Every once in a while, we get e-mail asking us to discuss particular subjects. In this case, an article last month from The Seattle Weekly:
Thought I’d share this slap in the face to my local Asian Community, here in Seattle: Seattle’s Ragin’ Asians.
The author is a complete hypocrite, when it comes to binge drinking and being generally irresponsible, even while on assignment for her publication. I’m sending this to you both because I’m outraged and because I’m a reader and fan of your publication. If we Asians who are connected in the media world can work together to rebuke ignorant authors like this, that would be a service to our fellow Asians.
To which, the following exchange occurs.
Ernie: Personally, I’m not that outraged, but whatevs.
Joz: I just don’t understand why this is hypocritical. The author is a little condescending, but other than that she’s really not casting judgement on the “ragin’ Asians.” So what if the author got drunk while on assignment? She’s the stupid one for including it in her story.
John: Of course we should be outraged – this is showing that Asians can be those who aren’t the model minority, didn’t go to a four-year Ivy League level university and shows them drinking like there’s no tomorrow.
Christine: Sound the alarms, Asians partying and drinking till they throw up — the outrage! Next thing we’ll find out is they have sex! With each other! Someone tell me what he’s outraged about. Or is he feeling responsible for them? I don’t get it.
Ben: Being from Seattle, I can say that…. UHHH… hello? Seattle Weekly? That’s the alternative paper anyways. It’s not like it’s coming from the Seattle Times. And what… Asians don’t party? I dunno about that whole sex thing, Christine. It’s SO TABOO.
Yan: I’ve been to Venom once. Ironically, I know the promotional team for a club that has dubbed itself the “anti-Venom” in Seattle. I’m only offended that these partying Asians are treated as such a peculiar topic.
Jeff: I was going to clubs like this in San Francisco 20 years ago. I do like to irritate my daughter with stories like this. “Let me tell you about when I used to go to clubs…” “You at a club? Eww! Dad, stop!”
Moye: I’m personally outraged that someone got paid to write 4 pages about Asian people who like to go clubbing and drink.
As to why I think the person who sent that e-mail was offended, I’m not really sure. Does it paint Asian Americans as an all-inclusive melting pot of diversity? Hell no. But we’re talking about going clubbing, not going to some Asian American awareness workshop or HR seminar, and it’s not like some Better Luck Tomorrow shit is going on and they’re off to endanger lives. Just because I’m too old to roll with a crew and watch my friends throw up on their Banana Republic pants on expensive soju drinks, what gives me the right to judge someone writing about it? Or am I just being an insensitive asshole?
(Flickr photo credit: joeltelling)
What next?
Other posts you may be interested in:
Recent Comments
- Daul Kim: One Sassy ‘n Smart Bitch
- KFC vs. KGC: WTF???
- alienation: This is a great thread! I grew up eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. My family would make an effort to get it in East L.A., over by the King Cole Pizza. It was way better than the Kentucky Fried over in MPK and up in SG. I...
- Proof that Russell of Disney/Pixar’s Up is Asian: The Color Scripts
- Mending Broken Glass: Khmer Rouge History Now to be Taught in Cambodia
- kbok: it may seem shocking to other people that kids don’t believe their elders when hearing about khmer rouge atrocities, but if your mother told you that soldiers shot at her, pushing her off a mountain and into landmine paths...
- Chinese Adoptees: Stolen or Abandoned?
- Dan: CSLI, I think my previous comment stated that I “hope” not “should”. It was not meant to belittle anyone and yes I can imagine just like most people, adopted or not. Though the effect will not be the same as...
- Obama Bows to Emperor Akihito
- JC: @ Eric: Not only that, he’s half brother lives in China and is married to a Chinese woman. There’s a lot of Asian in his family
Recent Events
- [Nov 3] NORTHERN CA: Intro to Movietelling (Neo-Benshi) with Dennis Somera
- [Nov 14] SOUTHERN CA: Grace Kim & the Spiders From Mars
- [Nov 20] NORTHERN CA: CATS 9th Annual Asian Comedy Night starring 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors
- [Nov 21] SOUTHERN CA: BANANA: Where Infamous Asian-American Bloggers Unite to Chop It Up
- [Nov 22] TORONTO: S.M. Global Audition
10 Comments to “The 8Asians.com Writers Talk About: The Seattle Asian Party Scene”
ewlin wrote:
I read the article a while back, and I was flabbergasted at the self-righteous comments to that article…all the 'I'm offended because you're portraying Asians in a bad light' blah blah blah.' Of course, if they start portraying Asians as sexless, emasculated nerds the outrage police come out again in full force. So which should it be? The super genius 1600-SAT scoring sexless nerd at MIT or the urban, ghetto, club-going, hip-hop listening drunkard that goes partying and clubbing every weekend and scores the chicks (or the guys) that's more offensive to you?
“John: Of course we should be outraged – this is showing that Asians can be those who aren’t the model minority, didn’t go to a four-year Ivy League level university and shows them drinking like there’s no tomorrow.” –I know you're being sarcastic John…thanks for the laugh. I went to school in Boston and have a decent number of friends and acquaintances at Harvard and MIT. Irony of ironies…a lot of the Asians drink like crazy there. So I guess you can go to a good school and drink?!? Surprise surprise! Heck, I'm hardly an academic failure and I frequented a few clubs during college and even occasionally these days.
Some people need to get out of their bubbles and their self-righteous shells and get a grip.
Again, thanks for the level-headed and much needed sanity 8Asians (Ernie, Joz etc.) Big fan.
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 7:16 am | Permalink
moye wrote:
Let's talk about something more important. Let's talk about the girl in the photo and her crushed velvet top.
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 9:29 am | Permalink
ericnakagawa wrote:
How do I join Crocodile gang?
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 9:33 am | Permalink
erika888 wrote:
“Asians are like neon tetra fish—they travel in schools”
I lol'd at that. Otherwise…uh? I don't really get why they have to publish that article (yes, Asians party. OMG.) but I don't really get the offense. I guess the snooty tone and the generalizations could be problematic, but otherwise, the subject matter ain't all that bad.
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 9:53 am | Permalink
ErnieAtLYD wrote:
HA! I was noticing that too! I spent five minutes trying to figure out whether it was a fraternity/sorority hand sign, gang symbol or if they were trying to spell out “ASIAN” with their fingers. Then I gave up and decided they were doing hand puppets of their pets.
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 11:12 am | Permalink
Efren Bose wrote:
The next thing that people will be shocked about is that we're human, we're actually American and that there are some of us who don't (gasp) get the perfect test scores…and who aren't thugged out either.
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 12:09 pm | Permalink
Efren Bose wrote:
yeah, one word: why? it doesn't look that good at all…
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 12:10 pm | Permalink
gillers wrote:
I would've loved to be in on this conversation… I agree with y'all — I was sent that article when it first came out, and though I cringed a bit at the juvenalia of it all, I kinda thought it was a cool piece of writing, specifically BECAUSE it painted young Asian Ams like any other young Americans: dumb, alcohol-guzzling party fools. I don't appreciate media portrayals that focus only on the very positive, “model minority” stereotype, or the darker, gang-crime stories about the AAPI community.This one's right in the middle where Asian Americans are: acting like typical young people.
As for the questions of ethics for the writer getting wasted along with her pals, that's what makes it more of an authentic look at the culture, not some old fart (like me, for instance), assigned to follow the group and taking notes from an arm's length. This is the stuff that the alt.press does well, and I know: I was a reporter and music editor at an alt.weekly for 11 years before I sold out to the “legitimate” major metro daily world, and now, the corporate media Internet thang.
Like I said, wished I coulda been there for the discussion….
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 1:33 pm | Permalink
facebook-881645042 wrote:
such fashion terrorists should be shot … or at least stripped naked.
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 2:34 pm | Permalink
Tristan Dewar wrote:
Uh, the most offensive aspect of all this is that dude's facial hair. Gross.
Posted on 09-Sep-09 at 4:24 pm | Permalink
Post a Comment