YouTV: Entertainment For the People, By the People

Several years ago, I quit television.


To give a bit of a background, I was an avid TV fan.  I went through the Dawson's Creek phase, watched reruns of classic American TV shows, and lived for ABC's TGIF block.  Before I was exposed to the world of Asian American Studies, I didn't have any care or demand for minority representation in the media.  I only knew that this show entertained me and it just so happened that no character looked like me.

Once I learned how to look at TV shows critically, I became revolted at the lack of minority characters and, when they were shown, the way they were presented.  Instead, I indulged in Asian entertainment in order to see faces like my own (except I am not nearly as clear-skinned and slim).  I relished in the food they ate, the language they spoke, and the traditional customs they practiced.  It was the other extreme of "white TV."

Man Up -- Oh yeah, that's a realistic cast.

Commercials for new TV shows rarely boast of a diverse cast.  The fictional world of the program is typically led by white characters, followed by the one or two secondary, minority characters.  The problem isn't due to a lack of talented actors of color.  Television show ideas are pitched to companies all the time and the green light is given to what company executives think will bring in the most money.

Ultimately, media corporations do not believe that the average audience member could relate to, for example, an Asian American led show.  Without a large audience, sponsorship would quickly decrease, which would end in financial loss.  Thus, actors and actresses of color are forced to fill in the roles of sidekick, extra, victim, comic relief, and/or stereotypical characters. 

In 2005, the world was introduced to a tool that would shake things up and change the game.  YouTube allowed users to upload and share their own content and, suddenly, anybody with a camera could be a star (whether it was intentional or not).  Creative juices flowed out of control and people were filming themselves singing, dancing, doing everyday activities, talking, acting, etc.  The videos ranged from odd and uncomfortable (but funny...sometimes) to downright raw, unmistakable talent.  Without me mentioning any names, I'm sure you can think of several of your favorite YouTube pseudo-celebs. 

Now, let's get to the point of what I wanted to share.  Today, I stumbled on "The Mis-Adventures of  Awkward Black Girl," a web series centering around J, an...awkward black girl and the awkward things that happen in her awkward life (nothing we can't relate to).  The ABG project is headed by Issa Rae (J) and Tracy Oliver (Nina, producer), along with a very talented cast and crew.  (Okay, sometimes the acting leaves a little to be desired, but it doesn't distract too much and have already shown improvement over the past 7 episodes.)  The team behind ABG believe in this show and there is definitely an audience (they raised over $44 thousand dollars through donations to extend the first season by 5 more episodes...whoa!).

(Foul language warning)

 

Mahatma Gandhi said, "We need to be the change we wish to see in the world."  Sometimes, signing petitions, filing complaints, and boycotting a product is not enough to make big companies acknowledge us.  Sometimes, we have to go out there and make our own product.   

Jin-eration?

When Jin Au-Yeung first made his debut in the entertainment world, I said to myself, "Wow, cool. He's an ABC, just like me." I'm not too much of a fan of freestyle music so I didn't follow Jin much in his career. I was, however, impressed that he was able to garner the amount of media attention he did for being an Asian American. He did a few collaborations with well-known artists and released both English and Chinese albums so I knew he was definitely 'Shoot[ing]for the Moon'. Even then, I thought he appeared to be a little cocky amidst his own journey. Shoot me.

Au-Yeung's posse in Lives of Omission

Fast forward a little bit and I saw Jin partake in a few films. Okay well, this guy is stepping out of his comfort zone and continuously adding to his resume. His acting was mediocre but I respect it. (Fine, the Jin semi-bashing stops here.) When I saw that Gallants had won Best Film at the 30th HK Film Awards, I thought, Hm, I'm gonna check this out. But it wasn't until the TVB drama series, Lives of Omission, had I really took a look at Jin and thought about his whole career as an Asian American artist. I can't say that working for TVB was a part of his career goal but it's working for him right now. Au-Yeung's role is definitely not the headliner but I can say that it is a significant one. For both the series and for himself. Au-Yeung plays a CIB trainee who works with undercover services in HK under the roles played by Fala Chen and Michael Tse. I do believe his character has somewhat of a Western influence which I'm not sure whether TVB typecasted the role for Au-Yeung or if that's the character profile. For those who are familiar with Jin's previous stints as Jin the MC, you will be surprised at the turn of his current image in HK. But Au-Yeung has welcomed the fact that nothing has changed. There are still many who appreciate him as an artist, and those who don't. This is no different than the reality set years back when he first spotlighted. While his acting skills can still improve (who doesn't need improvement??), you can feel the stones Au-Yeung is stepping on in his career. And trust me, this kid isn't going to let a boulder stand in his way. (What a pun.)

We all know that the entertainment industry is a dog-eat-dog type of business. For Jin to pick himself up single after single and pursue his passion in other realms of the industry is admirable. From an artist in the States to an artist in HK, Au-Yeung has made a name for himself. I recently saw his video blog in which he humbly thanked his viewers and supporters of Lives of Omission and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be casted.

C'mon, isn't this song cool? It's one of the themesongs from Gallants.

Hm, this guy isn't so bad after all.

Asian Health Services



Oakland Mayor Jean Quan

On November 11, 2010, my Asian American studies professor took us on a "field trip". This field trip was to explore the historical rebuild of Oakland's Chinatown. I'll always remember that day, because it was the day Jean Quan was announced the new Mayor to assume office in January of 2011. Unknowingly, our class became a part of the first public media press release of Mayor Quan. Mayor Jean Quan is the first female mayor of Oakland, the first Asian American mayor of Oakland, and the first Asian American woman to take lead of a major city in the United States. It was a pretty big deal, and we were estatic to take part.

During our trip, we visited sites significant to my professor who grew up in the heart of Chinatown. You ever walk down Chinatown of any given city and notice these dark stairways from behind a little supermarket? Don't front, I KNOW you've all wondered what went down at the end of the stairs. Well, I can say at one end of a stairway, there lies a little secret society. A secret society full of mystique and secret language. It was awesome.

I'm a little off tangent with the above but what I wanted to share was our last stop, Asian Health Services. The AHS facility is a not-for-profit health facility dedicated "To serve and advocate for the medically underserved, including the immigrant and refugee Asian community..." The associate director, Dong Suh, provided a mini presentation of AHS and allowed us to tour the facility. The health facility seeks to assist individuals who are limited and held back in regards to income, insurance, citizenship status, language, and culture. AHS is currently expanding and hopes to relish and fulfill the healthcare for all dream.

If you're in need of a simple check up or assistance regarding any health questions, check AHS out. They have a lot to offer.

The Jubilee Project

Let's put this together...  Handsome, bright Asian American men + servicing the community + raising funds for non-profits = THE FULL PACKAGE.

Eddie Lee, Jason Lee, and Eric Lu

The Jubilee Project consists of three awesome guys who make videos each month to raise money for charity and to create awareness.  In over a year's time, they have raised over $21 thousand dollars for various causes and it is just the beginning!

This is proof that we don't need to have a fortune to give back to the community.  All we need is a good intention and then acting on it.  Those who can't give money can still lend a useful hand through volunteering your time, your smile, and your heart.

Keep up the great work, guys!

Read a short interview with the guys of The Jubilee Project here and be sure to check out their Youtube channel!

You Should Listen to This

On any given night, you can find me bumping in my room some HK pop music from the ever so convenient YouTube. Surprisingly, much of the songs replaying are songs of the yonder years. As we wonder whatever happened to the best of Hip Hop and R&B, I am also wondering the same dilemma of Chinese music. I often get teased for singing what my friends call "old lady music". But how can I not?! These are the hits that lay the foundation for the current "singers". I am darn sure they all wished they could cover the hits as well as the original. Oh, too bad! You know why? There will never be another Jenny Yan or Jacky Cheung or Teresa Tang!

Let's take a mini trip down memory lane, shall we?

I love this song as it's filled with so much of such conversational Cantonese. You don't usually find this type of language in songs. This is the song you'd just love to karaoke to. Now if only we knew all the words...By the way, this man goes by the name of Sam Hui.

Now, these songs are definitely the epitome of a high rate tv drama series! Listen to the sound and power executed by both Jenny Yan and Roman Tam! Yeah, kids don't sound like this anymore.

Jacky Cheung is awesome. I consider him to be the most influential Cantonese icon in the arena of singing. People STILL sing his songs at weddings. He's just that amazing.

Okay, so now you have the newbies coming up and also some older singers who are finally making it! Bravo to them!! Yeah, this song made it to my iPod. By a hair.

Okay, Edison. What IS this?! You sound like you're about to die and cranking out the last song ever. But we all know that wasn't the truth coz this buster sure knows how to rile up a bunch no matter where he is in life.

Again, what IS this?! I felt so bad for Raymond Lam when I saw this video. Karma's a bitch.

What is the theme of this post you ask? I suppose I want to put it out there that music is an evolution of people. It sets forth an idea of what is considered to be accepted of society. Most of the time, we yearn for something better than before. That's not always the case as crappy music gets bumped out all the time; ever so often in this day in age. But come on, we choose not to listen to bad music. Or songs with horrible lyrical style. When was the last time you recommended your buddy to a shitty song? With that said, why would we support discriminatory language and ideas? You wouldn't. It's a tasteless song.

By the way, I promise I'll do a post with some songs of a different language!

Knock, Knock: You Ain't Funny

Several months ago, a UCLA student by the name of Alexandra Wallace uploaded a rant about Asians on Youtube. Her ignorant comments led to a frenzy of response videos and angry comments. Ultimately, she was expelled from the university.

But this post isn't about her.


It's about this guy.

David So

David So is a Korean American aspiring comedian/singer who garnered over four million views for his vlog about Alexandra Wallace. I'm picking on So because I just so happened to see his video about Asian stereotypes the other day, but there are many comedians like him. What landed So on my war path was that he not only overused the played out "Asian doing an Asian accent" bit, he reinforced stereotypes that others have fought so hard to prove false.


Sum ting wong?

Hell, yes. Think about the real life situation where someone is trying to learn English as their second language. Maybe they're taking classes, learning from TV shows, or practicing with friends or relatives. No doubt they will have an accent since they grew up speaking another language. So...what's funny about it?

Nothing.

Vintage racist Valentine's card

But people laugh because it reminds them of an image -- the foreigner, the outsider, the other. It conjures up the slanted eye, the buckteeth, the weak, and the dominated. Just as "ching chong" is not a joke in itself, people still chuckle to this day because it carries the common knowledge of the racist symbolism.

My issue with the "Asian accent" is not entirely about the accent because language is affected by one's region. Just don't let the accent be the punchline. Ask yourself, "Would this still be funny without the accent?" Also, don't make up stupid, generalized Asian accents.


"It's not racist; it's funny!"

It's one thing to redefine a word to make it powerful, but it's another thing to respond to stereotypes with more stereotypes. So took it upon himself to be the spokesman of all Asian people in the world and admitted to the audience that 1) we are bad drivers (or, on the other extreme, we are the "Fast and Furious" type), 2) we are cheap, and 3) Asian women are not submissive because they will eventually learn how to say "go to hell" in his annoying "Asian accent."

What's the problem with stereotypes? People jump to conclusions and assume that an individual has certain (often negative, but still negative even when it seems positive) qualities because they belong to a group. When people see an Asian figure(s) reaffirming a stereotype and talking about it in a joking manner, they think it's okay to laugh. They will send the video to their friends, repeat the jokes, copy the mannerisms of the comedian, do the accent, and, eventually, stereotypical beliefs turn into racist actions. This is when comedy turns from silly fun to potentially dangerous.


To be fair, So's work is not completely lacking in humor. He definitely has potential. However, my wish is for him to hone his craft and find a purpose in his style and choice of material. Poking fun at Asian accents is just lazy and unimaginative. And the "huuuuh?" thing. I.just.don't.get.it.


To conclude, let me suggest a simple (because it's freakin' 5:21 am) compromise. The audience should demand for intelligent, creative, and original comedy. Laugh at funny jokes, not words that hurt people. Comedians should tell jokes responsibly. If your material must be based on ethnicity, gender, or the like, make it thought-provoking and positive. Spark debate and discussion, not false perceptions.


Writer's note: Don't call it a comeback!