December 2012

12.29.2012

This Year's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed posts of 2012.

1. victoria's secret's "sexy little geisha." seriously.

2. disturbing video of asian man attacked in chicago

3. starbucks labels drinks with the "chink eyes"

4. "me love you long time" comedian gets punched on stage

5. most racist ad ever: "see asia like asians do"

6. lisa chan, the actress in pete hoekstra's racist campaign ad

7. who knew? jenny hyun is a raging racist

8. this hoekstra campaign ad is racist bullshit

9. actress lisa chan apologizes for hoekstra ad

10. ba-zing! emily chang's in a ruffles commercial

Another man fatally pushed in front of subway train

Damn. News of another person shoved to death in front of a subway train: 7 Train Fatal Push: Video Released Of Woman Suspected Of Pushing Man To Death, Fleeing Queens Station.

46-year-old Sunando Sen, an immigrant from India, was fatally pushed in front of an oncoming train in Queens. Witnesses say a possibly mentally ill woman on the subway platform pushed him without provocation.

Police are now looking for the unidentified woman:

Mark Your Calendars: Fred Korematsu Day 2013

Hey, everybody. A friendly reminder to mark your calendars for Fred Korematsu Day 2013, happening January 30. The first day in U.S. history to be named after an Asian American, the Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution celebrates the life of Fred Korematsu and recognizes the importance of preserving civil liberties.

There are nearly twenty Korematsu Day events currently scheduled in Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan, including the flagship "Heroes" Celebration event in San Francisco happening Sunday, January 27 at the Herbst Theater. Here are some more details:

Two of my favorite musicians, Jane Lui and Paul Dateh, recently re-teamed to do a two and a half minute version of their infamous cartoon medley, featuring the themes from shows like Inspector Gadget, The Pink Panther, Ducktales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more. Good times:

Now that Christmas is over, how about getting a little something for yourself? Consider picking up something cool from the National Film Society Store.

Yes, like Patrick and Stephen, you can rock one of those handsome black and orange National Film Society t-shirt, or get a fun bundle of two shirts and a pack of stickers for you to share with a friend -- be part of the Society!

They've even got some kick ass red-on-black shirts for their upcoming action comedy web series Awesome Asian Bad Guys -- available in both unisex and women's sizes. It's all available at the National Film Society store here.

12.24.2012

Chloe Bennet joins ABC's S.H.I.E.L.D.

Didn't want to miss this bit of casting news... Chloe Bennet, who can currently be seen on the ABC show Nashville, has joined the cast of director Joss Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D. show, based on the international secret intelligence organization featured Marvel's The Avengers: Joss Whedon's 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' Pilot Enlists 'Nashville' Actress.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, she'll play Skye, "a confident woman who is slightly obsessed with superhero culture." She rounds out the cast that stars Ming Na as Agent Melinda May:

This has nothing to do with Christmas, but POP ETC's cover of the Whitney Houston chart-topping classic "How Will I Know" totally warms my heart in all the right ways. Shot in Tokyo, I love music videos filmed in public places with passersby giving quizzical looks. Check it out:

Looking for some proper holiday tunes to set the mood while you're unwrapping gifts and feasting with family? Check out The Christmas Album featuring new arrangements of classic Christmas songs performed by the Irvine Young Concert Artists, conducted by George Shaw, joined by the likes of Jason Chen, Clara C, David Choi, Inch Chua and more. Preview the album below:

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Movie Review: THE IMPOSSIBLE Is Deplorable: The Impossible is a true story about a tourist family that got separated when the 2004 tsunami devastated Thailand. Guess who's not in the story? Thai people.

Daniel Inouye's Conscience: The New Yorker's Seymour Hersh remembers Senator Daniel Inouye, who passed away early last week.

A Real Talk Primer on Affirmative Action, Fisher, College Admissions and Race by Dr. OiYan Poon: Our friend OiYan Poon debunks some myths and misconceptions about Asian Americans and affirmative action in order for us to have a more productive conversation.

Where Hook's Rufio is Today: Yahoo catches up actor Dante Basco, who is best known for his 1991 role as Rufio in Steven Spielberg's Hook.

this week's angriest posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.

uwec hmong students respond to racist "problems" sign

behold the awful racist trailer for ushi must marry

airline issues boarding pass to wrong elderly asian woman

linsanity returns to madison square garden

man arrested for posting school shooting threats

"cars & guns & common sense" by jeff & hudson yang david phan's family speaks out

holiday party brawl! steven ho kicks conan's ass. again.

angry gift guide: masao the big mama and fukumaru the cat

jackie chan joins the cast of expendables 3

Happy holidays. Stay angry.

12.21.2012

Man convicted in "Honor Roll Murder" granted parole

In Southern California, a man convicted in connection with the notorious 1992 "Honor Roll Murder" was recently granted parole: Man paroled in 1992 honors-student murder.

Kirn Young Kim was sixteen when he and four other teens conspired and carried out a plot to kill 17-year-old Stuart Tay in Buena Park, California. Kim served as lookout during the brutal New Year's Eve beating, and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

According to the parole board, Kim, now 36, was a model prisoner and had shown that he took responsibility for his role in the murder:

All right, everybody. Gather 'round to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Wen Hao Wang.

Archery is so hot right now.

Writer/director Tze Chun, the filmmaker behind the indie dramas Children of Invention and the forthcoming Eye of Winter, is writing a new television take on the Robin Hood legend for the CW network: CW Developing Robin Hood Drama.

Sherwood is described as "an hourlong period drama with a female slant." According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show will follow a young noble woman who joins Robin Hood and his Merry Men:

Above, one of two stunning photos of Senator Daniel Inouye's casket lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda -- a rare, exceptionally high honor for the longtime Hawaii senator and World War II hero, who died this week. Only eleven former senators have lain in state in the Rotunda.

This morning, President Obama and Vice President Biden spoke at the funeral service for Senator Inouye at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. Here's video of their eulogies:

Last week in New York, a grand jury indicted the man accused of pushing another man to his death in front of an oncoming subway train: NYC subway push slaying suspect Naeem Davis indicted.

30-year-old Naeem Davis is charged with the murder of Ki-Suk Han of Queens. The two reportedly got into an argument at the 49th street station before Davis shoved Han onto the subway tracks, where he was killed by an oncoming midtown train.

Davis claims that "voices in his head" made him do it:

Justin Chon cast in NBC comedy pilot The Gates

Actor Justin Chon, perhaps best known for his role as Eric Yorkie in the Twilight movies, has been cast in the NBC comedy pilot The Gates: Kathleen Rose Perkins, Three Others Cast In NBC Comedy Pilot 'The Gates.'

The Gates is an ensemble comedy set at the front gates of an elementary school drop-off, where parents and school staff interact with one another at the beginning and end of each school day.

According to Deadline.com, Justin will play a "manny" -- that's a male nanny -- and buddy/confidant to the show's lead:

Jackie Chan joins the cast of Expendables 3

It was inevitable. Jackie Chan has confirmed that he's joining the cast of The Expendables 3. Yes, they're making a third one: Jackie Chan Joins 'Expendables 3,' Eyes New Project With Chris Tucker.

Chan is indeed the latest aging action star to join the Expendables team. This week, at a Kuala Lampur press conference promoting his latest film, Chinese Zodiac, Chan revealed that Sylvester Stallone had invited him to be in the next installment of the franchise:

Do you like comic books? And would you like to help a family in need?

In New York, Korean Community Services recently established a memorial fund for the family of Ki Suk Han, the subway murder victim who was killed when he was pushed onto the track and hit by a train.

Our friend Greg Pak, the writer behind comics like The Incredible Hulk, Astonishing X-Men and Vision Machine, is doing his part to help out. To encourage folks to donate, Greg has promised to send a signed comic book to anyone who contributes $25 or more to the fund.

Here are some more details on how it works:

A couple of weeks ago, I shared this note that was posted in a dorm bathrooom stall by someone who obviously had some "problems" with her Hmong floor-mates at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

I recently heard from he resident assistant on the floor where the sign was posted. After waiting a month to see whether and how school officials would react, she and her peers decided to write a public statement to the university administration and the greater UWEC community.

Here's the letter:

What to Read: Lament in the Night by Shōson Nagahara

Looking for some good reading? Consider Lament in the Night, written by Shōson Nagahara and translated into English for the first time by Andrew Leong, recently published on paperback from Kaya Press.

Originally published in 1925, and touted as a naturalist noir masterpiece, the book is a collection of two dark novellas that reveal the gritty realities in 1920s Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Here's the publisher's description:

Hey filmmakers! Visual Communications, the nation's premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, has announced its call for submissions for the recently rebranded second annual Project Catalyst, happening over two days at next year's Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Formerly known as the C3: Project Market, Project Catalyst is an opportunity for Asian American filmmakers to showcase their narrative feature projects to financiers, producers, execs and other industry participants.

Up to ten narrative filmmakers will be chosen for Project Catalyst. You'll have access to panels, a pitch session and one-on-one industry meetings, in addition to a cash prize to be determined by a panel of jurors:

Hollywood stuntman Steven Ho, who has become a regular guest on Conan, was back on the show the other night to kick Conan O'Brien's ass. Again. This time, instead of the usual demonstration, Steven had to throw down and regulate when things got rowdy at the show's Christmas party. Check it out:

My heart breaks for this family... Just wanted to make sure you saw this Salt Lake Tribune article with the family of David Phan, the bullied 14-year-old junior high student who committed suicide outside his school earlier this month: Utah family hopes son's suicide buries bullying.

The family opens up to speak out about the way school officials mishandled David's situation, both before and after his death. The school district was quick to cover its ass, stating that David had not reported any incidents of bullying, and that he was "facing significant personal challenges on multiple fronts" -- basically blaming the victim.

This week, the ACLU of Utah wrote a letter to the school district on behalf of the Phan family, urging for a cease and desist of any further public statements about David and his family:

Akufuncture is a Los Angeles-based apparel brand with designs inspired by Chinese art, folklore and culture, including their signature character, the Monkey King. Their newest collection of Monkey King designs comes with a superhero twist, inspired by Marvel and DC characters. Check out these fun shirts, perfect for the superhero in your life:

When Jeremy Lin first started playing with the Knicks, every time he entered Madison Square Garden, security personnel would ask him if he was a trainer. I guess they didn't have a lot of Asian guys coming through those halls.

That, of course, was before Linsanity.

Pretty sure they recognized Jeremy Lin on Monday night, when he returned to the Garden -- the birthplace of what we now know and love as "Linsanity" -- for the first time as starting point guard with the Rockets, handily helping Houston blow out the Knicks, 109-96. Here are the highlights from Jeremy's return:

This is so great. Our friend Jeff Yang sat down and talked with his 9-year-old son Hudson about the shootings at Sandy Hook. Hudson, being kind of an awesome kid, wanted to do something about it, so they spent the afternoon creating this amaaazing comic entitled "Cars and Guns and Common Sense" by Jeff (story) and Hudson Yang (art):

Dammit. Man, come on. Over the weekend, authorities in Southern California arrested a man who allegedly posted a message on Facebook threatening shootings at multiple elementary schools: 9 guns seized when man arrested for alleged school shooting threats.

24-year-old Kyle Bangayan was arrested at his parents' home in East Hollywood, where Los Angeles police offers and FBI agents seized nine guns. Bangayan was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats.

No specific targets were mentioned in the Facebook post, but Bangayan's alleged threat referred to "kindergarten and elementary school kids":

Beatrock Music's Three Year Anniversary, December 21

Get ready, San Francisco. This Friday, December 28, Bambu, Prometheus Brown, Rocky Rivera, and more are gonna be performing at the Brick and Mortar Music Hall. It's to celebrate the third anniversary of independent hip hop label Beatrock Music. Here are some details:

This is a bit short notice, but if you're in the New York City area on tomorrow morning, come to Chinatown, where there will be a press conference regarding the last of the eight soldiers charged in connection with Private Danny Chen's death and the next steps in the community's campaign for justice.

It's happening Tuesday, December 18, 10:30am at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. Here's the press advisory:

Jin is back! He didn't really go anywhere. He's just a new man. And with the brand new Jin comes brand new music. The Chinese American rap pioneer just dropped his latest EP, Brand New Me. The record reflects a new direction in his life, which includes becoming a husband, a father and a man of God. Here's the music video for the title track:

Sad news. Hawaii Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye, who had been hospitalized since early December due to respiratory problems, has died at age 88: Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye dies at age 88.

Inouye served in the Senate since 1962 and represented Hawaii since 1954. He was a pioneer, and as the Senate pro tempore and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, one of the most influential and powerful Asian Americans ever to serve in U.S. politics.

His final word, according to his staff, was "Aloha." From the official Statement on the Passing of Senator Daniel K. Inouye:

Saw this on BuzzFeed... Thirteen years ago, photographer Miyoko Ihara started documenting the crazy cute relationship between her now-88-year-old grandmother Misao and Fukumaru, the odd-eyed kitten she found abandoned in a shed: This Grandma And Her Cat Are The Cutest Best Friends Ever.

Misao and Fukumaru's awesome cat-tastic friendship and daily life is documented in the 64-page Japanese photo book Misao the Big Mama and Fukumara the Cat. Here are some more awesome photos:

That Star Trek Into Darness announcement trailer that was released a couple of weeks ago was just a little Trekkie taste... Now we get this brand new official teaser trailer. With lots of lens flares, things exploding, and an obligatory shot of our man John Cho as Hikaru Sulu looking very serious. Check it out:

Damn. What kind of racist nonsense did I just watch? In case you believed that Hollywood's got a lock on racist stereotyping, I recommend taking a look at this craptastic trailer for the godawful-looking upcoming Dutch comedy Ushi Must Marry, which features yellowface, racial mockery and stereotypes galore:

Outrageous. Just read about the ridiculous incident on BadAirline involving an elderly Asian woman who recently missed her flight because Delta Airlines issued her boarding pass to the wrong elderly Asian woman: Delta Issues Boarding Pass to Wrong Elderly Asian Woman.

Va Yang arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last month for her flight to Tokyo-Narita, but when she tried to check in, she was informed by the gate agent that someone named Va Yang had already checked in.

They had apparently already issued the boarding pass to someone else... and that was that. They wouldn't check her in and refused to even look into the matter. Seriously? No possibility that you gave the wrong boarding pass to the wrong Asian woman with the same or similar name?

Ms. Yang missed her flight.

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Children Were All Shot Multiple Times With a Semiautomatic, Officials Say: Like you and the rest of America, I am still reeling from news of the violent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. My prayers go out to the victims, their families and their community in this time of unfathomable loss.

Do We Have the Courage to Stop This? "In the harrowing aftermath of the school shooting in Connecticut, one thought wells in my mind: Why can't we regulate guns as seriously as we do cars?"

Newtown: A marker for how far we haven't come in the gun control debate: On AALDEF's blog, Emil Guillermo wonders if the death of twenty elementary students will finally move the needle on the gun control debate.

Time to profile white men? "Indeed, unlike other demographic, white guys as a group are never thought to be an acceptable topic for any kind of critical discussion whatsoever, even when there is ample reason to open up such a discussion."

this week's angriest posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.

"a lingering smell of asian food"

woman tased in apple store incident

manny pacquiao knocked out in sixth round stunner

pacific rim trailer: giant f*cking monsters versus giant f*cking robots

the return of linsanity? for one night, at least.

turning 12 on 12/12/12 at 12:12

"gangnam style" kills

new g.i. joe: retaliation trailer

angry reader of the week: daren mooko

who will play mr. yunioshi in broadway's new breakfast at tiffany's?

Man, hell of a week. Stay Angry.

12.14.2012

linsanity: the movie website

The feature documentary Linsanity, an official selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, now has an official website: linsanitythemovie.com. Not much there right now, but you can submit your email to sign up for updates.

The film, directed by Evan Leong, tells the story of Jeremy Lin's unlikely rise to basketball stardom. It will have its world premiere next month in Park City, Utah. Here's the description from the Sundance program guide:

What's up, everybody. It's that time again. Time to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Daren Mooko.

Oh hell nooooo. Broadway watchers know that a new stage version of Breakfast at Tiffany's is in the works, based on the novella by Truman Capote, with Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke as Holly Golightly, the role iconically played by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film.

Of course, when I hear about a new Breakfast at Tiffany's, I instantly have to wonder who is going to play Mr. Yunioshi? You know, the role infamously played by Mickey Rooney in yellowface -- hands down, one of the most racist caricatures in the history of cinema.

Will they update the character for the modern stage? Or will they not even bother messing with it, and write it out altogether? At this point, the character is so closely tied to Rooney's grotesque stereotype, it's like playing with fire.

I'd like to think the people in charge would be smart about it, but recent developments from the theater world have not been very reassuring. Casting news continues to roll out, so I guess we'll find out soon enough...

angry gift guide: bruce lee game of death action figure

Yes, another Bruce Lee figure. I cannot resist! This super-detailed 12-inch limited edition Bruce Lee action figure from Enterbay will cost you good chunk of change at $329.99, but dang, look how cool it is!

Designed to look like Bruce from Game of Death, it includes two versions of the famous yellow-and-black track suit -- a normal edition and a "damaged" edition with footprints on it, like he just finished mixing it up with Kareem.

Oh, and this is the "Behind the Scene Edition," so it comes with stuff like a camera, lighting equipment and a director's chair. Like I said, very detailed. Here are some more photos of the figure:

sitar legend ravi shankar dies at 92

I've been sick and busy this week, but I didn't want to forget to acknowledge the passing of legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar, who died Tuesday in San Diego. He was 92: Sitar legend Ravi Shankar dies at 92.

The famed international musician is credited with bringing Indian music to the west, and taught the late George Harrison of the Beatles to play the sitar:

Hell to the yes. Guillermo Del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy, has made a huge-ass kaiju-inspired blockbuster flick about giant f%cking monsters against giant f%cking robots. Behold, fanboys, the first trailer for Pacific Rim, the movie everyone will be talking about next summer:

Are people are aware of the potential dangers of "Gangnam Style"? In England, a man reportedly collapsed and died after dancing to the chart-topping hit at an office Christmas party: Man dies after office party dance.

46-year-old Eamonn Kilbride apparently danced a little too vigorously trying to mimic the "horse dance" stylings of Korean artist PSY. But the moves proved too much for Kilbride, who complained of chest pains when he came off the dance floor:

Woman tased in Apple Store incident

What the hell. In New Hampshire, police used a taser on a woman while trying to arrest her at a mall, in an altercation that apparently went down because she wanted to purchase more than two iPhones: Language barrier may be to blame for Nashua Taser incident.

Xiaojie Li was arrested for allegedly trespassing at the Apple Store at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua. She was trying to buy iPhones for relatives in China, but employees limited her to just two. However, Li claims that she saw other customers buying more than two phones.

Employees asked her to leave, and even requested a no-trespass order on her. When she returned to the store a few days later, they called the cops on her. And that's when the tasing began:

Ninja action, explosions, and Lee Byung-hun being very badass as Storm Shadow! Yahoo! Movies has the latest trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, directed by Jon M. Chu. In this one, the G.I. Joes are framed for a crime they didn't commit, and must not only fight Cobra but also vindicate themselves. Also, there are lots of ninjas.

A big happy birthday to Kiam Moriya, who turns 12 years old today. But it's not just any old twelfth birthday. Kiam was born on December 12, 2000 at 12:12pm, which means he will turn 12 at 12:12 on 12/12/12. No joke! That's a lot of twelves: Kid will turn 12 on 12/12/12 at 12:12.

MOCA presents "Sequels": A Staged Reading

Hey, New York City. Ever wonder what happens after the end of your favorite story? On Friday, December 14, come to MOCA for Sequels, in which writers Nora Chau, Ed Lin, and Kai Ma perform a staged reading of original sequels to three stories. The whole thing is directed by Lost's Ken Leung. Here's some more info:

For something different... From out of the vault, via the mean streets of Florida, comes the greatest so-bad-it's-good synth rock ninja action street justice saga you've never heard of: Miami Connection -- a new cult classic.

Written, produced by and starring 9th degree black belt philosopher/author/inspirational speaker Grandmaster Y.K. Kim, the film was only released theatrically in Orlando in 1987 before getting quickly boo'd off the screen and into obscurity before being unearthed decades later by Drafthouse Films.

Recently released on Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition VHS (yes, do you remember?), Miami Connection is, hands down, one of the worst, most awesome and most enjoyable movies I've ever seen. First, behold the trailer:

Remember Linsanity? Well, we got to see some of that Linsanity we know and love last night, as Jeremy Lin scored a career-high tying 38 points. Alas, it wasn't enough to get the team on top, and the Rockets lost to the Spurs in overtime, 134-126: Jeremy Lin recaptures Linsanity in loss to Spurs.

With teammate James Harden sitting out with a sprained ankle, Jeremy stepped up and made us remember what we loved so much about his meteoric rise into the spotlight with the Knicks earlier this year. Yes, you remember the feeling. Here's video of the highlights:

ISA Charity Basketball Event, December 12

SGV! This one's for you. On Wednesday, December 12, KevJumba, the Fung Brothers, AJ Rafael, and more will face off in ISA's Charity Basketball Tournament. Your donation will benefit Toys 4 Tots, the non-profit 4C the Power, and the San Gabriel High School Associated Student Body. Here are more details:

Catching up on some new music... I'm loving "Galaxy's Skirt," the new single from one of my favorite singer/songwriters, the awesome Emi Meyer. Here's the music video, directed by Ben Matsunaga, and filmed on the rooftops of Tokyo and the Nasu Forest:

12.29.2012

12.28.2012

12.26.2012

12.24.2012

12.23.2012

12.22.2012

12.21.2012

12.20.2012

12.19.2012

12.18.2012

12.17.2012

12.16.2012

12.15.2012

12.14.2012

12.13.2012

12.12.2012

12.11.2012

12.10.2012

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