‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Faces Backlash in China Over Chinese Character Portrayal

The Hollywood film 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' has been swept into a racial discrimination controversy. 

Chinese media outlets including Zhonghua.com reported on the 21st that criticism has spread online over a video released ahead of the film’s opening, with viewers alleging it contains elements that belittle Chinese people.

At the center of the dispute is Qinzhou, a supporting character played by Chinese actor Sun Yutian. Online in China, some viewers said the character’s name sounds like the slur "Ching Chong," a term historically used in the West to mock Chinese people.

Critics also pointed to the character’s glasses and checkered shirt, exaggerated facial expressions and bumbling behavior, as well as scenes in which the character openly criticizes a boss or boasts about himself. They said the portrayal repeats a stereotype that Asians are good at studying but lack social skills.

The backlash goes beyond whether one character is drawn as ridiculous. Films can include awkward, exaggerated or abrasive figures, and in comedy and satire such characters can help drive a story.

But when a character from a specific racial background is given a name, appearance and mannerisms that overlap with long-standing prejudices, audiences may find it difficult to view it as merely a character choice.

 
That is where much of the reaction from Chinese audiences is rooted. If a global commercial film aimed at the China market includes a Chinese character but uses that person mainly as a caricatured side role rather than giving an independent storyline or depth, the sense of offense can grow.

With concerns lingering that Hollywood has long used Asian characters as the "smart nerd," the "socially awkward helper" or an "exotic decoration," the debate is expanding beyond individual scenes to broader questions about representation.

At the same time, the article noted it is difficult to label the filmmakers’ intent as racist based only on limited footage released so far. It said the character’s full arc and function in the film still need to be seen. But for a major global release, how audiences receive a portrayal matters as much as intent, and filmmakers have a basic responsibility to consider historical context and how expressions may be read across cultures.

The issue, it added, is not that films must avoid any character who could spark controversy. The key is building fuller characters so they are not consumed as symbols of a race or background, and ensuring traits are formed convincingly within the story rather than leaning on racial clichés.

Ultimately, the controversy facing 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' also touches on how Hollywood approaches the China market. The debate has moved beyond one film’s commercial pressure in China to a wider question of how the global film industry should view and portray race and culture.
 



* This article has been translated by AI.

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