Pinoy Show Biz

A few months back, my cousin told me about this game show in the Philippines called Starstruck, an American Idol knock-off. Anyway, there was some controversy when a contestant made some derogatory comments about a fellow contestant, who was an Igorot. The guy eventually apologized, probably b/c he was swamped with complaints by all the Igorots from around the world. Strange how people still make ignorant comments about ethnic groups they don't know anything about. Anyway, when I heard about this, I looked it up on the internet and found another Pinoy in Show biz who also made derogatory comments about Igorots. This one involved Lucy Torres, a very European-looking Pinoy. I didn't find much info on the controversy involving her though b/c, as my cousin later told me, it occurred back sometime in 1999. Seems like there's no shortage of Pinoys in show biz making ignorant comments about Igorots. I'm half-Igorot myself so I would probably be offended if I heard those comments, but I'm over in the states and perhaps the only friction b/w Pinoys here is maybe the one b/w American-born Pinoys versus the FOBS, of which I'm a member. As Rodney King once said, "Can't we just all get along?" Sorry, Mr. King, no such luck. ;)

Anyway, while I was looking up info on Ms. Torres, I stumbled upon a Korean girl working in Pinoy show business. Her name is Sandara Park and her story fascinates me. She moved to the Philippines when she was 8 and became famous during her teen years after an appearance on a Pinoy reality TV show. What's weird is that South Korea obviously has a better economy than the Philippines and yet it looks like she prefers to work in the Philippines, probably b/c she's in the limelight and practically spent her formative years there. There's a switch: an overseas non-Filipino worker in the Philippines. Who'd have thunk? Well, I guess since the Philippines is exporting all their human labor overseas, the Philippines should at least get one foreigner who wants to work in the Philippines. After all, the Philippines does have a shortage of Show Biz entertainers. haha.

Hollywood Show Biz

I previously posted some thoughts on Pinoy show biz, so I figure it's time to post something about American or Hollywood show biz. First up: African-American male characters in Hollywood. I was talking to some friends about Grey's Anatomy and the topic of Sandra Oh came up. Her character in the show is apparently dating an African-American in the show. I don't watch this show b/c it looks like a soap opera and as far as medical dramas go, I prefer ER, although that show has occassional soap drama, also. Anyway, I was telling my friends that I rarely see an African-American male character dating a white female character in TV or film. The show Scrubs comes to mind, where the black guy in that show (Donald Faison as Chris Turk) is dating a Latina woman (Judy Reyes as Carla Espinosa). If I remember correctly, I believe Ming Na's character in ER was also dating an African-American character. I then said that perhaps Hollywood has an easier time portraying an African-American male character date non-white female character, like in the shows I mentioned. Does Hollywood think viewers will be uncomfortable if a black guy dated a white woman?

My friends and I then discussed how Asian guys in Hollywood movies rarely get the girl in movies. Seeing an Asian female hooking up with a white, black or Latino guy in these movies -- no problem. Seeing an Asian guy hooking up with a white, black or Latina gal in these movies -- you've got a better chance getting struck by lightning. In The Replacements, for example, poor Chow Yun Fat barely got a kiss on the cheek from Mira Sorvino even though he was the star of the movie. My friends tell me Jet Li didn't have much luck with Aaliyah either in Romeo Must Die. Two leading men, both tough guy roles -- neither could get the girl. So why is it that the Asian male rarely gets the girl in Hollywood movies? Check out Media Action Network for Asian Americans for more on stereotypes or Wikipedia for some theories. Also, check out Angry Asian Man (yup, another angry website).


Post-script correction: The title of Chow Yun Fat's movie is The Replacement Killers, not The Replacements, which I think is a band. ;)

Gym Membership

My workplace is finally offering a gym membership for a small fee. It was supposed to have been offered months ago, but there was supposedly some haggling over the price. After all was said and done, the fee difference b/w the original price and the haggled price amounted to about a penny. Way to negotiate, guys. Anyway, I'm looking forward to joining a gym b/c I hate to admit it, but I'm sort of vain. For one thing, I don't like having a spare tire for a gut. I'm not exactly fat, but skinny guys like me can still get a spare tire if we don't watch what we eat and don't exercise. Besides, I'm just a month away from having abs like this guy in the photo at left (courtesy of sfgate), football player Jerry Porter. The thing about my body type though is that unlike my brothers , who are both just naturally big, I got the gene that makes me naturally skinny. So, I have to eat and work out a lot just to look like my brothers (in other words, not skinny). One of my brothers is in the photo at right. I'm the skinny one.

Still, joining a gym has it's other benefits and that other benefit is the use of the swimming pool. Since I've taken up surfing, I probably need to become a better swimmer in case a rogue wave or rip current ("rip tide") drags me far from shore. My problem with swimming is that my calves cramp up pretty quickly. It's probably b/c of not warming up properly or maybe I'm just not as conditioned for swimming as I should be. Either way, its definitely something I need to work on if I'm going to be surfing La Union anytime soon. That's the 'hang loose' sign, btw, not the 'call me' sign, at least in this post anyway.

Zany Zidane

I've been following all the hubbub about Zinedine Zidane, the soccer player who...ahh, well, you know the story. Zidane is apparently a sensitive chap. He probably wouldn't last one second in the NBA, where trash talk is much worse. He would probably be head-butting people left and right. :D Anyway, if you haven't seen the youtube video of people randomly head-butting other people in the street, you should check it out b/c it is hilarious. I also like Conan O'Brien's joke where he said that Zidane learned his sportsmanship from an "angry billy goat." I think that's how we should resolve conflicts from now on. If you disagree with someone, just give him or her a swift head-butt to the chest. Try it at work. ;) I also like how the media always has to mention that Zidane is balding. They might as well call him "chrome dome" while they're at it. Why not "cue-ball"? And I wonder how much of Materazzi's response was genuine and how much was acting. I mean if you patted Materazzi on the shoulder, would he immediately crumple to the ground? ;)