Ah, to be young, blonde, and........racist?

Hey all. Just wanted to pass this story along. If you haven't heard of it, you're in for a treat. It's awesome.


So last Friday, an unfortunately dim-witted student (Alexandra Wallace) at UCLA posted this rant online:

I'm 100% honest when I say I find this video to be incredibly hilarious. In fact, it's the funniest thing I've seen since I first saw the trailer for Limitless a couple weeks ago. I find it implausible* that a UCLA student lacked the awareness to realize how such opinions were going to be received once they were plastered OVER THE ENTIRE INTERNET. ON THE DAY OF THE TSUNAMI. THE DAY OF THE TSUNAMI! TSUNAMI! LOUD NOISES! What did you think was going to happen, darling? That people were going to be distracted by your large mammaries and not listen to the content of your preaching? (Ok ok, I may or may not be guilty of this. Oh, stop judging me. It was only for a couple seconds.)

You tell em', girlfriend.

As an Asian-American, I guess I should be offended and I'm totally shocked that I don't feel that way at all. I'm very fortunate to have grown up in a environment where race wasn't really an issue. Sure, I've been teased before but it's (usually) all in good fun and I (usually) let such things roll off my back. Seriously, I'm more saddened that a student at a prestigious university was still dumb enough to think broadcasting her horrendously ignorant opinions was a good idea. Everyone's entitled to their opinion--no matter how outrageous--but not everyone should be entitled to a webcam. Words to live by. In the end, it's just not worth the energy for me--and shouldn't be for other Asians--to lash out at the poor girl with anger. She made a (huge) mistake and has since released a statement apologizing. I hope she's sincere. I hear dem' Asian sorority bitches be crazy.

Thinking every time before I hit the 'record' button,

Jeff



 *Yes, even more implausible that Limitless actually got green-lit. Can you tell that this is bothering me? The tagline of the movie is "What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?". Wait, what? Is this a comedy? It's actually about someone taking a pill to make them rich and powerful!?!? And it has that horribly repeated--and scientifically wrong--statement about "how we use only 20% of our brain"? Yeesh. This is lazy filmmaking so refined you could mine it and sell it on jewelry. I need to find out how many hours the marketing department spent on this campaign. I want a video of the meetings held after they realized in horror the studio wasn't pranking them.

Also, Robert de Niro is in Limitless. Is it safe to say this is a low point for his career? I'll reserve judgment until it is confirmed that the Focker "franchise" is dead.

On Tragedies

I cried this morning. Heavily.

I was in the middle of eating breakfast at work, reading coverage on the earthquake in Japan, and came upon this picture:

I then saw this picture. And this picture. And...yeah.

I got up and hid in the bathroom for a couple minutes to gather myself.

I pictured people in those homes. I pictured people in those cars, on their way to and fro. I pictured big things like whole buildings floating with the water. I pictured little things like family photo albums ruined, memories gone with the waves. I pictured how many lives forever changed, not to mention how many lives forever lost.

I just donated to the Red Cross. It's the first time I've ever done so, despite ample opportunity. Better late than never? Try telling that to the people of Haiti, New Orleans, or the Indian Ocean. 

I ponder why I didn't feel this way during the last disaster. Or for the one(s) before that. I didn't help then. Certainly, I followed them. Certainly, I was sympathetic. Certainly, I was horrified. Certainly, I sent thoughts and prayers.

I struggle with that term. Thoughts and prayers. That phrase is everywhere. It's on Facebook, on Twitter, on television, on print. From politicians to celebrities. From strangers and from friends.

I wonder if it all means anything. In reality, of course not. Thoughts don't rescue victims. Prayers don't clean up debris.

I wonder how long I will feel this affected. Media fatigue will eventually settle in. It has before. At least until the next disaster.

I will go back to my normal life. I will ignore the Libya situation in favor of Charlie Sheen updates. I will play basketball and play video games this weekend. I will probably watch a movie. I will continue on because the events in Japan will never truly hit home.

I, of course, feel ashamed. Does that make me a lesser person? Or does it make me human?

I love romantic comedies. I am skeptical (initially, at least) of every steroid scandal in baseball. I believe in mistakes or mishaps first--not ulterior motives--when things don't go according to plan.

I am an optimist. For someone so sarcastic all the time, cynicism is my least favorite quality. The status updates and tweets fill me with pride, instead of snark. For the moment, people are paying attention. Some will donate. Some of them will be driven to action. That will help.

We care. We are here. We are, or we would like to be, together. However brief.

I think that still matters.