Honmoon Sealed. Kpop Demon Hunters Wins Big at the Oscars.

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

'KPop Demon Hunters' makes Oscars history after dominating awards season

Kpop Demon Hunters took home two trophies at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night, capping off a triumphant awards season run for Netflix's most watched movie of all time. "To all the fans who got us here and for all of those who look like me, sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this. But it is here, and that means that the next generations don't have to go longing," said co-director Maggie Kang said while accepting the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. "This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere."

The team behind the movie's record-breaking hit anthem "Golden" won Best Original Song, becoming the first K-pop song to win an Oscar. "Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone’s singing our song and all the Korean lyrics," said EJAE, who co-wrote the song with Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park. "I’m so proud. And I realized, the song, this award is not about success; it’s about resilience."

It was a moving moment, but cut short. The team was abruptly played off as soon as Lee took the microphone, and the show cut to a commercial. The disrespect! Later, backstage, EJAE elaborated on what the team wasn’t able to finish in their televised speech: "Golden" Songwriting Team Speaks Out Backstage After Oscars Acceptance Speech Was Cut Off

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'Golden' From KPOP DEMON HUNTERS Live at the 98th Oscars

Speaking of "Golden," here's that dazzling performance of the Oscar-winning song by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami -- the ladies of HUNTR/X -- on the Academy Awards stage, which included pansori performers, hanbok-clad dancers, traditional drummers, and an army of audience members wielding light sticks. Honestly, until I saw it, I didn't realize I had been waiting to see this moment since I was kid.

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'Sinners'' Autumn Durald Arkapaw becomes first woman to win cinematography Oscar

Autumn Durald Arkapaw won the Oscar for Best Cinematography for Sinners, making history as the first woman ever to win in the category. Arkapaw, who is of Filipino and Creole descent, is only the fourth woman nominated for the award, and the first woman of color. During her speech, Arkapaw asked for all the women in the audience to stand, saying, "I don’t get here without you guys."

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Congress marks 5 years since 8 killed in Atlanta spa shootings

Today, several members of Congress introduced a resolution commemorating the five-year remembrance of the Atlanta spa shootings. U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath of Georgia, Grace Meng of New York, Judy Chu of California and Nikema Williams of Georgia announced the measure, marking the anniversary of the 2021 attack, in which a gunman killed eight people, including six Asian women, and injured another person during shootings at two spas and a massage parlor in the Atlanta area. The violence occurred during a nationwide surge in anti-Asian hate crimes linked to rhetoric blaming Asian Americans for the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Five years after the Atlanta spa shootings, our city still carries the grief of the eight lives stolen in an act of anti-Asian hate," McBath said. "That tragedy shook our community and left lasting pain for the families, loved ones, and neighbors who continue to mourn."

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Understanding the Complex History of Anti-Asian Racism

"While individuals may harbor unconscious bias, this calculated form of erasure stems from the willful amnesia at the core of the U.S. empire. The ideology of American exceptionalism set in place the myth that the United States was born free and uniquely destined to spread liberty and democracy, acting solely out of virtue. Under Donald Trump, the U.S. government is brutishly acting to rewrite history to promote white nationalism. Overcoming this willful amnesia is a crucial first step in addressing the problem. We cannot expect better policies or leadership to stop anti-Asian violence until we develop a better understanding of its historical and contemporary causes and manifestations. But power emanates from historical consciousness. It can reshape collective identity and foster the shared awareness necessary to build multiracial coalitions linking our struggles to transformative movements for social justice."

It's Official: HUNTR/X Will Perform at the Oscars

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Oscars Producers Confirm, Detail Special 'Sinners' and 'KPop Demon Hunter' "Moments"

The producers of the 98th Academy Awards have confirmed that this year's Oscar ceremony will feature special "moments" celebrating two of 2025’s most popular movies, Sinners and KPop Demon Hunters. That means, as we all hoped and predicted since the moment the movie hit Netflix, we will get to see EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami -- the ladies of HUNTR/X -- performing "Golden" on the Oscar stage. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the performance will include a fusion of traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance celebrating the folklore and cultural inspiration behind Kpop Demon Hunters. Cool.

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Bait - Official Trailer

"Did Daniel Craig die?" Check out the new trailer for the upcoming Riz Ahmed comedy series Bait. Ahmed as Shah Latif, a struggling actor, whose last chance to hit it big comes in the form of an audition of a lifetime. The series follows him over the course of four wild days as his life spirals out of control and his family, ex-lover and the entire world weigh in on whether he is the right man for the job. Bait premieres March 25 on Prime Video.

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"None of us need your hateful 'love.'"

Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and François Arnaud posted matching statements to their Instagram stories on Monday, telling off viewers who post hate comments on their castmates' socials."Don't call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind," read the posts. "None of us need your hateful 'love.' We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side. If you can't accept that gtfoh." That means Get The Fuck Outta Here, my friends.

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Olympian Alysa Liu Has Also Inspired Fans Off the Ice — in the Hair Salon

You know Alysa Liu as the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in women’s single figure skating since 2002. And even if you don't know anything else about her, you recognize her iconic hair -- which is now inspiring a wave of alternative hairstyles emulating her distinctive "raccoon" rings.

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Peter S. Kim: Rice Piglet

Peter S. Kim, one of the funniest standup comics in the land, has dropped his debut comedy special on YouTube. In Rice Piglet, Peter tackles outrageous immigrant lies, the Korean church system, late in life gay horror stories, aging ungracefully and much more. Watch it and spread the word.

They Call Us Bruce 230: They Call Us Nai Nai & Wài Pó

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.

What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome filmmaker Sean Wang, director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary short Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, a love letter to his own grandmothers. He talks about making an unapologetically personal film about the everyday lives of these two extraordinary women, why Wài Pó wields a sword, and the amazing gift of getting to experience the film's success as a family. Also: The Good, The Bad, and WTFarts of making Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó.

They Call Us Bruce 191: They Call Us Everything Everywhere All Asian Oscars

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, recorded the day after the 95th Academy Awards, we welcome perennial favorite guests Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of DIASPORA to debrief and discuss a historic night at the Oscars, for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Daniels -- and Asians in general.

Parasite Makes Oscar History with Best Picture Win

'Parasite' is the first foreign language feature to win Best Picture.



If you haven't heard, Parasite was the big winner at the 92nd Academy Awards, becoming the first foreign-language movie to take home the trophy for Best Picture. The South Korean feature also won Best Director for Bong Joon Ho, Best International Film and Best Original Screenplay.

'Parasite' Makes Oscar History With Best Picture Win

Bong's genre-defying thriller tells the story of the down-on-their-luck Kim family, who scam their way into the lives of the wealthy Park family, but become dangerously entangled in an unexpected incident. If you haven't seen it, I can't explain it any further. Just go watch it -- it's officially the best picture of of the year.

Here are the acceptance speeches, starting with Best Original Screenplay:

This is How You Celebrate an Oscar Nomination

'Walk, Run, Cha-Cha' nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject.



The short documentary Walk, Run, Cha-Cha, directed by Laura Nix, tells the story of Chipaul and Millie Cao, who reunited in 1980s Los Angeles after being separated by the Vietnam War. Forty years later, they become ballroom dancers to reconnect again and make up for lost time. The 20-minute documentary, which premiered on New York Times' Op-Docs, was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.

Like many Oscar hopefuls, the team behind Walk, Run, Cha-Cha were gathered early on Monday morning -- presumably in what looks like the Caos' living room -- to see if their film was among this year's nominees. Here's the video of their joyous reaction when they heard the announcement.

Check it out:

Oscars Still Pretty Damn White

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Oscars: Full List of Nominations
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced this morning, and considering some of the amazing work of the past year, the overall lack of diversity among the nominees is pretty appalling... but more or less business as usual. I'm particularly bummed that The Farewell was completely shut out without a single nomination. On the other hand, Bong Joon Ho's Parasite made history as South Korea's first Oscar nominee, receiving six nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

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Andrew Yang won the internet, but can he win a 2020 primary?
"After months of running on unconventional campaign strategies, cool branding and novel ideas, Yang has arrived at a pivotal, new point in the 2020 campaign — one governed by the conventional rules of election and where the idea that matters most is your strategy for winning. The candidate powered by the online buzz is now trying to make it on the real, and often uncool, campaign trail through Iowa and New Hampshire."

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My Child Is An Honors Student at Iltiong-Vera Cruz Middle School
On Friday, Alvarado Middle School in Union City, California was renamed the Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School in honor of Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz, honoring two of history's most important (and too often overlooked) Filipino American leaders in the state's civil rights and labor movements.

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Meet the 13 astronauts who could be the first humans on Mars">
NASA welcomed 11 new astronauts to its ranks Friday -- the first class to graduate under the Artemis program that will send humans back to the moon for the first time since 1972. The new graduates may be assigned to missions destined for the International Space Station, the Moon, and ultimately, Mars.

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'Young Rock': Dwayne Johnson Teams With Nahnatchka Khan For NBC Comedy Series Inspired By Him
NBC has given an 11-episode straight-to-series order to Young Rock, a single-camera comedy inspired by the formative years of Dwayne Johnson, written by part of the Fresh Off The Boat team, creator/executive producer Nahnatchka Khan and co-executive producer Jeff Chiang. I think we can all agree that this show will only be legit if it is the broadcast television embodiment of the above photo.

Kelly Marie Tran got mistaken for Mirai Nagasu at the Oscars

Getty Images apparently can't distinguish between two totally different Asian ladies in blue-ish dresses.



On Sunday night, Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran made her debut on the Oscars red carpet, looking hot as hell in a stunning blue Jenny Packham gown. Looking awesome... then promptly misidentified as another Asian American woman on the red carpet, Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu. Oops.

All Look Same strikes again. It seems that whoever was on caption-writing duty at Getty Images, one of the world's leading photo agencies, had some trouble distinguishing between two totally different Asian ladies in blue-ish dresses, misidentifying Tran as Nagasu, and vice versa, in a number of their captions.

Of course, the mistake got lit up on Twitter.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 36: They Call Us #OscarsSoWhite

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. Each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this episode, we welcome April Reign, creator of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. Recorded on the eve of the 90th Academy Awards, we discuss Black Panther, the tired old excuses of the Hollywood establishment, and where the movement for diversity and inclusion goes from here.

It wouldn't be the Oscars without a racist moment

Host Jimmy Kimmel is apparently uncomfortable with names like "Yulree" and "Mahershala."



In keeping with tradition, I guess it wouldn't be the Oscars without a racist moment from the host.

While everybody's understandably obsessed with that wild Best Picture mistake that capped the 89th Academy Awards, I'd like to point your attention to another moment in the middle of Sunday night's show, that perfectly illustrated why host Jimmy Kimmel is still kind of an ass when it comes to joking about people of color.

During one bit, the late night personality welcomed a group of unsuspecting tourists who found themselves smack into the middle of Oscar proceedings. Imagine being on one of those sightseeing bus tours, thinking you're going to see some dusty Oscar exhibit, then being led to the front row of Hollywood's biggest night.

It was a silly, fun moment that was, or course, marred by Kimmel's casual racism.

Look at all this bullshit Asians put up with this year...

...conveniently summed up in this mannequin challenge video.



It's been a hell of a year with a lot of frustrating and heartbreaking moments. This clever Asian American take on the Mannequin Challenge, entitled "A-Woke," attempts to sum it up with some perspective. Produced by Michael Tow and Teja Arboleda, it plays kind of like a "greatest hits" of some of the high profile issues and pop culture flare-ups that have recently gripped the Asian American community.

It's by no means comprehensive -- it's almost entirely East Asian-focused -- but it manages to jam in references to the Academy Awards, Doctor Strange, "Watters World," Ghost in the Shell and more in less than a minute and a half. It's like a weird wax museum of some of your favorite racist bullshit from 2016.

Check it out:

Dumbfoundead takes on Hollywood whitewashing in "Safe"

Heard about #StarringJohnCho? This is #StarringDumbfoundead.



Check it. In response to recent controversies around the Academy Awards and whitewashed casting, Los Angeles rapper Dumbfoundead offers his own unique contribution to the conversation about Hollywood's perpetual exclusion of Asian Americans from the screen.

In this wickedly amusing music video for his latest track "Safe," Dumbfoundead is cleverly inserted as the protagonist of various Hollywood movies and television shows, from Braveheart to Titanic to Game of Thrones. Y'all heard about #StarringJohnCho and #StarringConstanceWu? This is #StarringDumbfoundead.

'Fresh Off The Boat' responds to Chris Rock's Oscar joke

In about twenty years, Evan Huang is going to be very disappointed.



No, Chris Rock. We're still quite not over that crappy Asian joke you told at this year's Academy Awards. Fresh Off The Boat apparently isn't cool with it either. On Tuesday's season finale, the ABC comedy managed to throw a little bit of shade at the comedian's infamous awards show moment.

The episode's B-story revolves around Eddie's various attempts to watch Chris Rock's brand-new HBO standup comedy special Bring the Pain. (Remember: Fresh Off The Boat is set in the 1990s.) When the Huang brothers are finally able to sneak a late-night viewing, they find Rock's comedy funny and educational, with wide-eyed Evan remarking, "I'm just glad he doesn't do lame Asian jokes."

In about twenty years, Evan is going to be very disappointed.

Academy apologizes, realizes it's a terrible apology, agrees to meet with Asian members

"It certainly was never the Academy's intent to offend anyone."



After issuing an apology, then perhaps realizing their apology was insufficient, the leadership of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has decided to meet with the two dozen members of Asian descent who signed a letter protesting the racist jokes that aired during last month's Oscars broadcast.

After Failed Apology, Academy Agrees To Meet With Members On Treatment Of Asians During Oscars

To recap: Oscar night featured a couple of blatant off-color references to Asians, including a skit in which host Chris Rock introduced three Asian children as accountants (because we're great at math!), and a joke by presenter Sacha Baron Cohen (as Ali G) about "hard-working, little yellow people with tiny dongs."

This week, twenty-five members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences who are of Asian descent -- including director Ang Lee and several other Oscar winners -- sent a letter to the organization protesting the telecast's "tasteless" Asian jokes and its "perpetuation of racist stereotypes."

Asian Academy members protest Oscar night's racist jokes

Signatories include Ang Lee and other Oscar winners and nominees.



In the wake of last month's Oscars debacle, twenty-five members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who are of Asian descent -- including Ang Lee and several other Oscar winners -- have sent a letter to the organization protesting the "tasteless and offensive skits" about Asians that were featured during the 88th Academy Awards telecast and its "perpetuation of racist stereotypes."

Ang Lee, Other Asian Oscar Winners Protest 'Racist Stereotypes' to Academy

In case you missed it, Oscar night featured a couple of blatant off-color references to Asians, including a skit in which host Chris Rock introduced three Asian children as accountants (because we're great at math!), and a joke by presenter Sacha Baron Cohen (as Ali G) about "hard-working, little yellow people with tiny dongs."

"In light of criticism over #OscarsSoWhite, we were hopeful that the telecast would provide the Academy a way forward and the chance to present a spectacular example of inclusion and diversity," the letter reads. "Instead, the Oscars show was marred by a tone-deaf approach to its portrayal of Asians."

On Hollywood's biggest night, Asians are the joke. As usual.

I'd like to thank the Academy for inviting Asians to serve as comic props for tired, terrible jokes.



By now, you've heard that the 88th Academy Awards were a hot fiery garbage pile of ignorance and bad taste.

Even with all of scrutiny and lip service paid to rectifying the glaring whiteness of the Oscars, the show was stunningly ignorant about what real inclusion means. The Academy is apparently going to do this "diversity" thing kicking and screaming. When it comes to Asians in Hollywood, invisibility is pretty much expected. But sometimes, if we're lucky, we get to be the butt of some tired, shitty joke. Some things never change.

I'm referring, of course, to that awkward-ass moment where host Chris Rock trotted out a trio of Asian children on to the stage to make a cheap joke about Asians being good at math.

The kids were supposed to be accountants. "They sent us their most dedicated, accurate and hard-working representatives," Rock said of the kids. "Please welcome Ming Zhu, Bao Ling and David Moskowitz."

And then Rock doubled down, as if daring us to see if anyone gave a shit about what he just said: "If anybody's upset about that joke, just tweet about it on your phone that was also made by these kids."

Because Chinese child labor is hi-larous!

Tom Cross wins Oscar for Best Film Editing for 'Whiplash'

Film beats out heavy favorites at the 87th Annual Academy Awards



There's been plenty of commentary about the Academy Awards' stunning lack of diversity. I won't add to that, except to say that it's pretty sad to find yourself looking in the blurry background of crowd shots during the Oscars broadcast to catch anything remotely resembling an Asian face, and cheering when a movie about a friggin' cartoon Asian boy and his robot take home the award for Best Animated Feature. That's me.

So I was jolted out of my sad Asianspotting stupor last night when Tom Cross, who is Vietnamese American, took home the Academy Award for editing for his work on the feature film Whiplash -- the movie's third Oscar of the evening -- beating out the category's heavy favorites Boyhood and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Here's Tom Cross backstage on the official Oscars "Thank You Cam":

Robert Lopez is the first Filipino American to win an Oscar

Academy Award for Best Original Song gives him the EGOT



Congratulations to songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who won an Oscar for Best Original Song for "Let It Go," the hit single from the animated feature Frozen, at Sunday night's 86th Academy Awards. The big win apparently makes Lopez the first Filipino American to win an Oscar.

Oscars 2014: 'Frozen' Ballad Wins Best Song, Giving Robert Lopez the EGOT

Makes some more room on the mantel. The win also gives Lopez rare membership in the club known as EGOT -- Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- adding an Oscar to his bulging trophy collection. Lopez has Tonys for The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, an Emmy for Nickelodeon's The Wonder Pets and the musical theater album Grammy for Book of Mormon.

The Diversity Gap in the Academy Awards

You knew it was bad. This infographic shows how bleak it really is.



The 86th Academy Awards, which celebrates excellence in filmmaking, will take place this weekend. It's Hollywood's biggest night! As a movie fan, I used to be avid follower of the Oscars, only to become increasingly disillusioned, year upon year, by the Academy's glaring racial and gender disparities.

The handy infographic above, created by as part of a recently released Diversity Gap study by Lee & Low Books, breaks down the racial and gender representation of the Academy Awards.. I don't think it's going to be a mind-blowing revelation to anyone that Oscar's diversity gap is stunningly awful.

Where's the Diversity, Hollywood? 85 Years of the Academy Awards

You knew it was bad. The numbers show just how bleak it really is. The Producers and Writers branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are both 98% white. Academy voters are 94% white and 77% male. In 85 years, only eight people of color have ever won Oscars in the Best Actress or Best Actor categories. Only one woman has ever won Best Director -- and that was only four years ago.

Lee & Low Books is an award-winning children's book publisher focusing on diversity and stories about everyone, for everyone. To read the rest Diversity Gap study, which includes interviews with independent actors and filmmakers, go here.

Kick Ass! Kung Fu Posters from the Stephen Chin Collection, April 18 - August 25

Holy smokes. Last week, I had the pleasure of the attending the opening of Kick Ass! Kung Fu Posters from the Stephen Chin Collection, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences insanely awesome exhibition of martial arts movie posters, from Bruce Lee movies to the some of the most cool, weird and obscure kung flicks of yesteryear. It's running now through August 25 at the Academy Grand Lobby Gallery. If you're in Los Angeles, you've got to check it out.

Here are just a few of my favorites: