Crazy Rich Asians is a fantastic romantic comedy that was praised for its representation of Asian people on screen. With an all-Asian cast, the movie was a piece of media where Asian Americans felt seen. The movie itself is well-written and enjoyable to watch. At its core, the movie is about how society can interfere and influence even the most personal experiences. It discusses the relationship between society and romance. While most of the movie focuses on how societal structure impacts Rachel and Nick’s relationship, I believe Astrid’s marriage is a better depiction of how society can hinder your love life.
C. Wright Mill’s concept of The Sociological Imagination can be applied in this movie. The Sociological Imagination is the vivid awareness that your personal issues are impacted by society. Because the human experience does not exist in a vacuum, the decisions of other people—in the present and the past—have an influence on your life.
Astrid’s and Micheal’s relationship in the 2018 romantic comedy, Crazy Rich Asians, is a perfect example of how capitalism and toxic masculinity are intertwined. Under capitalism, gender roles exist to create complementary roles for men and women in order to keep society functioning. For example, it is widely accepted that it is the husband’s role to earn money and support the family, while the wife stays at home and raises the children. Because of this, a man’s sense of worth is tied to how much money he makes and if he is able to support his family. This is becoming a harder ideal to attain because of the growing movement for gender equality and the increase in income inequality. Even though Micheal is a very wealthy CEO, Astrid still has more money in the relationship, thus making her the breadwinner. Micheal feels emasculated because of this. He does not come from a wealthy family, so he had to work hard to make something of himself and become a wealthy tech billionaire. Micheal’s job and status should make him feel manly, but it doesn’t. This puts a strain on Astrid’s and Micheal’s relationship. Astrid has to hide her shopping from Micheal in order to prevent it from bruising his ego. Astrid is aware that Micheal is insecure about the differences in wealth between her and her husband. Micheal eventually cheats on Astrid because of this insecurity because he seeks a relationship where he has the dominant breadwinning role.
It is likely that the problem with Astrid and Micheal’s marriage would be nonexistent had the society they live in been less capitalistic. Capitalistic culture creates a sense of extreme competition among peers and pressure to “move up the ladder.” This pressure is especially intense among men. Traditionally, women have the option to “move up the ladder” by marrying rich. This alternative is less socially acceptable for men.
The idea of capitalism fueling toxic masculinity is really solidified during Astrid’s confrontation with Micheal about the affair. She tells him, “It’s not my job to make you feel like a man, I can’t make you something you are not.” This illustrates how much capitalism influences gender roles. Astrid was perfectly fine with Micheal’s somewhat submissive role in the relationship, but Micheal was not. Toxic masculinity encourages men to take the breadwinning, dominant role in relationships. Because Micheal was unable to do that, he loses his sense of self, causing problems in the marriage.
Although the extreme wealth shown in Crazy Rich Asians is not relatable to the average viewer, the movie still finds ways to hit home for the audience. It is a reminder that society can and will have an impact on your life, whether you like it or not.