gay or asian?

the above is (purportedly) a page from the latest issue of details magazine and it's causing quite a stir on the web.  (click on the image if you want to see a larger version.)

honestly, i'm puzzled.  "gay or asian?"  that's really a question?  please — as if the two were mutually exclusive.  i mean, what if the answer is both, you ignorant plebeians?  besides, i know plenty of people who would kill for "ladyboy fingers" or a "bonsai ass!"

seriously, though, i'm not sure how to feel when i see things like this.  on the one hand, i know i'm supposed to be deeply appalled and offended by the use of racist and homophobic stereotypes.  on the other hand, i have to admit that i do, on occasion, find racist/racial humor to be funny — and, in this case, i laughed out loud. 

personally, my feeling has always been, if you don't like what they publish, don't buy the magazine and don't give your money to their advertisers.  going so far as to attempt to silence a publication or an author, though, starts to sound like censorship to me, and two wrongs do not make a right. (just like two wongs don't make a...oh, nevermind.)  are the egos and collective self-image of the asian male so incredibly fragile?  are self-righteous anger and retribution really our only recourse?  i mean, if you're really that annoyed by what someone else has to say, then why not spend your time and energy finding a way to put your own message out there?  create your own voice, don't destroy someone else's.  we need more dialogue, not less.

still, the fact that the writer and editors chose to publish such a questionable piece and figured they could avoid any serious consequences speaks not only to their own bad taste but also to the fact that there are very few influential asian men in publishing.  if there's anything i'd like to see changed in this situation, that would be it.

in the meantime, i just have to sigh, shrug, and say, "same shit, different day."  asian men have often been portrayed and seen as asexual, androgynous, effeminate, and childlike in both gay and straight mainstream american media.  more dishearteningly, i've seen many gay asian men present themselves in all of these ways in an effort to attract those who treasure that as an ideal (or fetish).  top it all off with an accent of some sort and these boys are just too cool for school. 

to those who want to actively counter-act this stereotype, i say, live out its opposite before the world — on the printed page, on the stage, and on screen.  take on the roles of firefighter, football player, action hero, underwear model, rock musician, violent criminal and sexual predator.  step it up, my butch asian brethren!  make a chauvinist papa proud!

now — where's my louis vuitton handbag...?

a night out

last night, joe got me into an event he was working — the broadway cares SOMETHING WICKED cabaret fundraiser. 

a bunch of the cast from the broadway show (WICKED) performed.  the dancers and singers from the ensemble were quite impressive overall.  idina menzel was supposed to take the stage, but, unfortunately, she cancelled.  however, the incredibly tiny miss kristin chenoweth made a surprise last-minute appearance.  she didn't sing, but she did do an outrageously funny dance performance as britney spears (the "poppycon and southern baptist whore") to a ridiculously re-mixed version of "oops!  i did it again."  i haven't laughed that hard in awhile.

now that i've seen the range of talent in the cast, i'm really tempted to purchase (i.e., with my own money) a ticket to see the actual show.  anyone else interested?

work work work

hello, everyone.

i know, i have been neglecting my blog in a very big way.  my only excuse is that my new job has been keeping me real busy.  i actually had to come into the office all three days last weekend — yes, three, as i was supposed to have last friday off.  but, with a big project due, and me being the new guy out to prove himself, i spent the major portion of my weekend in my homey new cubicle — and, to my mind, spent the rest of this week sick as a dog as a direct result.

anyhow, the above pictures are from the gorgeous saturday afternoon i spent working on getting MTV International's new portal up and running.  the first is the view of my building from street-level on 44th street.  the second is the view from my floor, the 31st, looking south-east.  the building on the left-hand side is the hideous westin hotel, and the mcgraw-hill building is just beyond that.

i will try to post more often next week — promise!

enough already

i'm really ready for winter to be OVER.

happy st. patrick's day!

family wedding

joe took me to his cousin's wedding this weekend.  it was an amazing affair with lots of people and lots of food.  all of joe's brothers were there, pictured above.  from the left, that's nick, ben, phil, and my man joe. 

the best part was how comfortable his family made me feel.  after i snapped a picture of all of the boys, nick's girlfriend, chris, brought cindy (ben's wife), donna (phil's wife) and me together for a picture.  above, from the left again, that's cindy, chris, me and donna.

it's nice to be acknowledged...

movin' on up

not exactly a deluxe apartment, but i'm in a much larger cubicle on the 31st floor of 1515 broadway (see above).  yes, boys and girls, i am now a corporate drone at mtv networks in the skyscraper known as the viacom building situated in the heart of times square.  how cool is that?

anyhow, sorry for the long absence (not that anyone is really paying attention).  i have been crazy busy over the past couple weeks, and some odd developments in my job and personal life kept me from updating my site.  something truly major is in the works, though it may not pan out.  even if it doesn't, i will be sure to write about it soon — even stories of heartbreak can make good reading.

hope everyone out there is good.