In California, but not Hollywood, watching Oscars like everyone else. But my family’s doing it up Hawaiian-style (a coconut monkey in a hula skirt, and two tiki mini-torches on the dining table) and rooting for “The Descendants.”
The film is an underdog to “The Artist.” I liked both, but my brief time on Oahu made the George Clooney film my sentimental favorite. Besides, there were real Asian Americans in that film. Clooney is my favorite for best actor as well, but the buzz on “The Artist,” and Jean Dujardin, may be a bit too hard for film and actor to overcome.
“The Artist” was fabulous too. Beyond the silent film aspect, I thought the movie was a perfect recession era film for our modern times. When Valentin gets usurped by the talkies, it’s almost analagous to the technological upheavals that have changed numerous industries today. Maybe after tonight, the movie will be more widely released and more regular folks (aside from filmsnobs) can see what all the hubub is about. You won’t find “The Artist” in most U.S 16-plexes (at least not in my neck of the woods).
It shouldn’t be seen as a film just for nostalgic film buffs.
If you’ve lived through this recession, unemployed, with an upside down mortgage, there’s a lot in this film to which you can relate.
Still, I thought “The Artist” was about 20 minutes too long.
And I thought the dog should have been nominated.
That said, the teenager in “The Desendants,” Shailene Woodley, should have been nominated too.
I also managed to get to “My Week with Marilyn.” Michelle Williams is my choice for best actress. Won’t happen. Too much Davis/Streep talk. But Williams was Marilyn.
Got to see “Tree of Life” last night. Pretty. Arty. But not Oscar-y.
Have fun watching.
I will keep drinking Mai-Tais until “The Descendants” win something. And if they don’t, I’ll switch to banana daquiris.
And by then, I’ll be just like the guy in “The Artist.”
Category Archives: blog
Amok on Lin: Why ESPN’s tough action matters
The New York Daily News reports that the fired writer responsible for that racist ESPN headline is apologetic and never intended a slur.
The writer,28 and clueless, readily admits to using the cliche “chink in the armor” so many times in the past that it never occurred to him it could be racist. Yeah, but he probably was never using the phrase in conjunction with an American born Chinese person.
I feel sorry for anyone fired or suspended by ESPN. But Jeremy Lin represents a sea change in how we look and refer to Asian Americans in sports.
ESPN’s zero tolerance has to be applauded. It noticed it was guilty of a double standard when it comes to Asian Americans and owned up to it in a strong and definitive way.
For example, yesterday in the NBA, Kevin Durant went for 51. Would the ESPN writer make a crack about celebrating that feat with a nice cold watermelon?
Of course not.
Now the ESPN style book will let people know how to relate to Asian Americans.
Let’s hope the shock jocks and comedians who continue to use tired Asian stereotypes as humor crutches get the message too. When they keep doing it, audiences think it’s OK to slur. Just like the clueless writer at ESPN. That’s how slurs keep their currency. But the times have changed.
And it took Jeremy Lin to make the point.
Linsanity’s chill: ESPN fires, suspends employees for Lin headline
After hearing from Asian Americans around the country, ESPN took action and fired the writer responsible for the “chink in the armor’ headline. And it suspended an anchor for using the same tired cliche.
That’s both good and bad.
Good, in that it punishes the perps. Bad, in that it should send a chill through the ranks of wordsmiths in journalism.
I take no joy in seeing someone lose their job. Indeed, I think a public apology on all ESPN shows would have been sufficient.
The problem with firing is that the mesage to ESPN workers sounds more like censorship than a corrective action.
We’re fighting racism, not free speech.
And yet, what happened when we were free to talk about Lin?
People started ching-chonging and using racist language because they don’t really know how to be clever or smart about Lin without resorting to race.
It shows how ignorant and how limited people are about Asian Americans.
When Lebron or Kobe have a great game, no one breaks out the fried chicken and watermelon jokes. Everyone knows that’s racist. For Asian Americans, no one seems to care. Maybe now they will.
I’m sure ESPN didn’t want to be a buzzkill and spoil the party. But by taking an extreme zero tolerance stand against slurs, it shows it means business.
Lin’s performance today helping the Knicks beat the defending champion Dallas Mavericks means Linsanity has legs.
Maybe now we can all celebrate it without a lapse into racism.
ESPN reaches limit of Linsanity; No excuse for racist headline
We were all having so much fun, too. Doesn’t mean it’s time to break out the racism.
I was wondering when someone would use a “Chink in the Armor” reference.
I’m sure many Asian Americans thought about it before ESPN did. But only the most screwed up Asian American self-hater would use it in public to describe the basketball flaws of Jeremy Lin.
It’s not so bad if we were all living in Medieval America and people actually bought their chain maille and armor from Barney’s and Macy’s. Then, hey, sure, it might be OK. When you get a ding in your metal suit, that’s a drag. We all can relate.
But the dark ages are gone. We live in a diverse America, and when you say “Chink,” you are not bringing the love. Nor are you talking about the flaws of Sir Lancelot, real or imagined. Besides, you play basketball in your underwear.
Still, if someone likened Lin’s ball-handling to Lancelot trying a crossover move in full armor, you might make a case for “plausible deniability.”
At least in a metaphorical sense.
But let’s face it.
The ESPN headline was not poetry. We all know what someone means when they say “Chink” in reference to Jeremy Lin.
The media, in this case the headline writers at ESPN, have been so giddy with Linsanity, they must have thought it gave everyone the green light to have some racist fun.
Editors surely would have taken more care before blurting the “N” word. But evidently not the “C” word.
The good fun of Linsanity is intended to make people realize how inclusive the world has become.
It’s not intended to desensitize us all to the racist sentiments of the past.
ESPN has apologized for the slur, but that isn’t enough.
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is calling for full apologies on ESPN cablecasts. The network needs to set the record straight for all to hear, lest anyone get the idea that Linsanity is a good excuse to turn racist.