Random 4th Impact

Monday, November 30, 2015



Hopefully Celina is doing well and the group goes on to bright things after being eliminated.

Peter Sohn's "The Good Dinosaur" Estimated For $60 Million Opening Weekend (And Yes - That Would Be Russell From "Up")

Thursday, November 26, 2015



Hopefully the estimates are in line for Sohn who is directing and also did the voice for Forrest Woodbrush - as that would be a nice - and another - feather in his Disney/Warner Brothers/Pixar cap that proves once again that we all don't need to be doctors and lawyers to succeed in life.

That you are can in fact live - and live well I'm assuming - off of art.

Here's a great interview with Sohn from last week talking about his life, art, and his Korean American upbringing (and working in the family store) down at NPR.

Enjoy The Holidays (AKA The Ghosts Of Xmas WTF)

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

A lot going on and a lot to post on.

But for now just a quick post to say, hope you and your APA goodness enjoys the upcoming time to eat, drink, socialize on why the Peanuts from 1973 is still being played on TV (because I figure it's a little outdated now and someone should do a mashup of what's wrong with it), and of course -

Be merry.

Well technically that holiday comes later but if retailers can put stockings up already I can make a reference to the ghost of Xmas past and the ghost of WTF is going on when people can't peacefully assemble without White Supremacists shooting at and around them - and yes - Nathan Gustavsson, 21, of Hermantown, and Daniel Macey, 26, of Pine City - I'm guessing they get a big 'ol lump of Kiss My Ass and Fuck You for Turkey day and Xmas.

P.S.

I still like to use the word Fuck because sometimes situations just demand it.

And This Is Why We Love George Takei (And Why Mayor David Bowers Has To Go)

Friday, November 20, 2015

If you're on FB you've seen the George Takei take down of Mayor David Bowers who decided in the wake of the Paris attacks to cite Japanese American Internment as a good thing.

And if by chance you didn't see it - get caught up.

We.Love.George.Takei.

TBT: The Reason Is A Little Hoobastank

Thursday, November 19, 2015



Don't judge me...

Film: "Who Is Arthur Chu?" + Indigogo Campaign

Monday, November 16, 2015



This sounds like a great project and film that is in the works on 11-time Jeopardy! champion and internet iconoclast, Arthur Chu. They've received some help from the Center for Asian-American Media, and the film is also a sponsored project of the International Documentary Association.

Now they just need some help crossing the finish line - so help them out if you can @ Indiegogo.

Our film will be an intimate character study of a singular individual, coming into his own at a critical juncture in history. Arthur’s story bridges traditional media with online media. He is an Asian-American who grew up in an immigrant family, and went on to shatter previous notions of the model minority. From the Music and Gaming Festival in Washington DC to a conference in Silicon Valley; from his quiet existence in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Eliza, to Taipei, Taiwan where he reunites with his extended family, Arthur engages candidly with everyone around him. His journey redefines the American dream on his own terms.

Here's the trailer



Check more out about the film at arthurchufilm.com as well as donate @ Indigogo.com.

P.S. I Can't Wait To See The $50 Million Netflix Financed Bong Joon-ho Upcoming Film "Okja"

Friday, November 13, 2015

Sure - it just got financed - but that won't stop me from pining about it until it gets out (even though I'm still waiting for "Shanghai, I Love You"...).

From /Film:

Okja follows a Korean girl who befriends a kindhearted monster. (The title refers to the name of the monster.) The film splits its time between the U.S. and Korea. Gyllenhaal, Swinton, Nighy, Paul Dano, and Kelly Macdonald play supporting characters in scenes set in New York City. Casting is still underway for the lead role of the girl, who hails from the South Korean province of Gangwon-do.

Said Bong in a statement:

It really is a fantastic opportunity for me as a filmmaker. For Okja, I needed a bigger budget than I had for Snowpiercer and also complete creative freedom. Netflix offered me the two conditions that are difficult to have in hand simultaneously.
Oh yeah.

It's Travis Atreo Covering The Song Perfect (And It's Well...Perfect) + Kathleen Nguyen Covers It Pretty Ummm...Perfect Too

Friday, November 13, 2015

Travis Atreo



Just smooth.

And about 10,000 views already in 1 day say it's not just me.

Kathleen Nguyen

Just because I can (and about 190K already have).



Shonda Rhimes' Perception On Characters She Could Identify With - And The Difference For Asian Americans

Friday, November 13, 2015

I was listening to this story in the car which you can also listen to hear (sorry...) and one of the pieces I found interesting was when Rhimes was asked a question about characters she could identify with she said (paraphrased - with the actual words around 28:05):

Oprah was ruling day-time television, Cosby was ruling night-time television, Whoopi Goldberg was ruling Broadway, Eddie Murphy was ruling the movie theaters, in the late 1980's when I was a teenager and decided what I wanted to be...so to me everything felt very possible.

I think it's great that this can be said and shows at least a portion of what is possible from a racial acceptance perspective.

Because we should be able to say something like that.

Someone like a Shonda Rimes should be able to say that - to be inspired that way.

But the same thing can't be said from an Asian American perspective.

Not from that time period.

And I question if that statement will ever be able to be said in that way or if it can already be said with more shows, filmmakers and directors, writers - all who have AAPI roots.

I don't think it would be quite the same - but media, the amount of media, the way it's consumed might beg to differ.

I'll have to ponder that one for a while...

Hit The Philadelphia Asian American Film Fest

Thursday, November 12, 2015



Didn't get around to posting this until now but the fest started tonight and runs through November 22nd so you have more than enough time to check out 60+ films and programs (23 feature films and 37 short films) as well as discussions and events on music, culture, and food.

Check out the full line-up at the PAAFF site.

I Feel Like I Have A Large APIA Digital Music And Video Archive...

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Once I get my latest RAID array setup for media files and I go through duplicates and get everything databased I'll have a better idea, but I feel like it's considerable - music, music videos, short films, films, tv shows, clips, etc.

I've always liked to do this for what I do it for - but amassing a nice library of APIA digitals - it's just nice.

That's it.

A Little Thursday Night Retro Aziatix

Thursday, November 12, 2015



And by retro I mean a couple months ago.

And yes...

You have to visit Tower Records when you're in Tokyo.

APIs for Equity and Diversity: University of Minnesota Asian American Students Lead Peaceful Protest For Representation

Wednesday, November 11, 2015



This is great to see and read about (thank you Kare 11 where I also got the above pic). When I was at the U of M I was just worried about not sleeping in to miss my Tuesday and Thursday classes.

The student group, called APIs for Equity and Diversity, protested outside McNamara Alumni Center where the Office for Equity and Diversity (OED) hosted an annual breakfast. The students timed their protest to get the attention of the alumni, stakeholders and university officials gathered.

Ken Gonzales, a senior born in the Philippines, and junior Kaochi Pah, who is Hmong, led what the group called a day of action, called #StepUpOED. They asked Office for Equity and Diversity to work harder to represent more Asian American Pacific Islander students on campus.

"As a Hmong student I always felt marginalized already [...]"
Read it in full here.

Aziz Ansari Is Awesome In Netflix's Master Of None + Check Out The NYT Article

Tuesday, November 10, 2015



So I've only watched about 1/2 the season so far - but I can tell that it's awesome.

Literally everything I want in a comedy that features Asian Americans and POC.

Seriously.

Watch it or forever miss out on one of the best comedies - ever.

Here's a little more from Aziz Ansari from the NYT:

Even though I’ve sold out Madison Square Garden as a standup comedian and have appeared in several films and a TV series, when my phone rings, the roles I’m offered are often defined by ethnicity and often require accents.

Sure, things are moving in the right direction with “Empire” and “Fresh Off the Boat.” But, as far as I know, black people and Asian people were around before the last TV season. And whatever progress toward diversity we are making, the percentage of minorities playing lead roles is still painfully low. (The numbers for women are depressing as well.) In 2013, according to a recent report produced by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at U.C.L.A., only 16.7 percent of lead film roles went to minorities. Broadcast TV was worse, with only 6.5 percent of lead roles going to nonwhites in the 2012-13 season. In cable, minorities did better, getting 19.3 percent of the roles.

Read the article in full and again - watch it or forever be labeled with a big L on your forehead.

So People Have No Issues With The White Camera Guys But The Asian American Guy Gets It?

Tuesday, November 10, 2015



Call me crazy but why is the Asian American guy getting it versus the White camera guys behind him?

Apparently it's all good unless you have slanty eyes?

Make your own judgement, but that's at least what I see and if you make the argument about personal space, etc. - the group could have just went around him - but they didn't. They decided to take that moment and basically push him around.

Again - you can agree to disagree - and we can argue about what a photog should do in situations like that - but to me - it definitely goes both ways and again, I didn't see them going after the White guys with cameras (at the time of filming), or the guy filming it (who was White).

Guess there's no one better to push around than some Asian American kid with glasses?

Asian Americans Smoking The Weed...

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

And in pot related news (because the last week has killed me and I'm lazy...) apparently there is a group to help pot smokers come out to their parents.

It was hard for Tiffany Wu to tell her conservative, first-generation Chinese American parents she was quitting her high-paying job at a Silicon Valley law firm. It was even harder for the Harvard Law School grad to tell them that she was quitting so she could advise clients in the cannabis industry — and that she smokes weed regularly.

Hmmm...

If baby Slanty comes up to Daddy and says "Hey I'm smoking weed and decided to go that route for a job" either one of two things are going to happen:

1. I'm kicking someone in the ass?

2. A big 'ol lb is coming to my doorstep?

Read more down at the SF Chronicle.

Kick It With Bruce Lee And Visual Communications At The JANM (And Win An Apple Watch Too)

Tuesday, November 03, 2015



This should be a great time, but tickets are limited so you better get them now!

Join Visual Communications as we celebrate the life and legacy of Bruce Lee. Start the celebration off with a screening of In His Own Words, followed by an intimate conversation with Bruce's daughter Shannon Lee and god-daughter Diana Lee Inosanto. These two will reflect on their personal stories to show how Bruce and his legacy continue to impact not only their lives, but the lives of other people worldwide. Following the conversation, come join us at the Aratani Central Hall in the Japanese American National Museum, where we will host a reception, complete with live performances, special guests, a silent auction with various Bruce Lee memorabilia, delicious appetizers, bites, and beverages. Celebrating Bruce Lee will take place at the Japanese American National Museum on Sunday, November 15th, and will begin at
5:00 PM.
Check out more about the event @ vconline.

Magnified: Brandon Nguyen

Monday, November 02, 2015



From the mag to the video.

Kicking down @ Stanford.