youtube, opera, and butterflies

In Act one, Scene Seven, Helga, Gallimard's wife says "Why can't they just hear it as a piece of beautiful music?" This is a crucial question in music and representation. Yes the music in Puccini's Butterfly is gorgeous and a classic that everyone loves. However, the opera is based on racist exoticism and orientalism. (We can turn to Act One Scene Six for Song's critique)

So I've included two videos below of the famous aria "Un bel di vedremo." In the scene, three years have passed since Butterfly's American husband left her. Her servant Suzuki, tries to convince her that he isn't coming back, but Butterfly is convinced that he will. She sings of the day that he will return. She dreams of him sailing into the harbour and climbing up the hill to meet her.

The first one is by Ying Huang and it's from a movie version. Like Song, Ying Huang is a Chinese woman (not a man tho) playing a Japanese woman.


This one is by Raina Kabaivanska, a Bulgarian opera singer in yellow face.


Two issues come up with the racial representation of an Asian woman vs. a White woman playing Cho Cho San (Cho Cho San has also been played by Black opera singers). If you have an Asian woman play Cho Cho San, first she doesn't have to be Japanese (as in the case of Ying Huang) and secondly she "authenticates" the representation with her racialized body. If you have a non-Asian play Cho Cho San, they must be in yellow face. (For past Hollywood depictions of yellow face watch Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Teahouse of the August Moon ... real f**ked up because Marlon Brando plays an Okinawan - U.S. has a strong military presence in Okinawa and they have a long colonial history which Brando makes fun of by saying "history of Okinawa reveal distinguished record of conquerors" ... real f**ked up). I don't think you can choose whether an Asian or White woman would be better to play Cho Cho San. But would it be better to not perform it at all? Still it is artwork ... can't we just hear it as a beautiful piece of music? (Question is similar to discussion around Miss Saigon and the representation of Asian men as prostitutes)

Also, in a media studies class I took before, we discussed that breaking a stereotype requires the presentation of the stereotype. So while Hwang tries to question Asian femininity and masculinity, the audience must still see a Asian man successfully dressing and acting as a woman and watch Comrade Chin be a sneaky aggressive woman. Thus my question about M. Butterfly is, how effective is it in breaking down stereotypes of Asian Americans? Now you have the sneaky Asians who gain information from you with their gender bending ways. You can't trust them with their gender, how much more politics and information? If only racial discourse in America was different, we wouldn't have to have this discussion.

And just so you can see how BD Wong plays Song:


And talking about Mulan and representation: