07.30.03
Yet another faulty example of America's sweeping, indiscriminate post-9/11 deportation policies: Korean Mother Faces Deportation After Cultural Misunderstanding. Granted, leaving her small children alone was EXTREMELY unwise, in some ways criminal, but not grounds for deportation.
07.30.03
Dat Phan actually stands a good chance at winning Last Comic Standing—and you can help. Although phone voting is closed, we can still vote on NBC's website until midnight tonight (Wednesday, July 30th). You can vote three times per unique e-mail address. Just "Refresh/Reload" the browser when you've voted and you can vote again. Go Dat!
07.29.03
I'm told Kelly Hu was on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, and just happened to do some representin' for Asians in the face of some of Kimmel's dumbass comments. First, he asked her, "What's your nationality?" Kelly replied with a laugh, "Um, I'm American!"† And then, Jimmy was like, "No, I mean what's your heritage." Goodness. Why is it even necessary to ask questions like this? Later on, he asked her, "So did you know karate since you were a little kid?" Kelly shot back, "Why is it that everyone assumes you know karate if you're Asian?" Gotcha sucka. That's when people really do have to bust out some karate and kick somebody's ass. I swear, Jimmy Kimmel wields ignorance like a freakin' sword. And the audience eats it up. That's racist!
07.29.03
Some brief sports bits in this article: Calling all Jets fans. NY Jets player Curtis Martin fears SARS, and doesn't seem to know the difference between China and Japan (item #3 in "Banks' Shots"). Also, a Japanese player in the NFL? ("Dear NFL Junkie") One of the Jets' more interesting training camp stories this season is receiver Yoshinobu Imoto, a Japanese native who was signed after playing for the Amsterdam Admirals this year in NFL Europe. Hope to see that guy on Monday Night.
07.29.03
Seong Un Joe is a radio celebrity who is known to his audience by a Korean name that translates loosely as Dr. Driving, and he's sort of a local hero in LA's Koreatown: Traffic Tips, Best Taken With a Pinch of Kimchi. I don't want to reinforce more stereotypes that Asians are bad drivers... however, this article is still sort of amusing. Dr. Driving says the problem is cultural, not genetic. And having been to Korea myself and witnessing the kind of crazy driving and congestion that goes on there, I have to agree; that kind of driving does not translate well in the United States.
07.29.03
It's your last chance to see pro tennis player Michael Chang. A French Open champion and winner of 34 tournaments, he plays tonight at UCLA as he winds up a 16-year career: Chang's Goodbye Tour Makes Final L.A. Stop
07.29.03
Chinese immigrants face anger, envy —not just here in the U.S., but also in Russia: Tense Divide in Russia's Far East
07.29.03
There are now only five contestants left on NBC's Last Comic Standing, and the while the last few weeks have been challenging for our man Dat Phan, he has suprised everyone and come out on top. Not only is he funny, he has impressed me with his all-around class and professionalism. I'm told by someone who has met Dat—the guy is genuinely nice. I'd love to see him make it. Tonight, the outcome is up to us, the viewers. So log on or call in after the show, and vote for Dat Phan!
07.29.03
Columnist Emil Guillermo weighs in on everyone's favorite television show: Sayonara, "Banzai"
07.28.03
Got this message, regarding an East West Players event going on this week:
SPREAD THE WORD!
REMINDER--SAVE THE DATE--WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2003
COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR ASIAN AMERICAN ACTORS AT THIS VERY IMPORTANT SHOWCASE DIRECTED BY OUR OWN HENRY CHAN!
They might just be on TV next season!
There will be industry folks there - but our actors need to play to a packed house to put this in full-effect. Come and support - and it's free!
Curtain--7:30 sharp
YOU MUST RSVP - see below for details...
Join NBC Entertainment and East West Players for a staged reading of an episode of the half hour television comedy, Coupling, performed by an entirely Asian/Pacific American cast.
Cast: Hira Ambrosina, Amita Balla, Emy Coligado, Reggie De Leon, Roger Fan, Parry Shen, Matt Yang King, Jim Ishida, Kennedy Kabasares, Robert Isaac Lee, Rebecca Lin, Sharon Omi
This showcase event, directed by Henry Chan (dir. Lizzie McGuire, Soul Food, Moesha, King of Queens) and hosted by stand-up comedian Ron McGehee along with stand-up comic Amy Anderson, features actors you'll want to consider this coming season.
Please join us...
Wednesday, July 30th--Curtain: 7:30 sharp
The David Henry Hwang Theatre @ East West Players
120 Judge John Aiso St.
Downtown Los Angeles
Free parking in City Lot #7 immediately next door to the Theatre.
Please RSVP to Mimi at 212-644-6745 or email Miriam.HirtManheimer@nbc.com
07.28.03
Article on Asian American actors seeking success by way of Hong Kong: Go East, Young Actor. Interesting, because highlights what is jacked about the American movie industry. An Asian American actor can't get a break in Hollywood, but actors and directors from Asia are being wooed over to the U.S. to make high-profile films. Hollywood isn't willing to accept that the majority of us don't jump around off walls or wield samurai swords... That's racist!
07.28.03
Washington Governor Gary Locke, the nation's first Chinese American governor and a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced Monday that he will not seek a third term, saying he wants to spend more time with his family: Gov. Locke won1t seek a third term
07.28.03
I was flipping through channels and happened to catch a bit of Banzai again. Absolutely horrendous. You can call Fox Viewer Comment Hotline (toll free) at 1-800-369-6848. You can ask to leave a message for Gail Berman, entertainment president. Also, email Gail Berman at GailB@fox.com.
Here is a list of sponsors from last night's broadcast:
Universal Pictures (ran ads both week 2 and week 3)
http://www.universalstudios.com/homepage/html/contact_us/contact_form.cgi?email_id=21
Rick Finkelstein, President and CEO
Universal Pictures
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
Phone: 818-777-1000
Fax: 818-866-3600
Sony/Playstation 2 (Sony Pictures ran an ad during week 1)
http://us.playstation.com/contactus/consumerSupportForms/generic_Form.asp
Kazuo Hirai
President
Sony Computer Entertainment America (Makers of "Playstation2")
PO Box 5888
San Mateo, CA 94402-0888
800-345-7669 (800-345-SONY)
M-F 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. PST
Nike (ran ads for week 1 and week 3)
Nike Consumer Affairs
1-800-344-6453
http://swoosh.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/swoosh.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php
Nike, Inc.
Consumer Affairs
PO Box 4027
Beaverton, OR 97076-4027
Dimension Films (ran ads both week 2 and week 3)
http://www.dimensionfilms.com/
Andrew.T.Robbins@miramax.com (e-mail domain is @ miramax.com)
Dimension Films
c/o Miramax Films
375 Greenwich St.
New York NY 10013
212-941-3800
213-951-4200
AT & T
http://www.att.com/forms/forms_corp.html
Susan Fleming, AT & T Corporate Media Relations
908-234-4548
suefleming@att.com (e-mail domain is @ att.com)
Eastern U.S. (CT, DE., ME, MA, MD., NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV)
Jeff Roberts, 212-803-2673, jaroberts@att.com
Southern U.S. (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN)
Gene Regan, 404-810-8657, gregan@att.com
Central U.S. (IL, IN, MI, OH, WS)
Mike Pruyn, 312-230-4894, mpruyn@att.com
Western U.S. (AZ, AR, CO., ID, IA, KS, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY)
Kerry Hibbs, 972-778-2081, khibbs@att.com
Pacific U.S. (AK, CA, HI, NV)
Gordon Diamond, 415-442-2268, hgdiamond@att.com
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) (ran ads both week 2 and week 3)
http://www.kfc.com/contact.htm
http://www.kfc.com/int_comments.htm (international/Canada)
1-800-CALL-KFC
1-800-225-5532
Yum! Brands Inc. (formerly Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc.) is the parent company for both Pizza Hut and KFC Pizza Hut ran an ad during week 2; KFC has run ads week 2 and week 3
Media and Public Relations for Yum! Brands
Amy Sherwood
Vice President, Public Relations
1441 Gardiner Lane
Louisville, KY 40213
502/874-8200
Tel 502 874-2543 * Fax 502 874-8790
888/2YUMYUM (1-888/298-6986)
yum.investor@yum.com (e-mail domain is @ yum.com)
Ikea
http://www.ikea-usa.com/customer_service/Contact_us/contact_us.asp
USPR@memo.ikea.com
1-800-434-4532
Ms. Pernille Lopez
President, IKEA North America
Ikea Corporate Office
496 West Germantown Pike
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Telephone: 610-834-0180
pernille.lopez@memo.ikea.com
General Motors (ran ads both week 2 and week 3)
http://www.gm.com/gmcomjsp/contactus/emailus_comment_advertisement.html
info@gm.com (e-mail domain is @ gm.com)
to find e-mail and 1-800 numbers for specific GM Brands, go to http://www.gm.com/gmcomjsp/contactus/
General Motors Corporation
300 Renaissance Center
P.O. Box 300
Detroit, Michigan 48265-3000
Phone: (313) 556-5000
Subway (ran ads both week 2 and week 3)
asksubway@subway.com (e-mail domain is @ subway.com)
or http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Applications/CustServ/frmCustomerService.aspx
1-800-888-4848
Fred DeLuca, President
Subway Franchise Headquarters
325 Bic Drive
Milford, CT 06460 USA
Tel.(203) 877-4281
There's a compilation of contact information for Fox and for the sponsors at the following group (you don't need to be a member to view the info):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/universalconnection/files/Banzai.htm
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D62D12A55
07.28.03
Lindsay Price is in cast of Coupling, a new show this fall on NBC. You may remember her from Beverly Hills 90210.
07.28.03
Filmmaker's Grace Lee's current project is Best of the Wurst, a short documentary all about a strange German snackfood I know absolutely nothing about. It's also about Berlin.
07.26.03
Hey! It's Chin-hui Tsao of the Colorado Rockies, the first pitcher from Taiwan in Major League Baseball: Rockies win milestone game. The rookie served up a 7-3 victory Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers in his big league debut. And some more on him here: Taiwanese pitcher makes majors debut
07.25.03
I actually don't know where this comes from, but here is more "official"-sounding word about Angelina Jolie's appearance at the San Diego Comic Con:
JOLIE REVELS IN ASIAN ATTENTION
23/07/2003
ANGELINA JOLIE's adoption of a Cambodian boy has sparked excitement across
Asia - from swarms of men hoping to land a date with the actress. Sexy TOMB
RAIDER star Jolie, 27, adopted orphan MADDOX last year (02), just before the
break-up of her marriage to actor BILLY BOB THORNTON. And when she and HALLE
BERRY made their way down to America's COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL - the world's
largest comic book convention - in San Diego, California last weekend
(19/20JUL03), Jolie was met with attention from hopeful Asians. After
receiving shouts of admiration during a LARA CROFT question and answer
session on Saturday (19JUL03), a man enquired, "I've seen your son and does
that mean that you date Asian guys?" Once the cheers died down, a smiling
Jolie, clad in a sexy lowcut black dress, answered, "Maybe." Her response
was met with whoops of joy.
Whoops of joy, indeed.
07.25.03
Hey, remember SARS? Here's an interview with Nobel Prize-winning virologist David Baltimore: What, Me Worry About SARS?
07.24.03
Here's a pretty interesting historical website: Ping Yang on the Mohawk: The Forgotten Asians of Marcola Oregon
07.24.03
Have you seen Charlotte Sometimes? It's still screening out there, and will be making San Diego theatrical premiere next week. There will be a special screening benefit for the San Diego Asian Film Festival, featuring director Eric Byler and cast of Charlotte Sometimes. Buy your tickets here. And for all your Charlotte Sometimes info, visit the official website.
07.23.03
HARLEMM LEE WINS FAME! He did it! Unbelievable! America voted for Harlemm to win the competition, and it brought tears to my eyes. Without question, he is indeed a triple threat. I feel particularly happy because I think I contributed about 20-30 calls to the final vote. You gotta love the guy—he is a true, unique talent and deserved to win, over all the other contestants. And he represents for Asians in America. Who would've thought this short, bald, 36-year-old Chinese guy could go all the way? Look out America, Harlemm has arrived.
07.23.03
Been a while, but it looks like Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, the Up in Smoke duo, will be making another movie: Cheech and Chong Take Another Hit
07.23.03
Angelina Jolie was at the San Diego COMIC-CON convention to promote her new Tomb Raider movie. During a Q&A session, a guy in the audience reportedly asked her: "I've seen your son . . . does that mean you date Asian guys?" After the audience cheered, Jolie then answered with a giggling nod: "Maybe..." Yo, what does that mean? What does that mean?
07.23.03
Reality show madness! Major controversy on Big Brother 4. Last night, Jee nominated Erika and Michelle (two white girls) for eviction. Erika responded with a rant in the yard, caught by all the cameras where she cursed Jee, calling him something to the effect of: "Korean piece of sh-t," "Fresh off the boat," and "motherf-cking immigrant." Woman's obviously got some anti-Asian aggression going on. That's racist! Vote her ass out of the house.
On Last Comic Standing, Dat Phan once again was forced to face the fire. The ex-housemates returned and
unanimously voted against Dat for him to face off against Geoff in the elimination round. (Why do they have it in for him?) But once again, the guy pulls through, winning decisively with 77% of the audiences vote. Read the episode recap here. Dat rules!
Now cross your fingers for Harlemm tonight on Fame.
07.22.03
Remember to sign the petition: Boycott FOX to Stop Banzai. Participation has reportedly waned lately... Also, here's the number for the Fox Viewers Comment Line: 310-369-3066. Got something to say? Leave a message. Or write an email or two askfox@foxinc.com
Here's the sponsor contact info for this past Sunday's episode:
Verizon Wireless
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/contact/email.jsp
1-800-922-0204
611 from your mobile phone
Dennis F. Strigl
President and CEO
Verizon Wireless
Attn: Executive Relations
180 Washington Valley Rd
Bedminster, NJ 07921
Universal Pictures
http://www.universalstudios.com/homepage/html/contact_us/contact_form.cgi?email_id=21
Rick Finkelstein, President and CEO
Universal Pictures
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
Phone: 818-777-1000
Fax: 818-866-3600
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)
http://64.213.197.19/forms/irpt_Comments.asp (inside the U.S.)
http://www.kfc.com/int_comments.htm (international/Canada)
1-800-CALL-KFC
1-800-225-5532
KFC Corporate Office
1441 Gardiner Lane
Louisville KY 40213
Mountain Dew (a Pepsi company)
webmaster @ mountaindew.com
Pepsi-Cola 1-800-433-2652
Steven S. Reinemund
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
PepsiCo., Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 253-2000
Pizza Hut (THIS IS THE SECOND WEEK PIZZA HUT HAS SPONSORED BANZAI):
http://www.pizzahut.com/contact_feedback.asp
Consumer service representative
1-800-948-8488
Pizza Hut Corporate Office
14841 Dallas Parkway
Dallas, TX 75254
Yum! Brands Inc. (formerly Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc.) is the parent company for both Pizza Hut and KFC
1900 Colonel Sanders Lane
Louisville, KY 40213
Tel 502 874-2543 * Fax 502 874-8790
Media and Public Relations for Yum! Brands
Amy Sherwood
Vice President, Public Relations
1441 Gardiner Lane
Louisville, KY 40213
502/874-8200
888/2YUMYUM (1-888-298-6986)
yum.investor @ yum.com
Subway
asksubway @ subway.com
or http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Applications/CustServ/frmCustomerService.aspx
1-800-888-4848
Fred DeLuca, President
Subway Franchise Headquarters
325 Bic Drive
Milford, CT 06460 USA
Tel.(203) 877-4281
Dimension Films
http://www.dimensionfilms.com/
Dimension Films
c/o Miramax Films
375 Greenwich St.
New York NY 10013
212-941-3800
213-951-4200
Quizno's Subs
http://www.quiznos.com/contactus0.asp?id=8
Quiznos Corporate Office
1475 Lawrence Street, Suite 400
Denver, Colorado 80202
Telephone: 720-359-3300
Fax: 720-359-3399
Hyundai North America
1-800-633-5151
Hyundai Motor America
10550 Talbert Avenue
P.O. Box 20850
Fountain Valley, CA 92728-0850
Chili's Restaurants
http://www.chilis.com/contact/
1-800-983-4637
Ronald A. McDougall, CEO
6820 LBJ Freeway
Dallas, TX 75240
(972) 980-9917
General Motors
http://www.gm.com/gmcomjsp/contactus/emailus_comment_advertisement.html
info@gm.com
General Motors Corporation
300 Renaissance Center
P.O. Box 300
Detroit, Michigan 48265-3000
Phone: (313) 556-5000
07.22.03
Can't remember if I've mentioned this site before: www.asianwhite.org/. Read it over, come to your own conclusions...
07.22.03
Here are a few reasons to visit Seattle this summer. The previously mentioned Bruce Lee Collector's Exhibit. A new exhibit at Wing Luke Asian Museum, It's Like That: APA's and the Seattle Hip-Hop Scene which examines the role of Asian Pacific Americans in shaping Seattle hip-hop. And of course, Washington Governor Gary Locke.
07.22.03
Okay, I've already received a ton of email regarding the 'WHY' cards. With everyone chipping in their proverbial two cents, by now I'd be pretty freakin' rich. Like I said, people are passionate when it comes to this subject. Which prompts me to make a few disclaimers: I AM NOT THE GUY PASSING OUT THESE CARDS. Read it carefully, okay? I'm just reporting this stuff. And I haven't been to Boston since the 9th grade.
More importantly, a fact I find myself constantly reiterating: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AGAINST INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS. Based on my usual angry content, people have made a lot of (usually false) assumptions about my opinion on this matter. But I don't believe I've ever said anything on this site that claims otherwise. So let me say it again: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AGAINST INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS. Date and marry whomever you personally desire and love, I say.
That said, here's what I DO have a problem with: white guys who have a "thing" for Asian women. Look at their past string of girlfriends, and you know what I'm talking about. Exoticization, fetish, flavor—whatever you want to call it. It creeps me out, and makes me mad as hell. By the same token, I'm also angered by Asian women who subscribe to the belief that white men are the grand prize. There are such people. They've bought into the dominant white culture's myth that white is right, and refuse to have anything to do with Asian men. And that's a load of crap. The larger issue here is the continued subtle subjugation of Asians in America, by way of media, entertainment and politics, which often translates itself into such relationships. And that's racist!
07.21.03
The fate of Vietnam's catfish offers a warning to poorer nations who try to play by the big boys' rules in the world
trading system: The Great Catfish War. Good ol' Trent Lott had a hand in this...
07.21.03
It's obvious from the mail I'm getting: you're mad as hell about Banzai. Why not call the Fox Viewer Comment Hotline: 1-800-369-6848 (toll free). You can also email Fox Entertainment President Gail Berman at GailB@fox.com.
07.21.03
Came across this item reported Sunday in New York Daily News' "Daily Dish":
Chan is missing
Did Rupert Murdoch's Chinese-born wife kill a much-hyped Charlie Chan movie retrospective on the Aussie-American's Fox Movie Channel?
The summer festival, dubbed "Charlie Chan's Mystery Tour," would have highlighted the '30s and '40s murder mysteries featuring the Honolulu detective, whom some find offensive.
Some avowedly "inside" sources say Wendi Deng, Murdoch's third wife (who just bore the 72-year-old mogul a second daughter), was behind the decision this month to cut the festival. But a rep for Fox Movie Channel denied her involvement, saying the cancellation came after protests by community groups, which said "that they believed Charlie Chan perpetuated a negative racial stereotype."
But old-movie buffs - including film critic Leonard Maltin, who pleads for a cancellation of the cancellation on his Web site - beg to differ. According to Variety, the network received more than 3,000 E-mails and 500 letters protesting the decision in the week following its announcement.
On Friday, the frame blurbing the festival on the Fox Movie Channel Web site was taken down and replaced by a pop-up window inviting people to discuss "the progress made in our modern, multicultural society."
Whatever, Wendi.
Interesting. I remember when this whole Chan madness started, a few people did mention Wendi Deng to me... I wonder if the speculation is true, if she really was a factor in this decision.
07.21.03
The Bruce Lee Collector's Exhibit opens July 26 and runs through December in Seattle. I'd really really really like to go.
07.20.03
"We certainly don't ... ever intend to offend anyone... But in this case, we're sorry some folks feel that way."
According to FOX Entertainment President Gail Berman, the network hasn't heard much from viewers about its summer series "Banzai," which parodies Japanese game shows. You've got to be kidding me: FOX Defends 'Banzai' Against Charges of Racism
07.20.03
An icon. A legend. Bruce Lee, whose image graces the designs on these very pages, died 30 years ago today: Martial Arts Fans Remember Bruce Lee
07.20.03
Got some informative mail (edited):
Recently, Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Rick Larsen, and Representative Jay Inslee announced that they would be introducing a new legislation that will help protect Mail Order Brides from abuse by their husbands in the United States.
As of date, marrying a mail order bride requires no background check that will protect a woman coming from another country to check the criminal records of her potential husband.
The first Mail Order Bride legislation was enacted by Washington State Representative Velma Veloria after the March 1995 death of a Filipina mail order bride Suzanna Remerata Blackwell, her unborn child, and her two friends Phoebe Dizon and Veronica Laureta, by her estranged husband at the King County Courthouse in Seattle, Washington. Since then, Rep. Veloria has sponsored several bills to increase the rights for Mail Order Brides, and the penalties for abusers.
Read more about the bill here: Mail-Order Bride Bill In Works
07.19.03
Interesting site with similarly angry discourse on various topics: The Model Minority. Including a perspective on our favorite controversy of the moment, Banzai.
07.19.03
If you're in southern California, just thought I'd let you know about an interesting event going on this weekend: The 8th Annual LA Tofu Festival. With many cool guests and attractions. And of course, tofu.
07.18.03
Check out the headline from this article: "Yankees Nip Indians on Game-Ending Homer". They could've used a better choice of words, don't you think? Here's the email Sung Chul wrote to the editors:
To the Editors:
"Yankees Nip Indians on Game-Ending Homer" by Howie Rumberg (referring to Matsui's game-winning homerun) is appalling in its offensiveness. That a reputable organization like AP would allow a headline like this to be released is even more shameful. Will Howie be looking for another "clever" way to include "chink" next to Yao Ming in next season's headlines?
This offensive racist language cannot be tolerated. I will make sure that this is widely circulated and that AP and Howie are made to acknowledge and apologize for your and his offensive behavior.
Sung Chul Whang
Attorney
New York City
07.18.03
Benedict Wong and Sophie Okonedo are in Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things, which opens in theaters today.
07.17.03
Here's some news coverage of the Banzai protest: Asian-American Media Group Protests Fox's 'Banzai'. And here is some useful contact info:
Joseph Earley, Senior Vice President
Publicity and Corporate Communications
E-Mail: joeea@fox.com
Phone: 310-369-2969
Fax: 310-369-8471
Scott Grogin, Vice President
Corporate Communications
E-Mail: scottgro@fox.com
Phone: 310-369-4733
Fax: 310-369-1283
07.17.03
Coming to you in August: ASIANS in INDIE ROCK (AIR) TOUR, featuring Jenny Choi, among others. Very cool.
07.17.03
Ain't It Cool News interview with Eric Byler, writer/director of Charlotte Sometimes.
07.17.03
Here's an article all about Banzai's poor ratings performance last Sunday: Fox's dashed hopes for 'Banzai'. Such news warms my heart.
07.17.03
Really interesting NPR segment on a drug treatment program for native Hawaiians: Hawaii Drug Program Teaches Traditions
07.17.03
Vegetable peeler? A lot of public outrage surrounding the police shooting death Cau Thi Tran: Open hearings urged in killing. Now San Jose P.D. is under fire. It seems like incidents like this happen way too often. The police probably had the legal right to shoot, given the circumstances. Was it necessary? Probably not.
07.17.03
On Fame, our boy Harlemm Lee makes it to the final four! Did you vote for Harlemm? In all honesty, the guy has a serious shot at winning the whole deal. He's got a unique quality —flava, I'd call it. And I'm not just saying this because he's Asian, I'm Asian and all that... I've been following the show from the beginning and Harlemm has always been a solid contender, without a single weak performance. Let's look at his competition: Brandon would be my second choice—the guy is smooth (I was moved during his rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine), but he's still really young. And Shannon has got the all-around look and feel of a winner, but does she really stand out? And I've always thought Serena was the most overrated performer throughout the whole competition (serious issues with pitch). But Harlemm has had a solid run, and has carved a unique voice for himself. I can dig it. We'll see what happens next week.
In other reality show news, I'm told Jee wins Head of the Household. Meanwhile, Jun embarrasses herself further.
07.17.03
Have you heard of HR 333? HR 333 (introduced by Congressman David Wu), if passed and signed into law, will provide support ($30 MILLION) to colleges and universities to address and serve the unique needs of AAPI students and communities. But YOU have to make it happen, by letting Congress know what's up. For all the info you need, visit www.naascon.org/, and click on "Take Action."
07.16.03
The July 2003 issue of ESSENCE (a magazine geared mainly towards young African-American career women) has an article with African-American CNN correspondent Arthel Neville and her husband, Japanese American musician Taku Hirano, discussing their interracial relationship... This is particularly noteworthy, considering that it seems the only time Black/Asian issues ever get any attention is when someone kills someone, robs someone, or makes racist comments.
07.16.03
A lot of people expressed glee and approval over yesterday's tattoo story. Here is a newspaper article on a similar incident: The ugly truth about this badly drawn boy. Sucks for you, ugly!
07.16.03
If you're like me, the thought of nukes and North Korea scares the crap out of you. And Kim Jong Il is indeed as evil and crazy as we all believe him to be. But the Bush administration's current "policy" isn't cutting it: U.S. under fire over N. Korea. Will this be the next big "thing" the U.S. gets involved with? It's something to think about, including the implications for Asians in America...
07.16.03
The American League won last night's Major League All Star Game, 7-6. Perhaps the bigger deal was that it was the first time three Japanese players were in the game — New York Yankees rookie Hideki Matsui and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and Shigetoshi Hasegawa. Of course, the game was televised live nationwide in Japan: All-Stars Fuel Baseball Fever in Japan
Speaking of baseball, Ching-Feng Chen, the first Taiwanese major league player made his season debut at-bat for the Los Angeles Dodgers just before the all-star break. His ninth-inning outing against the Colorado Rockies was less than impressive... Learn more him at www.chingfengchen.com.
07.16.03
What's up with Asian women disrespecting the Asian men? Kelly Hu in last month's Stuff Magazine making cheap "hung" jokes. In this month's issue, a staffwriter describes her short stay in Japan—and implies that "short" is also how Japanese men "stack up." And of course, there's Jun on Big Brother 4, who has apparently sworn off Asian men altogether. Where is the love?
07.15.03
I didn't see the whole thing, but tonight on Last Comic Standing, our man Dat Phan faced the heat and came out on top. For some reason, all the other comics in the house had it in for him. Because he's Asian? Maybe. They totally ganged up on him! Suddenly, all this animosity built up towards Dat, plus the formation of a "coalition" to unanimously vote against him. In the end, he came out on top, facing one of the other comics and winning 70% of the audience vote—much to the surprise of all the other comics. The guy is a fighter!
07.15.03
Now this is straight up hilarious:
Disgruntled Asian Tattoo Artist Inks His Revenge
Pitt junior Brandon Smith wanted a tattoo that proclaimed his manliness, so he decided to get the Chinese characters for "strength" and "honor" on his chest. After 20 minutes under the needle of local tattoo artist Andy Sakai, he emerged with the symbol for "small penis" embedded in his flesh.
"I had it for months before I knew what it really meant," Smith said.
"Then I went jogging through the Carnegie Mellon campus and a group of Asian kids started laughing and calling me 'Shorty.' That's when I knew something was up."
In the last month, seven people unknowingly received explicit tattoos from the disgruntled artist. Kerri Baker, a Carlow College freshman, paid $50 to have the symbols for "beautiful goddess" etched above her belly button, but when she went into Szechuan Express Asian Noodle Shop sporting a bare midriff, the giggling employees explained to her that the tattoo really said, "Insert General Tso's Chicken Here!"
"I don't even like General Tso's," Baker sobbed. "I'm a vegetarian!"
Sakai doesn't feel guilty about using hapless college students as canvases for his graffiti.
"I think I'm helping my fellow man by labeling all the stupid people in the world," he explained. "It's not a crime, it's a public service."
I'm pretty sure this isn't even real. But it's still damn funny, isn't it?
07.15.03
Hate Banzai? There is a petition, courtesy of ModelMinority.com: Boycott FOX to Stop Banzai. I honestly believe that this show sucks so much, it can die on its own. But every little bit helps. Throw this show in the crapper.
07.15.03
All right people, Kristina, the infamous Big Bad Chinese Mama, is seriously hurting for some cash. Why not help out/join the fight/show some sympathy by buying some of her special brand Big Bad Chinese Mama shirts and panties over at Blackalava.com. Featuring a very bitchy Hello Kitty. Buy one today, before Sanrio sues her ass.
07.15.03
Hell yes. It looks like Daniel Dae Kim will be showing up as recurring character next season on Enterprise.
07.14.03
Some ratings info on Banzai's premiere... Don't know about exact numbers, but overall, it ranked
#4 among other networks for that time slot. Give it the axe!
07.14.03
Are you white? Abercrombie wants you! All others need not apply.
07.14.03
The day-after fallout from Banzai continues. I just want to dismiss it, because it's so stupid to begin with, but the images from the show keep replaying in my head. And it gets me angry. There are so many things wrong about this show. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a Japanese game show—it's nothing like a Japanese game show. It's some white dude's vision of stupidity, dressed up like average joe viewer's limited perception of what foreign TV might look like: The narrator's thick Asian accent. The obnoxious graphics (that's not even real Japanese). The geishas. The gongs. What the hell. These details serve no other function but to laugh at Asian culture. You know what's really funny? Fox's Diversity Statement. Now that's comedy.
Here's a partial list of Banzai sponsor contact information:
Nike:
Nike Consumer Affairs
1-800-344-6453 - (6:30am - 4:50pm PST, Monday through Friday)
http://swoosh.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/swoosh.cfg/php/enduser/ask. php
Nike, Inc.
Consumer Affairs
PO Box 4027
Beaverton, OR 97076-4027
Pizza Hut:
Consumer service representative
1-800-948-8488
http://www.pizzahut.com/contact_feedback.asp
Pizza Hut Corporate Office
14841 Dallas Parkway
Dallas, TX 75254
Sprint PCS:
http://www2.sprintpcs.com/learn/form_public_question.asp
World headquarters:
(800) 829-0965
Sprint World Headquarters
6200 Sprint Parkway
Overland Park, KS 66251
National Media, Financial, Corporate Issues
Dan Wilinsky
Director, Media Relations
913-762-7017
DWILIN01@sprintspectrum.com
AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WA
Robert Kelley
Director of Public Relations
602-745-7752
rkelle01@mail.sprintpcs.com
AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX
Mary Nell Westbrook
Director of Public Relations
972-405-3257
mwestb01@mail.sprintpcs.com
IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
Mark McHale
Director of Public Relations
847-384-6523
mmchal01@mail.sprintpcs.com
CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT, W/VA
Larry McDonnell
Director of Public Relations
301-214-9290
lmcdon02@mail.sprintpcs.com
SBC:
SBC Public Affairs
Selim Bingol
Phone: (210) 351-3991
E-Mail: sb1537@corp.sbc.com
And here is contact info for Fox:
FOX Broadcasting Co.
P.O. Box 900
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
askfox @ foxinc.com
Or write to your local Fox affiliate and let them know what you think: www.fox.com/links/affiliates.htm
And if you want to get involved in some frustrating conversations (with actual fans) about the show, be sure to peruse Fox's Banzai Forums. But beware, the ignorance runs loose on those boards.
Die, Banzai, die!
07.13.03
What?
FROM: Beerm6910
DATE: Mon, 14 Jul 2003 00:10:27 EDT
TO: angryminsoo@angryasianman.com
SUBJECT: (no subject)
FUCK YOU CHINK DONT MAKE FUN ON WHITEY, ALTHOUGH IM OF THE BLACK RACE, I FEEL
YOU HAVE TO MUCH HATRED TOWARDS THE WHITE MAN.
What?
07.13.03
All right. I just finished watching Banzai. Where do I even begin? This show tried very hard to be one of the most inane, offensive, racist shows I've ever seen—and wholly succeeded. I can't believe this show only ran 30 minutes, because it felt like an hour. Absolutely excruciating, hearing that awful shouting Japanese accent narrating the entire damn show. This is the exploitation and exotification of Asian culture, in the worst way. From the obnoxious Japanese graphics and narration, to the geisha underwear game, to the celebrity ambushes. The worst part of it is, none of it really serves any purpose—this is bad show, regardless. It's largely just dressing for an incredibly juvenile interactive "game show." An Asian freakshow on parade for America to laugh at. It needs to die.
For those curious, here are the commercials that aired during the broadcast:
- Underworld
- Smirnoff Ice
- Nike
- Pizza Hut
- Sprint PCS
- SBC
- Carls Jr.
- Shanghai Knights DVD
- Taco Bell
- Bad Boys II
I can't imagine a lot of these companies really caring, but it's worth a shot to let them know what you think. In the end, like I said before, I'm hoping the show will just tank. It's awful enough. It'll get pulled off the air, and it'll all be a distant memory... But for now, that's racist!
07.13.03 Die, Banzai. Die. Here's something that makes you really wonder what the hell is going on. Wenda Fong, a Chinese American, is Vice President of Creative Diversity Development Department at Fox. SO WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH BANZAI? This is from a forum posting at YellowWorld.org:
"The Fox executive who pushed the hardest for the network to air Banzai is Wenda Fong, a Chinese American. Rather than championing shows about Asian Americans as dignified people who are an integral part of this country (with the failure of Black Sash, why would she?), Ms. Fong would evidently prefer to make some mileage off the idea of Asian people as racial oddities.
A couple months ago, Fox sponsored a show of Asian American stand-up comedians in L.A.'s Koreatown. Wenda Fong wanted to use the event to launch Banzai, and Fox showed clips from the show in between the comedians' sets. I attended this event along with a few fellow MANAA members. We showed the APA comedians the utmost respect and laughed at their jokes. But when the Banzai clips were shown, we – and others – booed them to let the Fox executives present know our displeasure. Now, the word is around Fox (which hates us for opposing Ms. Swan) that we booed the comedians during their routines and that we compelled the non-MANAA people to do so as well. This is so typical of the industry: they would rather lie about MANAA than understand our concerns."
Banzai premieres on Fox tonight. I'm planning on watching it, just to fully understand what I'm so adamantly against. But with a website like this, how could it not be offensive? My only hope: the show will be sooooo bad that no one will tune in anyway. It will tank immediately, and we can all breathe a little easier. In the meantime, that's racist!
07.13.03 Nicole Bilderback shows up for about 10 seconds in Legally Blond 2: Red, White and Blond. Yes, I saw it.
07.13.03 Yao Ming, Tiger Woods and Se Ri Park are nominated for ESPY Awards.
07.12.03 Bad news, soap fans. It seems that Henry Chin (played by Ivan Saw) will be written off of All My Children. And definitely all the other Asian characters—Regina, Alma, Uncle Lee, etc.—along with him. I guess they feel the character's storyline has run its course. Well that ain't no good. Anyway, this site has been a strong supporter of Henry and Co. since day one. And that's a list of names and addresses to write to if you are particularly upset about it. Save Henry!
07.12.03 New York Times Op-Ed piece: Is Race Real?
07.11.03 Novelist Suki Kim and actor Welly Yang discuss art, perception and lingering stereotypes: The Meaning of Asian-American. Some interesting observations from two distinct Asian American voices in the arts.
07.11.03 Here's the trailer for Jackie Chan's latest movie, The Medallion. I don't know about this one, but man, it has got to be better than The Tuxedo.
07.11.03 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen opens in theaters today. Based on the acclaimed comic book by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil, it's basically a gathering of a bunch of famous literary adventure characters as a team of Victorian Age superheroes. Naseeruddin Shah is in the cast as Captain Nemo—yes, the character is Indian, as originally written by Jules Verne in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Here's an article on the actor: Will Hollywood notice Naseer?
07.10.03 While I support the previously mentioned protests against Fox and NBC, I believe it would much more effective to go after the sponsors of these networks and the programs in question. Does anyone out there have a current list of NBC and Fox sponsors?
07.10.03 South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT) calls for a unified response from community leaders and government officials to recent hate incidents directed against South Asian Americans.† These three hate incidents which occurred over a three week span serve as an indicator that almost two years after the September 11th attacks, the South Asian community in the United States continues to be plagued by deep-seeded resentment by fellow Americans and government officials: Continued Hate Incidents Require Community Response
07.10.03 Harlemm! Harlemm! Harlemm! The man advances to the next round of Fame, another step closer to winning the competition. And it's clear he's the obvious frontrunner. Our man Harlemm!
07.09.03 NPR aired a story on these racist firefighters who were fired and now want their job back. Basically, these suckas (2 officers and a firefighter) wore blackface and lampooned the death of James Byrd, Jr. at a Labor Day parade a few years ago. They were subsequently fired by then-Mayor Guiliani, but may now get their jobs back, thanks to a federal judge who ruled they had been wrongly fired. Freedom of speech issues, etc. This was not their first such offense either. A few years prior, they made a "Gooks of Hazard" float and won for "funniest" float. Funniest? Who the hell were the judges at this contest? That's racist!
07.09.03 MANAA is organizing a protest against both Banzai! and The Tonight Show. This email came my way:
To API Community members and other interested parties:
The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) will be protesting this month against Fox Broadcasting Company and against NBC. The protest against Fox is for a new show called "Banzai" which will air weekly starting on July 13 at 8:30 PM right after the Simpsons. First, if you do not know what we're talking about, check out Banzai at www.fox.com. Basically Fox acquired a British show that will showcase the most offensive, negative Asian stereotypes. MANAA has tried to stop this from airing, and when that failed we asked to augment it, (reducing the awful stereotypes)...and, as you can see, very little was done.
The protest against NBC is for the dog-eating skits done on the Tonight Show by Jay Leno earlier this year when North Korean President Kim Jong Il was in the news because of acclamations that North Korea would continue with its development of nuclear arms. Previously, Jay had done dog-eating skits but had promised not to do them again after complaints from the API community. This time, NBC feels that they've done nothing wrong and refuses to apologize or make amends. We have to be strong on this issue because Korean dog-eating jokes affect all API's and it continues to recur.
You or your organization can get involved in several ways:
1) Transmit this message to other community members to gain their support for these protests. 2) Allow MANAA to place the name of your organization on the list of organizations that are protesting Fox and NBC. 3) Come to the protests 4) Help us organize for the protests and bring other people to the protests.
Here is the info on the protests:
Location: Renaissance Hollywood Hotel Address: 1755 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028 Time: 8:00 AM
Dates: Fox Protest: Thursday, July 17, 2003 NBC Protest: Thursday, July 24, 2003
Attached are 2 files that describe why we are protesting Fox and NBC. Please make copies and distribute to organization members, friends and anyone else who might support this cause.
If you are interested in having your organization endorse this protest, please get back to us as soon as possible. If you are coming to the protest or will be bringing people to the protest, please call us and let us know so we can have a head count.
For more info on MANAA, go to www.manaa.org.
In Unity, Charles Chang Phone: (213) 393-8514 Email: charles_chang@sbcglobal.net
THE PROBLEM WITH "BANZAI"
The Fox Broadcasting Company will be airing their new reality/comedy show "BANZAI" on Sunday, July 13th at 8:30pm, after "The Simpsons." We are asking everyone to go to Fox's website (www.fox.com) and judge for themselves. While this is a depiction of Japanese nationals, we fear it may have negative ramifications for Asian Americans, who've usually been depicted as foreigners anyway.
MANAA's stance on the BANZAI issue has always been consistent. We believe that the British game show acquired by Fox in the context of American culture has strong racists elements attached to it. The show stands to reinforce the negative image of the geeky Japanese man whose manic expressions and loud voice serves to entertain as the Asian "Sambo" of today.
MANAA understands that humor is subjective and is primarily based on one's artistic interpretation. However in this instance the blatant disregard for the sensitivities of the Asian American community serves to show how Asian American voices are once again marginalized. We feel that the current lack of positive images of Asian Americans in the media does not allow for any sort of counterbalance to this show. The disproportionately exaggerated portrayals once again create a disservice to the Asian American communities who have been fighting these negative stereotypes all their lives.
We just want to send the message to these executives that "Banzai" cannot fly.
The last positive reoccurring Asian American talent that Fox had on primetime was Eddie Shin on "That 80's Show," which lasted only a few episodes. The network continues to showcase Asian males as faceless criminals (as seen on "Fast Lane") or strange foreigners. And the only positive Asian person on Fox's primetime schedule is a cartoon character ("King of the Hill").
Talks with Fox have been futile, even after a public screening of "Banzai" in Koreatown was greeted with boos. After countless phone conversations and meetings, we suggested Fox find an Asian American comedian to replace the off-camera host, get rid of the accented voiceovers and gongs, and promote the game competitions and not the stereotypes. Those suggestions have been ignored. We believe that Fox still does not understand the ramifications of supporting such a show and the negative "trickle down effect" it will have on the Asian American community.
We implore you to help MANAA support and stage a protest against Fox and "Banzai."
NBC DISRESPECTS ASIAN AMERICANS, DARING US TO TAKE ACTION
February 13, 2003- in a "Tonight Show" monologue, Jay Leno jokes that changing dogs and cats from "pets" to "companions" is like North Korea changing dogs and cats from "appetizers" to "entree!" The next day, the Tonight Show hires a Jewish actor, Gilbert Gottfried, to portray North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, enjoying a plate of dog.
MANAA is fed up, and based on your calls and e-mails, so are you. Especially with Leno, who knows better after speaking with the Korean American Coalition (KAC) and various members of the Asian American community last year, when he first made a comment about Koreans eating dogs. At the time, Leno said that if he knew how hurtful such jokes were to us, he wouldn't have done them. Yet he's since continued these jokes at least two more times. And he refuses to meet with us.
This is a delicate issue for MANAA and Asian Americans in general: To most Americans - including Asian Americans- making fun of North Koreans and Kim Jong Il is not only a way to show displeasure towards the North Koreans, but also a way to show your patriotism. MANAA always defends and promotes the fact that Asian Americans ARE Americans, so we want to make clear we are not defending North Koreans nor promoting what Kim Jong Il is doing. We are shedding light on the fact that Jay Leno did not make fun of anything specific about Kim as a person - he lazily relied on a tired old racist stereotype that "all Koreans eat dogs". On previous shows, Leno poked fun at Jesse Jackson, Johnnie Cochran, and Al Sharpton, but they were specific attacks based on information on their lives and persona. Imagine the public outrage had the comedian just made a generic racist comment about their black heritage- e.g. they eat watermelons and fried chicken!
After several phone calls from MANAA and other organizations and letters from MANAA, KAC, NAPALC, and others, NBC replied back saying, "We at NBC are not only cognizant of-- but attempt to be- sensitive to the concerns of individuals and groups within our widely heterogeneous audience. In this instance we believe that the program's satirical sketch was completely within the bounds of appropriateness and consistent with our standards."
Still, we stayed the course, joining forces with KAC in a letter to advertisers. Things brewed to the point where we informed NBC President Jeff Zucker about our letter to advertisers, and he replied, "I hope our sponsors pull out (of "The Tonight Show"); we already have other sponsors lined up to fill their spot!!!" We are shocked at this brutal display of arrogance, hate, and disregard for Asian Americans. Jeff and NBC have gone too far. And we need to take action.
This is what I've been saying for a while now. You get the idea. Fight this.
07.09.03 Pop singer Natalise is the cover story of the latest SF Weekly: Of Love and Natalise
07.09.03 Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is a Dude, Where's My Car?-esque comedy currently in production, starring John Cho and Kal Penn in the titular roles. The plot: "Two twenty-something stoner roommates -- one a Korean American investment banker; the other an Indian American medical school candidate -- go through a life changing journey, as they spend a night roaming the state of New Jersey in search of White Castle hamburgers." Look for it in 2004. Oh, I can't wait!
07.09.03 Second part article on the upcoming Spike Lee/Showtime series, penned by Alex Tse: Sucker Free City
07.09.03 So what do I know about Canadian Idol? Man, I barely even followed American Idol. But I do know Mikey Bustos has been chosen as one of the first three finalist to move on to the top ten. Who will be the very first Canadian Idol? Maybe Mikey...
07.09.03 It looks as though A Magazine might be making a comeback of sorts... They've slapped together a cheap interim website with a message that they're "currently exploring re-launch opportunities." Got any ideas? They actually sound kind of desperate...
07.08.03 So I guess the deal on Big Brother 4 is that the HouseGuests have been joined by their respective exes—SURPRISE! So Jun has now been joined by Jee. That's two Asians on one reality TV show ... a new record, and a 100% increase in Asian representation from any other reality TV show. But unfortunately, the representation isn't looking so great. I didn't catch the premiere this evening, but a good number of people are telling me they don't like what they've seen so far about Jun, who apparently remarked that 'Korean men want their wives to cook, clean, etc...' and she 'will never go out with an Asian man ever again'. Definitely bad news...
By the way, the host of Big Brother is Julie Chen.
07.08.03 It ain't easy being 13—and one of the most talked about athletes of the moment. Here's a good article on the recent highs and lows of golf sensation Michelle Wie: Wie discovers ugly side of fame in clubhouse confrontation. Check out the linked stories in the sidebar on the right. I should also note that Michelle's father, B.J. Wie, eventually retracted the previously mentioned accusation that Danielle Ammaccapane "bumped" Michelle.
07.08.03 Article profile on scriptwriter Alex Tse, who hooked up with Spike Lee to pen an authentic cable drama on gangs and the rarely-seen grittier side of San Francisco. And it has got to have one of the greatest titles I've ever heard: Sucker Free City
07.08.03 Went to the movies last week, saw a poster for an upcoming movie, The Perfect Score. The ensemble cast includes Leonardo Nam there on the right. The movie is about a group of high school students who scheme a way to steal answers to the SAT. No online trailer yet...
07.07.03 5-foot-9 point guard Yuta Tabuse has a good chance of becoming the first Japanese player to play in the NBA: Mavericks' Notes. (Scroll down to "Japanese Sensation?")
07.07.03 Q & A with my favorite third base coach, Chicago Cubs' Wendell Kim. After all these years, they ought to give the man a real coaching job.
07.07.03 Better Luck Tomorrow will be released on DVD on September 30.
07.07.03 Eh? I've been informed of apparent rumors that actress Bai Ling has joined the cast of Star Wars Episode III...
07.07.03 Controversy controversy controversy. It continues... as people continue to duke it out over Charlie Chan. I'm beginning to hate Charlie Chan just on principle—the simple fact that it's giving me a headache. But if there's one thing that needs to come out of this, it's awareness and dialogue. On the one hand, there's issues of of free speech and censorship, and though I'm conflicted, I don't really believe this to be the true issue. A more important lesson juggles ideas about media representation and stereotypes. The thing that angers me most about Charlie Chan films is that you want to scream, "Hey, that dude's not Chinese!" Yellowface is obviously a problematic legacy of cinema's racist past. It offends me that a white dude is playing a Chinese guy, in his limited interpretation of what an Asian person should be. But too many people don't see it this way. And does this logic apply to all races and roles? Here's an article that weighs in on these ideas: The case of the concerned but ignorant movie channel
Another bit of controversy revolves around another Charlie: Charlie's Angels. For a while there has been furor about the casting of John Cleese as Lucy Liu's father in Charlie Angels 2: Full Throttle. Alex Munday's father is white and her mother is Asian. Personally, while this is disappointing, it doesn't anger me to that degree... This obviously denies a talented, older Asian actor from a role in a high-profile summer blockbuster—and this is unfortunate. But is it really worth it to split hairs over the racial makeup of Liu's character? Is her character less of an Asian American because her blood is supposedly only half-Asian? The strength of Liu as Alex is that fact that her participation is not ethnicized nor reduced to the usual stereotype. Liu is still an equal-opportunity ass-kicking star in this movie. And in the end, Charlie's Angels is Charlie's Angels—there are bigger, fluffier implausibilities in this movie. Now, if Cleese was dressed up like a Chinese dude...
Better to pick battles more wisely, and divert energy into speaking up about Charlie Chan and crap like Banzai!
07.07.03 Here is some sad news, especially since Ching celebrated his very first CD release last week at the age of 82: Larry Ching -- Forbidden City's singing star
07.07.03 The official website of Yao Ming: www.yaoming.net
07.07.03 I know a lot of people find their way to this site in search of information about Fame contestant Harlemm Lee. It was revealed a few weeks ago (without much controversy) that the performer was not 27, as he originally reported, but actually 36. Well, the truth goes a little deeper... Came across this interesting bit of info. Harlemm is actually Gerry Woo, an R&B/pop singer with minor success in the mid-80s. And now, figuratively reborn as Harlemm and making huge waves on Fame. Pretty interesting!
07.07.03 Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui will be reunited in the American League's starting outfield at the 2003 MLB All-Star Game: Yankees' Matsui Makes All-Star Team
07.07.03 Someone sent me a copy of this letter, regarding the video game Vietcong:
June 30, 2003
Jeffrey C. Lapin
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. 622 Broadway New York, NY 10012
Dear Mr. Lapin:
As an Asian American public official who represents a large Asian Pacific Islander population in the Los Angeles area, and as the Chair of the California State Assembly Select Committee on Hate Crimes, I am outraged by the derogatory language used to describe Vietcong soldiers in your recently released video game Vietcong.
Dialogue in Vietcong refers to Vietcong soldiers using the extremely offensive racial epithet "gook." This racial slur has been used historically to demean not only persons of Vietnamese descent, but more broadly, to ascribe to Asian Americans the perception that they are foreign, and thus the enemy. Using this offensive slur in a popular video game readily accessible to young people not only contributes to the persistence of negative stereotypes and ignorance about Asian Americans, but is also irresponsible and dangerous.
While our country has come a long way since the institutional racism of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, misconceptions about Asian Americans continue to contribute to hate crimes and bias incidents, often resulting in physical and emotional harm. I find it unconscionable that Take-Two Interactive Software would lead American society backwards by contributing to anti-Asian American sentiments through this product.
While I acknowledge and advocate for freedom of artistic _expression, I am disappointed by the moral irresponsibility demonstrated by Take-Two Interactive Software in the Vietcong game project. I sincerely hope that Take-Two Interactive Software will not promote such blatant racism and will take steps to correct it. I urge you and your company to remove Vietcong from distribution and sale until the offensive dialogue can be removed.
I look forward to your response on this issue.
Sincerely,
JUDY CHU, Ph.D.
49th Assembly District
CC: Hon. David Wu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Members of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus
Hon. Lou Correa
Hon. Ken Maddox
Attorney General Bill Lockyer
07.06.03 Check out the new cast of CBS' Big Brother 4, and meet Jun, an investment manager from New York. Let's hope she does her best not to embarrass herself on national television.
07.06.03 13-year old golf phenom Michelle Wie got into a bit of an altercation with fellow player Danielle Ammaccapane this weekendduring the U.S. Women's Open... Wie and Ammaccapane exchange a bump, words at Open Basically, the youngster walked in Ammaccapane's line of sight as she prepared to putt—a breach in gold etiquette. Later Ammaccapane, a 16-year LPGA Tour veteran, "bumped" Wie and had a few heated words with her. Okay, so she made a mistake. She's a kid. Easily corrected with a few words, no harm done. But come on, a BUMP? Wie is 13. Ammacapane is 37. Cut her some slack, and grow up!
07.06.03 CNN article on Japanese American veterans from the 4th of July: Internees honor veterans, keep memory of camp alive
07.06.03 Gail Kim's WWE Raw profile. It includes a video clip.
07.03.03 This is my last post for a few days. I'm heading out of town to enjoy the holiday weekend. I leave you with this link. It's actually been around for a while, but it's an excellent resource that gives appropriate context for this whole Charlie Chan controversy. Check it out: A Certain Slant: A Brief History of Hollywood Yellowface
07.03.03 The word is out that Charlie Chan fans are emailing at greater numbers than protesters, by maybe 5000 more or so by this morning. If you feel strongly about this, please continue to email FOX Movie Channel. They could easily change their minds about this, given enough pressure—the change of wording on their statement is an obvious indicator of this. Snail mail also works:
Fox Movie Channel 1000 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90067-7002 (310)286-3800
MAIN CONTACT: John Solberg, Vice President, Public Relations FX Networks (310) 789-4689 Fax (310) 789-4688 Thomas Ruffner, Manager, Marketing & Public Relations (310) 789-4667 Fax (310) 789-4687
I mean come on, do you want people like this to get their way:
FROM: "linda" DATE: Wed, 2 Jul 2003 13:16:31 -0400 TO: angryminsoo@angryasianman.com
SUBJECT: charliechan
so what that he is sweedish does that make columbo anyless a chaaracter that peter falk is not italian do people realize that charlie pokes fun at himself. Jusst watch the movie closely he is a familyman 13 kids, he sends his sons to college when they act up he lets them know, and finally and most importantly he figures out who is the villan not the white guy Chaarlie make dummies of them all
An actual email I received, in its entirely.
07.03.03 Last night on Fame, both Raymond Lee and Jamisen Tiangco got cut from the pool of finalists. It was heartbreaking to see them go (I voted for you, Ray!)... Harlemm Lee did advance to the next round. I definitely have high hopes for Harlemm, because the guy could very well win this competition—he's got it.
07.02.03 One out of every five Asians and Pacific Islanders faces discrimination in the housing market, according to a new study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. San Francisco Examiner article: Asians face prejudice in housing market
But look at what's happening in the sleepy town of Locke, CA: This Land Is Made, Finally, for Chinese Settlers. Nearly 90 years after Chinese immigrants first established the town, the county will undo racist property-leasing arrangements which effectively blocked Chinese immigrants and their children from owning land. The year is 2003.
07.02.03 This has all hit the fan, having now reached the eyes and ears of national press. Here's Yahoo!'s article, including a roundup of links for news coverage and resources: Fox Cancels Charlie Chan Film Fest Amid Pressures from Asian Americans
What angers me are the protests from Chan fans regarding free speech and censorship. Contrary to popular belief, no one has "banned" anything here. People have a right to believe what they believe and protest what they disagree with. It works both ways. There are those who believe that the Charlie Chan movies perpetuate problematic images about Asians, and when they found out Fox Movie Channel intended to celebrate these films, they clearly voiced their concerns. No one sought to singlehandedly ban or abolish anything—Fox Movie Channel, in their own judgement as a media outlet, made a decision about their broadcast content, and this decision has sparked even louder controversy.
As it stands now, if you look at the various online discussion forums populated by Charlie Chan fans, important groups like NAATA are being slammed and demonized as hypersensitive, fascist obstructors of free speech—an uncharacteristic, unfair assessment of the quality work they really do. This is giving me straight up anxiety.
07.02.03 This Charlie Chan thing is not over, not even close. Chan fans are furious with Fox Movie Channel's decision, and have been sending livid, offensive emails to FMC and to groups like NAATA. It's simply amazing, the kind of hate and idiocy that emerges in times like this. Check out the message board at this Charlie Chan fansite to offer your opinion on the matter.
And it looks like Fox Movie Channel might be having second thoughts as well... They've amended some of the language in the statement they released. It originally read that the Charlie Chan Mystery Tour has been "discontinued." It now says that they've simply "suspended" the broadcast. They've also added a sentence to the last paragraph: "Fox Movie Channel will schedule Charlie Chan films based on the feedback of its subscribers." A lot of people out there still love Charlie Chan. I'm not one of them.
07.01.03 The Debut will be released on DVD on September 9.
07.01.03 Interesting article on elderly care for Asians: Asians in U.S. ponder elderly care
07.01.03 NPR segment on the disparity in numbers regarding people of color on network television: Minorities on Network Television
07.01.03 This Charlie Chan thing is blowing up, getting press. Here's an LA Times article: Fox movie channel drops 'Chan' film festival.
I've just heard that Fox Movie Channel is getting bombarded with emails complaining about their decision to discontinue the scheduled Charlie Chan films. If you have a moment, log onto the Fox Movie Channel website and tell them why you're glad Chan is off the air. They need some positive reinforcement... Here's a sample message (someone actually sent):
It is rare that commercial media outlets are sensitive to input from their audiences and you are to be congratulated for responding thoughtfully to the legitimate concerns of all viewers who look to entertainment for personal enjoyment and reflection that is not at the cost of the dignity of any group in the society. Thank you for withdrawing the Chan series.
I've also been hearing of Asian American advocacy groups receiving considerable hate mail over this. NAATA and the NAPALC are getting the brunt of it, targeted by Charlie Chan fansites like this one. Haters! That's racist!
07.01.03
Gail Kim made her much-anticipated debut last night on WWE RAW—yes, pro wrestling. She actually won the Women's Championship, as she was the last woman standing in a seven-Diva battle royal for the title. She countered a powerbomb attempt by Victoria into a head-scissors takedown, catapulting Victoria over the top rope. I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds cool.
