Thread by @DrJasonJohnson

Started watching #kobraKai - Less than 3 minutes in and Johnny's character is throwing racist comments at his Latino neighbor. Is there a point to this? Because the "Racist white guy who eventually reforms" is a really tired trope I don't care to invest my limited TV time in

Finished 1st #kobraKai episode. Johnny is an angry white guy spouting racist one liners at a teenage Hispanic neighbor (Miguel) who for some reason doesn't tell him to kick rocks or cuss him out. Then this same kid accepts help from this old racist because ? Plot convenience?

#kobraKai isn't TERRIBLE but the lone Hispanic and African American (the nurse) characters in the 1st episode are repeatedly yelled at and disparaged. I guess I'm supposed to stick with Johnny until he learns the error of his ways? Maybe EP2 is better

I'm getting a whole Bad News Bears vibe from #CobraKai Episode 2. I guess Johnny is gonna help the nerdy kids learn to fight and throw off all the 'woke' sensitive BS that this generation has subscribed to right?

Since I'm keeping score - Johnny is racist, refers to weak people as women and lady parts and chastises a kid he bullied with racist talk for correcting his sexist lectures. C'mon ya'll I want to like #CobraKai but this shtick was worn out in the 90's - I won't learn to love him

I'm on @CobraKaiSeries episode 2, the racist one liners from Johnny Lawrence count is at 3.
1. Calling Miguel an 'immigrant' pejoratively
2. Calling Miguel "Menudo"
3. Calling Miguel an "Illegal"
Again, the 'racist white guy who learns' trope is tired

Even more annoying is this idea that White characters repeatedly say racist things to Asian and Latino characters with little or no response. Non-Black minorities are consistently written to be passive in the face of overt racism, not sure that's even remotely accurate

In a sign of vague progress #CobraKai does have the new millennium "Asian Man as love interest / rival" which is finally an American push back against the desexualization of Asian men in Hollywood - It's actually become pretty common ex:

Kyler on #CobraKai now joins

Brad - Spiderman Far From Home
Reggie - Riverdale
Kenji - Camp Cretaceous

As the "Asian Man as romantic Rival / love interest" it's probably one of the few racially progressive things about @CobraKaiSeries - I'll give it a few more episodes