese people excel academically but lack social skills.
The backlash fueled boycott calls across Chinese social media and online forums. Some users pointedly questioned why the filmmakers had chosen the name Qin Zhou — a name bound to stir controversy — out of all possible options, while others remarked cynically that it made little sense for an assistant at a fashion magazine to be dressed that way.
Sing Tao Daily of Hong Kong wrote that the racism controversy could negatively affect the film’s reputation and commercial performance.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
