Everyone who turned on the radio in 1974 heard this song at least a few times a day. And honestly, the soundwave still lives rent-free in our brain, we hum the melody without even thinking.

Carl Douglas’s disco single was a massive hit in the '70s and still echoes through today’s speakers. When the song became the soundtrack to Kung Fu Panda in 2008, streams went through the roof. Fair enough, it’s catchy. I’ll admit it too. But the more you listen to the lyrics, the melody, and that one riff, the more the song starts to tell us something. Yes, I am about to analyze this super upbeat song. That’s what I do.

Orientalism
In his book Orientalism (a personal favorite), Edward Said explains that the West becomes stronger by positioning itself in opposition to the East. According to him, Orientalism always comes with a hidden layer of power, it's a dynamic where the West claims dominance over the East. It’s a way of thinking in which the East is seen as inferior.

But wait, who actually decides what 'the East' is? Where’s the actual line? Orientalism is a Western style of dominating, reshaping, and asserting authority over the so-called Orient. The core of Orientalism, according to Said, is the division between Western superiority and Eastern inferiority. If we’re being academically correct, Orientalism involves Western historicism, Eurocentrism, European imperialism, discrimination, and racism. Even using the words East and West already reinforces a hierarchy.

Now really, what is the East? Who made that up? Is it a place on the map? A culture? A vibe? And who decides where the East begins... and where the West ends? Silly, right? Those borders didn’t just fall out of the sky. They were created, shaped by power, stories, and centuries of stereotypes. And the image of the East we’re left with? Mostly built by the West, through films, books, music, art, and academia. A version of the East, made by a self-proclaimed superior West.

Side note: The East isn’t one clear identity or culture that looks the same for everyone, obviously. It includes countless countries, languages, people, and traditions. But in Western stories, it’s often lumped together into one mysterious, exotic idea. The West is painted as strong, rational, progressive, democratic, and masculine. The East? Sensual, exotic, irrational, primitive, and feminine. The Other.
And now: music.

Hearing certain sounds or instruments instantly makes us think of certain cultures. Enter the Oriental riff. It’s a musical riff used in Western culture as a stereotype, a shortcut to say: 'this is Asian!'. The notes in this riff follow a certain scale. But here's the twist: the riff itself is a Western invention, you won’t find it in actual Asian music traditions. It’s a caricature of how Westerners think Asian music should sound. They fooled us. Silly us.

Kung Fu Fighting.
Yep, this riff is exactly why we can analyze Kung Fu Fighting. Just 17 seconds the riff kicks in. In total, the Oriental riff pops up 13 times throughout the song. But the lyrics also hide Orientalist views. At 0:47: 'There were funky China men from funky Chinatown, they were chopping them up, they were chopping them down, it’s an ancient Chinese art.' That line is more than problematic. 'China men from funky Chinatown', it hides a patronizing perspective. The term 'China man' is a racial slur often used to refer to people of East Asian descent, regardless of their actual background. Everyone gets lumped together. Classic Western move.

Besides the Oriental riff, there’s also the Arabian riff and other similar musical shortcuts. I’d love to give you a list of every song that uses them, but luckily, there’s the internet and sites like WhoSampled.com. Also: pay close attention to the music videos. They often reinforce these stereotypes just as much.

Orientalism is deeply rooted in pop culture and music, but it's often overlooked or really well hidden. It creates a view of the 'East' as some exotic 'Other', built on stereotypes rather than reality. The Oriental riff and lyrics like those in Kung Fu Fighting contribute to this misleading, mocking portrayal. And the continued use of these elements in pop culture only reinforces Orientalist ideas. Recognizing and calling out these patterns is key if we want fairer cultural representation.

So yes, we will analyze a super catchy song.

Much love,
Dilara

My reading tips:
Edward W. Said – Orientalism
Ian Buruma & Avishai Margalit – Occidentalism