8 Asians

There’s a ton of stuff going on in L.A. all the time, but if you love music & art, check out this awesome event “BY ANY DREAMS NECESSARY” featuring work by artist and designer Timothy Teruo Watters, a hapa, who was inspired by his grandfather. One of the singers is Jessie Malay, a super talented hapa. Don Chow Tacos, a Chinese taco truck, will also be there.

BY ANY DREAMS NECESSARY
LIVE ART. LIVE MUSIC. LIVE FASHION.
OPEN BAR. DON CHOWS TACO TRUCK.

Date & Time: November 14, 2009, 8pm – 1am
Venue: Gallery 1018, 1018 Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Artwork by TIMOTHY TERUO WATTERS
Live Music by JESSI MALAY, TERRA INCOGNITA, SIX REASONS and more…
Live Fashion by DANIELLE KELLY
JOSEPH GETTRIGHT, DJ IZM, TRUTHLiVE, BZ and ED GOLD spinning all night

OFFICIAL RELEASE PARTY FOR DJ SKEE MIXTAPE “ENDANGERED SPECIES” featuring BRIAN “DEEP” WATTERS, PROPHET and SIX REASONS

TERUO ARTISTRY debuting its Fall Men and Women’s line
COL.ABO presents KORRUPTION: A Vinyl Toy Project

Art raffle benefitting A PLACE CALLED HOME

Sponsored by EVERYDAY and JLP “The President’s Tequila

Want to learn more about what Teruo Artistry is about? Check out these videos by Skee.TV:

h/t: Koji

We love it when Asians behave badly. It gives us something to gossip about and also, it makes us feel pretty badass. It’s true. It’s like a slap in the face to that annoying stereotype about being submissive model minorities. You want high SAT scores? How about a dumb lawsuit?

Of course, this doesn’t mean we condone any sort of bad behavior. No, you shouldn’t lie about getting job offers and you shouldn’t try to steal money from cute boys. Actually, what am I even saying? These people make us look bad. Maybe I shouldn’t write about this.

So I’ll just say that I’ve been enjoying the case of 19 year old Rachel Lee and her burglary “bling ring”. If you’ve ever needed proof that paparazzi sites like TMZ are bad for society, then here you go: thanks to the proliferation of Hollywood gossip blogs like TMZ (and probably Google Maps), Lee and her friends were able to track down and rob the homes of Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge and other famous people who probably deserved it.

(I mean, let’s be real. They didn’t even have to break in: these people never locked their doors. Plus, like Paris Hilton ever wears the same outfit twice? Rachel probably put good use to those diamond watches.)

Conclusion: Rachel needs a book deal so she can tell us what exactly is inside Lindsay Lohan’s house. Cocaine? Discarded hair extensions? What’s left of her career?

Rachel. You’re Asian. You should be smart enough to get yourself out of this mess. Make us look good!

In Pakistan and India, there is a new TV ad featuring a dark-skinned man talking to a light-skinned man. The dark-skinned man proclaims he is unlucky because of his face, and the light-skinned man says it’s not his face, it’s the color of his face. Then he gives the dark-skinned man a whitening cream called “Fair and Handsome” that will make his face lighter.

Wow.

We have all heard (and probably seen firsthand) how lighter skin is preferred, not just in South Asia and America, but in many other parts of the world. Maybe I’m just naive, but it saddens me that this concept of “lighter is better” is being blatantly and unapologetically being marketed to the masses. It’s one thing to cast all light-skinned models for a campaign. It’s another thing to say right out, “Here’s a cream that will make your skin lighter because dark skin totally sucks.” Here’s another ad from the same company, Emami, promoting its “Fair and Handsome” skin lightening cream.

What are your thoughts on this? Has anyone else heard of this product, or similar ones?

Familiar with Korean supermodel Daul Kim? If not, you probably should because she can provide hours of procrastinating entertainment.

Aside from being a supermodel, Kim keeps a fascinating and entertaining blog, I Like To Fork Myself, which she updates on a regular basis. Her blog defies the idea of models as empty-headed mannequins. I mean, her posts aren’t exactly scholarly material, but there are some gems hidden amongst her cryptic one-liner posts and her non-sensical poetic entries. Her posts are a mish-mash of photos of her and her friends engaging in various day-to-day things (dress up! watermelon cocktails!), semi-analytical reflections on pop culture and in this case, an angry letter to Koreans about the backlash she received after shooting a nude editorial set for i-D Magazine back in June.

In her post, she says:

seriously korean ppl
stop bullying me
…

i dont owe you anything
and you dont own me
…

i respect korean culture as much as possible
im proud to be korean

sometimes i can be ab noxious i know,
but nudity in fashion can’t be considered ab noxious

ok did i ever have a dirty scandal? no
did i ever slut around? no
is i-D porn? no

do you guys bitch when you see a Caucasian model nude?
a japanese girl nude? a black girl nude?

and when its korean girl nude, you guys get made angry
and i can be blonde, red, pink haired if i want. im not trying to be anything else
i have every right to do what i want. if a white girl colours her hair black, do u say “oh shes trying to be asian”?

its so silly to restrict korean girl has to be a certain way
this is superiority complex and complex is not….flattering

I kind of love her for this post.  I think it’s an important one. Kim pits the oppression she faces as a Korean woman against those of other women of colour, which is definitely problematic. Her comment on Japanese and black women not getting flack for nudity is especially troubling because it is precisely the hyper-sexualization and exoticism that these women face that don’t get them in as much trouble. It is “expected” of Japanese and black women to be nude and sexual, at our service and convenience. However, her points on the expectations of Korean women to fit a certain prototype is something many racialized women struggle with.

Unfortunately for those who participated in the backlash against her, as a model, Kim’s body is what is valued and put on display for the world. And that is the reality of the modeling world. What is comforting, though, is that Kim seems to have a pretty strong sense of her self and her needs. She is smart, quirky and kinda just does her own thing.

My favourite Daul Kim post is this one, where she manages to compare Japanese manga Akira to science-fiction thriller, Tetsuo, get angry about Japanese colonialism in Korea and remind us that “official” history classes and textbooks don’t tell us the whole truth. I also enjoyed her pictures-only commentary on girl-on-girl hate. Never mind that she counters this social problem with a photo of the Spice Girls, the immortal and misrepresentative symbol of feminism. Despite a lot of her eyebrow-raising content, I still really like her.

(Photo credit: I Like To Fork Myself.)

After I asked for people to keep an eye out for my cousin Daniel as his image begins appearing in commercial ads, I began receiving requests from people for asking for “introductions” and “more hot pixxx pls!” Um, sorry… no can do on the former — but the latter is do-able!

The awesome Disgrasian gals have tapped him as their Babewatch: Babe of the Week and in that spirit, I’ll share some pictures that John Tan Casting was the first to post: Daniel’s photos of “The Outlaw” by Karl Simone, along with the following short interview:

Full Name: Daniel Liu
Hometown: Los Angeles
Age: 26

Discovery/How did you get into modeling: My sister sent in some digital photos from a modeling contest I’d won and I got a call from Ford shortly after that. She never told me she submitted them so I was surprised to get a phone call from the main agent in LA.

Previous career before entering the wonderful world of modeling: I’ve had a couple career jobs before modeling but this is what I love doing most. I get to work with and meet great people, travel, and have flexibility in my schedule. It is perfect for me at the moment.

Other career goals: I definitely have some plans for the future that are aside from modeling. I’d like to own my own business at some point and to also impact some kind of positive change with whatever resources I have. Whether it’s helping the environment, providing for the homeless, or sending medicine overseas, I definitely want to help in any way that I can.

Favorite hobbies: I really enjoy working out, staying healthy, playing the guitar, watching movies, and spending time with the people I love. I can have fun doing just about anything when I’m in the right company.

Favorite music/films: I listen to different music to match my moods. When I’m just getting through the day, I like listening to The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys, Keane, The Shins, or lots of Indie Rock. When I’m trying to mellow out or wind down after a long day, it’s Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, or something relaxing. As far as my favorite movies go, Top Gun is definitely one of them. I also liked the films Fight Club and Pulp Fiction.

How did you enjoy doing this shoot? I loved working with the team. They were amazing to work with and very professional.

People will be surprised to know this about me: I can be serious at times, but really I’m a guy that loves to have fun. I work hard but I also enjoy the little things in life.

Ok, ok, sorry I made you go through all that when I know people really just want to see the pictures. (Hey! I want people to know what an awesome person Daniel is and that there’s more to him than just being good looking! Is that so wrong?!) But be warned… you may see more of Daniel than you asked for! (More photos after the jump; click to — um — embiggen.)
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It seems like yesterday that I spent 4th of July weekend at my Aunt and Uncle’s house at their annual Independence Day blowout. But aside from a chance to celebrate the Fourth with many amazing folks, the party also doubled as a “Daniel’s Going Away Party.” Daniel, is one of our “littlest” (youngest) cousins and he was heading off to Chicago and ultimately New York to pursue a career in modeling, having won an Asian modeling contest last year and then signing a contract with Ford Models shortly after that.

After being in New York for only a week, Dan booked and shot his first big gig: the Uniqlo Fall 2009/Winter 2010 ad campaign, the photographer only being the famous Mario Testino. In the last couple of weeks, he has booked and shot more gigs, including some ads for Procter & Gamble and other major clients. Needless to say, we’re all so proud of him!

Anyway, as a lucky family member, I’ve had the “inside scoop” from his sisters who have been leaking test shots for months, but now I’ve gotten my hands on his show cards via Asian Models Blog.

If you clicked on the show card and saw his stats… no, your eyes do not deceive you. Daniel is indeed 6′ 3″ tall, maybe a smidge taller than that. I’d share a photo of us together but he pretty much towers over me and, well, it’s hard to be in pictures with really good looking people because it makes us regular folk look all the more regular.

Anyway, I’m asking that if you see this tall, muscled guy in some magazine or website in the near future, please let me know. If you want to ogle over him and tell me how hot he is, I’ll acknowledge your feelings, but I can’t quite totally agree with you, since there is just something icky about thinking that your cousin is hot. (Yes, I know, I’m just going to have to get used to hearing people go ga-ga over him!)

[Editors note: Connie's post about her experiences as an attendee and a filmmaker have already been blogged about, but after finding the documentary on YouTube, I felt it appropriate to repost her experiences as a filmmaker, but this time with the documentary embedded. Thanks to Connie for her permission, as well as Dr. Elizabeth Lee for uploading the video.]

To have my film Beautiful Sisters be part of The 32nd Annual Asian American Film Festival was an honor.

It was also extremely nerve wracking.  I can’t help but have my heart beat uncontrollably fast each time I watch the short in front of people, nevertheless, think of all the things I would have done differently. But to see it amongst numerous talented, beautifully composed and moving films, is more than gratifying.

During my senior year in college, I took a film-making class because it sounded like fun and because I had just received the director position for my university’s production of The Vagina Monologues (I thought it’d enhance my “director” skills). Participating in the V-Day movement was phenomenal, and although I was part of such an empowering women’s community about overcoming violence and loving oneself, I still struggled with insecurities about my small eyes. I knew that eyelid surgery to create the look of bigger eyes was a possibility, yet something that I would never undergo myself. But how could I get over such annoying thoughts? At the same time, I learned that my youngest sister, Brittney, was starting to wear make-up to school every day.  What was she thinking? And how could I serve to be a good role model for her?

Wanting to empower young women like myself, I created Beautiful Sisters. In the film, I follow Brittney during her morning routine, interview multiple women — a plastic surgeon, a college student who underwent eyelid surgery, a couple women who oppose the procedure and who feel OK about it. It was a journey for me to learn more about blepharoplasty, as it’s formally known, the varying viewpoints and an avenue to formulate my own opinions and conclusion.

By narrowing on eyelid surgery and personal narratives,  I hoped to continue the conversation on how people perceive and construct ideas about beauty, race and gender identity, and ideally, feel beautiful in their own skin.

This was one story I felt compelled to share. There are much, much more.