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 Adam King and Sam Hyun, co-founders of the Asian American sneaker brand 1587. They talk about their inspiration for starting a company dedicated to "unapologetically Asian American" footwear, and how they're celebrating our community's oft-forgotten or neglected stories through shoes. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of starting an Asian American sneaker company. (This episode is sponsored by the HBO original limited series The Sympathizer and its official companion podcast.)
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 round up The Good, The Bad and The WTF of the week, including Ali Wong's latest standup special, Asian American excellence at the Winter Olympics, anti-Asian violence, Wrong Asians, and taking off your damn shoes inside the house.
And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.
"I wear my mask if I want F**KING ASIAN you create the virus"
In San Francisco, police are investigating a hate crime in the city's Sunset District, where a man vandalized an Asian American woman's home and left a letter saying, "I wear my mask if I want FUCKING ASIAN you create the virus." The hate incidents were apparent set off by an altercation in which the woman, who was outside her home with her infant twins, asked a passing man to wear a mask. The man later returned multiple times to throw a water bottle, then an egg and then to leave not only the letter but a mask with writing on it, which said "keep America without Asian." Police are investigating the incident as "racially motivated." Ya think?
Woman Pushed Off Vancouver Bus After Spitting on Man
Metro Vancouver Transit Police are investigating after a video was posted on TikTok showing a woman who appears to have been pushed off a bus after she spit on another passenger. In the video, the bus is stopped when a woman, who is standing in the aisle and not wearing a face mask, appears to spit on a man. The man, who is wearing a face mask, appears shocked and disgusted, gets up from his seat and appears to push the woman twice. After the second push, the woman can be seen falling onto a sidewalk. I can't say I condone physical violence, but hell, I'm not gonna fault this guy for losing his cool in the moment.
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Steven Yeun Could Become the First Asian American Best Actor Nominee
With Hollywood's upcoming awards season starting to take shape, A24 has confirmed that Steven Yeun will campaign as a lead actor for his performance in Minari. Co-star Yeri Han will also campaign for best actress, while his cast mates Alan S. Kim, Will Patton and Yuh-Jung Youn will look for consideration in the supporting categories. If nominated for best actor, Yeun would be the first Asian American to ever be recognized in the category. Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, Minari tells the story of a Korean American family who searches for a better life when they move to a small farm in 1980s Arkansas. The film is scheduled for release sometime by the end of this year.
Bruce Lee Converse All-Star Sneakers by Milton Wong
This dope new pair of Bruce Lee Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars features art by Hong Kong illustrator Milton Wong, depicting Bruce in his iconic yellow jumpsuit from Game of Death. Custom made-to-order, these shoes are exclusive to the Bruce Lee Family Store and available in both High Top and Low Top styles.
Last year, Bruce Lee Enterprises teamed up with BAIT and Onitsuka Tiger to celebrate the legacy of the iconic martial arts star with a special limited-edition sneaker. BruceLee.com is offering a limited run of this leather shoe, which pays homage to the footwear worn by Lee in one of his classic films.
Armed with nothing more than footwear and guts, 58-year-old Amrik Singh thwarted a masked gunman.
File under badass. Folks, let us give it up for the New York gas station owner who successfully thwarted an attempted armed robbery by throwing his shoe at the gunman and chasing him out of his store.
Earlier this month, 58-year-old Amrik Singh, owner of the Citgo gas station in Staatsburg, found himself face to face with a masked man who walked in wielding a shotgun and demanding money. But the gunman, 26-year-old Christopher Dam, messed with the wrong man -- a man armed with a shoe.
Limited edition "Corsair - Jeet Kune Do" and "Colorado 85 - Legend"
Last week marked Bruce Lee's 75th birthday. To celebrate the occasion, BAIT joined forces with Onituska Tiger and Bruce Lee Enterprises for a special release of two different limited edition sneakers, inspired by the design originally made famous by the yellow-and-black pair worn by the martial arts legend in Game of Death.
The navy/white Corsair - Jeet Kune Do ($120) and the yellow/black Colorado 85 - Legend ($160), both branded with the special Bruce Lee 75th anniversary logo, were released on November 27 at BAIT chapter stores and via online raffle. If you were too slow -- like me -- to cop a pair, I regret to inform you that they're sold out from the BAIT online store. (You might be able to fetch a pair for a hefty price tag on eBay.)
But damn, those are some pretty sweet kicks. Here are some more glamour shots:
Jeremy parts ways with Nike, will play a significant role in shoe rival's global strategy
What kind of kicks does an Asian American basketball star rock? Adidas, apparently. The Jeremy Lin shoe rumors are true. Your favorite point guard has signed an endorsement deal with adidas.
Jeremy Lin has parted ways with Nike to sign a new deal with sneaker rival adidas. Dollar details of the deal aren't being reported, but it must have been pretty sweet to woo him from the shoe giant, which dominates the global basketball shoe/apparel market. Can we expect a new line of Linsanity sneakers?
Jeremy joins fellow Houston Rockets star Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls as an adidas pitchman. No doubt, they probably have big plans to use Jeremy in their international marketing efforts.
Exclusive collaboration with Bruce Lee Enterprises
There's been a lot of cool Bruce news this week. Here's some more, and it's pretty stylin'... Supreme has combined forces with Bruce Lee Enterprises for a kickass collaboration paying tribute to the martial arts movie legend and pop culture icon. The capsule collection, available in stores and online today, includes a coaches jacket, button-down shirt and three original graphic tees made exclusively for Supreme.
I know you romantics like these proposal videos, so here's another one. This video short and sweet, and does not involve the tricks of a hypnotist. Last month, Paul wanted to propose to his gal Hazel. So he did what any sneakerhead would do: he took her to a shoe store and asked her to marry him with some custom-made kicks. Surprise! And her reaction is picture perfect. Check it out:
Get 'em while they've got 'em! The Bruce Lee Official Store is offering an exclusive run of special edition sneakers -- yellow and black Onitsuka Tigers in the style of the classic look immortalized by Bruce Lee in Game of Death: The Bruce Lee Classics - Exclusive LTD Edition of 100.
Individually numbered and limited to 100 pairs. They're going fast, so get them n.... oh hell, never mind. They're practically sold out, and completely out of my size. But they're certainly nice to look at. Ah, well. You can always get a regular, non-exclusive version of the iconic yellow and black sneakers.
Be sure to peruse all the other cool gear in the Bruce Lee Official Shop. A portion of the proceeds from all merchandise purchased benefits the Bruce Lee Foundation.
Holy crap! Check out these cool Jeremy Lin shoes! To celebrate Linsanity, Nike will release the Jeremy Lin Air Force 1 Quickstrike, a handsome looking sneaker in classic New York Knicks blue and orange, complete with an embroidered "JL" on the back. The shoes are due out in June and will be priced at $100. Here are some more photos:
