May

31

2008

(13) Comments

All Star Asian Athletes

04:36PM by Hoc

Those that know me personally know that I’m a pretty big sports fan, with baseball being my favorite sport. I used to hate baseball up until a few years ago before I learned the nuisances of it. You can say that for just about any sport or anything for that matter, but I really like how, over the course of a 162-game season, you can quantifiablely tell where you stack up relative to your peers. Within those 162 games there will be ups and downs but they always seem to balance out by years end. So from year to year, with very little exception, your performance and your results will be the same. I find that to be a pretty good metaphor for life in general.

Perhaps another reason why I enjoy baseball is because per capita, it has more Asian athletes than any other sports. In general, there’s not a lot of talk about Asian athletes, well because, and let’s face it, there’s not a lot of superstar Asian athletes with national U.S. recognition. One can make the argument that because there aren’t many Asian athlete role models, there aren’t many kids who aspire to be athletes.

There’s plenty of other possible reasons that people have came up with, some base on reason other based on stereotypes that we’re not going to get into (though you can discuss in the comments if you want). Instead, I want to focus on the upcoming baseball All-Star game which I’ll probably be attending since it will be here in NYC at Yankee Stadium this year. New York is arguably the biggest stage for sports and the Yankees is the most successful franchise in all of sports. There’s going to be a great spotlight for potential stars to shine and it would be great if some of those stars were Asian. 

May

30

2008

(5) Comments

More Amazingness on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’

10:51PM by Alvin Lin

http://youtube.com/watch?v=09sWP6-k5n8

I love how these guys get the entire crowd and nation behind them, yet also incorporate Indian music and dance and pride into their acts. It is pretty freaking awesome, the way they do that.

Here is another older clip:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KA2B5X0LhMY

May

30

2008

(14) Comments

Movie Blog for ‘Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li’

04:46AM by Alvin Lin

This is the movie based on the videogame, which initially cast Jessica Beal to play Chun Li, and is now played by hapa Kristin Kreuk.  I was super pissed when they initially cast Jessica Beal, and I’m still not too happy with Kreuk as the choice.  What’s wrong with a full Asian actress to play the character of Chun Li, a full Chinese character?
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http://streetfightermovie.net/

May

29

2008

(13) Comments

My Letter To A Bona Fide Dumbass!

10:16PM by andrewlim

Dear Miss Stone,

I saw the youtube clip of your commenting to the press in Cannes about how the recent devastating earthquake was indeed a bad karma for China for its handling of Tibet a few months back. First of all, let me just say that the leopard print dress you had on did not work for you. It only accentuated your three-dollar hooker image. Next time consider something more elegant, like ripped fish-net stockings and a halter top.

If you think the earthquake is a bad karma for China for what it did to the Tibetans, then karma would have screwed up big time since it killed at least 68,000 innocent Chinese in the process, including 10,000 school kids. These victims did not decide on the policy against Tibet, nor did they harm the Tibetans in the recent unrest that took place in Lhasa. Girlfriend, I think you got the meaning of bad karma wrong.

May

29

2008

(13) Comments

So what’s your non-existent movie career karma for, Sharon Stone?

06:30PM by kevinlee

Is this even a legitimate understanding of how karma works???  Well Sharon Stone for one needs to learn how it works, as Christian Dior has pulled its spokeswoman from all of its advertising in China following her remarks from the red carpet at Cannes last Thursday.

But seriously folks, this begs the question, how does karma work?

May

29

2008

(2) Comments

Chinese TV to fans: “70,000 dead and you wanna watch Kobe? What’s wrong with you?”

03:34PM by kevinlee

If you are Chinese and a basketball fan, chances are you already know the that CCTV, China’s state-run national television network, as well as many regional television stations, have suspended broadcasts of NBA playoff games. The cessation of broadcasts supposedly falls in line with the suspension of all entertainment-related television programs, excluding those dealing directly with the earthquakes that ravaged China earlier this month, leaving a death count of over 68,000 as of today. 

Except that…

May

29

2008

(6) Comments

The Big B Stands for Blog

08:00AM by kevinlee

When you’re the biggest movie star of one of the biggest movie-making nations, your life spent being feted everywhere from Mumbai to Cannes while starring in six to eight features a year, you wouldn’t think you’d have much time to sleep let alone keep a blog. But blogging is exactly what’s been going on for the past month in the life of Amitabh Bachchan, who also goes by the nickname “The Big B” (as well as a dozen others - my personal favorite is “AB Baby"). While in America Bachchan’s stature may be no larger than an obscure reference in a Steven Colbert “Alpha Dog of the Week” skit, for nearly a billion movie buffs dispersed among the Indian global diaspora, the 35-year veteran of over 150 films approaches god-like status. And now the god is speaking to them directly online.

May

28

2008

(7) Comments

In China, Fame Comes Easier with a Foreign Face

06:46PM by Alvin Lin

Article link

“In China, fame comes easier with a foreign face.  If you’ve got the looks, the talent, and the Mandarin, forget Hollywood - the Chinese entertainment industry wants you. And even if you’re a foreigner in China who doesn’t have any of those things, don’t worry. You’ve got a decent chance of getting on television, anyway.

In cities nationwide, recruiters are prowling university campuses and expatriate hangouts in search of aspiring variety show performers, game show contestants, and film extras.Pretty much any kind of foreigner will do, with one exception: “They definitely prefer people that don’t look Asian,” says American expatriate Ben Ross.”

May

28

2008

(6) Comments

Lisa Ling is NOT Lucy Liu!!

03:37PM by Alvin Lin

Lisa Ling gets mistaken for Lucy Liu.  Star Jones has to explain for the rest of the audience the difference.  Then Ling tells an interesting story at the end of the clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt4ooJWwGwQ

May

28

2008

(7) Comments

Found an Old Interview With Tak Toyoshima, Secret Asian Man

04:45AM by Alvin Lin

Q: What is your ultimate goal with the strip?

A: I want the strip to be a bridging text between Asian Americans and mainstream America. I don’t want to crap down people’s throats with stories of oppression and suffering. Okay, well, maybe sometimes I do. But I think there’s a lot of work to do on both sides of the fence and I’ve always had a knack for seeing both sides.

I also want it to be educational. Every now and then I do straight biographical or historical event strips that bring up things that may otherwise barely get any exposure. I’m very excited to have the reach of a daily strip to bring some of these stories to the masses. It’s like a big open Asian American history class.

Q: Many Asian Americans feel torn between their Asian ethnicity and their American nationality. Did you ever feel that way over the course of your life?

A: Absolutely. But Asians are definitely not alone in feeling like this and that’s where we should feel better about it. Internal conflicts arise when we are forced to choose between wanting to be treated just like everyone else and demanding special recognition for our differences.

Then there is the whole debate over the overly broad term “Asian American.” Asian Americans, as well as every other type of American, need to come to terms with the fact that whatever they do to express their cultural heritage should be considered American. That’s the beauty and hope of this country.

http://glamhub.com/2007/07/tak_toyoshima/