Paul Dateh Sings Sesame Street’s “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon”

Posted on September 3, 2009 by Ernie

We like Paul Dateh. Really, we do, even though Paul himself may not think so after his kinda-sorta defensive comment to a kinda-sorta critical concert review of an International Secret Agents show in San Francisco this past March. But March was six months ago, and six months is like four years in Internet time, so why don’t we let bygones be bygones and talk about his current projects, shall we? Awesome.

Most of us Asian American netizens know of Paul as the YouTube Hip-Hop Violinist, something we blogged about on 8Asians, oh shit, two years ago to the day. But this video is opposite of hip-hop as Paul plays the violin — and sings! — to “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon” with Ken Belcher, the song made famous by Ernie on Sesame Street, and the very first song to ever make me cry. (What? I was six. Fuck you.)

Posted in Entertainment, Music | 4 Comments

Daniel Liu Featured on NPR

Posted on September 2, 2009 by Efren

Joz’s cousin Daniel Liu — yes, THAT cousin — who’s been featured quite prominently on our blog and various other Asian Am blogs for being the newest male supermodel, was interviewed by NPR.  In this audio interview, he talks about his new career, and the buzz that’s being generated.

And, no, contrary to popular belief, 8Asians.com is NOT the homepage for Joz’s cousin, though we are looking for hunky Asian male vloggers willing to bare their souls (though probably not much more — this ISN’T a porn blog, perverts) for a potential vlog. Hell, if Disgrasian can feature hot Asian chicks, why can’t we do the same for the boys?

Posted in (simple), Fashion | 2 Comments

Charisma Man: A Western Geek is Reborn in Japan

Posted on September 2, 2009 by John

charismaman

While teaching English in Japan from 1998 to 2006, Canadian Larry Rodney created and published the comic strip / character Charisma Man. When I read a recent Los Angeles Times article about the cartoon, Rodney’s motivation for creating it, and how it will be revived with a follow-up book covering 2002 to 2006, website and comic strip in Japan, I just had to laugh:

“… to lampoon what he saw as the absurd hubris of many Western men in Japan. Capitalizing on their novelty status, they prowled for cheap thrills, an easy paycheck and sex — not necessarily in that order. Many were slackers posing as teachers (a job for which they were underqualified) to continue the charade of their low-wattage celebrity… In the presence of Japanese women, Our Hero is a muscular he-man. Readers only see his true loser self when Western Woman shares the frame. Likewise, the Japanese girls in Charisma Man’s arms are all Barbie-like — until someone else shows up. Then they’re often rather plump.”

This reminded me of the rise of Japan in the late 80s & early 90s prior to the “lost decade,” the popularity of learning Japanese, as well as the popularity of teaching English in Japan, especially through the JET program for graduating college seniors in the United States. And now that more Americans are seeking work in China, I’m sure the Charisma Man equivalent will be established there as well; China is the new Japan, after all.

Posted in Entertainment, Observations | 1 Comment

Laura Ling & Euna Lee’s First Statement Posted at Current TV’s site

Posted on September 1, 2009 by jozjozjoz

Finally, they speak. Ever since Ling & Lee were captured, indicted, and then pardoned & released by North Korea earlier this year, the world has wondered what really happened in the days leading up to the imprisonment of the two journalists. The joyous news of their homecoming was punctuated with many questions of what they were really doing there and even some backlash against them. I welcome you to read for yourself this statement from the two which starts like this: “WE ARRIVED AT the frozen river separating China and North Korea at 5 o’clock on the morning of March 17. The air was crisp and still, and there was no one else in sight. As the sun appeared over the horizon, our guide stepped onto the ice. We followed him.” [full story] There’s clearly more of the story to come, but this is certainly an eye-opening first look into their ordeal.

Posted in (simple), Current Events, Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

LA’s Koreatown: When Change is Not the Best

Posted on September 1, 2009 by jee

modern-ktownWhen I was a high schooler, asking me to go to Koreatown in LA was like asking me to sit through a root canal without anesthesia. I didn’t like going because it was rustic, too “Korean”, not modern etc, etc. I think I’ve matured some since then. Now, the things I very much detested about Koreatown is what actually draws me there.

Because my love for Korean food has grown over the years, I now make frequent trips to Koreatown. And with each visit, I am all the more comforted by the old town Korea feel. I feel as though I enter through a haven of good food, comfort and ease. The familiarity of the aged buildings and signs adds to the enjoyment of my trips. This is why I had mixed reactions when I read this article about the rise of new buildings with sleek designs in my beloved Koreatown. While I agree that change can be good — and I love new things just as much as the next person — I couldn’t help but to feel that sleek, flashy buildings might rob Koreatown of some of its charm. It also saddens me that this new development means that some small-scale comfort food filled Korean restaurants I have come to love will have to close to make way for new, sleek, and highly profitable ones. The more I think about it, the more I’m apt to say this change may not be the best change for my beloved Koreatown.

(Photo credit: Racked LA)

Posted in Lifestyles, Southern California | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

POP 88 #35 – New Releases, Mash-Ups and Remixes in 2 Parts

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Xxxtine

*shifting my feet around while looking down*

I know I haven’t been around lately. I’ve just been really really busy with school, work, classes, managing a radio station, classes, work… But I hope to make it up to you with a two-parter of my latest episode:

  • Part 1 – New Releases from the last 2 months
  • Part 2 – 30 minutes of non-stop remixes and mash-ups

If you like what you hear, please show your support by supporting the artists and buy their CDs and DVDs using the links provided on this site.

For any requests, comments, suggests, dedications or feedback, feel free to leave a comment at Popcast88.com or send an email.

Popcast88.Ning.com

Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Music, POP 88 | 1 Comment

Mike Shinoda’s Glorious Excess (Dies) at the Japanese American National Museum

Posted on August 31, 2009 by phil

Mike Shinoda is widely known through his work with the band Linkin Park, although I’m more of a fan of his hip-hop/rap project Fort Minor and his album, The Rising Tied.

He also has a degree in illustration, and is a graduate from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. This past Sunday August 30th, Joz and I had the honor to go see Mike Shinoda at the Japanese American National Museum in LA’s Little Tokyo, where he presented artwork from his previous show Glorious Excess (Born) in 2008. (His other art exhibit, Diamond, Spades, Hearts and Clubs, was presented at Gallery 1988.)

I was totally hyped and anxious — not only go to see Mike Shinoda, but to also see what was in store regarding his art. The day started off with a JANM Members Only event — a conversation between him and Roger Gastman of Swindle Magazine. During this event, Mike touched on various topics from his influences and background in art to the character and story of Glorious Excess (Born and Dies). After his discussion, Mike took questions from the audience, where he gave some really personal and in-depth answers; he mentioned how people labeling his music drives him crazy — like “rock/rap,” which was funny because I later mentioned to him that was the type of music I liked.

After Mike took questions from the audience, we got to see a short video segment that is being played at the JANM exhibit (part of that segment is also in the video above). Then Mike took pictures, autographed catalogs and other items for those in attendance, while being extremely cool the whole time! On top of that, Mike graciously walked us through the entire exhibit at JANM and further discussed certain topics in regards to his art. One particular subject that he brought up was the idea of a sellout; he defined a sellout as being someone who loses their creative integrity, which correlates with the character in Glorious Excess. Overall, for me this was a once in a lifetime experience and this is something I will remember and share for the rest of my life. I thought Mike’s art exhibit was very interesting and I understood a lot more after reading more about it in his catalog. As for Mike Shinoda the person, I thought he was very cool and down-to-earth, as well as being very humble and considerate.

Glorious Excess (Dies) exhibits until October 4th, 2009. You should check it out if you can. For more information and background, see JANM.org and MikeShinoda.com. Many thanks to Koji at JANM.

Posted in Entertainment, Music, Reviews, Southern California, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Senator Edward Kennedy’s Legacy to the Asian American Community

Posted on August 31, 2009 by John

kennedyThis past week there have been many tributes to Senator Edward Kennedy, who passed away due to brain cancer. Kennedy’s most lasting legacy to the Asian American community will most likely be his championing to pass the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 which, as part of the Act, abolished the quota system limiting immigration from Asia.

The United States has had a terrible record of civil rights towards ethnic Chinese and Japanese, and prior to this immigration reform, few Asians were allowed to immigrate to the United States, let alone become American citizens. A national origins quota system was in place to mirror the largely white-ancestral makeup of the U.S.  Asian Americans previously made up 0.5% of the U.S. population, but as a direct result of this Act, now constitute approximately 5% of the United States.

My father received his Master’s degree in 1964, and I am sure that had the the Act had not passed, the likelihood that my father would have been able to remain in the United States (as well as bring my mother over from Taiwan as well) and eventually become an American citizen would have been quite unlikely. Having been born and raised in Massachusetts for all of my childhood, I’ve always appreciated that Senator Kennedy (as well as Senator Kerry) represented me and represented the soul of the Democratic Party.

Posted in Current Events, Politics | 7 Comments

Daul Kim: One Sassy ‘n Smart Bitch

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Teresa

daul kimFamiliar 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.

[ EDITORS UPDATE: RIP Model Daul Kim ]

(Photo credit: I Like To Fork Myself.)

Posted in Fashion | 6 Comments

The 60th Birthday (or any Chinese Birthday for that matter)

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Tim

chinesecakeBoth mainland China and Taiwan are celebrating 60th birthdays in the coming months. Mainland China is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic, with a parade on October 1, along with a special blockbuster movie with over 170 famous Chinese actors to be released on Sept 17, Jian guo da ye , or “The Great Cause of China’s Foundation”. Security has been tightened in mainland China for the parade and coming events. Across the strait, Taiwan is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Republic of China’s transfer of its capital from mainland China to the island of Taiwan To commemorate the occasion the National Museum of History has put together a special exhibition featuring a selection of documents, correspondence, maps and other written and printed materials held by people who were part of the two million who fled to Taiwan as Communist forces took over China.

The reason for these large celebrations is that the 60th birthday is one of the few celebrated in Chinese culture, and comes with much fanfare. Unlike in American culture, birthdays (other than for a newborn at 1 day, 1 month and for someone starting at age 60 and every 10 years after) are largely ignored in Chinese culture. The 60th birthday is celebrated because it means a person has lived a long life. When my parents turned 60 we held big birthday celebrations for them and celebrated their lives and their accomplishments. While a celebration at 60 is certainly something to look forward to, in American culture, it can be a bit traumatic to kids growing up in a Chinese American family not to have a birthday party.

In my case, I had never had a birthday party until I went away to college. I happened to mention the strange fact to a dorm friend my freshman year and my entire dorm floor surprised (and completely floored me) by having a surprise party for my 18th birthday. After that party, my birthday celebrations have remained relatively low key, involving just close friends and family. Recently, birthday parties have returned with a vengeance in my life in recent years, with the birth of my daughter who turned four this year. Unlike my childhood in America, hers is filled with big birthday bashes (not only her own, but her cousins as well), and she’s come to expect a big cake, presents, and lots of people at her party. I think I spoil her, and give her everything I wished I had in a birthday party when I was growing up. I hope she appreciates it when she’s older!

Posted in Current Events, Family, Lifestyles | 1 Comment

(500) Days of Summer’s Chinese Family Scene

Posted on August 30, 2009 by John

chinesefamilyOne of my favorite movies this summer and this year is the romantic comedy & tragedy (500) Days of Summer, following the ups and downs of a relationship between Tom and Summer over 500 days in non-chronological random order. At 87% “fresh”, there are certainly a lot of other films which have larger marketing budgets and are more promoted, but a lot less enjoyable than this film.

But there’s one scene in the movie when both Tom and Summer are playing “house” in an Ikea store in Los Angeles where the two are lying down on a bed and see a family watching them, and Tom makes the observation and comment:

“Honey, I don’t know how to say this, but there’s a Chinese family in our bathroom.”

When I watched that, I thought to myself, “Why does Chinese equal comedy here? ” I wonder how moviegoers would have felt or reacted if the family had been black, Hispanic or Native American? How about just:

“Honey, I don’t know how to say this, but there’s a family in our bathroom.”

Isn’t it funny enough that there would an unknown family in a bathroom while the two were playing house in their supposed Ikea bedroom? Maybe I am being a bit over sensitive, but I thought I’d call this out while still encouraging all those who haven’t seen the film to see it. If you’ve seen the film – what do you think?

Besides the clever execution of the storyline, the soundtrack to the movie is just fantastic and really adds to the mood of the movie, including Sweet Disposition, Vagabond and She’s Got You High.

Posted in (featured), Current Events, Entertainment, Movies | 23 Comments

The Whale that Exploded in the Streets of Taiwan

Posted on August 29, 2009 by jozjozjoz

Yes, you read that correctly. Back in 2004, a whale exploded in the city streets of Tainan, Taiwan.

Before you assume that Taiwanese geniuses have developed some sort of biological weapon of mass destruction, you should know that this accident happened while some marine scientists were trying to move a 56-foot, 6-ton sperm whale from the ocean (where it had died) to a research facility to perform a necropsy on it. Unfortunately, while the whale was being transported through a busy city street, the whale literally burst open due to the gasses from decomposition building up in his* abdomen. It splattered whale blood, blubber and entrails over surrounding cars, bystanders, and storefronts. Bits of bloody whale bits were found blocks away.

I know this because Yoshi & I watched a fascinating British documentary entitled “The Whale that Exploded” on the National Geographic Channel and although I was totally grossed out by some of the footage from the scene, I couldn’t help but to keep watching. This documentary actually came out about a year ago and it explored the various contributing factors as to why this happened, along with eyewitness reports and photos of the bloody mess.

I’ve been trying to convince Yoshi to join me on a trip to Taiwan later this year, but this program did not help my cause. As a horrified Yoshi watched images of bloody whale intestines laying next to a moped, I heard the words, “I am not going to a place where whales explode in the streets!” being uttered over and over.

“Actually,” I stated matter-of-factly, “Only ONE whale ever exploded in the streets of Taiwan. And it’s probably not going to happen again since they’ve already learned the lesson the hard way.” Let’s not let one teeny tiny whale explosion totally ruin the Taiwanese tourism industry, shall we?

You can catch this program as an episode of NatGeo’s “Wild” series and get all the gory details about the whale explosion — if you dare.

*Did you notice I said “his?” How do we know that the sperm whale was a male? Photos of a 5 foot long schlong protruding from the whale carcass was pretty good evidence!

Posted in Entertainment, WTF | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments