Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Headline About Asian Actors 'Breaking The Bamboo Ceiling' With Oscar Nods Sparks Debate

Headline About Asian Actors 'Breaking The Bamboo Ceiling' With Oscar Nods Sparks Debate
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images; Rich Fury/Getty Images for PRADA

An article in the Hollywood Reporter highlighting more Oscar nominees of Asian actors in films than ever before appeared to have hit a sour note on social media with a headline that has since been modified.

The original title of the article read:


"Diverse Field Sees Asian Actors Shatter a Bamboo Ceiling."



The entertainment news outlet's headline—which now reads, "Oscars: Diverse Field Sees Asian Actors Finally Break Through"—meant to celebrate this year's Oscar nomination roster featuring more actors of Asian descent than ever—including Korean-born and Michigan-raised actor Steven Yeun and South Korean actress Youn Yuh-Jung for Minari; British Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed for The Sound of Metal; and Chinese director Chloé Zhao for Nomadland.

Additionally, among the nominees were South Korean-American screenwriter Lee Isaac Chung and producer Christina Oh for their work in Minari.

Many saw the Hollywood Reporter's headline as "cringeworthy" for the use of the term "Bamboo Ceiling"—a derivative of the term "glass ceiling," used to describe invisible barriers through which minorities and women struggle to break through to attain higher social or corporate positions usually held by White men.





Some believed the use of "Bamboo Ceiling" was not racist, arguing the term was originally coined in 2005 by executive coach and Asian American author Jane Hyun in her book Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians in which she described the struggles many Asian Americans face in professional fields overcoming barriers like stereotypes and racism.

Many still argued the term originated at a time when the discourse around diversity was not as prevalent as it is today.



Hollywood Reporter writer Rebecca Sun—who is Asian—wrote the article in question and responded to the backlash and the influx of calls for her to amend the title.

"Hi! I wrote that headline (and the story). My editor, who is not Asian, was worried about it, but it's a conscious choice I made to reference the phrase's usage in the corporate world (the difficulty Asian executives have in breaking through to upper management)."
"It's definitely not meant to be a cheeky pun or anything like that."

Despite clarifying her intentions, her defense did not convince everybody the use of the term was still the best decision.








The 93rd Academy Awards will air live on April 25 on ABC.

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less