Prof. Bui

Professor Bui’s lecture focused on a topic that hit very close to home for her. She chose to speak about the role of the Vietnamese woman in culture and the media and what kind of meaning that image creates for people outside of Vietnam. Much of this image was created due to the Vietnamese war and that fact that many women prostituted themselves to American soldiers during that time period. This, unfortunately, is highlighted in the minds of many when Vietnam is discussed. Also, because of this fact, films about the events of the Vietnamese war prior to the 1990s only depicted Vietnamese women as prostitutes or dead bodies. However, Prof. Bui explained that Vietnamese war films after 1990 presented a new role for Vietnamese women.

Women in the new films were given a more central role to the story and not only depicted as sexual objects. Women were now given a “purer” image. Vietnamese women were given a nostalgic role, as to represent pre-war Vietnam. This change in image came at the time that relations between Vietnam and America were beginning to improve. This change in film didn’t necessarily mean a change in the minds of outsiders, as shown by Prof. Bui’s own personal experience. While living in Vietnam, Prof. Bui had been repeatedly approached by travelling American and European businessmen, believing her to be a prostitute. Apparently, the old imagery and thoughts of Vietnamese women stuck around.

Prof. Bui’s experience goes along hand-in-hand with the ideas of framing and perception previously discussed in class. Obviously, for many years, the only idea of a Vietnamese woman that had ever been conveyed to audiences within film was that of a prostitute. Filmmakers clearly had some motive in highlighting this aspect of the war. Although true, Vietnamese women were not only prostitutes. They are human beings with feelings, thoughts, hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, the constant onslaught of films portraying all Vietnamese women as prostitutes for so long almost negates any effort that the new era films tried in changing the image of the Vietnamese woman. Unfortunately, audiences used these older films as their source of information on Vietnamese women and with this information, believing it to be a source of authority, create false perceptions of the Vietnamese woman. These perceptions then get passed along to younger generations, never giving any new information a chance to question old perceptions and opinions. 

Ashley C.