Wendy van Dijk
Wendy van Dijk | |
---|---|
Born | Weesp, Netherlands | 22 January 1971
Occupations |
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Years active | 1996–present |
Known for | Portrayal of Ushi Hirosaki |
Wendy van Dijk (born 22 January 1971)
Television
Van Dijk was born in
In 2018, she moved from RTL4 back to her old network SBS6. At SBS6 she presents the shows Dance Dance Dance, SuperKids, Wie Het Laatst Lacht, Hart in Aktie, We Want More and the Dutch version of Flirty Dancing.
Ushi Hirosaki
Van Dijk first appeared as Ushi in 1999, in
Ushi has inspired similar characters that have appeared on other television stations across Europe. Van Dijk appeared as Ushi again in Ushi Must Marry, a theatrical film released in the Netherlands on 14 February 2013.[7]
Not only did Van Dijk feature the role of Ushi, she also appeared as Dushi, an Antillian weather forecaster for
Controversy
Ushi's mannerisms and personality are based on common Asian and Japanese stereotypes. Ushi has been the subject of criticism.
A review of Ushi Must Marry in the Dutch newspaper Het Parool drew further attention to the more controversial aspects of the character. "Then there are the racial stereotypes," wrote reviewer Mike Peek. "Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat makes you laugh at the people he approaches. His role is a cover. But in Ushi Must Marry the characters themselves are the main source of humor. Who laughs at a Japanese person unfamiliar with 'splaakgeblek,' especially in the year 2013?"[11]
NRC Handelsblad film critic André Waardenburg went even further and called the movie a "new low in Dutch film history."[12] Following its release in theaters, Ushi Must Marry was widely panned by other film critics and it also sparked a discussion about the continued popularity of racial caricatures in Dutch culture.[13]
Blackface
In 2009 Van Dijk created a character called Lucretia Martina or Dushi; a black woman working in television from the Antilles. For this character Van Dijk, who is white, dressed up in blackface, for which she was called out as racist,[14] and put on a fatsuit.
Broadcaster RTL considered using Dushi to promote the island of Curaçao, which was 'greatly discouraged' by then Health and Education minister for Curaçao Omayra Leeflang. [15]
In 2019 Van Dijk again faced serious backlash and was again called out for being racist when she posted a picture of Dushi on Instagram for the #10yearschallenge.[16] The post has since been removed.
Selected filmography
Year | Title | Role |
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2007 | Alles is Liefde
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2004 | In Orange | |
2013 | Ushi Must Marry | Ushi Hirosaki |
2012– | Moordvrouw | Fenna Kremer |
References
- ^ "Home - Wendy van Dijk". 3 March 2016. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "Leven en loopbaan van Wendy van Dijk, Panorama".
- ^ "Wendy van Dijk - Beeld en Geluid Wiki". wiki.beeldengeluid.nl. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "Wendy van Dijk Biografie". Wendy van Dijk website. 2013. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ "Wendy van Dijk stapt over van RTL 4 naar SBS 6 van John de Mol". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 14 January 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "Ushi, Ushi!". Greetings From Holland. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ "Ushi Must Marry Trailer". Film Totaal. 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ Brown, Todd (12 December 2012). "Look at the Wacky White Lady Pretending to be Japanese". Twitch. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ "Behold, the Awful, Racist Trailer for Ushi Must Marry". Angry Asian man. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ Kaufman, Matt (18 February 2011). "Ushi/Noriko/Ushi Heiku/Oumi". Kansai: Time Out. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ Peek, Mike (13 February 2013). "Ushi Must Marry: humor van bedenkelijk niveau". Parool. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ^ Waardenburg, Andre (14 February 2013). "Cheerful Weather For the Wedding". NRC.
- ^ Haakman, David (15 February 2013). "Ushi, net zo fout als Zwarte Piet – Waarom zwijgt Nederland?". NRC. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ Administrator (27 October 2009). "'Wendy van Dijk doet aan blackbashing'". Waterkant (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Leeflang tegen 'Dushi' van Dijk". Antilliaans Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Leeuwen, Marlies van (18 January 2019). "Wendy van Dijk uitgemaakt voor racist". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 November 2023.
External links
- Wendy van Dijk at IMDb
- Official website