Why asians will not make it BIG in Hollywood - right now

Disclaimer: Read with an open mind and read light heartedly! It's not totally serious but there's some truth to it.

#1: In GENERAL (because we are living in a 'western' society), 'asians' are not deemed as attractive as caucasians/blacks due to stereotypical features such as i) short stature, ii) characteristic small eyes iii) other. However, there ARE some asians that are seen on television (Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh...).





VERSUS



#2: The majority of Hollywood/English movies, are usually based on highly unrealistic situations (Hostel part gazillion), important moments in history for Americans (and possibly Canadians - but even this is iffy), romantic comedies, etc. Asians are still 'relatively' new to North America... and I'm pretty sure people would NOT produce a popular Hollywood film about Chinese people building the Canadian Pacific Railway and how they had to pay a head tax...

Unless the movie is about asians(in some way) or takes place somewhere in Asia, you're probalby not going to get a cast with any asians.





#3: In relation to #2, 'asians' (which include south asians) get very limited roles. This is very true. Example, in the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", a chinese couple ran a laundromat as well as a day care. In movies, taxi drivers are typically South Asian. AND, when 'asians' are portrayed in a movie, why do they always speak with an chinese/indian accent? All of my chinese friends have NO chinese accent, nor do my brown friends speak with an indian accent (unless they pretend to have one).

This boggles my mind, although we're called 'visible minorities'... we are the most numerous in the world! And although there has been SOME breakthrough in Hollywood (eg. Aishwarya Rai, Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat etc), it's not a lot and it's not progressing fast enough.

#4: So you find a really HOT asian girl (a la Zhang Ziyi), that will probably draw a lot of people to come see your movie. The problem? She can't speak english properly! (Think back to Memoirs of a Geisha - wasn't it painful to listen to? LOL) What about asian guys? Brad Pitt... or F4.. you tell me what's more desirable in North America. (BTW, I think F4 is just fine... after they cut their hair, :P)





#5: For some weird reason, if you have a movie (eg. Pirates of the Caribbean - mainly 'caucasian' cast), you will draw all types of people. If you have a movie like Stomp the Yard or Pride (mainly a cast of African Americans), you will draw that crowd... probably some teenagers that like to dance, etc.

You make a movie like Memoirs of a Geisha. Who's going to see it? 1) People who love the book and are hoping that the movie will do it justice. 2) Guys who are dragged by their girlfriends 3) Pervy guys with an asian fetish 4) Asians who come to 'root' for their fellow asians.



If you make a movie about the Canadian Pacific Railway and Head Tax... what audience will you attract? In honesty, probably only those people who want to learn about that specific part of Chinese/Canadian History, the people who suffered the injustice, and maybe some more chinese people to root for the chinese actors in the film.

Will we ever see an asian (who can speak english) properly star in a leading role in a Hollywood film in a role that's not based on his/her ethnicity? Possibly... but not in the near future. What does this mean? I have no idea.. but somehow I feel as though if this happens, it's like Hollywood/society will have to acknowledge that us 'asians' make up society as well, and that we also have the power to influence things. But I digress and head to my bed..

Please don't think I'm racist! I <3 my Hollywood movies, and I'm totally rooting for asian stars. This is just better than blogging about boring life :P It's just one of these topics that people may think about, but might not want to actually discuss. Well, I choose to be different!

Jamaican food - Ya Man!

I present to you - food from my childhood:

Curry Chicken/Goat:
Different from the Malaysian or Indian curry. Jamaican curry is milder and is not as spicy. The chicken may be boneless or with bone. (We sell the boneless chicken but our goat has bones)


Oxtail:
It's hard to describe what oxtail tastes like, but the sauce is awesome as I can just put it on plain rice and eat it! That's exactly how our oxtail looks like except we don't serve it in a blue bowl. We might also add in some lettuce and tomatoes to make it aesthetically pleasing!


Ackee and Saltfish:
Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica. It's not actually sweet and in fact tastes kinda buttery. The fish is salted and dried in the sun. So you get something that tastes salty and buttery at the same time :)


Jerk Chicken/Pork:
This baby is spiccccy!! Especially when you add in the jerk sauce. Sometimes you might see jerk chicken as a kinda light brownish color. I think it looks more authentic when it's black. You can achieve the 'black' colour by burning it (haha) or by using the 'Lo Chau' soya sauce to marinate it.


Jamaican Patties:
Beef: Spicy or mild. Chicken: (curry flavor), Mixed Vegetables. Spinach and saltfish patty. Chickpea patty. We have quite the selection! (The spinach and chickpea patties are made by my dad).


Jamaican Soup:
I used to love this as a kid (and I still do now.) I prefer this over the chinese soups I drink haha. Add in a few dumplings, carrots, corn, chicken and this soup is heavenly (to me). Don't ask me why the package says that...


Desserts/Sweet stuff:
Coconut drops:

Bulla Cake: Tastes like soft gingerbread!

Coconut juice: Who doesn't want this on a regular/normal day in Jamaica when it's like 30 something degrees celsius?

Mmmm.... I want some bulla cake!

Honourable mentions: Trinididian doubles! (2 pieces of fried dough with curry chicken peas in the middle), Chicken/potato/goat roti - a freshly steamed roti that's filled with hot food!, Rum cake (very popular during Christmas, it's actually baked with some rum but the alcohol evaporates :) ), Spice/Easter Bun (+ cheese = heaven)

"I prefer a _______ guy."

Disclaimer: I'm not racist, so don't leave comments about that I am. I hang out w/ a variety of people with different ethnic backgrounds :P Also note, I'm constantly sleep deprived so that's bound to have an effect on my mentality and rationale :P.

I don't know what to blog about lately since I don't want to bore you with yet another episode of drama in my life. (but maybe I'll entertain you if you keep reading till the end =D )

I had a conversation with a friend the other day, let's call her CN. She thinks I'm guy crazy. Well, I guess I may seem like that if I don't know you that well and the only common ground we have is that we're single and might be potentially looking. So I teased her, asking her what her preferences were in a guy, because I said I'd be on the lookout for her Mr. Right. I think she said something about as long as he is nice, perhaps a bit older or same age. I then asked her if she needed her guy to sing like JT or Usher. She replied back that if she was to find a guy like that, she'd never find one. And then she said that she needed the guy to be asian (I'm assuming chinese, because, she's chinese :P).

This suddenly got more interesting.

Me: "CN, why do you want a chinese guy? What about a caucasian guy raised in China who can speak your language?"
CN: "Well, caucasian guys are too hairy."
Me: "Well, what if you found one that can speak chinese and isn't hairy."
CN: "I doubt that's going to happen. And plus, the culture difference is too great."

This was the key issue. I see a lot of asian girls with caucasian boyfriends. It's pretty common actually. But then there are some people that can't overcome the culture barrier. I think it's possible to overcome the barrier unless your mentality/thoughts are stuck in the 17th century! They say opposites attract, but I don't know how many cases of that I know. You might have a few friends that are totally different from you, but I think you're even better friends with the people you are similar to. Although I'm not racist, I think I prefer asian guys because it'd be easier to find one with the same interests as me....

I mean, sure, if you don't know me you might think of me as just a 'typical' Chinese Canadian (and I don't mean that in a derogatory sense). But I actually have some weird 'fob-like' habits that I think are harder to find in a Caucasian guy. Finding a non-asian that likes DDR? Likely. Finding a non asian that watches anime? There's plenty of those! But finding a non-asian that likes to listen to Kpop, Jpop, Cpop as well as watch Korean dramas and chinese dramas.... hrm, I'd say that's pushing it.

So really, it depends on how 'white-washed' you are (not to be used in a racist way - but more of a way to describe how westernized you are), and how you feel about interracial relationships. I've dated an italian before. Unfortunately, it didn't last long because I didn't feel as though there was anything there other than the mutual physical attraction. I'm fine with inter racial relationships, I just feel as though I have a better chance of finding people similar to me if they're asian (since I've been described as Fobby).

But then, I may also just be rambling nonsense. Does it really matter if a guy watches korean dramas or plays piano and violin? Not really. But then, those are definitely things that I notice and makes a guy different from the rest of the crowd. Am I weird? Most definitely so. Maybe that's why I'm having problems meeting guys and have a high chance of becoming a cat lady hahaha. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree?

Edit: If you think I'm childish, that's fine.

Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister - Dirty Little (or big) secrets

Some people love it, some people don't. I personally don't see what's so awesome about it. Hollister is basically the cheaper version of A&F (they're owned by the same company, surprise surprise). I never saw the big deal about Hollister when it opened up last year. I don't get the whole 'cologny', dim lights ambiance of the environment. I heard from a fellow pharmie that Hollister had really hot guys and so I went to check it out (last year). They were pretty good looking.

This year, A&F also opened at up the Eaton Centre. Again, another friend said that the guys there were hawt and that some of them walk around with their shirts half undone so you can see their abs. She also loves their clothing. Being curious (about the clothes, not the guys *wink*), I decided to walk inside. IT GAVE ME THE SAME FEELING AS HOLLISTER DID. I walked inside and was greeted by some guy with the most gorgeous blue eyes. I proceeded to walk around the store with my friend Emily and I glanced at the price of a normal hoodie. It was 90$!!!! This hoody was not made of the finest material or plated with gold, it was just your regular hoodie that was made to have a 'worn down' look, for almost 100$.

Now, I like shopping, and my friends can testify that I can be quite the shopaholic. But I really don't get these stores. First off, the smell of cologne was so strong that I was suppressing my cough until I left the store. Next, it's so dim that I can't even see the clothes properly! I think it's a marketing gimmick. Here's how it works You see something you like, and you try it on. Since it's so dark, (and dim lights do tend to make people look more 'sexy'), you think it looks great/okay on you and so you purchase it! Then you get home, and you try it under more realistic lighting only to find that it's not so great afterall. But, it still looks 'decent' in a way and you're not going to change it. That, I believe, is how these stores work.

I was reading Wikipedia (yes, I love wikipedia) and came across the following excerpts re: A&F.

"The company strictly regulates the store environment in an effort to provide a consistent, pleasureful experience for customers in a manner that can be replicated in each store. Factors such as visual presentation, music, and fragrance are not left to chance. The company also specifies in painstaking detail how lighting, layout, visual displays, marketing, and fixtures are to be placed and used in every store. Each store is spritzed every half hour with men’s cologne in order to ensure a pleasant sensory experience. Every store plays the same pre-produced music CD which is sent to each store. Every month stores receive a new CD and are instructed to discard the old one. The volume is set to the company regulated level and must not be changed for any reason.

It continues:
"The A&F Quarterly became a lightning rod for controversy shortly after it was published. It featured photographs of male and female models, often nude, posing in pairs or groups. Despite a company policy restricting sale of the publication to adults, critics charged that the publication was readily sold to minors. Several states threatened to pursue legal action, though the company was never charged with violating any related statutes.

The publication was also criticized on moral grounds, for featuring sexually explicit interviews with porn stars, and articles that, according to critics, glamorized alcohol consumption, sex, and homosexuality. In 2003, an array of religious organizations, women's rights activists, and Asian-American groups organized boycotts and protests over the publication, and the "Christmas Edition" of the catalog was removed from stores.[11] In 2004, "A&F Magazine", a comparatively tame collection of photos and essays about rising celebrities, replaced the publication altogether."

Lastly:
One shirt featured the slogan "Wong Brothers Laundry Service—Two Wongs Can Make It White" with smiling figures in conical hats, a 1900s popular-culture depiction of Chinese immigrants. The company discontinued the designs and apologized after a boycott by Asian-American student groups. That same year, the children's clothing division removed a line of thong underwear sold for girls in pre-teen children's sizes after parents mounted nationwide storefront protests. The underwear included phrases like "Eye Candy" and "Wink Wink" printed on the front.

More T-shirt controversy occurred twice in 2004. The first incident involved a shirt featuring the phrase, "It's All Relative in West Virginia," an apparent jab at incest relations in rural America. West Virginia governor Bob Wise spoke out against the company for depicting "an unfounded, negative stereotype of West Virginia," but the shirts were not removed.[12]

The second incident involved another t-shirt with the phrase "L is for Loser" written next to a picture of a male gymnast on the rings. The company stopped selling the shirt in October of 2004 after USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi announced a boycott of Abercrombie & Fitch for mocking the sport."



Next up - Applying PHM328 in the marketing business - the process of selection bias for A&F and Hollister - all employees must be hot!

Desi woman catches husband cheating

I don't know how many of you heard this audio clip, but my friend Lukie sent it to me yesterday. I don't know if it's fake or not, but if you haven't listened to it, give it a try. The link can be found HERE

It's sad but also quite comedic at some points. It's around a 5 minute audio clip, and if you don't want to listen to it, I'll summarize it for you. Basically there's an indian couple that had an arranged marriage in India and migrated to the States for a better future. This woman calls the radio station one day saying that she thinks her husband is cheating. She describes him as acting 'very american' and that he rarely makes love to her anymore. As well, her husband really likes Beyonce and would've jumped at the chance to ask her to go, but he hasn't even mentioned it. So the DJ calls the husband at work, and said that he was from the car dealership (the hubby recently bought a car), and said that he won tickets to the Beyonce concert.

The husband is really delighted and so the DJ asks him for the name of the other person he will be bringing, as well as a personalized message since they can place it on the concert ticket. (Meanwhile the wife is listening in on this). So he tells the DJ that he would like the 2nd ticket to go to Nikki with a personal message that says "Thank you for my bow-dai call" (booty call, or something along those lines). The DJ starts laughing his head off and the wife starts screaming "who the hell is Nikki?!"

The husband is confused out of his mind, asking the DJ "I think there's someone else on the line and it sounds like my wife." So they're yelling at each other on national radio. He tells her that "American women use the mouth. You do not use the mouth." Her reply was "We were not taught to use the mouth. You don't use your mouth either." This argument continues and he ends off by saying that he doesn't find her satisfying anymore, and that American women are open to having another woman in the man's life.

Man, if this is real, I hope she took all his money and left his sorry @$$. What a loser and horrible way to get caught cheating. Super super wrong!

Behold the Monstrosity!

Dear Friends, I have some hearbreaking news... upon eating my fruits today.... I discovered something truly blasphemous. The following image may be inappropriate and be quite disturbing. You HAVE been warned!!!


Came home this weekend, happy to see Willy and my Family :) My mom tells me she bought CHERRIES and that they're in the fridge... I open the fridge and I see two packs of strawberries... so I tell her of her mistake and that these are called strawberries. It doesn't matter to me since I like all '-berries'. Open up one pack of strawberries and this is what I see....

I've seen giant strawberries before, you know, the ones where it's 2 fused together; those are STILL okay to eat. However, I'm a bit iffy on this one... If you look at it closely, there's at least 4 fused together, and if they didn't pluck this one, the green one indicates that another one would be growing! My brother said 'mutant strawberries don't deserve to live!', and then he ate it. Actually, no he didn't, the mutant strawberry is in the fridge, waiting for a brave soul to devour it. Any takers? Just message me and I'll bring it to you =)

I think someone was studying too hard when they said 'It's a strawberry. One that underwent teratogenesis when it was being 'born'.

On another note, I miss Britney. I miss Britney w/ JT, Britney looking really hot. Like in this video.

Dilemmas up the yin yang...

Living up to the name 'Rant with passion. Think with reason'. It's 2:30 am and instead of studying or sleeping, I am blogging because I am frustrated. Why am I frustrated you ask? Well if you were me, I guess you'd know, wouldn't you?

I used to think that I'm a really good problem solver... not with respect to math, but I like to think I give good advice when people have issues. This past year however, I have been faced with too many situations that I do not feel comfortable encountering. Due to confidentiality and privacy reasons, they will not be discussed further.

You don't want to offend people, but you don't want to lie to your family.
You have to be fair to friends and strangers (you have to be impartial and objective).
You have to do the right thing, not necessarily do things right.
Your EQ has to be high (as well as IQ) so that you're aware of how people are feeling.
You might make decisions that will leave no one satisfied.

There are some situations I don't want to touch with a 10 foot pole. I'm human and I have my limitations. There is only one of me and 24 hours in a day. I can't study, do extracurriculars, do volunteer work, AS WELL AS deal with all these other issues. I really wanted to move away from 'ranting online', but as no one is awake and I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing me complain, this is the only way for me to keep the hair on my head.

I am really contemplating whether I should live away from home next year. I mean, I save time living downtown, but that time goes towards dealing with other issues. I don't think I'll have a mental breakdown from these obstacles, but it really tests my patience. There's a side of me that's growing.. it's called 'evil Janet'. It wants to tell people to 'screw off' and reply in a snarky manner that 'it's not my problem.' I really hope that this side of me doesn't blow out of proportion. I really think it's the temporary frustration that I'm feeling right now.