Category Archives: controversy

Asian Girlz by Day Above Ground (Racist)

Once the song Asian Girlz by Day Above Ground hit YouTube it quickly got ripped a new one along with model Levy Tran, who is featured in the video. Facebook, blogs, and media outlets lit up with commentary about the controversial video. The unquestionably racist and misogynist video is packed with basic stereotypes exoticizing and fetishizing Asian women. The degrading lyrics hyper-sexualizes Asian and Asian-American women and uses racist epithets throughout the song. The video also promotes sexual violence with its lyrics and even alludes to sex with minors. The controversy has driven YouTube views for the video to over 250k with 17k dislikes. (These are not the numbers you want on YouTube.) And spurred a petition to drop the band from an upcoming “House of Blues” that has reached over 1000 signatures. (see here.)

With PR and damage control needed, both the band “Day Above Ground” and model Levy Tran issued statements about the video.

From Day Above Ground on YouTube:
“We appreciate all the criticism and support. Our song “Asian Girlz” was not written with any malicious, hateful, or hurtful intent. We know it is racy and does push the boundaries further than other songs out there. Understand that we do not promote or support racism or violence. We love everyone no matter what race, religion, or sexual orientation. Please respect our decision to delete any violent, insensitive, or hurtful comment and also one that supports racism. We hope that we can continue with our lives with much love and peace.”

Previously, Day Above Ground had this on YouTube:
“This song is us, Day Above Ground, making fun of ourselves (and many, many other guys) obsession with the always lovely, Asian Woman. It pushes this concept to an absurd level, but at the same time is endearing & submissive.. WE ARE NOT RACIST, HAHA! I mean, look at our band, it’s multicultural!! The guy in the bow-tie, our cutie bass player, was born in Indonesia, and he steals the show!! Please don’t take this tongue-in-cheek tribute to some of the most gorgeous women on the planet too seriously!! You’ll ruin the fun of it all!! Thanks for watching, sincerely!!”

From Levy Tran on Twitter

I sincerely apologize to all who feels that I set Asian women back 50 yrs. I know I lost respect from a lot of ppl. It wasn't my intention

— Levy Tran (@MissLevy) July 31, 2013

It was meant to be light hearted and fun. Satirical. They are sweet boys and not at all racist. That is all I will say. I'm sorry once again

— Levy Tran (@MissLevy) July 31, 2013

Levy Tran on Instagram

I'm so sorry once again to anyone who was offended by the video. It wasn't at all the intention. I truly apologize

— Levy Tran (@MissLevy) August 1, 2013

To anyone who is willing to listen: I am truly and deeply sorry for my actions pertaining to the video. I meant no disrespect and it was not my intention to offend anyone. And being an adult, I accept full responsibility. And to all those whom I have let down, I am so so sorry.

It’s been several days already, but the video is still not down. The controversy from the video will continue as long as this video is up and no doubt both Day Above Ground and Levy Tran are already facing ramifications for their parts in this video. Below is the video and lyrics from the song. What are your thought on this controversy?

Asian Girlz by Day Above Ground (Racist)

Lyrics to Asian Girlz by Day Above Ground

Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)
Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)

I love your sticky rice
Butt f*cking all night
Korean barbecue
B*tch I love you
I love your creamy yellow thighs
Ooh you’re slanted eyes
It’s the Year of the Dragon
Ninja pussy I’m stabbin’

Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)
Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)

Superstitious feng shui sh*t (what)
Now lay your hair by the toilet
I’ve got your green tea boba
So put your head on my shoulder
Your momma’s so pretty
Best nails in the city
Pushing your daddy’s Mercedes

Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)
Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)

New Year’s in February (February?)
That’s fine with me (I guess)
Yeah, shark soup (What? F*ck it, we’ll eat it)
Oh, tradition, tradition, tradition, yeah yeah
Baby, you’re my Asian girl
You’re legally (best kind)
So baby marry me
Come on sit on my lap (right here baby)
Or we’ll send you back
And you age so well
I can barely tell
17 or 23?
Baby doesn’t matter to me

Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)
Asian girl (She’s my Asian girl)
You’re my Asian girl (You’re my Asian girl)

Arcadia
J-Town
Alhambra
K-Town
Temple City
Don’t forget Chinatown
Get down
Happy endings all over
Bruce Lee
Toyota
Spicy tuna Sashimi (yeah)
Tasty Garden
Fried Lice
Sailor Moon
Wonton soup
Spring roll
Tibet
Foot rub rub a down down down
Fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra (hahahahaha whooo)
Tofu
All over you all over me (whooo, yeah, we love you all)
All the Asian girls
Keep smiling

Tortured Beauties in China : short film

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Tortured Beauties in China : short film

Modern China is working hard to give itself a new image. And now a frightening new craze for Western-style beauty is driving a nationwide boom in dangerous and drastic cosmetic surgery procedures.

“Until recently, communist ideals valued natural beauty. Today, other things are considered beautiful”, explains fashion photographer Zheng Chen. At just 19, young model Ai Xiao Qi has found success in China’s fashion world. But she isn’t under any illusions about the painful cause of her popularity: “when you’re in front of cameras, your face must have a strong profile”. A strong profile: the new Chinese euphemism for surgically-enhanced Western features. In a bid to be as tall as Westerners, Chinese girls are even undergoing gruesome procedures to break and extend their legs. After a botched surgery, tour guide Qi Lixia ended up horribly disfigured. “The doctors tried to re-assure me. But my nose was completely deformed.” But such is the pressure on young girls that she’s prepared to go under the knife again: “Looking good helps me in my job”. As this mantra becomes more widely accepted, the message to young girls is clear: it’s what’s on the outside that counts.

See these other videos about cosmetic surgery: The K-pop Effect in South Korea, Beautiful sisters, Asian Eyelid Surgery : Erase Your Race? on The Doctors, Asians seeking surgery to look Western, Western Eyes, and eyelid surgery for high schoolers.

Tortured Beauties in China : short film

The K-pop Effect – South Korea

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The K-pop Effect - South Korea

The viral sensation ‘Gangnam style’ sparked imitations worldwide. Yet closer to home, the dream to be like such K-Pop idols is driving young South Koreans to a darker level of imitation: plastic surgery.

“Once people graduate almost all of them get double-eyelid surgery”, explains Gina, who recently left high-school. “In Korea they say, ‘please make my nose into the style of this star’.” In the district that is home to K-Pop’s major entertainment companies there are over 300 plastic surgery clinics on a single street. But some fear this growing beauty obsession is threatening young people’s sense of identity; “they treat their body as a product. They are losing the meaning of who they are”.

See these other videos about Asian Eyelid surgery: Beautiful sisters, Asian Eyelid Surgery : Erase Your Race? on The Doctors, Asians seeking surgery to look Western, Western Eyes, and eyelid surgery for high schoolers.

The K-pop Effect – South Korea

They’re All So Beautiful : Episode 1

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They're All So Beautiful : web series

They’re All So Beautiful is a six-part web series directed by Debbie Lum and co-produced by Maikiko James. The short online documentary episodes are designed to stimulate discussion on yellow fever – a unique but in many ways ubiquitous predilection Western men have for women of Asian descent. Each video starts with a question:

Episode 1: What is Yellow Fever?
Episode 2: Do you have to be white to have Yellow Fever?
Episode 3: What do Asian men think of it?
Episode 4: What about White Fever-Asian women who seek out white men?
Episode 5: What about marriage?

In They’re All So Beautiful : Episode 1, they survey people in interracial relationships on the topic of yellow fever-Western white men having a “thing” for East Asian women. A quick assessment of dating websites, in-person matchmaking, and the back-pages of free newspapers will tell you that Asian women are still perceived by many to be the romantic (or sexual) ideal. In this clip, “yellow fever” is defined by men who have it, by experts that have studied it – like Sheridan Prasso, journalist and author of The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls and the Myth of the Exotic Oriental -, and by women on both sides of the spectrum (fetishized and not). One white male interviewee remarks his attraction is “so hard to explain.” In contrast, Professor Elaine Kim of UC Berkeley’s Ethnic Studies counters that Western men have historically been fascinated by the exotic imagery of Asian women, including ones as lurid as “horizontal vaginas.”

Talking head commentary from experts and everyday Asian/Americans, as well as interviews with patrons of Asian fetish forums spell out the implications of race-based romantic preferences with honesty and humor, making They’re All So Beautiful provocative while politically agnostic. It promises to surprise viewers with its thoughtful look at modern love and relationships, just as with Lum’s award-winning documentary, Seeking Asian Female, which provides the thematic basis of They’re All So Beautiful.

Weekly webisodes will air online leading up to the national broadcast of Seeking Asian Female on Independent Lens on Monday, May 6, 2013 at 10:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

They’re All So Beautiful Episode 1

Top videos for 2012 on channelAPA.com

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There were many unexpected surprises in 2012 for Asians and Asian Americans in entertainment. We saw both tears of sadness and joy. Our hearts were broken in early 2012 with the story of Janet Liang as well as school yard bullying caught on tape. We witnessed global phenomenons from Jeremy Lin and PSY along with the long-awaited and often-feared K-Town Reality Show. Thanks to all the fans, followers, supporters, the people we interviewed and the people behind the scenes of channelAPA.com. Here’s a recap of the top videos for 2012 on our site.

1. Finding a Perfect Match for Janet Liang : Her Personal Plea
Easily the most heartbreaking video of 2012 was Janet Liang’s personal plea to find a bone marrow donor match in her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The Asian American community came out to support her cause (White Frog cast PSA from Janet Liang and Asian Americans Helping Janet Liang). channelAPA.com even had a chance to meet her in person at a YTF concert in the San Francisco Bay Area. The views skyrocketed on our site when Jeremy Lin retweeted out post at the height of Linsanity.

Everyone please help her!! Thank you! fb.me/1374eLIcJ

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) February 2, 2012

In June 2012, she found a match and by September, she got her bone marrow transplant. A week later, Janet Liang passed away. We’re saddened by the lose, but she opened our eyes to the importance of Asian American bone marrow registration. In mid-September 2012 along with other Asian American site, we launched a bone marrow donor cyberdrive.

2. Linsanity
In his rookie season, Jeremy Lin didn’t get too much play time with the Golden State Warriors and was send to the D-League several times. December 2011 was probably the worst time for him after being waived by the Golden State Warriors, then picked up and waived by the Houston Rockets, the picked up by the New York Knicks. In February 2012, we witnessed what became known as Linsanity as Jeremy Lin played against the New Jersey Nets. Some of his better known highlights during his run include the spin move against Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher and the game winning 3 pointer against Toronto. Needless to say Linsanity caused a major spike on channelAPA.com. Listen to Jeremy Lin’s testimony about Linsanity for his first had account of that magical run.

From Linsanity, we saw companies like Nike embrace an Asian athlete with their commercial about Meng Ling : Rookie of the Year in 2030. Also look for Linsanity the movie to hit the screen in 2013.

3. K-Town Reality Show
Two years since, channelAPA.com broke the story about revealing the cast of the K-Town Reality Show. The long awaited show made it’s debut online with a slight change in casting with not one, but two seasons. K-Town Reality Show Season 1 revolved around Joe and the crew helping him promote a big club event, while Season 2 focuses on the cast helping to plan Young’s wedding. K-Town Reality Show started at 10 minutes an episode in Season 1 and doubled to about 20 minutes an episode in Season 2. If you haven’t seen the series yet, you’re missing out on lots of drama, drinking, and more drama. Drinking begats more drama. Get to know Violet Kim, Scarlet Chan, Jasmine Chang, Young Lee, Steve Kim, Joe Cha, and Jowe Kyu.

4. Bullying
On MLK weekend, a viral video surfaced with a Helpless Asian Teen Attacked and Jumped By 7 Others Behind a School out in Chicago. Not only was giant spotlight put on race, but also on bullying. Whether it was revenge or unprovoked, there is no reason fists should be thrown. Check out these campaigns against bullying : TEASE (To Encourage A Safe Environment) : Lil Crazed Bullying Prevention Campaign and Wonder Woman by Elise Estrada

Dirty Bass by Far East Movement
5. Far East Movement
Not only did Far East Movement promote their Dirty Bass album in full swing, but the guys also made the theme song for the cartoon Monsuno. They dropped more tracks and music videos than ever in 2012 with singles including Jello, Live My Life (Party Rock Remix), Candy, Live My Life, Dirty Bass, Turn Up the Love, Change Your Life, Little Bird, For All, Lovetron, Get Up (Rattle), and Christmas in Downtown LA. They’ve been traveling the world spreading the word on the Dirty Bass Movement. What’s next for them in 2013?

Wedding Impossible with Gail Kim x Robert Irvine
6. Wedding : Impossible with Gail Kim x Robert Irvine
WWE Diva Gail Kim married chef Robert Irvine (Restaurant Impossible) over the summer. The Food Network Special Wedding :Impossible showed the highlights of their Napa Valley wedding with Irvine leading the charge and his chef friends contributing special dishes. Lots of wonderful dishes and surprises for everyone.

7. Seoul Sausage wins the Great Food Truck Race Season 3
Seoul Sausage entered Season 3 of the Great Food Truck race to win their dream truck and cook full time. The first-generation trio of Korean Americans Yong, Chris and Ted sold their signature Korean-style sausages along with other Korean inspired dishes at each leg of their journey. They made their way from the west coast to the east coast to eventually take the win on The Great Food Truck Race Season 3. Seoul Sausage has won the keys to their dream food truck and $50,000 to start their business.

I'm Not Perfect by Cheesa x Charice
8. I’m Not Perfect by Cheesa x Charice
Singer Cheesa x Charice collaborated on the single “I’m Not Perfect“. Cheesa appeared on “The Voice” Season 2 with Team Cee Lo and is part of the group A2C, while Charice needs no introduction. The two powerhouse singer combine for a special duet to inspire those who have been underestimated and bullied.

9. Gangnam Style by PSY and the spoofs
PSY seemingly came out of nowhere this year. His music video with unforgettable characters, odd locations, and invisible horse dancing took the world by storm. Gangnam Style became the most viewed YouTube video of all time and was the first video to break the 1 billion view mark on YouTube. His music spawn numerous parodies and spoofs ( Canton Style, Lo Pan Style, Gangnam Style by Just Kidding Films, Byuntae Style by David So, K-Town style, and Opo Pinoy Style) and opened many doors with American artists like Madonna and MC Hammer. Never did we think we would hear Kpop music on the American airwaves and around the world. Look for new music from PSY in the coming year.

10. Sullivan and Sons
Comedian Steve Byrne brought his sitcom Sullivan and Son to TBS. Much like his own HAPA background, he created a show with a very diverse ethnic mix. His character buys a neighborhood bar from his Irish-American father, Jack Sullivan (Dan Lauria – The Wonder Years), and Korean mother, Ok Cha (Jodi Long – Beginners). Meanwhile, he has an ongoing sibling rivalry with his younger sister Susan (Vivian Bang). What can possibly go wrong running a family business? The show has been renewed for a second season, so look for more Sullivan & Son in 2013.

Some of these moments were captured in YouTube Rewind Style

Each year since we’ve started channelAPA.com, we’ve seen bigger and bigger accomplishments from our community. We expect more unforgettable moments in 2013. We leave you with the DJ Earworm Mashup “United State of Pop 2012 (Shine Brighter)” featuring Bruno Mars, PSY, and more

Cloud Atlas criticized For Yellowface Make-Up & Exclusion Of Asian Actors

The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) is criticizing the new Warner Brothers motion picture “Cloud Atlas”—promoted as artistically groundbreaking because its actors swap racial and sexual identities—as business-as-usual in its exclusion and offensive yellow-faced renditions of Asian people.

A multi-ethnic epic spanning 500 years and around the globe, “it’s an artistically ambitious approach to filmmaking,” according to the organization’s Founding President Guy Aoki. “Unfortunately, it reflects the same old racial pecking order that the entertainment industry has been practicing for decades.”

“Cloud Atlas,” written and directed by Tom Tykwer (“Run, Lola, Run”) and Lana and Andy Wachowski (“The Matrix” trilogy) and based on the novel by David Mitchell, utilizes an all-star cast that includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, and Hugo Weaving. In order to stress a thematic continuity among the movie’s six different interwoven stories, the filmmakers cast many of the same actors as different characters in each time period. Cloud Atlas 2144 Doona Bae One of the stories takes place in a totalitarian, mechanized Neo Seoul Korea in the year 2144. An Asian female clone (South Korean actress Doona Bae) is encouraged by another female clone (Chinese movie star Xun Zhou) to break out of her oppressive pre-programmed routine to serve men and become an independent thinker. The segment also includes White actors Sturgess, Weaving, and James D’Arcy as ostensibly Korean characters, using eye prosthetics to make their Caucasian features look more Asian. “’Cloud Atlas’ prides itself on its ‘multi-racial cast,’” said Aoki, “but that basically means White men and women of color, like La Jolla Playhouse’s ‘The Nightingale,’ which was criticized last Summer for using only two Asian American actresses but allowing five White men to play Chinese characters.

Aoki said, “’Cloud Atlas’ missed a great opportunity. The Korea story’s protagonist is an Asian man–an action hero who defies the odds and holds off armies of attackers. He’s the one who liberates Doona Bae from her repressive life and encourages her to join the resistance against the government. It would have been a great, stereotype-busting role for an Asian American actor to play, as Asian American men aren’t allowed to be dynamic or heroic very often. Cloud Atlas Doona Bae and Jim Sturgess “But instead, they cast Jim Sturgess in yellowface,” Aoki continued, referring to the historically frowned-upon practice of using cosmetics, such as eye prosthetics, to make Caucasian actors look Asian. “In fact, every major male character in the Korea story is played by non-Asian actors in really bad yellowface make-up. When you first see Hugo Weaving as a Korean executioner, there’s this big close-up of him in this totally unconvincing Asian make-up. The Asian Americans at the pre-screening burst out laughing because he looked terrible–like a Vulcan on ‘Star Trek.’ It took us out of the movie. And Jim Sturgess and James D’Arcy didn’t look much better.”

MANAA Vice President Miriam Nakamura-Quan stated, “In the modern age of movie make up, it is disturbing to see poorly done Asian eye prosthetics to make Caucasian men look Asian. The race-changing make-up totally disrupted the flow of the film. The old yellowface movie characters of the past like Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan looked more realistic than the characters in ‘Cloud Atlas.’ Why couldn’t they have cast a handsome Asian American actor of mixed race to play the multiple roles in Neo Seoul and the other time periods? It would have made the movie more believable.” Cloud Atlas Doona Bae Added Aoki, “It appears that to turn white and black actors into Asian characters (black actor Keith David was also Asian in the 2144 story), the make-up artists believed they only had to change their eyes, not their facial structure and complexion. In two scenes in other segments of the film, Bae and Zhou are made up to appear Caucasian. The filmmakers, Aoki said, “obviously took more care to make them look convincingly white. The message the movie sends is, it takes a lot of work to get Asians to look Caucasian, but you can easily turn Caucasians into Asians by just changing the shape of their eyes.”

In another story set in the South Pacific in 1849, Maori slaves are played predominantly by blacks, including Afro-British actor David Gyasi. “You have to ask yourself: Would the directors have used blackface on a white actor to play Gyasi’s role?” asked Aoki. “I don’t think so: That would have outraged African American viewers. But badly done yellowface is still OK.

“In any case, this was a lost opportunity to cast real Asian Pacific Islanders. Why weren’t there any real Asian male actors portraying any of the major characters in this supposedly racially diverse film?” Aoki concluded, “It’s a double standard: White actors are allowed to play anything–except black characters–and have the dominant roles; Asian male actors are non-existent. And Pacific Islanders are played by blacks.”

Asked Nakamura-Quan, “If, in the making of this complex movie, the creators of ‘Cloud Atlas’ can make creative leaps in time, place, characters, race and gender, why can’t they also take a creative leap in the casting?”

Cloud Atlas Trailer