First off, big hat tip goes to commenter Stephen, who turned me onto this. I am waaaay out of things, it seems.
Dr. Ken! Who knew?
Since the first Asian Americans really went mainstream in the public culture – that would be the landmark Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, not the awkwardly independent Better Luck Tomorrow – I've been loudly proclaiming the death of the media emasculation of Asian men.
Of course, there are the occasional throwbacks to the old representations, but there's been a sea change; what with the growing complexity of roles for Asian Americans in general, the rise of various Asian national cinemas, and an American public that is growing increasingly stereotype-averse, there's a lot more facets of Asian America to see.
Calling the "end of emasculation" for the Asian American man doesn't mean that I think there will be no more idiotic representations here and there, but only that the beginning of that end has indeed begun.
And with a Korean American standup who does comedy, doesn't apologize for fitting the mold of the "model minority" yet breaks it every moment he is on stage, the world is a brighter place with Dr. Ken, whom I've been checking out on YouTube.
He was on BET's Comic View?! Introduced by Cedric the Entertainer? From what I've seen, he pokes fun in all directions, and doesn't even shrink away from putting a new spin on age-old Asian stereotypes, which realistically, as an Asian American entering the field of comedy, he's nearly bound to address.
And he does a damn good job.
Now, there's a very silly man.
Two words: "Chemo, bitch!"
