So the premise sounds great enough: hey, we’re Budweiser and it’s the World Cup! Hey, people all over the world watch various versions of the show Big Brother and we have a presence on YouTube! Let’s klooge everything into a global marketing campaign and have the Bud House, where one super-fan of every nation representing a World Cup team can live in a giant house! Sure, when their team loses, they’re ejected from the Bud House — making this nothing like Big Brother at all — but who the fuck cares: Soccer! Beautiful people in jerseys! Drama! Alcohol, thanks to the refreshing taste of Bud Light!
Unfortunately, all the Craigslist North Korea ads asking for sexy soccer web show babes went unanswered, so the representative for North Korea was answered by Daniel, a guy from Minnesota who’s parents fled from North Korea to South Korea. And because of that, Daniel becomes less a representative of North Korean football as much as he becomes an American representative of North Korea.
All well and good if this were an Asian American Studies class, but this is the Bud House, where sexy people from Argentina and Holland and Ghana are there to talk soccer, not social-political relations. But it’s bound to happen, and it does when Maria, the representative of Greece just can’t understand why North Korean Daniel is cheering along with South Korean superfan Dov after South Korea’s preliminary win over Greece.
Soccer rivalries with subtle racial overtones on what is the world’s most expensive online reality show? Sounds like a perfect time for the smooth taste of Bud Light!
(Hat tip: Reality Blurred)
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The Asian American International Film Festival is the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to showcasing films created by media artists of Asian descent and about the Asian community. 33 years after its inception, the AAIFF continues to be a leading showcase for Asian American film and video, placing a substantial focus on local and independent works and working to enrich New York’s Asian arts community. The AAIFF has also grown to include films from all over the globe, including Malaysia, China, Thailand, Korea, and Taiwan.
The AAIFF10 will run Thursday, July 15 to Sunday, July 24 in New York City. Asian CineVision and the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office has joined forces to bring a special sidebar on New Taiwanese Cinema. In addition to screenings, the festival will host workshop panels and after parties featuring live music. To stay updated on festival events and programming, follow us on twitter (@aaiff), become a fan (www.facebook.com/aaiff), or check out asiancinevision.org to learn more.
Shopping With GASP!
The Japanese MMA promotion Dream wanted something to hype up a Japanese crowd before a fight between Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and American Nick Diaz at its event Dream 14. With the recent loss of its lightweight champion Shinya Aoki against American Gilbert Melendez, Dream decided to play up the idea of American vs Japanese – including using images of World War II! They played this video, which some say has images from Pearl Harbor. As the fight was also shown live in the United States, this was a particularly interesting choice to show during the Memorial Day weekend.
What happened after that? It seems that using World War II as a metaphor wasn’t such a good idea, as Diaz submitted Sakurai with an armbar.
The Red Dawn remake has been put on hold.
With that, I breathe a huge sigh of relief.
For those of you who are unfamiliar what this remake’s story, it’s basically China invading America in the not-too-distant-future. The notion alone reeks of sinophobia and honestly, that scares the crap out of me. Out of all the films in my absurdly named box of “Hollywood Movies That Will Possibly Make Asians Look Bad or Not Have Asians At All As Main Characters,” I am most concerned about this one because it has the danger of targeting Asians and Asian Americans in this country.
MGM rationalizes this by saying “it’s just an action film,” but what they aren’t realizing is that the power of the media is something that cannot be underestimated; what we see and hear on the radio, television, and the movie theaters can influence the way we think and perceive of the world and the people around us. When we see images of villainous Asian people invading America and the good guys all being white people (with African Americans sprinkled here and there), you have a recipe for another Vincent Chin waiting to happen.
My fears for this movie is immense. But after the intense conversation I’ve had with the APA community about the Karate Kid remake on my previous post, I had to seriously wonder about judging this film without even seeing it.
Could the Red Dawn remake surprise me as much as the Karate Kid remake surprised me? Could it be possible that there will be Asian American characters (and not just background extras or Asian damsels to be rescued by their Caucasian knights) who are questioned by others even though they are proud Americans? Could this film actually contain that narrative and show that not all Asians are foreign yellow peril menaces? Most importantly, could this film actually be good and satisfy both of my artist and community activist’s expectations?
From the early reviews of the script, the chances of the Asian/Asian American dynamics put into play for this film is very slim. Without that, you have a movie that is rife with the fuel to get people declaring that all Asian people are inscrutable, sly folks that are not to be trusted. All it needs is a match before hate crimes are committed in the name of taking America back from the “foreign yellow devils.”
So for now, I’m going to smile like an idiot, go buy a Cinnabon to celebrate this news, and look forward to a beautiful Friday.
Things to consider when watching the 2010 version of The Karate Kid:
- Throw the haterade out and watch with an open mind.
- Nevermind the film is called The Karate Kid and should have been called The Kung-Fu Kid instead. In my opinion, the latter title sounds corny particularly because it’s a remake of the former. The film isn’t about whatever martial arts is showcased but about bullies and learning to stand up for yourself. I can see why they just kept with the former.
- Will Smith actually makes decent heartfelt films.
- China money makes for a very travel postcard-esque cinematography.
Despite all that works against remaking a beloved classic, including calling it something completely different, the Smith’s re-interpretation of The Karate Kid lives up only to the spirit of nostalgia, but cleverly separates and arguably exceeds beyond the original. More, after the jump.
So here are my thoughts on The Karate Kid: Just kidding! Enjoy this awesome stop motion video of Super Mario making his way around school.
Quentin Lee’s FilmHustler blog published a great interview with Aly Morita asking her thoughts behind her protest of the new Karate Kid movie that opens this weekend.
While Edward criticized Aly for passing judgment on a film she hasn’t seen, I believe Aly does a great job in expressing her thoughts and reasoning of why she does not support The Karate Kid. She says, “My issues are based from my point-of-view as an Asian American, and my stake is mostly Asian American. I feel that the remake is a blatant disregard of Asian American issues and concerns. The most obvious fact is that they interchange Kung Fu and Karate.” She also points out the flaws of the original film– including her struggles with the Mr. Miyagi character who her father portrayed– and says that the remake simply rehashes many of the same themes which were problematic with the original 1984 film. Much more poignantly, she gives us insights to her father’s acceptance of the role and how much influence Pat Morita had in creating Mr Miyagi as an icon.
[FilmHustler]: How did you feel about you dad’s success as Mr. Miyagi?
I was embarrassed by my dad playing Mr. Miyagi in the height of his 80s’ popularity. I was constantly having problems with it as my own identity politics grew. Eventually I was able to separate my struggle and my dad’s struggle.My dad fought fought tooth and nail for that role. He struggled and struggled as an actor. After Happy Days, he got his own TV series developed but it got canceled. He went into depression and came from the bottom when Karate Kid happened. He was ready for it and knew he had to work hard for it.
The role of Mr. Miyagi could easily have been a two dimensional character. But it was really the chemistry between Ralph Macchio and my dad that made it so special. A lot of those one-liners and jokes were very much my dad’s. He poured his heart and soul into that role.
While it may be interesting to discuss and debate the flaws of the Mr Miyagi character 25 years later, what cannot be denied are a few points:
- Pat Morita was an Asian American actor and the original Karate Kid made him a star in the true sense of the word, even garnering him an Oscar nomination for the role.
- The Mr. Miyagi character was an Asian American– and even included aspects of Asian American history like being a decorated veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
- The success of the original Karate Kid was groundbreaking because an Asian American was the hero of a film, showing for the first time that a film with an Asian American lead actor and character could be not only a true blockbuster, but a beloved one, as well.
Though the inevitable comparisons between Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han will likely be about the character’s lines and teaching styles, I wonder how many people will remember that former is Asian AMERICAN and that the latter is (essentially) Asian. For those of us who identify as Asian American (and not Asian from Asia), this happens to be a big difference, but one that many will likely be swept under the rug.
I don’t know how much traction her Facebook campaign to Boycott the Karate Kid Remake is going to garner, I admire Aly’s convictions and willingness to speak up and to share her personal reasoning for her stance. (For the record, I personally am NOT boycotting this film; I have not joined the above-mentioned FB page.)
Photo credit: FilmHustler
So as many of you know, The Karate Kid is opening this weekend. When this remake was first announced, I placed this film in what I call the “Hollywood Movies That Will Possibly Make Asians Look Bad or Not Have Asians At All As Main Characters” box, which also contained The Last Airbender, The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Sex & The City 2, and the Red Dawn remake. These were films that I would be hard pressed to pay $12-15 for and even if word of mouth for these films were spectacular, I would rather go watch Glee or my roommate’s bunny eat the carpet floor.
But out of all the movies in my absurdly named box, I didn’t feel so strongly against The Karate Kid remake like I did for the others. I liked that Jaden Smith was playing the kid and Jackie Chan as the grizzled mentor because it meant two people of color were the main stars in a Hollywood movie. However, I would still be hesitant enough to actually pay to watch the remake, so it was something I would just check out on DVD or on TV, if I ever was that bored.
But last week on June 4th, CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and Sony invited people to a special press screening for this film. The nifty thing was that the event was free and at the very least, I can watch the film to see for myself if this is yet another exercise in Hollywood Asian stereotypes.
About two hours later, I came out of the theater shockingly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. Immediately, I became shocked at how I actually liked it. The two emotions battled each other for the rest of the night but eventually, I found myself enjoying the film because I was happy that it was one Hollywood movie that didn’t treat Jackie Chan as a joke. In this film, Chan shows off his serious acting chops in the portrayal of a deeply flawed yet noble character. At one point, one profound emotional moment with Jackie’s character absolutely floored me. I also enjoyed how Jaden Smith took his craft seriously, which not only made me believe he was a real kid but that he also worked his butt off to prepare for the martial arts segments. Most importantly, the chemistry between Jackie and Jaden was honest and genuine, giving this film a lot of heart that I otherwise wouldn’t expect.
Before I go into my final verdict for this film, I would like to address the many controversies with this film that I have heard from the APA community. I asked members of the community such as Aly Morita on what their concerns were for the film after noticing that the remake upset a lot of people. Aly is the daughter of Pat Morita (the original Mr. Miyagi) and is spearheading the protest to boycott The Karate Kid remake. From my conversation with her and with several others, I learned there were four major points why folks were not too happy with this remake (along with my own opinions on these concerns after watching the film).
One of my favorite podcasts is This American Life, a radio show that tells stories of “ordinary people,” with each show focusing on a simple theme. This particular podcast was titled The Bridge, covering several unique stories about bridges all over the world. The first story focused on the Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing, China, popular among suicide jumpers — with a special man Chen Sah who spends his weekends on this four-mile bridge, saving people who intend to commit suicide. Imagine, a four-mile long bridge, busy with car traffic and pedestrians, with one man going back and forth on it on a lone scooter, determining might be a “jumper” as opposed to a passerby.
Chen Sah reports he has saved approximately 174 people from jumping off of this bridge. He also write a blog about the people he saves, and the ones he doesn’t. For some of the blog posts in English, click here. (Note: you need to bypass the “donate” page.)
(Flickr photo credit: Browncar)
Oh, Tila Tequila. Remember when people took her seriously? (Okay, maybe “half-seriously” as opposed to “none-seriously” today.) We praised her ability to market herself from just being “a simple import model” around three years ago, but then she went batshit crazy, got choked (or maybe not) by her boyfriend and then her lesbian wife died of an overdose of diabetes. (Or maybe not.)
Now she has tentatively blamed an alter ego for a suicide attempt and is reportedly on the fourth season of Celebrity Rehab. Wow, this would all be really ABCs after-school special or tragic my-life-in-three-minutes rocker music video; all we need is another Asian girl who’s just as much of a hot mess as she is.
By Vanessa
Amidst the numerous glittery ensembles and awkward scripted antics of celebrity presenters, the 2010 MTV movie awards this past Sunday featured a surprisingly healthy number of Asian male actors as presenters, nominees and winners.
The panel of heavy-hitters included host Aziz Ansari of Parks and Recreation, a “wildcard” choice Ken Jeong from The Hangover, Jackie Chan, and Rain, the Korean pop star from Ninja Assassin.
Aziz exhibited his versatility by going through more outfit changes than Christina Aguilera, ranging from a dapper tuxedo to an outfit that seemed one-part Snoog Dogg, one-part Karate Kid.
Ken Jeong, teary-eyed and refreshingly energetic, gave an emotional speech as he accepted his award for “Best WTF moment” in The Hangover.
As for Rain, perhaps his popularity is more concentrated within the Korean circles or perhaps I’ve been living under a rock, but my only exposure to Rain has been through The Steven Colbert Show, in which Colbert challenged Rain to a much-publicized dance-off after losing a popularity contest featured in Time magazine. But apparently Rain is considered a huge sex symbol in Asia, so it was quite refreshing to see that he won the award for “Best Badass Actor,” presented by Jackie Chan, no less. This award will definitely help to cement his crossover appeal to American audiences though it will be interesting to see if his apparently enormous sex appeal in Asia crosses over too.
But let’s talk frankly here. With two counts of desexualized Asian goofballs (Aziz and Ken) and two “ninja” martial arts stars (Jackie and Rain), we’re really branching out in terms of representation in the media, aren’t we? It seems like the only place in society for Asian male actors has to fit neatly in those two categories. I mean, Ken’s performance running around naked as a flamboyant Chinese gangster in The Hangover was brilliantly funny, but it doesn’t really help to dispel any stereotypes about Asian men in the US.
Have we made any progress since Jackie Chan? And where are the women? I don’t think it’s about roles being created specifically “for” Asian actors, especially since Ken Jeong has said he always gets roles intended for “50-year-old white men”, but the fact that he had to adopt an accent and bring out some Kung-Fu moves in The Hangover is telling. I’m hoping to see more diversified roles in the future for Asian actors, but happy that at least we’re getting some face time in the media.
Vanessa lives in New York City and works in marketing in the beauty industry. In her free time, she moonlights as a writer and unauthorized restaurant critic with a voracious appetite for travel, fashion, cringe-worthy reality television, and all things Asian-American.
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As we’ve blogged before, there is a growing interest in America amongst parents, kids and college students studying Chinese due to explosive economic growth of China – with local and state budgets shrinking, many communities are challenged to fund their schools properly.
Perhaps recognizing this, the Chinese government has been funding and subsidizing Chinese language and culture programs known as the “Confucius Classroom” in the United States the past few years. Given the xenophobic nature of some misguided Americans these days, many are up in arms over this. The Daily Show’s “news correspondent” Asiv Mandi does a hilarious investigative piece on such a program in Hacienda Heights, California earlier this week on the ridiculousness that these Chinese language and culture programs may spread Communistic ideals to students – especially since the curriculum is public and open for review, and that all teaching is being done by certificated California teachers.
True to Daily Show fashion, the opponent of the program comes across as a complete idiot while being interviewed. Jay Chen, a vice-president of the school board and an Asian American born-and-raised in Hacienda Heights, does a dignified job of defending the program and dismissing Mandi’s humorous attempts to get Chen to admit he’s a Chinese turncoat. And I just love how the kids respond to Asiv Mandi’s line of questioning.
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