What Asians can Learn from the Racist Oscars "Jokes"

Bring 3 Asian kids onto a stage, prop them with suits and suitcases, glasses, and no voice, and call them "Oscar accountants". Follow that up with, “If anybody’s upset about that joke, just tweet about it on your phone that was also made by these kids." Then, hint at the, "very hard-working, little, yellow people, with tiny dongs...you know, the minions."

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One question before I move on. Sacha Baron Cohen, so, when are you going to release your sex tapes with the minions? 'Cause, clearly, you must have slept with ALL the minions to come to the conclusion that they have tiny dongs. 

Ok, moving on.

These tasteless, ignorant, and archaic lines that are tossed around by Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen sound very much like the corny gag trash that comes out of a typical racist bully's mouth. 

One part of the problem is the racist, anti-Asian stereotypes that consistently propagate mainstream media and have no intentions of dying. The other part of the problem is the Asian community's willingness to ONLY stand up to these injustices when it makes it convenient for us to do so. 

Day in and day out, I constantly see Facebook feeds of Black, Latin@, and Muslim people being harassed, discriminated against, or worse, killed. I witness nothing but silence from my Asian community. No voice of anger, protest, or boycott. 

But when Officer Peter Liang gets charged for killing Akai Gurley, or when Chris Rock and Sacha Cohen hurl insults to our faces, THEN sleeping Snorlax wakes the FUCK UP and goes on a Twitter rampage about how butt hurt he felt and storms the streets protesting the criminal charge of one of our own. 

I hate to say it, but Asians can be just as brainwashed, ignorant, and naive as the next white folk who proudly wears a "Trump 2016" T-shirt and an infamous red "Make America Great Again" hat. 

We should be standing up in solidarity with our Black, Latin@, Muslim, and LGBTQ sisters and brothers, arm in arm, hand in hand, and challenge our primary enemy that keeps holding us back - White Supremacy (AKA Insitutional Racism). 

It is only then will we truly realize that racial damage is a thing of the past.

My Experience Coordinating a PowerBall Lottery Jackpot Pool

With the $800 million Powerball lottery jackpot drawing on Saturday, I decided I need to get a piece of this action! So, I asked people at work if they were interested in pooling our funds together to purchase the tickets in order to increase our already minuscule odds at winning.

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Basically, the game plan goes like this. Say, 50 people chip in $2 apiece for a total of $100, which gets us 50 entries (1 entry is $2). So, instead of going solo and having my chance at 1 out of 200,000,000, it's now 50 out of 200,000,000. Yeah, I  know. Like that extra 49 entries are going to help.

I get it. But, I am a half-full kind of guy, so having 50 chances is better than just having one chance. And who knows, if we get that winning ticket, I'll be the last one laughing.

So, anyway, back to the original point (sorry, I got a little sidetracked).

I got a few coworkers to participate, whom got excited and reached out to other coworkers, whom were mostly white. We gathered a good number of participants (don't even ask me how many, 'cause I lost count). A brief while later, I bumped into one of my coworkers, a Black woman, in the break room, and asked if she was participating in the Team Lotto pooling.

Her: What?! I wasn't notified of the lotto pooling.

Me: Really?! (How did nobody not include her on this grand opportunity?! I mean, the other coworkers who I told first who went to tell others happen to reach people who were basically sitting all around her. I mean, left, right, up, and down the aisles. I was so surprised.)

Me: Well, I'm glad I reached you, 'cause it's not too late. (Then I described to her how we're going about this.)

If we were to win the $800 million lotto and had not reached out to our Black coworker that day, she wouldn't have been able to cash in on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm glad I reached out to her, and that she's in Team Lotto.

At the end of our conversation, I couldn't help but wonder if, during the course of our recruitment process, we somehow reached out to white people in preference to Black people to join in on Team Lotto.

And more importantly, on the larger scale, how often are Black people overlooked for opportunities that they could have obtained? Team Lotto? Job opportunities? Promotions? Pay raises? Apartment rental approvals? Offer being accepted for a home? Dating? Modeling contracts? 

What can we do, as a society, to be more inclusive of  Black people, so that they too, can join in on the fun of a pooled lotto, even if we don't hit it big? 

As an Igbo proverb says: 

"If I am in heaven, then my brother has no business in hell."

P.S. - If you win the lotto, what are the top 3 things you would do?  

Michelle Obama and Black Girls Rock! - Asian Guy Supports You!

First Lady Michelle Obama, I love your support for the "Black Girls Rock!" event! For far too long, Black females have been devalued, ridiculed, and shunned. From being told that their natural hair is messy and unprofessional, that their melanin-dense skin looks unattractive, and that they are undesirable partners, it's time that we flip the script.

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To the haters...

...who say Michelle Obama is racist - It is NOT AT ALL RACIST for Michelle Obama to declare that Black girls rock. She was merely empowering a group of people who have been systematically and institutionally robbed of their opportunities to be regular girls and women. She did not say "Black girls are better than White girls." 

...who say #whitegirlsrock, #allgirlsrock, and anything with the intent of taking away the positive focus on Black girls - Your talking shit about #blackgirlsrock really shows the 6-year old in you. You're that 6-year old kid who has all the toys, but when you see a kid sitting next to you getting a toy, just ONE TOY, you shit your diapers, throw a fuss, and call the kid out for having one toy.

REALLY?!? How ignorant, uneducated, and selfish are you?!

Please, take off your Nikes and put yourself in Black girls' shoes. Really examine your #nonblackprivilege or your #nonblackgirlprivilege, and juxtapose that with the Black girl experience. What difference do you see?

If America hadn't oppressed Black girls and women, we wouldn't need to hold a "Black Girls Rock!" event, because Black girls would be treated comparably to that of White girls.

Nellie Andreeva and Deadline: Take Your White Fragility Elsewhere

REALLY, Nellie?! As co-editor-in-chief of Deadline, you should be ashamed of yourself for even considering writing how "ethnic castings" could be "too much of [a] good thing".

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Instead of touting the ethnic casting decisions in TV shows nowadays...

Instead of supporting the fact that the casting of non-Whites are slowly inching towards the current non-White demographic make-up of America...

Instead of exposing how casting in 2014 and before has not been "color-blind" AT ALL...

Instead of examining the non-White makeup of top positions in the media industry...

Instead of commenting on how non-Whites CAN and SHOULD lead projects... 

Instead of reflecting on how non-Whites relate to experiences they see on screen...

Instead of analyzing ways in which behind-the-scenes staff could accommodate the changing diversity makeup of their casts...

Instead of analyzing how these TV shows with non-White leads and casts defy traditional stereotypes assigned to marginalized non-White folks...

Instead...

You, Nellie Andreeva, and Deadline, denounce (although faintly) the rise in the castings of non-White talents that have been LOOONG overdue. 

It's like saying, "Universities nationwide had a 90% student population consisting of Whites up to now, but this past year, it's dwindled down to 80%. There are too many non-Whites attending Universities!! I think having 20% of non-Whites making up the student population might be too much!!"

"There are too many ethnic people!! I can't breeeaathe!!"

You, among other like-minded folks, seem to feel stressed that your White privilege, your entitlement, your White supremacy thinking, is being challenged. 

We don't tolerate ignorance. Please take your White fragility elsewhere - preferably not anywhere near communities and allies of ethnic people. 

P.S. - Read this: Dear Nellie Andreeva and Deadline, About Your Piece on Too Much “Ethnic Casting” on TV

Hollywood: Take Notes From The Walking Dead

Dear Hollywood:

AMC's The Walking Dead (TWD) is "walking" in the right direction by taking a large leap towards diversity representation. It earned a cable record-breaking 17.3 million viewers for its 5th season premiere (best for a non-sports program). It started its 4th season with 16.11 million viewers and sealed itself as "the highest rated hour of cable television ever". It became the highest rated cable television show in its third season. And it set records with the 18-49 year olds going as far back as Season 2. Converting viewership to dollars, this means TWD can charge premium ad rates per slot. TWD's ad rate of $600,000/slot stirs up envy in the NFL, as its top games warrants it to charge $570,000/slot.

This is no accident either. According to Dr. Darnell Hunt's 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report, global box office revenue brought in $130.5 million for films that cast 31-40% of minorities, versus only $50.7 million for films that cast no more than 10% of minorities. Casting a number of minorities that, when combined, closely resembles the non-white demographic make-up of America translates to a nearly $80 million revenue difference!

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TWD utilizes its cast to showcase diversity in more ways than just "race" - diversity of character roles and character development as they relate to "race", gender, sexual orientation, and age. I'm pretty sure there are many more areas of diversity TWD portrays, so feel free to add your input.

Here are some examples (spoiler alert!):
1. Tyreese is a gentle, sensitive caretaker

2. ...and he shows extreme heroism fighting through a horde of walkers without getting bitten!
 

3. T-Dog is not the first significant character to be killed off the show.

4. Michonne is a heroine - an adept leader with great intuition

5. ...and she was a mommy to her own

6. ...and she is a mommy to Judith

7. ...and she's sensitive. 

8. Sasha is...fierce! She's also a realistic leader

9. ...and she's fine!

10. Gabriel is nonviolent, non-aggressive.

11. Noah is a regular teenager.

12. Rosita (a Hispanic) is a walker killer who led the crew out of Terminus.

13. Daryl is a sensitive caretaker, just like Tyreese.

14. Aaron is an intuitive, tenacious leader...who happens to be gay!

15. Tara is a great team player...who happens to be a lesbian!

16. Carol is a heroine - an independent, strong leader...who is in her 40's.

17. Officer Lenner (above) and Deanna (below) are capable female leaders of their respective groups.

18. Glenn saves Tara on 3 separate occasions.

 

19. Glenn is also a strong leader and a team player...who delivered pizza before walkers became a majority "race"

20. ...and he stands up to bull.

21. Glenn is also a romantic

22. ...sexual

23. ...affectionate

 24. ...caring 

25. ...loving

26. ...romantic

27. ...passionate

28. ...protective survivor.

OK, now I'm done with Glenn.

Long story short, Hollywood, diversity sells. Let me repeat that. DIVERSITY SELLS.


Sincerely,

Not your stereotypical Asian guy

About Me, Rick Bbwaag

Some people say I look Korean. Some say I look Filipino. Some say Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, or Taiwanese. One person asked me if I was half-Asian half-White.

"How can you be all of those ethnicities?!" I don't know...am I?

My Black girlfriend (fiance-to-be) claims that I am her Robin Thicke ('cause to her I look like Robin Thicke). I don't know about being her "Robin", but I sure am her "Thicke" *wink* *wink*.

To be honest with you, I don't know which ethnicity I belong to. Why? I look distinctively different from my siblings (whom both look more similar to each other than either of them are to me). Therefore, I question, to this day, whom my real parents are.

I am totally kidding! I give my parents the benefit of the doubt! But I honestly do look quite different from my siblings.

Anyway, to make matters short, I am an Asian guy who is trying to find an outlet to rant, vent, and share my stories to anybody who's willing to give a rat's ass. No, not literally ;).

One last thing...

I am interested in changing the way media portrays certain "disadvantaged" groups of people. These groups include people of minority backgrounds (e.g., Asians, Blacks, Hispanics), people from the LGBT community, women, etc. In essence, I want to fight these "-isms" (racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, heterosexism, weightism, etc.).

"How will you go about that?", you might ask.

Through films, commercials, advertisements, etc. I want to be a part of a team of passionate people who are interested in changing other people's perceptions about certain groups of people in the media.

"Unlikely to happen", you say.

I believe all things are possible, as long as you believe. Does that even make sense? Anywho...

If you have a slight interest, any interest at all in this matter, please shoot me a message. Let's talk. 

One more last thing... 

Please share your thoughts, experiences, or questions! I'd love to listen to what you have to say! 

Ways to stay connected: 
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On another note...

"You see that Gucci purse that I got for this beautiful lingerie-wearing 10 who's laying on the king-size bed? After you're done checking me out, I'm going to join her in bed...and play Uno."