02.28.04
Iron Fist will be among the next wave of Marvel Comics properties to hit the silver screen. Who the hell is Iron Fist, you ask? Raised by monks in the hidden mountain city of K'un L'un, young Danny Rand was taught the ancient technique of the Iron Fist, which grants its users the power to level a building with a single blow and gives them complete control over their mind, body and spirit. Returning to America as an adult, Iron Fist uses his amazing abilities to help those in need while, at the same time, seeking to avenge the murder of his parents.
Great.
Hey, I'm still waiting for a movie based on Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu.
02.28.04
On the eve of the 76th Academy Awards, Best Picture contender Lost In Translation is still the center of controversy, with internet campaigns calling for action and awareness with regards to the film's negative, stereotypical portrayals of Asians. An undergraduate 'Lost in Translation Campaign' is sending the following message out, and asking folks to forward it on:
Within the next two days, the film ìLost in Translationî will be up for an Oscar. Unfortunately, if the British Film Awards are any indication, this movie might garner some Oscars. If you have not heard of it, this movie presents perhaps one of the most racist portrayals of Asians within the last decade. ìLost In Translation" provides a biased and offensive portrayal of the Japanese people and perpetuates negative stereotypes that are harmful to the Asian American community. If this were a film set in Latin America or Africa, for example, Ms. Coppola would not have given such an insensitive and racist portrayal of a people. This film is indicative of a level of mainstream tolerance and acceptance of Asian American discrimination that would otherwise be unacceptable if directed towards African and Latino Americans. Asians and Asian Americans are frequently portrayed as caricatures and the target of racist jokes in American radio, television, and film. Caricatures and racist humor lead to discrimination, racist taunts (especially for our young children), and violence. This makes the film's portrayal even more dangerous. Due to films such as "Lost In Translation", Asian Americans are treated as foreigners in our own country . The result?
Scapegoating, such as the Wen Ho Lee Scandal or internment as occurred with the Japanese Americans during WWII. Worse still, in the post 9-11 era, the levels of violence against Asian and Asian Indian Americans have increased.
Forward it on to your friends and colleagues, but more importantly all the news outlets you can think of. I don't think the point is to prevent Lost In Translation from winning Oscars—it's a little late for that. However, if in fact the movie does win any of its four coveted Oscar categories, it's important that people understand the concerns that Asian Americans have with this film.
02.28.04
We have not about forgotten about Rickshaw Rally. It's still gotta go: Vacation Bible School Wars. That's racist!
02.27.04
It's almost useless to write about shock joke Howard Stern, because it's pretty much a given that he's going to be offensive, he's going to say remarks that are racist, and he'll pretty much exploit anyone for the sake of ratings. It's what he does. But let's talk about some racist crap that went down yesterday morning... Basically, WNBC-TV correspondent Ti-Hua Chang called Stern on the air yesterday morning to talk about radio giant Clear Channel's decision to drop his show. As Chang tried to conduct an interview, Stern fell back on typically offensive stereotypical questioning of Chang's Asian heritage, such as whether he ever pulled a rickshaw or played Chinese checkers, or if sexual stereotypes about Asian men were true. Chang diplomatically deflected all of the jibes until Stern asked him if he liked Chinese food. Chang fired back: "Do you like matzo ball soup?" Chang was then dumped off to one of Stern's on-air crew, and gave up. WNBC subsequently decided not to air the exchange or Chang's coverage of the story, and reassigned the reporter. Read about it here: NBC's Ti-Hua Chang gets on-air shock treatment That's racist!
Now I'm hearing that Chang has been fired?
02.27.04
Karyn Kusama (Girlfight) will direct the film version of the MTV cartoon series Aeon Flux, created by Peter Chung. Charlize Theron will star in the movie.
02.27.04
Cockles are shelled mollusks, like clams and oysters. An MP is a member of Parliament. Thank you to EVERYONE who wrote in to explain these things to me. To be honest, I wasn't really dying to know. But hey, I am that much smarter now.
02.27.04
Opening in theaters today... Broken Lizard Club's Club Dread, written and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. Lindsay Price is also in the movie as "Yu."
Russell Wong is in Twisted, starring Ashley Judd.
But no Asians in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Sorry, true believers.
02.27.04
Check out this article: Civil Rights Activist Disses Asian Americans. The person in question is Mary Frances Berry, who chairs the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and teaches history at the University of Pennsylvania... However, upon reading the article, I believe Berry has a point, and it's actually the author who is somewhat misguided, subscribing to the myth of Asian Americans as model minorities. Read it carefully...
02.26.04
Whoa. This is certainly different... NBC Studios will be holding an open casting call in Los Angeles Saturday as part of a worldwide search to find Indian American actors for its comedy series Nevermind Nirvana. They're looking for Indian Americans with an American accent to be considered for five roles: father, mother, their two sons and their servant. Read about it here: NBC searching for Indian Americans for comedy series. Can it really be? This ought to be interesting.
02.26.04
I mentioned that freakin' racist Enzyte commercial back in December (12.17.03), but people keep writing in about it. The damn thing is still on. It's just a blatantly offensive, racist piece of garbage. Send your wrath here:
Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals Inc.
PO Box 42635
Cincinnati, OH 45242
That's racist!
02.26.04
Out of the UK... MP Ann Winterton has been expelled from the parliamentary party for failing to apologize for her racist joke about the recent drowning deaths of Chinese cockle pickers. Her joke involved some sharks deciding to go for a "Chinese meal" in Morecambe Bay: Whip removed from Tory MP over race joke. I don't know what an MP is, nor do know what a cockle is. But I do know that's racist!
02.26.04
I hadn't heard about this case 'till now, but it's crazy... 17-year-old Tina Phan is speaking out against her rapist and the congresswoman who argued for leniency in his sentencing:
Woolsey's leniency plea outrages victim
Teen victim rejects Woolsey's apology
LYNN WOOLSEY, RAPIST-LOVING FEMINIST
02.26.04
The case involving Minneapolis police officer Duy Ngo has been in and out of the news for year. Ngo was mistakenly shot at least four times with a submachine gun by a fellow officer while Ngo was conducting plainclothes surveillance. For some context, read here: Shot To Hell. This week, Minneapolis Police Chief Bill McManus made an effort to publicly dispel one of the more defamatory rumors surrounding the case—that Ngo shot himself to avoid military duty: Minneapolis police chief clears air about officer shot last year.
02.26.04
Interesting article on the critical reaction to Lost In Translation in Japan: Japan abuzz with 'Translation' reviews. The movie is still months away from opening in Japanese theaters, but among Japanese reviewers' biggest concerns is how the movie shapes the way the world sees Japan. Funny, with all the negative reaction about skewed representation amongst Asian American groups stateside, there hasn't been much consideration of what they think over in Japan... and I suppose they do have the most legitimate say in the matter. Turns out, they've got the same concerns.
Along the same lines, check out this article about Medal of Honor: Rising Sun: Player, Attack Thyself. It's about the surprisingly positive critical reaction in Japan to a WWII video game in which players combat and kill the Japanese military in battle. Kinda odd, doncha think?
02.26.04
Earlier this week on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, during the opening monologue, Conan mentioned that China is opening a Disney Theme Park in Hong Kong.††The punchline: "Unfortunately, they've already eaten Goofy." Of course. That's racist!
02.26.04
Do Asians have a cultural weakness towards gambling? If so, are casinos preying on this potentially dangerous pathology? This article suggests it's an Asian thing: Deck stacked against Asians; casinos play off gambling-intensive culture
On a remotely finance-related note, the Wall Street Journal reports that according to a new study, the number of wealthy Asian Americans increased more than fivefold in the past two years, making them the fastest-growing group of affluent investors: Affluence Rises for Asian-Americans
02.25.04
Okay. I don't know what's up. While it's been reported by several news outlets, Billy Hayes, Mark Cuban and the Mavericks are all flat-out denying the alleged mocking of Yao Ming ever happened. It seems that Hayes is even seeking out legal ramifications against the Houston Chronicle, claiming that this is slander. Admittedly, he makes a strong case—everything I've heard about the incident has been second, third-hand... Have any of the game's 20,413 attendees come forward to complain? So, is this a case of grossly false reporting, or some kind of massive organizational cover-up?
02.24.04
Ken Watanabe (Oscar-nominated for his role in The Last Samurai) has been cast in the new Batman movie as Ra's Al Ghul: Watanabe gets evil for Batman pic. I'm kind of glad to see him playing one of the Batman lore's most formidable villains, as opposed to your average Asian thug. One just hopes they don't make him out to be one of those nefarious, inscrutable Fu-Manchu type villains...
02.24.04
I'm almost resigned to ignore anything that happens on Leno/Conan/Kimmel, because it happens so often. But here goes again... so last night, Owen Wilson was on The Tonight Show to promote the release of Starsky and Hutch. He was talking about how co-star Ben Stiller is a terrible driver, unworthy of sitting behind the wheel of the famous red and white Gran Turino. Apparently, out of the blue, Leno then went for a lame Asian driving joke, asking if Jackie Chan (Wilson's co-star in Shanghai Noon/Knights) was a better driver than Stiller. Wilson clearly wasn't biting and looked sort of uncomfortable about the question. No response from the audience either. Thankfully, Leno's joke bombed.
To Wilson's credit, Leno did say that Chan was a better driver and quickly tried to move ond to the next subject. (Thanks, Jack)
I don't know if Owen Wilson's completely off the hook though—I'm hearing things about a questionable "Asian moment" in Starsky and Hutch. More details when I see it for myself...
02.24.04
All you folks up in NYC, can't get enough of Robot Stories? Check out Making It! : The Story Behind Robot Stories, a roundtable discussion including screening of excerpts with the filmmakers and cast of the film. March 2, at the Asia Society and Museum in New York. Presented by the Asia Society in association with Asian CineVision.
02.24.04
Hey you! Organic Thoughts' debut album The Purest Form is out and available nationwide. Great stuff, so check it out.
02.24.04
Over the years, I've learned a few things. Two things are certain, when it comes to ignorance and stupidity: late night television, and morning talk radio. For example, radio host Bob Dumas of G105 in North Carolina, when declared that Asian American women are unattractive: G105's Bob at it again. Now, previously in a similar incident involving comments made about bicyclists, station official apologized. However, this time G105 is backing Dumas. That's racist!
02.23.04
First off, Yao Ming scored a career-high 41 points, with 16 rebounds and 7 assists, and led the Houston Rockets to a 123-121 triple overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night: Houston Rockets 123, Atlanta Hawks 121
Now, on to the other crap. Here are a few email addresses for the Dallas Mavericks organization you can contact regarding Hayes and his racist mocking: gina.calvert@dallasmavs.com and mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com (Mark Cuban, Mavericks owner). However, if you do contact someone over at the Mavericks, it's likely you'll get some kind of brief, muted form response, or denial altogether. Earlier today, representatives in the Mavericks front office expressed their confusion with the story, and claimed that nothing like this ever happened during Saturday night's game. Now, I know you can't believe everything you read, but here's the original article where I read the story: Strange bird (down under 'Rockets Summary').
But here's another article where Cuban claims the situation has been addressed "internally": PA announcer is center of attention (you need to register to read the article). I think an apology is warranted, at the very least.
02.23.04
U.S. Army specialist Roger G. Ling, 20, Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Riley, Kansas, died Thursday of injuries from a roadside bomb in Iraq: Queens Family Remembers Its Fallen Soldier
Sgt. Elijah Tai Wah Wong, 42, of the Arizona Army National Guard's 363rd Explosive Ordnance Company was killed February 9 in Iraq when a collection of rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds blew up while being moved to a detonation site: Mesa soldier killed in Iraq 'believed in what he was doing'
Staff Sgt. Christopher Bunda, 29, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry, Fort Lewis, Washington went missing last month when his river patrol boat capsized in the Tigris River. His remains were recovered on February 10.
02.23.04
More game show news... On the exciting premiere of Who Wants To Be A SUPER Millionaire?, Todd Kim of Washington, D.C. won $500,000. Well, hooray for him! Don't spend it all in one place.
02.23.04
I was able to catch TV's Illest Minority Moments on VH1. Some pretty good stuff, with funny observations... I loved the 'SuperFriends' segment. Representin' for Asian folk amongst the talking heads were Jeff Yang, Eric Nakamura and Chairman Jefferson Mao. VH1 regularly repeats its programming, so try to check it out.
02.23.04
Aw crap. I just read that Dallas announcer Billy Hayes mocked Yao Ming's name with a faux-Chinese accent on several occasions during Saturday's Rockets/Mavericks game. When Yao would score, Hayes would say his name without using an accent, as he does with every opposing player. However, when Hayes announced several fouls, he seemed to be mocking either Yao's Chinese background or his accent. That's racist!
But perhaps more notable, Yao's response: "I didn't hear it, or I wasn't listening to him. If I heard it, I think I would have some thoughts. Right now, I'm not too happy. There are all kinds of people out there. It's a big world. There are lots of branches on the tree and many kinds of birds."
Asked what sort of bird would feel the need to make fun of where he is from, Yao said, "It's a new type of bird. I've never seen it."
02.23.04
I've noticed that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs video for "Maps" has been getting a lot of airplay on MTV... It's pretty kickass. (Lead singer Karen O is half-Korean.)
02.23.04
After falling off the racist radar for a little while, Saigoniste's "Ho Chi Mama" resurfaces in this New York Times article: Savvy Fashionista or Asian Stereotype? Though on the Saigoniste website, it seems that Ho Chi Mama is nowhere to be seen...
02.23.04
Some follow-up on that photo scavenger hunt incident at Pomona College... Student Tony T. wrote an editorial for the school's paper offering his perspective on why exactly the incident was hurtful/offensive/inappropriate, and giving context by delving into a relevant incident from his own past. What he got in return were a bunch of disturbing, racist comments in response to the article's online edition. Subsequently, the paper removed the comments at the request of the deans. I think they should've kept them up—the posts are very revealing about some of the attitudes out there. However, Tony did save them on his website: Casual Racism and Stupid Jokes Have Material Consequences Read 'em, and get angry. That's racist! (Thanks, James)
02.22.04
Friday night on JEOPARDY!, Jennifer Wu became the JEOPARDY! Teen Tournament champion, winning a grand prize of $75,000. In the final night of the two-week competition, Wu came from behind, overcoming an $18,000 deficit to secure her win over the 14 other impressive teens from around the country. From the JEOPARDY! website: Jennifer Wu of Arkadelphia, AR Wins $75,000 In Teen Tournament.
02.22.04
William Hung's world domination continues (get a load of the pictures!):
'American Idol' Reject Idolized on Web
"Idol" Fans Hung Up on Hung
02.20.04
Hey! Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special Black Tee event, Friday, February 27 at the Herbst Theatre and Green Room. Be there, and support a great cause.
02.20.04
Robot Stories is still around for a second weekend in NYC, and opening today in the Washington DC area. So if you're in the area, check it out. Still need some convincing? Check out my Q & A with Greg Pak. It's good stuff.
02.20.04
Just a heads up... You'll be seeing/hearing Vienna Teng all over the place in the next few weeks, in support of her new album Warm Strangers, which hits stores on Tuesday, February 24. I heard her on KQED's Pacific Time last night. She'll also be appearing on the likes of CBS' Early Show, the Wayne Brady Show, NPR and XM Satellite Radio.... See the website for details. And check out Warm Strangers next week.
02.19.04
How about some American Idol news completely unrelated to William Hung? Last night Camile Velasco advanced to the final twelve. While I can't say her performances were very strong, she's got a unique Lauryn Hill-like quality in her voice I kinda dig. Hopefully she can get a grip on those nerves...
02.19.04
What are Caucasian physical features? African? Asian? Here's an interesting article on plastic surgeons and their studies on the preservation of ethnic features: Faces of beauty
02.19.04
So, the leaders of OAD (sort of like a frat, but not really) at Pomona College decided to have a photo scavenger hunt for members. Among the items on the list of things to scavenge, members were asked to snap "a photo with 10 or more Asians." Members were also asked to photograph themselves doing things like standing on a roof, mooning fellow students, or blocking traffic. What's up with that? Read here: Scavenger hunt ignites racial debate at college. Asians objectified and reduced to another idiotic novelty. Observe and photograph the Asians in their natural habitat! That's racist! Perhaps not intended in any way to offend, but like someone in article says, it's about the result of your actions. I think what's even more interesting is the reaction this incident has evoked at the Claremont Colleges. Hopefully, it will serve to create deeper, more constructive dialogue on race...
02.19.04
Yes, those racist Mr. Wong cartoons are available on DVD. And yes, you have been spotting them on the shelves at Blockbuster. They have every right to rent it out, and customers have every right to rent it. But why??? Make no mistake, that crap is racist.
02.19.04
More William Hung madness, and it's big: AP reports that William Hung is getting a $25,000 check from the Fuse music channel, and a record deal from Koch Entertainment. The deal apparently includes Hung recording a music video that will air on Fuse. If you're familiar with Fuse, you know that it regularly broadcasts some pretty offbeat and random stuff. So I guess the musical stylings of William Hung would fit right in. And a record deal? Dude, people will buy anything.
So what the hell do we make of all this? I've been struggling with this from the very beginning. I'm a big fan of bad singing, as much as the next guy. Laughing at him/laughing with him—sure, that's one way of looking at it. No one is forcing dear William to embrace all the attention, and no doubt he knows that people are laughing. But it's his choice to make. All these issues don't bother me too much... Here's my question: how much of all this has to do with the fact that William Hung is Asian? Would this phenomenon have grown this huge if William had been an equally awkward white guy? Because I actually haven't heard many comments or observations based on his Asian-ness. Does American love William Hung, bad Asian singer, or William Hung, bad singer who happens to be Asian? I suspect it could be a little bit of both, whether America understands it or not.
Either way, it's all just plain crazy.
02.17.04
"Get over yourselves, please." —Kuan Foo, Vancouver. Some readers respond to the "Myth of the Rice King" article in the Vancouver Sun, with varying reactions: People fall in love.
02.17.04
Our favorite American Idol reject, William Hung, is a guest on Ellen today. The exploitation continues...
02.17.04
Robot Stories sold out four shows this weekend up in NYC. Thus, the theater has extended it for another weekend. That's how it works, people. You go see the movie, the movie gets to stay. You tell your friends, the movie expands, then more people get to see the movie. And a few less folks see You Got Served.
The new issue of Generation Rice is up, featuring an interview with Robot Stories' Greg Pak. He's also got interviews in Giant Robot and indieWIRE.
02.17.04
Aw, come on. The Puma website asks, "Why do you run?" and pictures an Asian man running. Answer: "My girlfriend got a girlfriend" next to a picture of two women embracing. Once again, the Asian man can't catch a break. Not even in a freakin' shoe ad! That's racist!
02.17.04
NPR report on the 100th anniversary of Puccini's Madame Butterfly: 'Madame Butterfly' Turns 100. But more importantly, listen to this related report: Asian Stereotypes Persist at Centennial of 'Butterfly'. Playwright David Henry Hwang is interviewed for the piece, commenting on his famed, subversive re-envisioning of the story, M. Butterfly... It's an interesting discussion of race and how the opera portrays the East and Asian women.
02.17.04
Netscape names the "Top 10 Cities to Find Rich, Single Men" ...next to a picture of an Asian man. Perhaps because the highly Asian-populated Bay Area is number one on the list?
02.17.04
NPR story on Filipino poet Nick CarbÛ: 'Secret Asian Man'. Hey! I thought this guy was Secret Asian Man.
02.17.04
Gaaah. The Simpsons pretty much lampoons everyone, but this is downright tasteless... Sunday night's episode featured an Itchy & Scratchy sketch in which Scratchy goes to a Chinese Restaurant and looks at a menu that actually depicts him (a cat). Itchy (the moust) then proceeds to chop Scratchy up into pieces and feeds him to a family of "Chinese" mice people. That's racist!
02.17.04
A student group at Roger Williams University is offering a new scholarship for which only white students are eligible. The stunt is designed to protest affirmative action: New scholarship created for whites only. Ironically, the group's president is of Puerto Rican descent, and he himself is a recipient of a $5,000 scholarship open only to a minority group... Now what is up with that?
02.17.04
Check out Badmash, a weekly South Asian comic strip. I was particularly amused by January's Hillary Clinton strip.
02.17.04
In this weekend's NBA All Star game, starting center Yao Ming scored 16 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, helping the West defeat the East 136-132. See here for an excellent photo of Yao dunking over Ben Wallace: Yao Ming starts, scores 16 pts for West All-Stars in winning effort
02.17.04
Catch Saturday Night Live over the weekend? Another Asian jab, courtesy of Weekend Update's Tina Fey: "A U.S. born panda named Hua Mei will soon be returned to her ancestral homeland of China, where she is expected to be delicious." Does SNL have some kind of quota requirement to ridicule Asians? Seems like it happens every week, at least once per show. And they're all just lame cheap shots. That's racist!
02.16.04
Dumping more fuel on the fire, this article in the Vancouver Sun takes a look at the disturbingly disparate ratio of white male/Asian female couples, versus the other way around: The myth of the rice king. But we knew this all already—did we really need this white guy writer to tell us again? Yes, guaranteed to induce all sorts of outcry and anger on the unfortunate, jacked-up state of interracial relationships...
02.16.04
From February 6... ABC News named Burt Yamada Person of the Week. Yamada was the best in show judge this year at the world-famous Westminster Dog Show.
02.16.04
The new Batman movie, directed by Christopher Nolan, starts filming in March. Apparently, production is currently looking to cast an "enormous" Asian man, who will be involved in a fight scene. They aren't specifying an age range for the character, saying it can be "any age as long as he is enormous," as well as looks dangerous and is able to speak in broken English: Nolan's 3Batman: The Intimidation Game2 Starts Filming in the UK March 16 For me, the guy that immediately comes to mind is Bolo Yeung. Bolo in Batman! Now wouldn't that be awesome? Yes.
02.15.04
I'm a big fan of VH1 programming, so this upcoming show is particularly intriguing to me: TV's Illest Minority Moments, "a 1-hour special focusing on the most compelling, controversial, and unintentionally hilarious race-related moments in TV history." It's got me pretty curious. Needless to say, I'll be tuning in...
02.15.04
Unfortunately, I can already imagine some racist foo reading this and making an idiotic dog-eating joke: Experts: Dogs Likely Originated in Asia
02.15.04
Regarding Late Night with Conan O'Brien's stint in Toronto: Canada Condemns 'Racist' Conan O'Brien TV Show. Frankly, I wouldn't have expected otherwise. What I find interesting is the fact that Ottawa and the province of Ontario paid $760,000 to help bring Late Night to Toronto for a week in hopes of boosting the city's profile after the SARS outbreak last year. Ironic, because Conan happened to be the one making the worst of the worst SARS jokes...
02.15.04
You read something like this: One Teen Killed, Another Hurt During Flushing Knife Attacks. Then you read something like this: Cops charge man in food delivery holdup. And even worse, something like this: Police charge two NY teens with beating, stabbing deliveryman to death during robbery. Then you think, there's just too much crap going on in the world today.
02.15.04
An article with some good insights on Asians in the media: Expect Stereotypes as South Asians Make U.S. Film, TV Debuts
02.14.04
Happy Valentine's Day. I don't care much for the holiday... More importantly, I'd like to note that today is actually sort of an anniversary for Angry Asian Man. Yes, this website unofficially launched three years ago, V-Day 2001. And it has come quite a long way. I started the site simply as a place to express and get perspective on some of the stuff I was thinking about as an Asian American. But I never expected it to grow into what it's become—it just... happened. And it still astounds me. Somehow it connects with people, and I'm cool with that. So, thank you to everyone, for your continued support. I guess I'll just keep on doing what I do, 'till I can't do it no more. Stay Angry.
02.13.04
Had a nice conversation today with Houston singer/songwriter Annie Lin. She's working on her new record, Truck Was Struck, which will be released in April... and she needs your help and support! Visit her website for further info.
02.13.04
Asian American programming, coming to your television very soon: New show aims to 'Stir' Asian-American viewers
02.13.04
Critical reviews for Robot Stories are coming in, and it's looking good. Here's Elvis Mitchell's review in the New York Times: Soulful Androids Who Endure Those Cold Humans
02.13.04
From ABC's political blog "The Note," a bizarre account involving Representative Kucinich on The Tonight Show. Best understood if you just read it for yourself: The Heartbreak Kid. Sounds so weird, it makes me wish I had stayed up to watch it... The remark in question, of course, is the "Chinese takeout" response by Bachelorette number 3, radio talk show host Kim Serafin. That's racist!
02.13.04
Some follow-up on that verbally abusive "Go back to where you came from" traffic cop in Houston: Metro cop assigned to desk duty following complaint (You'll have to register to read the article.) And here's an editorial on the matter: This is abuse. So Officer Carr is taken off the field—that's it? The police chief insists that it's an isolated incident, and shouldn't reflect the standards of the department... but Carr is a 15-year veteran! Ridiculous.
02.13.04
It'll be interesting to see how this case is treated in comparison to the accusations against Capt. James Yee: Soldier Accused of Trying to Aid al-Qaida. Yee is mentioned at the end of the article.
02.13.04
Yao Ming had a monster night Wednesday, scoring 29 points in the Houston Rockets 102-87 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. But perhaps best of all, Yao got the better of Shaq: Yao Ming outplays Shaq in Rockets 102-87 win over Lakers
In other notable Yao Ming news, the 7'5" center has been announced as the new global spokesman for McDonald's: Yao Ming replaces Bryant as McDonald's spokesman. Super Size. I wonder if this coincides with that I Am Asian McDonald's site...
02.13.04
Interesting. Jet Li makes Men's Journal's list of The 25 Toughest Guys in America (#25)—and he's in some very tough company. But I'd also make a strong case for Jackie Chan to make this list. Sure, he's not as much of an accomplished martial artist as Jet Li, and his recent movies have stunk it up, but in terms of sheer "toughness," I'd argue that Jackie matches up. Through the years, one crazy feat after another, the guy has broken dozens and dozens of bones in the name of cinema... that's gotta count for something.
Speaking of Jet Li, his Rise To Honor video game hits stores next week.
02.13.04
Movie news... Martin Scorsese is in talks to direct the U.S. remake of Infernal Affairs! Now that's crazy. Also, Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha might direct the I Dream of Jeannie movie. Oy.
You can catch Amy Hill, Rob Schneider, Sharon Omi, Glen Chinn and Dom Magwilli—all in 50 First Dates, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, opening this weekend.
Oh, but most importantly, go watch ROBOT STORIES!
02.12.04
This is kind of crazy. Korean American men holding U.S. citizenship are being conscripted by the Korean army as a result of a law that states children born to Korean nationals retain Korean citizenship no matter where they are born: Korean Americans Surprised to Be Drafted into Korean Army. According to Korean law, every Korean man aged 18 to 30 is required to serve in the army. Should I be worried?
02.12.04
This is taking a stand about issues that concern us. This is an attempt at wielding some political power. This is stepping up and asking the candidates to finally listen to us: Coalition of Asian-American groups sets national agenda. Also see here: Feeling overlooked, Asian-Americans raise political profile
02.12.04
Last night, spotted Francoise Yip on Smallville and Christina Chang on The West Wing.
Also keep forgetting to mention that Shii Ann Huang, the self-described "She-Devil" from Survivor: Thailand, is back on the current season of the show, Survivor: All-Stars. If I remember correctly, she was the series' first Asian American contestant... but was voted out 7th when she fell prey to some premature scheming. Hopefully she'll make it a little further this time...
02.12.04
REMINDER: Greg Pak's Robot Stories opens in New York City TOMORROW! At the Cinema Village, 22 E. 12th St. SUPPORT THIS MOVIE.
02.12.04
On Sunday, ESPN.com columnist Peter Gammons released his preview of the NL East for the 2004 Major League season. But for some reason, Gammons had to throw in a cheap shot Asian joke and referred to Shea Stadium as a "rice paddy," apparently in reference to it's pre-2003 drainage problems and the Mets new Japanese star Kazuo Matsui. In summarizing the Mets, he wrote: "Just because they are headed in the right direction in terms of going back to pitching and defense in that rice paddy known as Shea Stadium doesn't mean there aren't questions." Read all about it here Gammons Should Apologize. (You have to register to read the full article, but it's free. And the article's pretty good.) That's racist!
02.12.04
Across time, around the world, Chinese workers still can't get a break: Avoid Israeli women, foreign workers told. That's racist!
02.12.04
Last weekend, Margaret Cho's stand-up performance at a Houston club was threatened with picketing by a local conservative group. Read about the whole deal here: Houston Pickets
02.12.04
In April, the National Park Service, with $5 million in congressional funds, will open an interactive center for visitors to the historic Manzanar War Relocation Center designed to "provoke ... dialogue on civil rights, democracy and freedom." It's good to see this site getting the attention it deserves: The Japanese Camps: Making The 9/11 Link.
While we're on the topic, check out Day of Remembrance 2004, an annual commemorative gathering in San Francisco on the anniversary of Executive Order 9066.
02.12.04
Not even close to Halloween, but we still can't get enough of those racist costumes: Chinaman Moustache. I especially enjoy the packaging illustration—slanty-eyes and buck teeth. FREAKIN' RACIST. And to complete your costume, also see the Coolie Hat and Mandarin Cap. Or maybe go with a whole other look entirely: Geisha Wig. Just another fun way to mock me and my culture! That's racist!
02.12.04
HATE CRIME IN IOWA: Possible hate crime investigated. Police are investigating a possible hate crime in which the alleged victims—an Asian American woman, Janis Chang, 23, and her white boyfriend—say they were attacked and beaten in downtown Iowa City by a group of men shouting racial slurs. According to Chang's written Iowa City police statement, on January 31, she and her boyfriend were making a phone call when four white men approached them, calling her a "chink," and making monkey noises. The men surrounded her boyfriend, made physical threats and called him a "chink lover." One man grabbed Chang's arm and shoved it in her face when she tried to intervene. Another male violently assaulted Chang's boyfriend, striking him several times in the face as he tried to call police on a cell phone.
I'm sitting here, trying to write something appropriately angry in reaction to this, but I'm just troubled. I think sometimes I simply feel worn down hearing about these incidents all the time—I have to shake myself so that it doesn't just become fodder for another website entry. The fact that this crap can and continues to happen, and with such savagery. It's angering, but it's also disheartening, and you just know it'll keep happening. We still have a long way to go. That's racist!
02.12.04
This cab driver in this incident is not Asian, but it's still definitely relevant... A Houston man from Ethiopia has filed a complaint with Metropolitan Transit Authority police, alleging that he recorded a Metro officer cursing him repeatedly during a traffic stop and telling him to "go back to where you come from..." Read here: Cab driver filed verbal abuse claim (To get the full effect, listen to the audio, or read the transcript on right side). I just have empathy for anyone who is told that "we don't need your kind here... go back to where you come from." It's just another sobering example of the intolerance and hatred in this country towards new immigrants and people of color —and this is coming from a law enforcement officer. "C-A-R-R." Hope Officer Carr's ass gets fired. There's just a lot of hate and anger there, and it's scary. That's racist!
02.11.04
I'm definitely wondering about John Kerry. When a candidate's name keeps coming up connected to a few too many seemingly innocuous occurrences of racial missteps (i.e. the 'Chinaman' thing from last month), you really do have to wonder. It boils down to ignorance on such matters, doesn't it? Last week, Kerry faced strong reaction from the Sikh community for remarks he made that were seen to equate Sikhs with terrorism: Sikh bodies protest branding as terrorists. During his campaign run in Oklahoma, the Democratic frontrunner spoke on terrorism by the likes of the IRA in Northern Ireland, the Basque separatists in Spain and "the Sikhs in India." He has since issued an apology...
But again, you gotta wonder.
02.11.04
Dean Cain stars in USA Network's original movie The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story. I suppose he sort of resembles Scott Peterson. What I find crazy is that they're airing this movie this week, and the trial hasn't even started yet. That's exploitation for you: A movie about Scott Peterson
02.11.04
In his new book Defining America Through Immigration Policy, UC Davis immigration historian Bill Ong Hing explores links between traditional racial concepts of who is a true American and how we enforce federal immigration policies: Americans Tolerate Only 'Ideal' Immigrants, New Book Says. Very interesting.
02.10.04
William Hung's fame has blown up to epic proportions. This is just getting out of hand... I just saw a local newscast on the guy. The Berkeley student has been trying to juggle his sudden rise to stardom. Read this: UC's accidental pop star 'American Idol' reject is hot item on campus -- and far beyond And over the weekend, Jimmy Fallon parodied William in a Saturday Night Live sketch (once again, an Asian character played by a non-asian—that's racist!). You know you've hit the nation's pulse when they make fun of you on SNL. See the video clip at williamhung.net, the site for all things William Hung. It's just plain crazy.
So tell me, is all this attention genuine appreciation, or mean-spirited mocking?
02.10.04
Ming Na will be the voice of a detective (an Asian detective?) on WB's new animated Batman series: 'Batman' Re-Animated at WB, Cartoon Net. I'm huuuge fan of WB's other Batman cartoons, so the fact that they're making another one is cool enough news for me.
02.10.04
"Phil the Filipino" answers back: Sausage Fest. In this installment, Phil chops up Matt Vroom into little pieces with a meat cleaver. Yeah, yeah... a juvenile jab between cartoonist friends. Weird and gruesome, but I'll admit it—I found it kind of funny.
02.10.04
Jonathan Kesselman, writer and director of The Hebrew Hammer, writes an account of his recent trip to Hong Kong to screen his film at the 4th Annual Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival (yes, there is such an event): Hong Kong Jew-y. The piece seethes with cultural condescension. It's like the worst parts of Lost of Translation, loaded with contempt and ignorance. That's racist!
02.10.04
Norah Jones' new album, Feels Like Home, is in stores today. Her band includes Daru Oda on background vocals.
02.10.04
William Hung's crazy cult fame continues to spread. He'll be featured in a segment on the latest Entertainment Tonight, where they'll be taking him around town to do some karaoke. World domination, William!
02.10.04
MTV's My Life Translated is looking for young Asians who are thinking about getting double eyelid surgery: MTV Documentary looking for subjects. My beautiful Asian people, don't get the surgery—I love you just the way you are.
02.10.04
Press is slowly picking up on David and Goliath's racist clothing line. This article includes OCA's take: DAVID & GOLIATH: Still Dressed to Offend. Of course, this just fuels the publicity fire for those damn shirts. But at this point, it doesn't matter. Todd wants to get paid, either way. As a community, there's no point in sitting on it. So I say blast 'em:
Contact David and Goliath to let them know what you think about their merchandise:
David and Goliath
1230 South Myrtle Avenue, Suite 401
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 462-6205
dgoliath@tampabay.rr.com
If you see David and Goliath merchandise in stores, contact managers or owners, or draft letters of complaint and ask them to get that crap off their shelves. Have any press contacts? Let them know about this. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, take a look at this crap:
Ancient Chinese Secret, Fuk Mi Nao, Lik Mai Balls, Lik Mai Nutz, Mi Sake U Nao
White Trash, Suk Mai Cock, Miso Hor Ni
LONG DONGS CHINESE HAND LAUNDRY
Mocking my culture for a buck. This kind of disrespect only leads to worse dehumanization. I said it about this once, I'll say it again: That's racist!
02.10.04
Missy Elliot's video for "I'm Really Hot" features some kind of weird dance battle showdown between rival yakuza-like dance crews. The video begins with them speaking in Japanese (with English subtitles), and then they square off against this group of Asian ladies, with the usual Asian cityscape iconography in the background... Looks definitely heavily influenced by The Warriors and Kill Bill.
02.10.04
Ian Anthony Dale was on NBC's Las Vegas last night (apparently, he is referred to by the ladies as "hot"). Masi Oka showed up on CBS' Still Standing. Yay.
02.10.04
An opinion article on what Elaine Chao has(n't) done for labor lately: The Secretary of Labor Is the Enemy of Labor
02.10.04
Last month, a Korean American female cadet was named captain of the Corps of Cadets in United States Military Academy. 22-year-old Grace Chung was appointed Brigade Commander, the top position among 4,000 cadets in West Point. Her appointment was only the second time a woman cadet has taken the job since the academy was founded 200 years ago: Chung Named Top Cadet in West Point
02.10.04
Beautiful Country follows the hardships of Binh, a young Vietnamese man), as he searches for his American GI father, played by Nick Nolte. After escaping a refugee camp in Malaysia, Binh, played by Damien Nguyen, finds himself stowed away as human cargo in the cargo ship commanded by Tim Roth's morally ambivalent character, Captain Oh: Roth Captains 'Floating Hell' in New Film
02.10.04
The legendary James Hong showed up on Sunday's Malcolm in the Middle. Apparently, his character somehow ends up marrying the family's crazy evil grandmother. Hooray. Comedy. However, at one point they refer to him as a 'Chinaman.' AGAIN, somehow this term finds its way on to network television. I can only attribute it to ignorance. There are so few instances of Asians in primetime, and when we see one—veteran actor James Hong, no less—he's disrespected. That's racist!
02.09.04
For folks in the San Francisco area, check out this cool event going on at Locus: I (heart) Cars: A Valentine's Special on Love and Locomotion. In honor of Valentine's Day, Locus presents Asian America's love affair with the car. And the bus. And other forms of locomotion. Featuring work from a few close, personal friends of mine...
02.09.04
The official 22nd San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival website is now up and running: www.naatanet.org/festival/
02.08.04
Spotted Archie Kao on a Heineken commercial this evening.
02.08.04
I don't know, people. I've been the latest season of The Real World (San Diego), and at this point, it just seems like Jamie and Jacquese are the only two sane people in the bunch. Yeah, the two people of color. I don't know what that means. But then again, if past seasons are any indication, The Real World is all about sticking seven of the craziest people together under one roof. And the season is still young! Plenty of time to get their crazy on.
02.08.04
News brief about Asians in the Los Angeles County jail system. There has been no upsurge in attacks against Asian inmates since they were returned to the general population in late January after a decade of protective separation... I believe this is a follow-up to this story: Koreans Fear Race-based Attacks in L.A. County Jails
02.08.04
I guess this is the McDonald's Corporation attempt at marketing towards Asian Americans? I don't know... Something about it just seems plain weird: i am asian
02.08.04
New York Times reporting on the whole Dewey Ballantine "Don't-let-them-go-to-a-Chinese-restaurant" memo incident: Asian-Americans Take Offense at a Law Firm Memo. That's racist!
02.06.04
The latest edition of LA Weekly has a pretty extensive cover feature on LA's Koreatown scene. Everything you need to know, all right there.
02.06.04
Playwright Philip Kan Gotanda has been selected and invited to participate in the Sundance Institute Theatre Program's Playwright's retreat: Seven playwrights chosen for Sundance retreat. At the retreat, Gotanda's work will examine a legal case brought in 1986 that helped overturn a Supreme Court decision that allowed the U.S. government to incarcerate Japanese-Americans during World War II.
02.06.04
TIME article on environmental innovators: The Planet Protectors. See the section on Christina Kim, an environmentally conscious fashion designer.
02.06.04
Our favorite, Michelle Wie competing in the Hawaii Pearl
Open: Michelle Wie tees off against the men again today. The 191-player field is predominantly Asian.
02.06.04
Teaser trailer for Around the World in 80 Days, starring Jackie Chan. I don't know—who's supposed to be the star of this movie? I guess I just want to see one of those movies where Jackie satisfactorily kicks everyone's ass.
I'm sorry, was that my Governor I just saw in there?
02.06.04
Ro Khanna is running for Congress in 12th Congressional District in California (San Francisco and San Mateo County). His website is www.votero.com.
It would be nice to see more Asian Americans in public office. But at the very least, it's important to get out there, get involved, and be heard. There is this unfortunate sentiment that Asian Americans are silent and politically apathetic—in some ways, this is too true. Organizing a campaign against a TV show is one thing, but we need tangible political empowerment as well. I don't care who you vote for, but one way or another, get your ass out there and vote.
Well, I guess that's my West Wing-esqe inspirational thought for the day.
02.05.04
The time has come for me to make an important endorsement... No, not for Democratic presidential candidate (YEAGH!). I'm talking about Greg Pak's great little indie film, Robot Stories. It opens in select cities starting in New York on February 13, and it needs your help getting the word out and filling those theater seats. Support this film! For more info, hit the link on the right, or just go here: My Official Endorsement of Robot Stories
02.05.04
Check out this weird, offensive comic, published yesterday in University of Illinois' (Urbana-Champaign) Daily Illini: "I Hate Pam" by Matt Vroom. It's bad enough that this juvenile Max Cannon/"Red Meat" wannabe humor falls far short of funny, but this whole bit with Phil the Filipino is just plain offensive. Is it trying to be satiric? Perhaps a social commentary on America's labor/immigration practices? Or simply bad taste? I checked out some of the comic's archives to try and make sense of its attempted style/humor... and the Filipino thing doesn't work for me. So all I can say is, that's racist!
Addendum: I actually heard from the author of the comic strip, as well as from students who attend U of I, and got some background on the matter... Over the last week or so, the Daily Illini comic authors have been writing strips that take jabs at one another, with inside jokes and panels featuring each other. "Phil the Filipino" apparently refers to friend and fellow comic strip artist Phil Retuta (who is actually Filipino, I think). The strip in question is Vroom's lame jab at Retuta. The ironic part is that the joke was allegedly half-conceived by Retuta himself, and then approved by the author's editor, who is also Asian.
I don't know if that makes the strip more/less offensive for anyone. It certainly isn't the same as "All Chinese people eat cats!" And Phil's retort in the last panel does make the author look stupid, perhaps in way editorializing the way some whites narrowly view Asians in America. I don't want to perpetuate another stereotype about humorless Asians who jump up and make a ruckus about anything racial. But the imagery of Phil being forced in the box at gunpoint is still disturbing, considering that there are people out there who have been directed to "go back to where you came from" by people with real, serious hatred. When you make race-related jokes in a public forum, even an "inside" one between friends/cohorts, you have to understand that you're opening up a can of worms. And it seems that a lot of people are already up in arms about it. Subsequent responses in the paper should be interesting.
Just some things to consider before writing your angry letter...
02.05.04
Award-winning author Ha Jin was on KQED's Forum yesterday, talking about his new novel The Crazed. Listen to it here (February 4).
02.05.04
Lots of Asian Americans working in key roles for NASA's Mars Project: Asian Americans Propel Mars Rovers
02.05.04
Check out the upcoming movie, Club Dread, a comedy opening in theaters on February 27. It's directed, co-written and stars Indian American Jay Chandrasekhar, a member of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe. He's also directed Super Troopers and Puddle Cruiser, as well as episodes of Undeclared and Arrested Development (very funny shows). Named one of Variety1s "10 Directors to Watch in 2001," he's broken a lot of color barriers... Learn more about him here.
02.05.04
AT&T Wireless has outraged APA civil rights organizations with a full page newspaper ad promoting the company's reduced international calling rates under the abbreviation "JAP" for Japan. The ad ran Wednesday in newspapers across the country: AT&T Wireless ad prompts protest. Yes, the term is derogatory, whether intentional or not. AT&T may not have intended to offend, but the fact of the matter is, someone let this slip. It's the kind of crap that simply emerges from ignorance and a lack of sensitivity about Asian American issues. That's racist!
02.05.04
A campaign has been formed to create awareness and prevent Sofia Copploa's Lost In Translation from receiving Academy Award recognition because of its questionably racist representation: lost-in-racism.org. Organizers are petitioning motion picture industry groups to vote against the film.
Personally, I don't hate the film—it has its merits. While certainly overhyped, Lost in Translation has affecting, absorbing moments of pure cinema. But I definitely agree that some of its depictions of Japanese people and culture are problematic. Some scenes can be innocuously attributed to genuine cultural misunderstanding, used to emphasize the characters' loneliness and sense of displacement. But in other key moments Coppola plays it cheap, and the film crosses well over the line of exploitative cultural condescension. In these scenes, the Japanese are dehumanized and relegated to one-dimensional, stereotypical caricatures. It just felt unnecessary, and that's what's frustrating—it could've been avoided. Moments and characters that ruin what could have otherwise been a good film. That's racist!
02.05.04
Crazy! In the latest issue of MuscleMag, there's actually an article on Asian American men in the body building scene. "Asian American Muscle Parade" (!) Very interesting, considering how most American media would have you believe Asian men are wimpy, asexual and foreign. Check out the cover here.
02.05.04
In response to law firm Dewey Ballantine's anti-Asian incident (again), nine legal organizations and 36 law student groups at the nation's top schools have signed an open letter to Dewey demanding answers: Re: Racially Offensive Email by Dewey Partner
02.05.04
The following picture ran in Wednesday's edition of the New York Times:
Not really sure what's happening here (Jim Broadbent in "The Pillowman"), but it certainly doesn't look pretty. Maybe even racist.
02.04.04
Attention, San Francisco Bay Area fashionites, don't miss Fashion Co-Op SF, a fashion "flea market" for independent designers. This Saturday, February 7 at 111 Minna. Brought to you by Michelle Jue and Kim Tominaga, the cool ladies of Infinity Productions. Check it out, and tell 'em AAM sent ya.
02.04.04
I've been hearing repeatedly about some kind of Degree anti-perspirant commercial involving an Asian family, kung fu fighting, and the familiar sound of a gong. I don't know what any of those things have to do with each other, or deodorant, but I guess I have to be on the lookout for the commercial.
02.04.04
Capt. James Yee's preliminary hearing has been postponed a FOURTH time: Army Delays Guantanamo Chaplain Hearing. Yee is accused of mishandling classified information from the U.S. prison for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
02.04.04
Daily Californian article on the unexpected cult following of America's newest TV/internet celebrity, Berkeley's own William Hung: Berkeley Junior Shot Down in American Idol Tryout
02.04.04
Commentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Chink's Steaks: Denying the trauma of racism. And another one from the Philadelphia Daily News: Our Steak In The Controversy. Man, that name has GOT to go. That's racist!
02.04.04
Help comic strip creator Tak Toyoshima get Secret Asian Man running in the LA Weekly. Here's a sample letter you can cut, paste and email to letters@laweekly.com:
Dear editor,
I am writing in regards to a comic strip that I think would be an excellent addition to your paper. It is a weekly strip called Secret Asian Man by Tak Toyoshima. As the country's first Asian American comic strip, Secret Asian Man offers a refreshingly new perspective on American culture and the politics of race relations.
Secret Asian Man is currently printed in papers across the country including Boston's Weekly Dig, Chicago RedEye, Silicon Valley Metro, AsianWeek and Nichi-Bei Times as well as on several Web sites on the internet.
Please review the archive of strips that can be found at
http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/asian/Article_Detail.asp?Article_ID=5508
To contact Tak Toyoshima, write to secretasianman@weeklydig.com
Thank you very much for considering my feedback,
Tak will appreciate it.
02.04.04
Heads up: Vienna Teng's new album Warm Strangers hits stores on February 24, released by Virt Records.
02.03.04
This is completely short notice, but if you're in the San Francisco area, and have nothing to do tonight... check out the 2004 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival Launch Party and Fundraiser:
2004 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival Launch Party and Fundraiser
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
7pm-10pm
111 Minna Gallery
111 Minna St. (between Howard & Mission @ 2nd)
San Francisco
21 & above - tickets sold at the door:
$15 / NAATA members (w/valid membership card)
$20 / non-members
Please RSVP by Tuesday, January 27th to 415.863.0814 ext. 120 or via email: naomi@naatanet.org
It'll be a good time, and it's for an excellent cause. See you there...
02.03.04
Check out With Love, a compilation of new "love jams" by Asian American artists, being released today.
02.03.04
Fefe Dobson has a song on the Perfect Score soundtrack, and Leonardo Nam is prominently featured in the video, along with the rest of the cast.
Also, here's a brief Interview with Leonardo Nam.
02.03.04
With all the racist crap going on in the wide world of sports, golf phenom Michelle Wie is a shining light: Wies still pondering offers
02.03.04
New York Times article on Amy Chua, author of World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability: On the Dark Side of Democracy. Pretty interesting.
02.03.04
Three Chinese restaurants were set on fire in apparently racist attacks in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, early Sunday morning, according to police: 3 Chinese restaurants set ablaze in Australia. Disturbing. That's racist!
02.02.04
A story on John Kerry, Asians, and foreign money—and scandal: Cash and Kerry. I don't know about this guy, but this kind of stuff doesn't make anyone look good.
02.02.04
Jackie Chan urges Asian countries to retain their identity, expressing sadness that many had forsaken their distinctiveness for "a fast food" culture. Ah, modern cultural imperialism: Chan Rallies Nations Hit by Bird Flu
It also seems that contrary to previous reports, Chan will begin shooting the third (and most likely final) installment of the Rush Hour series in August, along with co-star Chris Tucker and director Brett Ratner (Boooo!). The film is expected to be released in August of 2005. I can't believe how much I DO NOT want to see that movie.
02.02.04
The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (the "Guide to the Oscars" issue), includes a bit on Ken Watanabe's nomination for Best Supporting Actor in The Last Samurai. It mentions that he's one of less than 10 Asians ever nominated, and that only 3 have ever won (including current Best Actor nominee Ben Kingsley, who is half-Indian).
02.02.04
Witness the birth of a true American Idol! William Hung's infamous American Idol audition last week ("She bangs! She bangs!"), has instantly turned him into something of a national celebrity, gaining legions of fans and even garnering a fansite: www.williamhung.net. Honestly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. A little bit of both, I guess.
02.02.04
This Perfect Score review isn't glowing, but it does have some nice things to say about Leonardo Nam: 'Score' Far From Perfect "Jeff Spicoli for a new generation." That's pretty high praise, I guess.
02.02.04
Here is the message Sirius is sending in response to letters regarding Jimmy Spencer's comments:
We thank you for your comments. We share your reaction regarding Jimmy Spencer's reported comments, but Sirius does not currently sponsor his car. Sirius ended its relationship with Jimmy Spencer last year.
So, the sponsorship information listed on Spencer's website is inaccurate. Does anyone have updated info?
And what does NASCAR have to say about this? NASCAR will not penalize Spencer for comments. It's ridiculous—just another one of these incidents where someone makes disparaging, offensive remarks about Asians, but manages to slip under the radar until the situation blows over. Why aren't more people up in arms about this kind of stuff? That's racist! And I'm sick of it.
02.01.04
This news will not change the world. It will not end racism. And it will not improve your life. But let it be known that Sonya Thomas, the 99-pound food eating champ, won the 12th annual Wing Bowl in Philadelphia, eating 167 wings and beating out twenty-three other hungry men: Wing Bowl Crowns New Champion
Here's her profile, according to the International Federation of Competitive Eating. I did not know that such an organization actually existed. But I guess I shouldn't really be surprised.
02.01.04
All this racist crap in the world of sports... but can you really call this guy an athlete? I'm talking about NASCAR driver Jimmy Spencer, making anti-Japanese remarks: Driver's comment creates a stir. The article does a little paraphrasing to soften the language, but essentially, Spencer lets loose:
"I was raised with Chevrolet, Ford and Chrysler, so I don't know. Those sons of bitches bombed Pearl Harbor, don't forget. As long as it's good for the economy, I guess it's OK. But I hope that Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge kick their ass."
He subsequently tries to dig himself out this hole, apparently putting Pearl Harbor in the past, and claiming that the "sport has changed." But the hell does that have anything to do with calling the Japanese "sons of bitches"? That's racist!
Now, NASCAR is a sponsor-driven sport. So here's an email address for Mr. Spencer's sponsor, Sirius Satellite Radio: rrodrigues@siriusradio.com (Ron Rodrigues, Media Relations). If you feel strongly about this, let them know what you think.
02.01.04
Wayne Inouye becomes the CEO of Gateway: Gateway to Buy PC Maker EMachines
02.01.04
Casting call for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire... they're looking for an Asian girl to play Cho Chang (Harry's love interest): Cho Chang casting held in London. But do they really have to describe her as "Oriental"? (I guess they do—it's what they call people of East Asian descent in the UK.)