Where did All the Asians Go?: A Future with No Asians in Blade Runner and Her

“I love Asian fusion!” When Joaquin Pheonix’s character Theodore shouts these words to his date, played by Olivia Wilde, in the critically acclaimed 2015 film Her, they are not meant to be particularly illuminating in any way. Rather, the words are meant to be trivial chatter that Theodore shares with his date as a part of the dating game; he will ultimately betray his fear of commitment to her later that night, and Olivia Wilde’s character leaves him, never appearing again after her ten minute cameo. But whatever Spike Jonze meant…