Hegemony in the Jeremy Lin Saga

We have discussed in class the generic stereotypes that stigmatize Asian men throughout American media.  They are not "manly", they are not smooth around women, they are not well-endowed, if you will, down below, and they tend to always be the smartest man in the room.  Granted, these stereotypes do not get brought into the sports realm all too often, but that is because Asians have found little to no success in American sports (save baseball, in which Asians excel).  Which is why Jeremy Lin's emergence over this NBA season has been a culture shock to the American media.  They've never had to cover a figure such as Lin, with Yao Ming having the only relatedness.  But even Yao carried typical Asian stigmas in the eyes of sports fans that may have affected the way he was covered.  Sure, he was talented, but he barely could speak English and he was freakishly tall and goofy.

Now America has been exposed to an Asian that was born in the States, is not a physical anomaly, and seems to carry himself with extreme poise in front of the camera.  And his popularity and aura have created a "Jackie Robinson-like" experience for sports fans.

The question I pose is this - Has Jeremy Lin been an example of American media conceding hegemonic control  to Asians in American sports, or has Lin (like Jackie Robinson) blazed a trail that has seemingly broken typical stereotypes?

When our class read White News, one of the main theories discussed in the book was that when media portrays minorities for their customs or cultural beliefs, it can reinforce stereotypes of that minority.  Coverage of Lin's 2011-2012 season with the New York Knicks has been all over front page headlines, but has it reinforced stereotypes?  We have shown you examples throughout this blog of racist remarks regarding Lin, such as the highly-criticized ESPN headline, and you have also seen video coverage from SNL of how Asian jokes that could be seen as insensitive are seemingly being taken as a joke, when compared to racist remarks geared towards other minorities.

But why is a racist remark aimed at Kobe Bryant 'outdated', while remarks about Lin are being used daily?  Is it because Asians are newer and more of an anomaly on a basketball court than African-Americans?  If Jeremy Lin were to usher in an influx of Asian basketball players, would jokes about him become outdated as well?

These are the questions that I pose, and it seems to me that, for the most part, many of the stereotypical remarks have come in satire.  Everyday reporting on Jeremy Lin has spoke highly about his talent on the court and his character off the court.  Remarks about his Asian descent, unless being the main topic of the article, have been mentioned very little.  However, I find that this lack of pointing out Lin's descent is a concession in itself.  News reporters know that being an Asian-American is arguably the first thing that comes to mind in their readers, and thus, continue to churn out stories about him, all the while claiming that 'race is not the issue'.  If stories regarding Lin subside while his talent on the court remains at a high level, then Jeremy Lin has found his place in basketball without his race being the first thought.  But until then, his popularity will stand on the platform that he is a mere anomaly in the NBA and his mystique is fueled by his race rather than his ability to make a sweet, no-look pass or hit the game-winning 3-pointer.

- Shaun Loughlin