Michelle Yeoh, Oscar Winner Best Actress 2023 - Hope for Tomorrow

 

Michelle Yeoh is the 2023 Oscar Best Actress winner for her role as a struggling laundromat owner  in the science fiction surreal comedy film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Yeoh made a come back in Crazy Rich Asians in 2018 (awesome movie btw), after a career which has fluctuated since her career began in 1985 at the age of 22. 

Inspiring women of all ages and backgrounds, Yeoh is the first woman of Asian descent to win the award. She's a ninja in heels, who is a trained dancer and can speak four different languages. 

Yellow Ceilings 

Yeoh's win made me weep, because it felt like a yellow ceiling breaking moment. Yellow ceiling is a term used to describe the barriers that people of South-East Asian descent face, often preventing them from reaching leadership positions or higher salaries. This term is derived from the "glass ceiling" concept, the invisible barrier marginalised groups struggle with in their careers.

Asian are often stereotyped as quiet, submissive, and lacking in leadership skills, which can make it difficult to be taken seriously. Additionally, cultural differences can play a role as Asians often value humility and respect for authority, which can be perceived as passive or unassertive in a Western  environment. This can make it difficult for Asians to stand out and be recognised for their skills and achievements.

Yellow ceiling is a subject quietly, but rarely mentioned.  

Incidentally I used the term South-East Asian because in the UK,  British Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Chinese, and other Asians have existed under an Asian British heading since the 2011 census. 

Personally I see everyone by personality and don't tend to think about anyone's skin colour. They are all just people. Maybe I might think about which country they came from. However, when I heard of Yeoh's win, I couldn't help feeling proud and thinking this victory was overdue. I admit I retweeted a few posts about her when her nomination for the Oscar was announced. I did not dare dream she might actually be crowned this year. 

The Acceptance Speech 

Yeoh acknowledges mothers and overcoming age barriers. As I grow older, I become more conscious of these unwritten rule that once a woman hits a certain age, she's often relegated or dismissed. The age ceiling is a silly societal construct, but it persists. 

In her acceptance speech, Yeoh was admirable and didn't flaunt being a superstar (though she is, her achievements are incredible), but rather gave credit to her Malaysian and Hong Kong origins. I

My parents grew up in Malaysia. Like Yeoh, I studied ballet and martial arts. It is significant for me that she won. As a creative person, you don't see many people of Asian descent reach these echelons. It gives me hope.  

Yeoh's Instagram

Social Media

Yeoh's Instagram posts, which previously averaged 50k likes have jumped to over 100k, with some ranging from 400k to 580k. Such is the power of an Oscar win, that it is reflected in social media engagement. 

I was one of the 2.9 million viewers that watched Yeoh's acceptance speech on the Variety tweet, and one of the 18,500 people who retweeted it too. 

Likeable and Relateable 

What makes Michelle Yeoh so cool isn't the fancy clothes or awards, but just how down-to-earth this woman is. In 2022, Yeoh told Vanity Fair Shakespeare and Stephen King were her favorite authors. A post-award interview she talked about being a foodie and the different dishes she loves. She also mentioned watching Tarzan with her father who liked nature. I remember as a kid, watching Tarzan swing from tree to tree and calling out into the jungle. Michelle Yeoh is now hollering out to the world and I can't wait to see what the 2023 Oscar Best Actress winner does next. 

Find Out More 

• Michelle Yeoh - Instagram
  
• Michelle Yeoh - IMDB
• Everything Everywhere All At Once - official website
  
• Vanity Fair 2022 - Michelle Yeoh Answers the Proust Questionnaire
  
• Oscars.org official website 2023 Winners
  

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E.M. Blake is the author of 'Dilly Dally Sally' and 'This Silly Bench.'

'This Silly Bench,' is currently free to download on Amazon and Kobo for a limited time. The book is quirky and features benches around London and also some from around the world. There are some cool characters too, like Joe the Crow, Matt the greedy rat, a baby gosling on Regent's Canal who has mastered Paddington's hard stare, a family of swans bringing contentment and calm, and many more wonderful animals.  

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