Xena For President

I was recently watching an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess. I've always loved Xena. I am all for female empowerment. Lucy Lawless is bad ass and I love the underlying Lesbian relationship she has with Gabrielle. However, there is one episode in particular I have issues with. In this episode Xena is in China. In China she befriends La Mao, a Chinese princess working for an underground party that seeks to overthrow the corrupt Emperor. Xena gets captured but as a prisoner she escapes. Meanwhile La Mao's efforts are discovered by one of the Emperor's advisers. Long story short, Xena saves La Mao as well as leads the underground to victory against the Emperor and all of China hail her as a heroine.

So, firstly, I would just like to comment on how exoticized China is made to be. I understand that set designers and costume designers are trying to make the scenes believable but the costumes of the Chinese characters were completely dramatized. Even their manner of speaking and hand gestures were dramatized as if the only way to act as a Chinese person is to act like the media representation of Confucious. This is where stereotypes form. When young children are watching these American shows that "show them the world." These views of Chinese people are immediately accepted by children and are believed until otherwise challenged.

Secondly, (This may be a stretch for some people) I feel this episode completely glorifies American Imperialism. Xena represent the valiant American military. She comes into a country that has socio-political issues (i.e. China with a corrupt Emperor) and involves herself with the locals who are fighting for democracy and freedom. La Mao is the leader of the local democratic party and seems powerful in her own strength, but the country seems to be no match for the American might in Xena (I understand that Xena is not necessarily American but it IS an American show where they speak American English). So Xena comes to this foreign country to save the millions of people that are living in poverty under a corrupt regime and successfully overthrows the government and everyone rejoices. If that isn't a symbol of American imperial glory, I don't know what is. What do you guys think?