Chinese Food (song)

Last updated
"Chinese Food"
Single by Alison Gold
ReleasedOctober 5, 2013
Genre Pop
Length3:20
Label PMW Live
Songwriter(s) Patrice Wilson
Producer(s)
  • Patrice Wilson
  • Dave Kurtis
Alison Gold singles chronology
"Chinese Food"
(2013)		"ABCDEFG"
(2013)
Music video
"Chinese Food" (Official video) on YouTube

"Chinese Food" is a song by singer Alison Gold. It was released on October 5, 2013 as her debut single with record producer Patrice Wilson's label, PMW Live. Wilson also wrote and produced the record. [1] It entered the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at number 29, selling 1,000 downloads [2] and being streamed on YouTube five million times for the week ending October 20, 2013. [2] Despite this, it had been reported the same day as not playing on any public radio station in the United States. [2] The accompanying music video was met with controversy regarding cultural insensitivity and has since been deleted from YouTube, although unofficial re-uploads on the site are still accessible.

Contents

Background

Patrice Wilson wrote the song on his birthday in 2012. [3] Wilson, explaining his inspiration for writing the song, stating: "There's a restaurant I go to, they have chicken wings, they have beef with broccoli, that's what I love. The song is based on my experience—what I know about Chinese food." [4]

Music video

The music video for "Chinese Food" was released on October 14, 2013. It was filmed partly in a Mongolian restaurant, because a Chinese restaurant could not be booked, while some other scenes were shot in Gold's bedroom. [5] It was viewed almost one million times within 24 hours of being uploaded to the video sharing site YouTube, attaining an estimated 4:1 ratio of dislikes to likes and drawing comparisons to another poorly received Patrice Wilson production, "Friday" (2011) by Rebecca Black. [6] Wilson himself appears in the "Chinese Food" video wearing a panda suit. [6]

Reception and controversy

The video attracted controversy for its alleged overuse of Asian stereotypes, including scenes of Japanese geisha imagery in a Chinese-themed song. [4] Another scene singled out by media outlets depicts Gold and Wilson playing the board game Monopoly , after which the camera zooms in on Wilson placing the dog figure on the square for Oriental Avenue. [7] Devon Maloney of Wired wrote that the video "is not racist because it depicts pan-Asian cuisine; it's racist because it lazily traffics in racial stereotypes and paints over the distinctions between vastly different Asian cultures with the same 'it's all Chinese to me!' brush." [7] Gold, in response to the accusations, stated: "I don't really understand what that's all about... I mean, I'm not trying to criticize anyone – I just really love Chinese food!" [8] Wilson also denied any intentions of racism, responding:

Yes, I know geishas are Japanese, but you can find Chinese restaurants in Japan! People say I'm squinting, well okay, I have small eyes. All this controversy, I didn't even think about it. The pissed off people saying I'm racist, the last person who wants to be racist is me. [4]

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [2] 29
US Streaming Songs ( Billboard ) [9] 5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackface</span> Theatrical makeup caricaturing Black people

Blackface is the practice of non-Black performers using burnt cork or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of Black people on stage or in entertainment.

Ching chong and ching chang chong are ethnic slurs used to mock or imitate the Chinese language, people of Chinese ancestry, or other people of East Asian descent perceived to be Chinese. The term is a derogatory imitation of Mandarin and Cantonese phonology. The phrases have sometimes accompanied assaults or physical intimidation of East Asians, as have other racial slurs or imitation Chinese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GOOD Music</span> American record label

GOOD Music is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide distribution contract with the Island Def Jam Music Group in 2011. In 2012, the label released its only compilation album, Cruel Summer. In 2015, Pusha T was appointed the president of the label by West, while record executive Steven Victor was appointed COO. In late 2022, Pusha T stepped down from the position as he was no longer on speaking terms with West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Ready to Make Nice</span> 2006 single by The Dixie Chicks

"Not Ready to Make Nice" is a song co-written and performed by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was released in March 20, 2006 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way. The Dixie Chicks wrote the song in response to the backlash they experienced in 2003 after criticizing President George W. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2010 song by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris

"Baby" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber featuring American rapper Ludacris. It was released as the lead single on Bieber's debut studio album, My World 2.0. The track was written by the artists alongside Christina Milian and producers Tricky Stewart and The-Dream.

Rucka Rucka Ali is an Israeli-American rapper, singer, radio personality, comedian, YouTuber, and parodist. He is best known for his dark humor, political and topical song parodies on YouTube. Much of his content pokes fun at ethnic, racial, and religious stereotypes. As of February 2022, he has amassed 331 million views and 1.759 million subscribers on his music channel on YouTube. He has released eight independent studio albums, four of which have charted in the Billboard Top Comedy Albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friday (Rebecca Black song)</span> 2011 single by Rebecca Black

"Friday" is the debut single by American singer Rebecca Black, written and produced by Los Angeles record producers Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson. The song's music video was released on February 10, 2011; it was officially premiered as a single on iTunes on March 14, 2011. The song features a rap verse from Wilson, which was uncredited on the single. Its music video caught a sudden surge of hits after Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax comedian Michael J. Nelson called it "the worst video ever made" on Twitter and the song was featured on the Tosh.0 blog. The song's reception was highly negative, and it was parodied by numerous artists and comedians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARK Music Factory</span> American musical composition and production company

Ark Music Factory was a musical composition and production company based in Los Angeles, California. The company was co-founded in 2010 by Patrice Wilson, who partnered with producer/composer and multi-instrumentalist Clarence Jey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Black</span> American YouTuber and singer

Rebecca Renee Black is an American singer and YouTuber. She gained extensive media coverage when the music video for her 2011 debut single "Friday" went viral on YouTube and various social media sites. The song peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 amidst being panned by audiences and music critics, many of whom considered it "among the worst songs ever made". In 2013, Black released a follow up single "Saturday" to similar commercial success and marginally improved reception.

Patrice Iteke Wilson, also known by his stage name Pato, is a Nigerian-American record producer, songwriter, and singer. He co-founded the independent record label ARK Music Factory with business partner Clarence Jey in 2010, which specialized in young artists. The label would sign pop singer Rebecca Black prior to the release of her 2011 debut single "Friday", which peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wilson and Jey wrote and produced most recordings performed by artists signed to the label, including "Friday".

Comedy hip hop or comedy rap is a subgenre of hip hop music designed to be amusing or comedic, compared to artists who incorporate humor into their more serious, purist hip hop styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Chao</span> Canadian comedian (born 1987)

Davin Tong, better known by his alias Peter Chao, is a Canadian actor, comedic vlogger, and YouTube personality known for his unconventional portrayals of Asian stereotypes, which alongside other politically incorrect videos have drawn mixed criticism from several sources. Born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada, Tong is the second son of "Chinese immigrants", while his character Chao was born and raised in Hong Kong. Tong is bilingual, speaking both fluent English and Cantonese.

<i>Avril Lavigne</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on November 1, 2013, through Epic Records in North America and Sony Music Entertainment worldwide. Lavigne collaborated with numerous producers including Martin Johnson, Peter Svensson, David Hodges, Matt Squire, and Chad Kroeger. In both musical and lyrical aspects, the album represents a departure from the acoustic-oriented production of her previous album Goodbye Lullaby (2011), featuring a more uptempo pop sound juxtaposed with power and piano ballads. Avril Lavigne also incorporates electronic music, industrial and punk rock. The album features two vocal collaborations: Kroeger and American industrial metal singer Marilyn Manson, making Avril Lavigne Lavigne's first album to contain featured vocalists. The album marks her first and only release through Epic Records, and is her fifth and final studio album with Sony Music, to which, under BMG, she signed in 2000.

Allison Elizabeth Gorshkov, better known by her stage names Allison Kove and formerly Alison Gold, is an American former singer. She is best known for the 2013 single "Chinese Food", which peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2019, she starred in the LGBTQ teen romance film The Experience, and has since become an actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturday (Rebecca Black and Dave Days song)</span> 2013 single by Rebecca Black and Dave Days

"Saturday" is a song by American singer Rebecca Black and American musician and YouTube personality Dave Days. The single was released on December 3, 2013, with its accompanying music video released the following Saturday, December 7. It acts as a follow-up to her first single "Friday".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello Kitty (song)</span> 2014 single by Avril Lavigne

"Hello Kitty" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, taken from her self-titled fifth studio album, Avril Lavigne (2013). It was written by Lavigne, Chad Kroeger, David Hodges and Martin Johnson. Production was handled by Kroeger and Hodges, with additional production by Brandon Paddock and Kyle Moorman. Musically, "Hello Kitty" is a J-pop, dubstep, and EDM song, featuring an electro-influenced drop. The song was influenced by Lavigne's affinity to the Japanese brand Hello Kitty, and has some sexual content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RiceGum</span> American YouTube personality and rapper (born 1996)

Bryan Quang Le, better known as RiceGum, is an American YouTuber and online streamer. He is best known for his diss tracks and online feuds with other YouTube personalities. Since creating his YouTube channel, his channel has received over ten million subscribers and over two billion video views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freaky Friday (song)</span> 2018 single by Lil Dicky featuring Chris Brown

"Freaky Friday" is a song by American rapper Lil Dicky featuring American singer Chris Brown and uncredited vocals from Ed Sheeran, DJ Khaled, and Kendall Jenner. Written alongside Ammo and Nicholas Audino and produced by Mustard, Benny Blanco and Twice as Nice, it was released by Dirty Burd on March 15, 2018, alongside its music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Ng</span> Chinese Malaysian stand-up comedian and internet personality

Nigel Ng Kin-ju is a Chinese-Malaysian comedian and YouTuber. He is best known for co-creating and portraying Uncle Roger, a minstrel character representing a middle-aged Asian man with an exaggerated Cantonese accent who is usually seen harshly critiquing people's attempts at cooking Asian food.

References

  1. ↑ "Chinese Food". Amazon.com . Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Alison Gold Delivers 'Chinese Food' to Hot 100". Billboard . October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  3. ↑ "[Roz & Mocha Interview] Exclusive: Chinese Food Singer Alison Gold & Patrice Wilson on KiSS 92.5". KiSS 92.5. October 18, 2013. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Yang, Jeff (October 19, 2013). "Why Alison Gold's 'Chinese Food' Caused a Stir". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  5. ↑ Kaufman, Gil; Marino, Kelly (October 17, 2013). "Exclusive: Chinese Food Singer Alison Gold Thinks Wonton Soup Is 'Really Disgusting'". MTV News . Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Nudd, Tim (October 15, 2013). "Alison Gold's Insane 'Chinese Food' Video Is the New Rebecca Black's 'Friday'". Adweek . Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Maloney, Devon (October 16, 2013). "'Chinese Food' Is the New 'Friday.' Except Racist". Wired . Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  8. ↑ Flanigan, Sarah (October 18, 2013). "Alison Gold Responds to 'Chinese Food' Racism Claims". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Streaming Songs: Nov. 02, 2013". Billboard . Retrieved October 24, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.