The Exploitation of William Hung

[thaite]

I missed her, but what about that rapping GI, eh?!

[51cat]

yep, horrific performance as Simon would put it...

[hooligan]

http://home.adelphia.net/~alwin/shebangs.wmv (http://home.adelphia.net/%7Ealwin/shebangs.wmv)

i'm throwing william some big props. oh, if you're having bandwidth issues, just right click, save as and play it that way.

[John0101]

looks innocent, smart, and child-like. Regardless he can't song

[Fireblade]

I don't have high bandwidth, but if it's the same dorky dood who's a engineering major, umm... he set himself up for embarassement. At least he was dignified with his response, and took the rejection like a man.

[AltimaGTR]

LOL! I'm liking that hip-swinging motion...OWWWW~

The good thing is, he was cool enough not to argue with the judges and not cause a commotion.

edit: Fireblade beat me to it! :biggrin:

[Faithless]

http://home.adelphia.net/~alwin/shebangs.wmv

i'm throwing william some big props.
How the hell did you find that?

[hooligan]

How the hell did you find that? the engineers at ucla are passing it around.

[pfc beansprout]

OMFG.......lol......god....nothin to say....LOL........
*forgot to add...do any of you think some of these 'contestants' are fakes? u know..some of these people....yikes.... :eek:

[Faithless]

the engineers at ucla are passing it around.
Heck, if they're passing it around at UCLA, I can imagine that they're posting it on all the servers at Stanford. :rolleyes:

[DragonKnight]

OMFG.......lol......god....nothin to say....LOL........
*forgot to add...do any of you think some of these 'contestants' are fakes? u know..some of these people....yikes.... :eek:
I'm putting good money that a lot of them are fakes. Just to get their little slice of fame.

But jeezus, this guy was pretty...err, yah.

[dorkus malorkus]

hahaha....yeah... love his dancing:)

[teaz0r]

i <3 enginerds.

[nameless]

"i'm an engineer...originally from Hong Kong"

gee thanks, will

[Arex]

His singing was bad, but at least you could make out the song and his dancing at least had reason. His clothing was horrible. I feel for the guy though--he looked like he put his heart and soul into the performance.

To those that saw today's episode: What about that one dude looking for a girlfriend? Poor pathetic shmuck.

RX

[Kuchana]

His singing was bad, but at least you could make out the song and his dancing at least had reason. His clothing was horrible. I feel for the guy though--he looked like he put his heart and soul into the performance.

To those that saw today's episode: What about that one dude looking for a girlfriend? Poor pathetic shmuck.

RX

I saw that one today. The auditions were held in Hawaii! :smile:

[kitty]

all american idol 2004 threads have been merged.

[kboy75]

Heck, if they're passing it around at UCLA, I can imagine that they're posting it on all the servers at Stanford. :rolleyes:
I think I read that that guy is a Civil Eng student at Berkeley.

As a fellow berkeley alum, let me just say i know many many many many guys just like him that i sat in my computer science and electrical engineering classes and labs.

a lot of them go on to work in the bay area / silicon valley... and so goes the saying... "the odds are good, but the goods are odd."

When I watched him, I got a strange feeling of familiarity...


That dude last night who wanted to be the next AI to get a girlfriend was PATHETIC... oh gawd...

That pancake waitress.... whoa... hotness...

[amietron]

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~jc65/videos/shebangs.wmv

[yoMAMA]

Man, that asian engineering dude is busted!

:redface:

[Faithless]

Man, that asian engineering dude is busted!

:redface:
Well, even if he was a fantastic singer, me thinks they would have said no based on looks. Yeah or nah?

I base that on what I think the judges think the public would accept. They don't like fat women or guys. They made Clay change his look. Asian-engineering-dude would have needed a complete overhaul. :rolleyes:

[myself808]

Here's what Myself doesn't understand about this: some of these people are bad, I mean really really awful terrible. Yet for some reason they actually believe they can be a pop star, and these are just the ones that they let through for comic relief. (which is a whole 'nother topic itself) There are THOUSANDS that show up at every city. I mean it's all well and good to have big dreams, but I don't understand how someone can be so unrealistic, about it, and to be in such denial when they ultimately get clowned, and then to top it off get all pissy about it. like the guy who threw Simon's drink at him.

Actually I have to admit the really bad people are the best part of the show for me.

[krome]

I can't comment objectively cuz I didn't hear him sing. But, if he really had heart he would have taken the time and solicited legit criticism from his friends to become a better singer and more polished act. A fighter's true heart is shown in the grueling hours he spends training before a fight. So, pay some dues before you clown yourself on national TV. Unfortunately, it sounds like he embarassed both himself and the rest of us AMs.

Look how much damage Vanilla Ice did to white rappers. Every white rapper after him had to live down his name and dig themselves out of the hole he dug for them. So, we don't need no "Yellow Snow." If you ain't got at least some decent act and skills, don't embarass yourself and set us all back just for your 15 min. And, if you ain't got the looks, better make sure you got the talent to compensate. From the feedback, it sounds as if that kid had NO BIZness gettin' on stage. Krist, we already got this other clueless dumfvck deliberately mocking us... (http://modelminority.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4595&start=0)

We need Asian alpha males (Bruce Lee types) reppin in showbiz, not "club vibe" omega runts. Sorry to be judgmental, but what if BMs got repped mostly by Erkels and not Tupacs? Then, I guess they'd be in the same boat as us now. :frown:

I guess we don't need Ho-Wood to keep us down. We are doing a fine job of it our damn selves. (http://modelminority.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4903&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) :rolleyes:

[Faithless]

a friend of a friend just told me that the guy actually suffers from down syndrome or something. :( now i feel bad laughing at him.
Who? Mr. Hung? Looks like Average Joe to me.

spotted him this morning, too. He was walking up University near Shattuck. Looked like he wanted to jump on the bus as it crossed the intersection. :frown:

[hooligan]

Who? Mr. Hung? Looks like Average Joe to me.

spotted him this morning, too. He was walking up University near Shattuck. Looked like he wanted to jump on the bus as it crossed the intersection. :frown:
you should have asked for his autograph and congratulated him on her performance. that took guts.

[mr. x]

Who? Mr. Hung? Looks like Average Joe to me.

spotted him this morning, too. He was walking up University near Shattuck. Looked like he wanted to jump on the bus as it crossed the intersection. :frown:

awwwww

have people harassed him? oh man i could totally see people doing the "hip shake" and going "she bangs she bangs!" ala American Pie

[krome]

Ok, I just went to a fansite (http://www.williamhung.net/wst_page5.html) and heard (not saw) his performance.

His "She Bangs" mp3 track is here. (http://members.cox.net/donchin/Shebangs.mp3) Yeah, he needs a makeover, but frankly, his voice is not that bad at all. It's actually decent, in my opinion - probably above middle-of-the-pack and far better than most of the other rejects I've heard. I guess people were mainly clowning him for his looks? :frown:

[mr. x]

Ok, I just went to a fansite (http://www.williamhung.net/wst_page5.html) and heard (not saw) his performance.

His "She Bangs" mp3 track is here. (http://members.cox.net/donchin/Shebangs.mp3) Yeah, he needs a makeover, but frankly, his voice is not that bad at all. It's actually decent, in my opinion - probably above middle-of-the-pack and far better than most of the other rejects I've heard. I guess people were mainly clowning him for his looks? :frown:

AAAAAA that "fansite" is hilarious! seriously dude he cant sing. i mean yeah theres that asian "connection" but he had nothing going for him im sorry. if he had tried out in Hong Kong u think he woulda made it?

[Fireblade]

the last samurai poster looks pretty badass. He should grow facial hair.

[mr. x]

poor guy man, i mean he probly lived a sheltered life here right? but now even the bay areans are gonna clown on him even if they didnt see the episode they probly saw the promo or at least know who he is

[krome]

AAAAAA that "fansite" is hilarious! seriously dude he cant sing. i mean yeah theres that asian "connection" but he had nothing going for him im sorry. if he had tried out in Hong Kong u think he woulda made it?
I don't think he would have made it anywhere. But, I wouldn't put his voice in the total reject bin, either. It wasn't worthy of moving on, but it frankly WASN'T BAD. I admit, I was surprised. I don't think he totally embarrassed himself vocally or anything. And most of the other rejects were FAR WORSE vocally, too.

[Fireblade]

I don't think he would have made it anywhere. But, I wouldn't put his voice in the total reject bin, either. It wasn't worthy of moving on, but it frankly WASN'T BAD. I admit, I was surprised. I don't think he totally embarrassed himself vocally or anything. And most of the other rejects were FAR WORSE vocally, too.

But vocally bad, is still BAD. It doesn't matter if it's still a lesser degree. It's still bad. What emphasized his bad singing? His dance moves. He's got crazy whiteboy syndrome, doing the same move over and over again.

It's not just his voice. Just.... well to be blunt... EVERYTHING about him. I give him respect for taking the rejection like a man, but dood, I would NEVER grow the balls do what he did.

Still doesn't excuse he was bad.

[mr. x]

But vocally bad, is still BAD. It doesn't matter if it's still a lesser degree. It's still bad. What emphasized his bad singing? His dance moves. He's got crazy whiteboy syndrome, doing the same move over and over again.

It's not just his voice. Just.... well to be blunt... EVERYTHING about him. I give him respect for taking the rejection like a man, but dood, I would NEVER grow the balls do what he did.

Still doesn't excuse he was bad.

yah. i spose what krome meant was he was as bad as we expected (fob voice and all) but there were other people who REALLY lowered the bar (those girls with the DEEP-ass voices (shudder))

[thaite]

WILLIAM HUNG RULES!!!!!! (http://www.williamhung.net)

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/gifs3/0203covent.jpg

[hooligan]

WILLIAM HUNG RULES!!!!!! (http://www.williamhung.net)

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/gifs3/0203covent.jpg
i found my new buddy icon!

[Faithless]

WILLIAM HUNG RULES!!!!!! (http://www.williamhung.net)

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/gifs3/0203covent.jpg
On the surface, I wanna say the people that put the site together suck, if their intent is to make fun of the guy.

I mean, what's with this?
http://www.williamhung.net/images/Will-Hung-Spiderman-Horatiu_9VNH.gif

Is William OK with this? Next time I see him, I gonna ask him what he thinks.

[hooligan]

On the surface, I wanna say the people that put the site together suck, if their intent is to make fun of the guy.

I mean, what's with this?
http://www.williamhung.net/images/Will-Hung-Spiderman-Horatiu_9VNH.gif

Is William OK with this? Next time I see him, I gonna ask him what he thinks.
i'm not entirely sure of what to make of the site either. i know i've got a lot of respect for the guy though, to do something like that. more power to william hung!

[kasia]

www.williamhung.net


i found this site hilarious, but when i realized he wasn't the one who created it, it really bothered me. last thing i want to know is that it's a buncha non-asians creating this site to mock a dorky asian boy. (personally, i think it's an act.)

[pfc beansprout]

yeah....saw that site....boy.....maybe he'll take it lightly..he is somewhat a 'celebrity' now...no? errrr...=o

[kitty]

merging with american idol thread.

[ellsworth81]

the copyright at the bottom has some asian last names

[mr. x]

the copyright at the bottom has some asian last names

my guess is that some berkely types created it. over there its probly a mix of reverence and condescension, u know how us asian types get when we "praise" people

[DragonKnight]

Hate to say...Asian or not it's your ass when you go for one of these interviews. You're gonna be humiliated. Also, just like a celebrity, someone's gonna hate and make fun off you once your face is on the tube.

If his intentions were not to embarrass himself (and rest of the Asian community for that matter), he should've thought about it a wee bit further. Hate to say, but he'll get no sympathy from me.

[kitty]

a messy split, but here's the william hung discussion.

[kboy75]

www.williamhung.net (http://www.williamhung.net)


personally, i think it's an act.
Do you mean William Hung? I think he really is like that. I know several old college classmates just like him.

[AngryABCGirl]

Oh man, I have a friend at Berkeley who actually knows that guy. Apparently he's a full of himself clingy asshole who thinks he's great at singing becuase he got pity votes at a karoake contest.

[Tao]

www.williamhung.net (http://www.williamhung.net/)


i found this site hilarious, but when i realized he wasn't the one who created it, it really bothered me. last thing i want to know is that it's a buncha non-asians creating this site to mock a dorky asian boy. (personally, i think it's an act.)
the webmaster is asian
http://www.williamhung.net/wst_page3.html

[SunWuKong]

http://home.adelphia.net/~alwin/shebangs.wmv (http://home.adelphia.net/%7Ealwin/shebangs.wmv)

i'm throwing william some big props. oh, if you're having bandwidth issues, just right click, save as and play it that way.


wow... Paula Abdul is hot. and i remember thinking she was hot when i was in junior high or freshman year of high school when she first came out.

[kasia]

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?whfox2k4&1

Sign the petition!

Help bring William Hung to Hollywood!

i signed =p

[Faithless]

the webmaster is asian
http://www.williamhung.net/wst_page3.html
When's he going to let William know what he's up to "in William's name"?

According to godaddy.com, where the site was registered from:
Please refer to our Uniform Domain Dispute policy in the legal agreements section of our site at: Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (https://registrar.godaddy.com/dispute_policy.asp) .

Upon notification from the appropriate court, ICANN or WIPO we will take the necessary action advised by them for this domain.

The issue that might affect Don Chin:
Your Representations. By applying to register a domain name, or by asking us to maintain or renew a domain name registration, you hereby represent and warrant to us that (a) the statements that you made in your Registration Agreement are complete and accurate; (b) to your knowledge, the registration of the domain name will not infringe upon or otherwise violate the rights of any third party; (c) you are not registering the domain name for an unlawful purpose; and (d) you will not knowingly use the domain name in violation of any applicable laws or regulations. It is your responsibility to determine whether your domain name registration infringes or violates someone else's rights.

[John0101]

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?whfox2k4&1

Sign the petition!

Help bring William Hung to Hollywood!

i signed =p

thats horrible, if he comes to hollywood he'll be a comic relief... looked down and laughed at.

I wonder how William feels about all of this attention.

[kasia]

if you actually listen and don't look at him, he can sing. he hit every note.

"she looks like a flower but stings like a bee, like every girl in history."

i can't get his voice out of my head.

[mr. x]

if you actually listen and don't look at him, he can sing. he hit every note.

"she looks like a flower but stings like a bee, like every girl in history."

i can't get his voice out of my head.

umm kasia...no

think about it, he would NOT have made it in Hong Kong idol, no need for the pity

[DragonKnight]

Oh man, I have a friend at Berkeley who actually knows that guy. Apparently he's a full of himself clingy asshole who thinks he's great at singing becuase he got pity votes at a karoake contest.
Kewl, now I have even more reason to go and cave his skull in with a sledgehammer.

[mr. x]

Oh man, I have a friend at Berkeley who actually knows that guy. Apparently he's a full of himself clingy asshole who thinks he's great at singing becuase he got pity votes at a karoake contest.

i mentioned before about my summer school geometry class and there was a fobby dude who was just like him really, like he was kinda cocky and talking about how he was gonna get all these girls.

same feeling too, like half the class hated him, half the class felt pity for him cuz the abc types hated on him cuz he was harassing this one girl

[kasia]

Dear Don and Laura Chin,

My name is Kasie Lee, and I'm one of the administrators from Yellowworld.org. We are the group that ran that Anti-Disguise/Kung Fool (http://petition.yellowworld.org) and Remove Coble (http://removecoble.yellowworld.org) campaigns.

Initially, I found your www.williamhung.net site hilarious and not only directed my family and friends there, but also posted a link for our 10,000+ members and supporters to follow. Some were indeed disturbed by the exploitation of William Hung and did not find it funny at all. I personally did not draw any opinion at that time and continued to visit your site because I thought the remixes of William's audition were great and that something fruitful could possibly come out of the Hollywood petition.

When I visited your site today, however, I noticed that the below link had been added:

2.8.04 William Hung feat. Wu Fei and Mix Master Menace-SHEBANG (radioremix).mp3-Yo! This one's even got a rappin' Simon Cowell and a great Asian beat!

This mix plays on the fact that William is of Chinese descent and is mocking thereof. As a result of this link alone, I am unable to keep your link on our site. In addition, I will discontinue directing anyone to your site and will be informing others that your site seeks to mock William on the basis of his race and ethnicity.

I can't say that I'm not disappointed, because I originally felt that, because you are also a Chinese American, you would perhaps be able to run this project without resorting to or even tolerating any attacks on William's race.

Finally, as an attorney, I would like to inform you that you are required to have William's consent every time you are going to appropriate his name and likeness in any way. I will be so informing him.

Please let me know if you will be willing to remove the racist link from your site. Please also feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments.

Cordially,

Kasie Lee

Other things on the site that bother me:

1) Ellen DeGeneres mocking William

2) Jimmy Fallon on SNL mocking William and playing on his thick Chinese accent

[kasia]

his response:

Dear Kasie,

I am responding to your e-mail regarding the Wu Fei Mix of Shebang on the
Williamhung.net website.

I will, out of consideration, remove this song from our site today, however,
I really didn't approve of the threatening nature of your letter to me. You
could have asked a lot nicer and we would have complied without bringing
threats of legal action against me and smearing our name to people you know.
We are not unreasonable, unfeeling people.

By the way, I talked to William last night on the phone, and he specifically
told me we can keep the site going with his blessing.

Before you cast stones, you ought to know that I think your yellowworld.org
name is a lot more offensive than the song you are having such a fuss about.

Sincerely,

Don Chin

Webmaster
www.williamhung.net
gowill@cox.net

[kitty]

what do you do if people are willing to appropriate themselves and their culture for the sake of egotistic fame? if william hung did actually give his stamp of approval -- and the site revolves around him -- is there anything that can be said or done?

[kasia]

our webmaster, ab, believes that don chin should take down the entire site.

[kitty]

he prolly should, if he cares at all about being culturally responsible ... I think he's already proven that he's the 'ghettopoly' type of asian.

[Chester]

his response:The whole sensationalization of William Hung rubs me the wrong way. Even when people are ostensibly supporting him, there is always an implicit mocking tone -- at least, that's what I perceive.

That said, I have to agree with Don Chin's reaction to your letter -- there was a tone of stiff aggressiveness that I wouldn't have appreciated, had I been him. Given that you had no idea what his reaction would or would not have been, I would have imagined that a less stern initial letter would have been more appropriate.

So, I understand your points and, as is often the case, you're on target. I just think that it might have been more productive to have approached him with a more...I dunno, friendly tone.

[kitty]

I don't feel the letter was in any way confrontational or unfriendly.

[Tao]

I don't feel the letter was in any way confrontational or unfriendly.
i don't know about confrontational, but it wasn't the nicest letter either.

i'm hoping that this whole william hung thing will just blow over.

[Chester]

Okay, I figured out what I wanted to say about how annoying all this William Hung stuff is: when people are ostensibly fans of his, they're really only fans in the sense that he's a goofy mascot. Nobody is interested in him as an actual person, but only for the caricaturistic qualities that lie on the surface and his ability to display them for everyone else's entertainment.

[Chester]

I don't feel the letter was in any way confrontational or unfriendly.Not extremely so, for sure. I guess I mean that there's a chiding/scolding sort of a tone that I don't think is necessary when it's the initial contact.

[younggiftedandblack]

I saw the SNL skit last night. I don't see how you can not make fun of him without imitating the way he sung the song however.

[Chester]

I saw the SNL skit last night. I don't see how you can not make fun of him without imitating the way he sung the song however.I think the whole point of it is...why make fun of him at all? SNL didn't choose to use any other failed American Idol contestants (not particular ones), to my knowledge.

And so it's pretty reasonable to assume that the reason why they and everyone else are focusing on William Hung is because of his accent and appearance...his Chineseness.

[TB4000]

He's the main one in the public eye right now, albeit not in a positive light. The SNL thing and that website could just be the tip of the iceberg. You don't want the old boy being on one of those "top 10 crazy things of 2004" lists.

[Chester]

You don't want the old boy being on one of those "top 10 crazy things of 2004" lists.He will be and that's all he will be, in terms of fame.

He's the "Star Wars Kid" of the month.

[kitty]

i agree... he's a mascot. people think he's funny... and not the least of which has to do with his ethnicity. he's the 'funny chinese take-out guy' of sitcom hall of fame...

i jsut think it's frightening how he condones this humour.

incidentally, i heard he has down's syndrome, is this true?

[Napoleon Chynamite]

incidentally, i heard he has down's syndrome, is this true?

If this is true, I give him props for getting into the engineering department of whatever school he goes to (Berkeley, UCLA? or was that someone else).

[kasia]

The whole sensationalization of William Hung rubs me the wrong way. Even when people are ostensibly supporting him, there is always an implicit mocking tone -- at least, that's what I perceive.

That said, I have to agree with Don Chin's reaction to your letter -- there was a tone of stiff aggressiveness that I wouldn't have appreciated, had I been him. Given that you had no idea what his reaction would or would not have been, I would have imagined that a less stern initial letter would have been more appropriate.

So, I understand your points and, as is often the case, you're on target. I just think that it might have been more productive to have approached him with a more...I dunno, friendly tone.

let's just say i was very annoyed when i heard the remix of william's audition piece with ching-chong chinaman music in the background. it was like seeing deng xiao peng's picture on the www.asiaphile.com website. why should i have been friendly? and, given that, why should i be questioned for being *un*friendly? i can't remember the last time i asked anyone *politely* not to call me a chink.

Okay, I figured out what I wanted to say about how annoying all this William Hung stuff is: when people are ostensibly fans of his, they're really only fans in the sense that he's a goofy mascot. Nobody is interested in him as an actual person, but only for the caricaturistic qualities that lie on the surface and his ability to display them for everyone else's entertainment.

i know now exactly where you're coming from. initially, though, i guess i was being totally naive in approaching it with the view that perhaps - just once - we can have an image of a nerdy asian, not ridicule him, and say - yes, he can be famous and successful in the media, too. it's a bit twisted and maybe i can't articulate it properly, but i was thinking something along the lines of 'revenge of the nerds,' where he would be portrayed as the cool ultimate sex-nerd...and where his ethnicity and accent would *not* come into play. i guess i was being very unbelievably naive.

[Chester]

let's just say i was very annoyed when i heard the remix of william's audition piece with ching-chong chinaman music in the background.I can't blame you, particularly if it was in the moment.

I also imagine that you know better than I do that it's probably better to deal with issues like this after you've allowed time for things to settle down in your mind so that you're not writing out of emotion.
it was like seeing deng xiao peng's picture on the www.asiaphile.com (http://www.asiaphile.com/) website. why should i have been friendly? and, given that, why should i be questioned for being *un*friendly?Because being friendly, in my opinion, would probably have been just as effective, as well as being more productive, in a general sense.

Given his response, being friendly may very well have also resulted in having the link dropped without him doing it in a begrudging manner.

[kasia]

Given his response, being friendly may very well have also resulted in having the link dropped without him doing it in a begrudging manner.

my goal wasn't just to have the link dropped. let there be no mistake - i was making a moral judgment.

[Chester]

but i was thinking something along the lines of 'revenge of the nerds,' where he would be portrayed as the cool ultimate sex-nerd...and where his ethnicity and accent would *not* come into play.Mm, but that's pure fantasy.

I mean...as enlightened, progressive, and determinedly politically-aware as you are, do you find him attractive? I consider myself to have those same attributes and I know I certainly wouldn't want to be him.

I mean...so far as anyone knows, his only absolutely positive attribute is that he takes criticism with a pretty good amount of grace and that he's determined. There's the assumption that he's brave about not being self-conscious, but who knows if he has the more run-of-the-mill blind hubris?

So, what you have is a guy who takes criticism with dignity, and is self-confident...but who is a really shitty singer, terrible dancer, horrific dresser, and is almost nobody's physical ideal.

[Chester]

my goal wasn't just to have the link dropped. let there be no mistake - i was making a moral judgment.Ah. Fair enough.

Then, to that, I guess I would say that your individual moral judgement -- particularly as a representative of YW.org -- doesn't help "the cause," in my opinion.

And, in actuality, I think a less strident approach would've furthered communication of the moral judgement more effectively in the sense of changing the site owner's mind rather than simply pressuring him into compliance.

[kasia]

Ah. Fair enough.

Then, to that, I guess I would say that your individual moral judgement -- particularly as a representative of YW.org -- doesn't help "the cause," in my opinion.

And, in actuality, I think a less strident approach would've furthered communication of the moral judgement more effectively in the sense of changing the site owner's mind rather than simply pressuring him into compliance.

you can do something too, you know, instead of just sitting back and critiquing everything we do.

also, if i were writing on behalf of YW, i would have made that very clear.

[Chester]

you can do something too, you know, instead of just sitting back and critiquing everything we do.I could. But whether or not I do something doesn't alter the in/validity of my criticism. Two separate issues.

And insofar as the issue of my un/involvement goes, I often don't find myself comfortable with the tenor of how official YW communiqués are phrased (and thus this my posts in this thread)...which is something that stops me from being involved in the group efforts.

also, if i were writing on behalf of YW, i would have made that very clear.
Mm, yeah. I went back and re-read and it's not really implied very strongly, so nix that quasi-point of mine.

[kasia]

I could. But whether or not I do something doesn't alter the in/validity of my criticism. Two separate issues.

sure, as is the case whenever anybody decides to take the lead on a given issue. bystanders are always free to sit back and state their opinion. and eat a sandwich while they do so.

[kitty]

in my experience, if you don't act like you have some clout (determined, a little bit threatening even), people don't take you seriously. especially if you need to throw a word like racism around.

[lethal]

I don't feel the letter was in any way confrontational or unfriendly.

Well, the threats of legal action were pretty unfriendly and certainly confrontational. As lawyers, and especially litigators, that's just the culture though.

[kasia]

Well, the threats of legal action were pretty unfriendly and certainly confrontational. As lawyers, and especially litigators, that's just the culture though.

as a law student, andy, i'm surprised that you would interpret any part of my letter as threatening legal action. pointing out to a person his rights is so different from threatening legal action. in writing a demand letter, when you're threatening legal action, it would be a very explicit statement. i wasn't even implying - nor did i have it in my mind - that anyone would bring legal action.

also, i didn't respond to his reply because, as a layperson, he wouldn't really understand. but he is required to get the consent of *every* use of william hung's name and likeness. and consent, as you know, must be informed consent. it's one thing to tell william that he has a fan website in his name. quite another to match his audition piece with ching chong music. and, as much as i ridiculed susannah before, i made the same mistake in not saving that link before writing him. because now you all will never know just how racist that remix was. i apologize for that.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

sure, as is the case whenever anybody decides to take the lead on a given issue. bystanders are always free to sit back and state their opinion. and eat a sandwich while they do so.

Criticism is a luxury for those on the sidelines. I've heard that before.

[Chester]

sure, as is the case whenever anybody decides to take the lead on a given issue. bystanders are always free to sit back and state their opinion. and eat a sandwich while they do so.If you want to make inferences about me, you might as well just make them directly. And, just to make things clear, I don't eat while sitting at the computer. Crumbs would be a bitch to get out of the keyboard.

Also to be clear: I wasn't criticizing your intent, your energy, or your dedication...certainly not in relation to myself. I merely disagreed with you approach and thought I was being constructive in being so. If you don't want to hear criticism that's meant to be constructive, then please let me know. And if not participating in something disqualifies me from having an opinion on the activity, then please let me know.

[kasia]

If you want to make inferences about me, you might as well just make them directly. And, just to make things clear, I don't eat while sitting at the computer. Crumbs would be a bitch to get out of the keyboard.

i was making an inference to your post during our discussion about chink's steak and whether or not we should hold a protest. i recall you saying that you thought it was a lame idea and that, if you saw a bunch of asians protesting the restaurant, you'd just walk inside and eat a sandwich. how encouraging.

Also to be clear: I wasn't criticizing your intent, your energy, or your dedication...certainly not in relation to myself. I merely disagreed with you approach and thought I was being constructive in being so. If you don't want to hear criticism that's meant to be constructive, then please let me know. And if not participating in something disqualifies me from having an opinion on the activity, then please let me know.

the mere fact that you believe your criticism is constructive does not make it so. the fact that you always make such criticisms, coupled with the fact that you never offer to lend assistance, does seem to indicate that you just want to sit back and critique everything we do. when we're agreeing on an issue and trying to fight an outside force, a bit of solidarity would be appreciated.

[kitty]

I think this is a great discussion guys, but make sure you don't get personal! :)

[Chester]

i was making an inference to your post during our discussion about chink's steak and whether or not we should hold a protest. i recall you saying that you thought it was a lame idea and that, if you saw a bunch of asians protesting the restaurant, you'd just walk inside and eat a sandwich. how encouraging.I was being honest. It was something I didn't consider to be worth protesting.

And what I felt about Chink's steaks is totally separate from what I feel about William Hung.
the mere fact that you believe your criticism is constructive does not make it so. We could go around in circles, but your opinion that my criticism is unconstructive doesn't make it so. To me, it's curious that you would choose to ignore the substance of my criticism and focus entirely upon my non-activism.
the fact that you always make such criticisms, coupled with the fact that you never offer to lend assistance, does seem to indicate that you just want to sit back and critique everything we do. when we're agreeing on an issue and trying to fight an outside force, a bit of solidarity would be appreciated.I can't offer participation in your sense of solidarity if I have reservations about how you guys are doing things. I think that's fair, no? And, given that, what would you propose I do...ignore my personal beliefs and join in with an effort that is being carried out in a way I disagree with?

Or...pipe up and see if I can skew things with my criticism so that I would be comfortable in participating?

And, again...my participation or lack thereof doesn't invalidate my criticism. If you want to ignore the points I made, that's your prerogative, but you are ignoring them.

[Chester]

I think this is a great discussion guys, but make sure you don't get personal! :)Ha, yeah. Good point. I think Kasie and I can go back and forth without getting into personal stuff. Kasie has sort of gotten a bit personal, but I think in a topical, constructive way.

[kasia]

If you want to ignore the points I made, that's your prerogative, but you are ignoring them.

huh?

anyhow, i addressed them in my very first response to you. i said - i can't remember the last time i politely asked anyone to stop calling me a chink. i think it's ridiculous to ask anyone to do so - especially if the demand is made to a fellow chinese american.

[kitty]

Ha, yeah. Good point. I think Kasie and I can go back and forth without getting into personal stuff. Kasie has sort of gotten a bit personal, but I think in a topical, constructive way.

I trust both of you to know where to stop. It's just a warning... :)

[arnie] I'm keeping my eye on you [/]

[achtungbaby]

My one cent: that website makes me fucking sick.

[lethal]

Finally, as an attorney, I would like to inform you that you are required to have William's consent every time you are going to appropriate his name and likeness in any way. I will be so informing him.

1) You say that you are an attorney. That in itself implies legal action.
2) You're going to inform him of his rights. That implies that you will encourage him to bring legal action.

You might not intend to imply any of these, but as a person who has worked on the corporate defense side, this is how they would view the statement.

The law is both objective and subjective. Different people view the same statements differently.

Note, I did not criticize anything you did, I was just disagreeing with kg, stating that in my opinion, your letter was both unfriendly and confrontational.

[kitty]

side note: what's with all the posting of the asian women who want to marry will hung in the marry me, will section?

only asian women want to marry nerdy asian men?

http://www.williamhung.net/wst_page10.html

[achtungbaby]

1) You say that you are an attorney. That in itself implies legal action.
2) You're going to inform him of his rights. That implies that you will encourage him to bring legal action.

You might not intend to imply any of these, but as a person who has worked on the corporate defense side, this is how they would view the statement.

The law is both objective and subjective. Different people view the same statements differently.

Note, I did not criticize anything you did, I was just disagreeing with kg, stating that in my opinion, your letter was both unfriendly and confrontational.

The letter, in my opinion, was not confrontational enough, but that's just coming from someone who isn't an attorney.

[Chester]

anyhow, i addressed them in my very first response to you. i said - i can't remember the last time i politely asked anyone to stop calling me a chink. i think it's ridiculous to ask anyone to do so - especially if the demand is made to a fellow chinese american.Did I miss something? I didn't remember anything about him calling you a chink...?

Or...are you saying that his posting of that link was tantamount to calling someone a chink?

[kitty]

I believe it's an analogy. E.g. the fortune cookies. they indirectly call asian americans 'chinks' since it is the same thought and perception that fuels both the slur and the caricatures on the cookies. Who ever heard of asking your oppressor to nicely please stop oppressing?

[Napoleon Chynamite]

side note: what's with all the posting of the asian women who want to marry will hung in the marry me, will section?

only asian women want to marry nerdy asian men?

http://www.williamhung.net/wst_page10.html

It would be safe to say that the generalization is that most women don't want to marry nerdy men period...but obviously statistics may counter that.

He doesn't look quite as bad/busted in that pic in your link tho. That Karen Chan woman is cute ^^

[kitty]

yeah... i thought it was a different guy altogether. i just thought it was weird that they only posted pictures of asian women as 'some of their fan responses'.

[Chester]

I believe it's an analogy. E.g. the fortune cookies. they indirectly call asian americans 'chinks' since it is the same thought and perception that fuels both the slur and the caricatures on the cookies. Who ever heard of asking your oppressor to nicely please stop oppressing?I'm kind of confused...who's "they"? Are you answering my question for Kasie or talking about something else entirely?

[kitty]

they = makers of the fortune cookies = analogy that kasia was trying to draw.

[Chester]

they = makers of the fortune cookies = analogy that kasia was trying to draw.Ah. So it's going back to the fortune cookie guys?

I was treating this as being something totally separate from the fortune cookie thing...I don't see the two situations as at all analogous.

[kitty]

no, just for me. it was just my explanation of why we should not treat people who disregard culture (their own or other's) as people we have to be 'friendly' to.

[pfc beansprout]

errr...don't mean to intrude on you lovers' quarrel...but my two lincolns....i think it's noble of you for writing the letter...threatening or not, bringing attn to the matter and making sure hung doesn't get walked on entirely =x is cool...somebody took a stand/inquiry...sorry..i'll letcha two be now...=o

[Chester]

no, just for me. it was just my explanation of why we should not treat people who disregard culture (their own or other's) as people we have to be 'friendly' to.Fair enough. I don't think you have the obligation. I do, however, think that it would be more effective if you help lead people into understanding things in a friendly way. Doesn't always work, obviously, but it's worth a shot in many situations and, when it does work, it's much preferable to making things adversarial.

[kitty]

Fair enough. I don't think you have the obligation. I do, however, think that it would be more effective if you help lead people into understanding things in a friendly way. Doesn't always work, obviously, but it's worth a shot in many situations and, when it does work, it's much preferable to making things adversarial.

as i have said before, it is my experience that friendly doesn't work. you need to have clout... or why would they listen to you? out of the kindness of their heart? it's too easy to hang up the phone or hit 'delete' from your inbox.

[Chester]

as i have said before, it is my experience that friendly doesn't work. you need to have clout... or why would they listen to you? out of the kindness of their heart? it's too easy to hang up the phone or hit 'delete' from your inbox.But that doesn't preclude one from making the attempt.

And, in my experience, friendly does work. And it works much better when it does work at all. I believe that people, fundamentally, are reasonable. And when they're not reasonable, I think, in general, being non-adversarial in the beginning doesn't compromise one's ability to become adversarial later on.

In contrast, when one is adversarial right from the get-go, people tend to feel boxed into a corner and feel the need to be defensive. This is obviously a poor way of responding to criticism, but that's just the way it is, many times.

Back to the specific situation: judging from the e-mail Kasie got back, I think the non-adversarial approach would have worked. That's my opinion, anyway.

[kitty]

it's also where the model minority myth comes from.

[Chester]

it's also where the model minority myth comes from.Forbearance doesn't have to stem from weakness. Belief that the two equate is, to me, part and parcel to perpetuation of the "model minority myth."

[mr. x]

yeah... i thought it was a different guy altogether. i just thought it was weird that they only posted pictures of asian women as 'some of their fan responses'.

thing is the girls are obviously joking (at least for their mental sake i hope they are) but if a white girl does it even just jokingly then william might go :eek: and take it much more seriously im so not kidding

[Faithless]

I must say the Chins have got some stones.

And if they really did talk to William and he said it was okay to keep the site up, what can you say about the boy? Other than stick to a career in engineering.

My complaints about the site would have been on his behalf -- as in, "don't you see what a fun, lovable dope, they are making you out to be?"

I hope to god that Willie doesn't really think this will help him get to Hollywood in anyway. For there lies the likes of Simon Cowell just waiting to tell him more sarcastically, "You're horrible, Hung!"

[kasia]

i noticed that he took down the ellen degeneres link b/c she obviously was mocking william on her show. link to the jimmy fallon skit is still up & what's problematic with that one is that jimmy imitates william's chinese accent.

[Faithless]

I noticed that not all the petition signers really think the petition is sincere:
20352. nik Common Guys ! wat is all this abt. just leave the guy alone...This is simple mockery. thank you

[deez nuts]

william hung a prime example of a child whose mother should've swallowed the sperm rather than allow it to fertilize.

[Faithless]

william hung a prime example of a child whose mother should've swallowed the sperm rather than allow it to fertilize.
All I can say to that is: yeah baby! (http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/r/j/rjv133/ist250/yeahbaby.wav)

So, what good would the protest of williamhung.net be if William doesn't really care or is actually in favor of the site? Are we making a principled stand against this sort of silly portrayal of Asians?

[kasia]

All I can say to that is: yeah baby! (http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/r/j/rjv133/ist250/yeahbaby.wav)

So, what good would the protest of williamhung.net be if William doesn't really care or is actually in favor of the site? Are we making a principled stand against this sort of silly portrayal of Asians?

perhaps. and what's all this talk about him having down's syndrome? if that is the case - possibly also a stand against the exploitation of people with down's syndrome.

[Fireblade]

WTF? Just because someone posted up a fan site, everyone is on the bandwagon to take it down because it's supposedly racist in nature? Ok, sorry, but I don't really think the whole nature of this is helpful. Everyone is talking about William Hung, and really, most of it is positive. Yes, his singing was awful, but basically it's more about idealizing someone who obviously hasn't really garnered any attention in the past. Hell, I even wrote about the dood, and I think he was just great in the way he presented himself. These people are no less doing the same, just writing about it from their perspective.

I mean if you devote that much time into a website and do variants of him, obviously it's not towards a negative. Is it just because he's ethnically asian that suddenly everything thinks he supports an asian sterotype, and therefore in our activist nature, we must take down the site before it suggests anymore of these ideals in society?

I really don't think so.

Yes, most people make fun of his singing because of the accent, but let's face it... that's NOT what grabbed the attention of people. It was the whole presentation, and ever since the show Will has probably gotten more props than anything else. If anything, this is just demanding someone to take down their own freedom of idolizing a character on television, ala William Hung.

And my own opinion, I think the owner of the site had a right to say the letter was threatening.

[kasia]

WTF? Just because someone posted up a fan site, everyone is on the bandwagon to take it down because it's supposedly racist in nature? Ok, sorry, but I don't really think the whole nature of this is helpful. Everyone is talking about William Hung, and really, most of it is positive. Yes, his singing was awful, but basically it's more about idealizing someone who obviously hasn't really garnered any attention in the past. Hell, I even wrote about the dood, and I think he was just great in the way he presented himself. These people are no less doing the same, just writing about it from their perspective.

I mean if you devote that much time into a website and do variants of him, obviously it's not towards a negative. Is it just because he's ethnically asian that suddenly everything thinks he supports an asian sterotype, and therefore in our activist nature, we must take down the site before it suggests anymore of these ideals in society?

I really don't think so.

Yes, most people make fun of his singing because of the accent, but let's face it... that's NOT what grabbed the attention of people. It was the whole presentation, and ever since the show Will has probably gotten more props than anything else. If anything, this is just demanding someone to take down their own freedom of idolizing a character on television, ala William Hung.

And my own opinion, I think the owner of the site had a right to say the letter was threatening.

i think you should read the first post of this thread. i was a fan of the website up to the point when i heard his audition piece coupled with imitation cheesy chinese music in the background. it was kinda like a wake-up call for me. if that's not mocking william's ethnicity, then i don't know what would be.

and to hear jimmy fallon imitate his chinese accent, "sting like a bee" (william doesn't pronounce his s') was a bit much for me.

read my subsequent posts to chester, in addition. i was explaining why i was supportive of the site initially and how i believed that people genuinely wanted to see him make it. i was on that site constantly, clint. but take a good look at what's going on - people are mocking him. "marry me, will," really means, "it is so amusing for me to pretend like i have a crush on you because you're such a dork."

[Faithless]

Yeah the owner of the site has the right to this and that.

But the questions are --

Is Chin's stuff really ingenuous (as apposed to disingenuous).

Don't we Asians Americans (and anyone whose cares) have the right to say that Chin's stuff is in bad taste and really makes Hung (and probably Asians in general) look like an idiot?

Read the petition responses off of Chin's site. I think a lot of them are, "yeah let him be a correspondant", kneejerk click-and-senders, who really want to see Hung just make more of a fool of himself.

[mr. x]

perhaps. and what's all this talk about him having down's syndrome? if that is the case - possibly also a stand against the exploitation of people with down's syndrome.

has that been proven? cuz damn he's doing pretty good for a person w/down syndrome

what'd ellen "the generous" do?

[Faithless]

They're laughing at ol' Willie-boy, here:

http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24239

[Seamus]

I should really make the short drive up to Berkeley and go kick the crap out of William Hung. I feel sort of conflicted about my attitude toward Asians who perpetuate negative stereotypes. On the one hand, it's terribly presumptuous of me to pass judgment on others as to whether or not they are "representing" (Maybe some people think _I_ don't represent). On the other hand, people don't live in a vacuum, and how they choose to live their lives and carry themselves does have externalities on other members of the community.

Incidentally, what would you guys say to Long Duk Dong if you met him in person? Do you think he's gloating over how he has profited from selling out our people, or do you think he feels like garbage for having made such a Faustian bargain? I'd love to pummel him and make him beg for mercy through bloodied lips, on his knees, in that atrocious chingchong accent of his. And then I'd scalp him with his flat black hair and skullf*** him. Does anyone know his mailing address? I'd at least like to mail him a dead skunk or something.

[VV o n g B a]

Incidentally, what would you guys say to Long Duk Dong if you met him in person? Do you think he's gloating over how he has profited from selling out our people, or do you think he feels like garbage for having made such a Faustian bargain? I'd love to pummel him and make him beg for mercy through bloodied lips, on his knees, in that atrocious chingchong accent of his. And then I'd scalp him with his flat black hair and skullf*** him. Does anyone know his email or mailing address?
don't remember where i saw this, but i read an interview in which he complained about the stereotypical roles given to asians in hollywood. he said that after making that movie he learned more about how hollywood worked or something to that effect. i don't think he realized exactly what his impact on asian americans would be at the time he made the movie.

[moJo]

Incidentally, what would you guys say to Long Duk Dong if you met him in person? Do you think he's gloating over how he has profited from selling out our people, or do you think he feels like garbage for having made such a Faustian bargain? I'd love to pummel him and make him beg for mercy through bloodied lips, on his knees, in that atrocious chingchong accent of his. And then I'd scalp him with his flat black hair and skullf*** him. Does anyone know his mailing address? I'd at least like to mail him a dead skunk or something.
i actually have seen him in person, at a coffee shop. but i didn't realize it was him until right after i'd passed him. if i ever saw him again, perhaps i'd ask him how he feels about the impact of his character in the movie.

i loathe the stereotype that he has permanently ingrained in the minds of so many americans. i can't watch Sixteen Candles anymore because of him. but there's that conflict that minority actors deal with - do they do whatever it take to get a paycheck? maybe they have a family to raise. or do that *have* to take the high and noble road, but risk (and quite possibly) end up unemployed?

[Faithless]

On the flip side of the William Hung thing, just a question about him presenting this negative (read goofey) image of Asians:

Was he supposed to check with Asians before he did his thing?

[kasia]

On the flip side of the William Hung thing, just a question about him presenting this negative (read goofey) image of Asians:

Was he supposed to check with Asians before he did his thing?

william hung? no. i don't think so - b/c he himself didn't do anything deliberately to mock our race or ethnicity. sure, he has an accent, but that shouldn't have precluded him for auditioning on American Idol.

if another asian, who spoke perfect english, on the other hand, decided to fake an accent and sing on AI, i'd believe he should determine first how much that would hurt the asian community. b/c it's a deliberate act on his part.

[moJo]

On the flip side of the William Hung thing, just a question about him presenting this negative (read goofey) image of Asians:

Was he supposed to check with Asians before he did his thing?
i'm guessing your question is less of a real question and more of a point you're making? i'l answer it, anyway. :) he doesn't have any obligation to the AA community to change who he is. if this truly is who he is. (so this is not the same as Gedde Watanabe accepting the role of Long Duk Dong.)

[Faithless]

i'm guessing your question is less of a real question and more of a point you're making? i'l answer it, anyway. :) he doesn't have any obligation to the AA community to change who he is. if this truly is who he is. (so this is not the same as Gedde Watanabe accepting the role of Long Duk Dong.)
Yeah, I was really asking the question in response to what I read of the other posts.

Somebody said that they wanted to kick William's ass. And then there was the comment about Long Duk Dong.

[Made in China]

He is Hong Konger! I am HongKonger, HE is the pride of HK people everywhere!

:waves british colonial flag:

Its not racist, someone who spends $100 dollar for a website. Got no anti-asian stuff on it.

[Made in China]

This donchin guy, Email him! donchin@cox.net

Guys, Don't sign this guy up for Spam email, Its Not Nice.

[mr. x]

^---well i dont think its racist either, and while i probly dont feel as strongly as kas i think the site SHOULD go away sometime, im sure the whole 15 minute fame cycle will do that on its own but yeah, not much good can come of it. sure i laugh we all laugh but then u know he is not doing any good image wise

[nameless]

I mean if you devote that much time into a website and do variants of him, obviously it's not towards a negative.

Dude, if I made a website with mp3s, gifs, vids, etc. of some stupid shit you did, how delighted would you be in your new found fame? Maybe what you think could be said for the Star Wars kid, but Hung, like kasia pointed out, is now being (or maybe always was) mocked for his Asian-ness, not just his foolishness.



Is it just because he's ethnically asian that suddenly everything thinks he supports an asian sterotype, and therefore in our activist nature, we must take down the site before it suggests anymore of these ideals in society?
I really don't think so.

The accent, the appearance, and the fact that he said he was an engineering student at Berekeley...c'mon, how can you not think that Hung's image perpetuates the AM stereotype? People (non-asians, at least) are going to see Hung and, like Long Duk Dong, are going to similarly stereotype all other Asian men in this image. Fuck that.


The web admin over at wh.net may be making a joke just on Will, but what he's really doing is giving everyone the chance to laugh at the expense of Asian guys. I wouldn't say the situation is racist in the conventional sense, but it's certainly a case of internalized racism.

[kasia]

one thing that i realized just today is that maybe william doesn't understand what's going on because he is an immigrant. in hong kong, people make fun on others on television on the time. however, it's rarely one race making fun of another. william may not understand that he is being mocked as a chinese-american and why that is harmful perhaps because he wasn't born or raised here. he doesn't know what it's like to be called a chink in elementary school or to feel excluded in junior high. he doesn't truly understand race relations and oppression in the way that those of us who were born and raised here understand it.

[younggiftedandblack]

one thing that i realized just today is that maybe william doesn't understand what's going on because he is an immigrant. in hong kong, people make fun on others on television on the time. however, it's rarely one race making fun of another. william may not understand that he is being mocked as a chinese-american and why that is harmful perhaps because he wasn't born or raised here. he doesn't know what it's like to be called a chink in elementary school or to feel excluded in junior high. he doesn't truly understand race relations and oppression in the way that those of us who were born and raised here understand it.

Good point. It could be a case of he thinks they're laughing with him instead of at him. You think??

[kasia]

my very long-winded response to don chin, the creator of the site.

Dear Don,

First of all, although I do regret the fact that you interpreted my email to
be harsh, I cannot apologize because my email was a reactionary response to
the Wu Fei Mix. The mix matched William's audition with, for lack of better
terms, Ching Chong music, and I was truly so disgusted that I had to take off
the headphones within the first few seconds of the song. I had a good
conversation with Stephen Ip yesterday, and he now understands why I found his song to be racist.

Secondly, I did not make any threats of legal action to you in my email. I
informed you of the fact that William's informed consent was required in *each and every* instance that you decide to you his name or likeness. I prefaced that information with the fact that I am an attorney in an attempt to validate it. Most people do that when providing information that they came to know through their profession.

I would like to share with you, in addition, the reason why I found the link
and your site to be offensive. I feel that I am in a very unique position to
do so in this situation, because I was criticized severely yet continued to
promote your site in the very beginning.

The reason why I thought that your site may have been appropriate was because 1) you were Asian, and 2) you stated specifically that you admired his sense of dignity and courage. I thought, rather naively, that perhaps we could help bring William to fame without compromising exactly that - his dignity. Once I saw, on your site, Ellen Degeneres' clip on William, Jimmy Fallon's skit in which he imitate's William's Chinese accent, and then Wu Fei's Mix, I felt all of that indicated that you had no concern for William's dignity. Coupled with the fact that you had a section on your site titled, "Marry Me, William," which included pictures of women who wouldn't give William the time of day yet just wanted to be in on the action and have their pictures on their site confirmed that this was pure mockery.

You may answer, however, that because William has "given his blessing," then no harm is done. Let me assure you that is an absolutely erroneous belief - that I, too, held at one point. Your portrayal of William Hung is a
perpetuation of the stereotype of Asian males being asexual, nerdy geeks. As one of our members on Yellowworld put it, thanks to you, we can "ignore all our years of progress and revert back to the days of Long Duk Dong [from
Sixteen Candles]." There will be children and teenagers out there who will,
and probably already have, view your site and use your portrayal as a guidance on how to judge Asian males. There will be executives in managerial positions who will, and probably already have, view your site and be influenced by your portrayal on how they will make their next hiring or promoting decision. What can better enforce the stereotype of the timid, inarticulate Asian American engineer that perpetuates the glass ceiling than the portrayal of William Hung on your site? To prevent these occurences, our members at Yellowworld fight hard to remove racist products from the market and racist images of Asians in the media (http://petition.yellowworld.org). Your site only makes all of our work futile.

Finally, and on a much graver note, such stereotypes of Asian Americans
forever being "the others" or "un-american" has led to numerous incidences of
violence and hate crimes against us. The fifth anniversary of the death of
Joseph Illeto, the Filipino postal worker who was shot an killed for no reason
other than the fact that his killer hated Asians, is this year. Prior to
that, Vincent Chin was murdered because of the fact that his killers believed
all Japanese (and thus Asians) were nerdy, diligent workers out to take their
jobs. Just two years ago, Yellowworld.org worked on a campaign for justice
for then-14-year-old Anna Guo, who was shot by a white officer while she was attemptign suicide (http://anna.yellowworld.org.) The image that we are forever foreigners lead to these hate crimes and there are more that exist that I can mention.

As someone who has been born and raised in the United States, specifically the Bay Area, I have been called a "chink" as a child on more than one occasion. Knowing that, today, there are racist non-Asians out there who frequent your site on a daily basis to laugh at William's Chinese accent, inability to dance, buck-teeth, and nerdy dress, etc., is like being called a "chink" over and over again. Some of our members have expressed that they feel the same.

Finally, I would like to explain the origin of our name, Yellowworld.org.
Recall the time of the Yellow Peril, in which various laws, such as the
Chinese Exclusion Act, were passed to prevent Asian Americans from entering the United States. Our position is that the Yellow Peril still exists, in a
different form, and we are thus embracing the label that we have been given to create "Yellowworld," to fight against such racism.

It is my greatest hope that you would reconsider the appropriateness of your
site and the possible repercussions that it may have. It is already very
difficult for many children and teenagers, especially outside of California,
to attend schools as minorities and be constantly shunned. If your site
serves to reinforce the negative stereotypes of Asians held by at least one child or other individual, don't you believe that it reason enough to take it down?

Sincerely yours,

Kasie

[yoMAMA]

william is gonna be on E.T tonight, and proudly sporting a berkeley sweet shirt.

[Chester]

Kasie,

I way prefer your follow-up over your first message. Not only is it extremely detailed and thought-through, it also has a different tenor (in my opinion) that is still strident but doesn't feel as adversarial as the first message.

[Fireblade]

Dude, if I made a website with mp3s, gifs, vids, etc. of some stupid shit you did, how delighted would you be in your new found fame? Maybe what you think could be said for the Star Wars kid, but Hung, like kasia pointed out, is now being (or maybe always was) mocked for his Asian-ness, not just his foolishness.
Perhaps I was quite rapid in my inital reaction to the whole situation. I acknowledge the fact that perhaps this website is towards the negative. However, I disagree with the whole Asian-ness thing. I've always imitated Hung for the simple fact that he didn't really know what the hell he was doing. Hung is not a complete example of a sterotype, and this was done on his own regards. The media chose to present it to America, but there were plenty of others that were quite off-the-wall, but he was there for pure entertainment value. Why? Because of that whole weird ass gesture of "she-bangs! she-bangs!"


The accent, the appearance, and the fact that he said he was an engineering student at Berekeley...c'mon, how can you not think that Hung's image perpetuates the AM stereotype? People (non-asians, at least) are going to see Hung and, like Long Duk Dong, are going to similarly stereotype all other Asian men in this image. Fuck that.

So do you percieve Hung as a presentation of the entire Asian community. Because he is a "joke", that we must eliminate his prescence on television as a whole, including his apparent Asian-ness, because of who he is? I treat everyone as an individual, and I trust in Hung's ability to be himself, not of what everyone thinks he is. Not all asian men are like this, but there are some who are... and if you want to eliminate that aspect, then let me tell you this: You are ashamed of Hung because of who he is, and you'd rather not be associated with him because of it. I wouldn't give a rats ass, because I respect him on the sole basis that he was respectful, and even though I would admit god awful in performance, will still have bigger balls than me any day.

The web admin over at wh.net may be making a joke just on Will, but what he's really doing is giving everyone the chance to laugh at the expense of Asian guys. I wouldn't say the situation is racist in the conventional sense, but it's certainly a case of internalized racism.
So if I made a website in honoring a person, that may be the case? I didn't know that Don wanted to be Hung's manager, and that's what made me quickly change my mind. Sometimes people will not know that others see their sites as harmful, because in conception, the thought was never there. Maybe it is internalized racism, so Kasie is educating the guy. Like I said earlier, I didn't know about Don attempting to exploit the guy, until much later.

[kasia]

clint: where'd you hear that he wants to be Hung's manager?

[kitty]

this thread has been stuck!

[kasia]

Kasie,

I way prefer your follow-up over your first message. Not only is it extremely detailed and thought-through, it also has a different tenor (in my opinion) that is still strident but doesn't feel as adversarial as the first message.

thanks, pops. however, note that with my first letter, i received a response in 5 minutes and the link vanished immediately. *voosh* i sent the second letter early this morning (9:30ish?) and it's now 12:30 and i haven't heard back.

[Fireblade]

clint: where'd you hear that he wants to be Hung's manager?
This is the article (www.calendarlive.com/ tv/cl-et-hubler6feb06,2,1650741.story)

However you gotta register for it, and I don't have it. I know I initially went researching this Don guy, and found out that he tried to ask Will if he could be his manager. William was SMART and say no. So yea, I'll try to find more articles, but so far it's that one.

[Fireblade]

This is the article (www.calendarlive.com/ tv/cl-et-hubler6feb06,2,1650741.story)

However you gotta register for it, and I don't have it. I know I initially went researching this Don guy, and found out that he tried to ask Will if he could be his manager. William was SMART and say no. So yea, I'll try to find more articles, but so far it's that one.

Oops. Ok.. I found that link on yahoo, and tried to link to it. Anyway, it's the first find on yahoo. Click on it, and then calendarlive will ask for you to register for the page. I don't subscribe to Los Angeles Times, so if any of you do, please copy and paste the entire article. I remember reading it this past weekend.

Anyway, here's the yahoo page.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Don+Chin+Manager+William+Hung&ei=UTF-8&fr=fp-tab-web-t&n=20&fl=0&x=wrt

[kitty]

This is the article (www.calendarlive.com/ tv/cl-et-hubler6feb06,2,1650741.story)

However you gotta register for it, and I don't have it. I know I initially went researching this Don guy, and found out that he tried to ask Will if he could be his manager. William was SMART and say no. So yea, I'll try to find more articles, but so far it's that one.

LATimes.com has a ywreader account :)

[Mr.Lum]

I dont mind the site. its funny. hahahahaa. he be looking special ed!

[kasia]

Dear Kasie...if William is OK with who he is and what he looks like, as
thousands of other people have expressed to me in e-mails, and we exalt and
rejoice in that, then why criticize? The charm of William Hung is that
people love his humble spirit and never give up attitude. So what if he
doesn't sing with a perfect English accent? The way he sings doesn't offend
me, nor how he dresses.

Here's a sample of e-mails received. I have nearly 2,000 positive ones:

William Hung is amazing~~
His talent is questionable, but his heart and sincerity is undeniable~~
He won the hearts of many girls especially me~~~
He just seems like the sweetest and most honest guy~~ I'd love to meet him
and listen to him sing from the bottom of his heart~~ Canada loves you,
William Hung!! xoxo
Lynda Kim, London, Ontario, Canada

Comments - Thanks for this site ....I love William!!!!!!!!! I admire his
spirit. when he said this was something I just wanted to do and I did it,
that was the moment I respected him, so many people want to follow there
dreams but they are too scared. I say William on Entertainment Tonight and I
came straight to this sight. Keep up the GREAT work mantaining this site.

Comments - In a world or even an industry who praises and only accepts for
the most part "beautiful" & or "perfect" people, I gotta tell ya this is one
of the most inspiring, people I've come acrossed in awhile. He just doesn't
give a fuck about what anyone thinks about him. He is truely a beautiful
human being because of this and he is proof that it's the human spirit than
shines brighter than any breast implants, jewels or even what most of the
world considers "talent". Rock on William Hung- A true American Hero!!!

Dear Will Hung,
When you sang "She Bangs" I knew in that moment, that I wanted to become a
singer like you. Thank you for giving me the courage to start a quest to
follow my heart. My friends and I absolutely adore you to death and we want
to be like you, with your amazing voice. It is obvious that you have talent
and a gift. I don't know why the judges did not put you through. Your
preformance spoke to me none the less. Thank you William Hung, we
LOOOOOOVVVVEEEEE
YOUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

Your most loyal fans,
Emma and Grace

p.s. you'll always be in our hearts forever and ever!

MailFromName - Alison Sohmer
Address - 12013 Taliesin Place #35
Address (cont) -
City - Reston
State - VA
Zip / Postal Code - 20190
Country - USA
Phone -
WebAddress -
Comments - He was fabulous! I loved his energy and his positive attitude.
I would much rather watch someone like this than someone like Eminem with
all his cursing and negative messages.

And the list goes on, and on and on. William Hung is a positive role model
for kids to adults. He enjoys life, and we enjoy it as well.

I know you are well-intentioned, but I think there are better things and causes to pursue than criticizing my site...like feeding the hungry and helping the less fortunate around us.

Sincerely,

Don Chin

the guy completely ignored what i said about hate crimes, perpetuation of stereotypes, the mockery of william hung, etc. take back what you said about nice being effective, chester.

i hope his kid gets beat up in school by some dude that thinks he looks like william hung.


this is him:
http://www.williamhung.net/images/apolodonsmall_O1PA.jpg

[Mr.Lum]

I dont think people will remember Will hung that long.

[Chester]

the guy completely ignored what i said about hate crimes, perpetuation of stereotypes, the mockery of william hung, etc. take back what you said about nice being effective, chester.
This incident doesn't invalidate the ever-present option of being nice nor it's overall effectiveness.

But, of course...nice doesn't always work. And then you up the ante and go adversarial.
i hope his kid gets beat up in school by some dude that thinks he looks like william hung.
I doubt you really do.

In terms of his message...
If he's really submitting those "fan" messages as proof that people actually consider him a talent rather than a court jester, then he's an idiot who needs to be explained the concepts of hyperbole and sarcasm.

I totally agree with taking down anything that explicitly makes fun of William's Chineseness (although I think a lot of William's appeal is due to using his Chineseness as a starting point for comedy). So, yeah...he ought to have taken down that music link.

The site itself...I wouldn't feel strongly about pushing him to take it down as a whole. But I'm pretty laissez-faire like that.

[PropellerheadCP]

It would be safe to say that the generalization is that most women don't want to marry nerdy men period...but obviously statistics may counter that.

He doesn't look quite as bad/busted in that pic in your link tho. That Karen Chan woman is cute ^^

Yo, dude. Those are good looking girls, on that page. That's a much better looking William Hung on the top, too.

This guy's getting girls, man! Maybe I should sign up for Canadian Idol.

(j/k) :biggrin:

[kasia]

Yo, dude. Those are good looking girls, on that page. That's a much better looking William Hung on the top, too.

This guy's getting girls, man! Maybe I should sign up for Canadian Idol.

(j/k) :biggrin:

are we really that naive (or braindead) to not be able to see what's going on? those girls only want their pics up on the site. the only reason why they would want to be associated with william hung is b/c of his current fame.

[Mr.Lum]

I think Will Hung is A-OK. hes PIMP. I think that people who are all "hes making asians look bad" and "hes a loser" should get up on that show, and show how much confidence they have. and Id like to know how secure you are with you "asianness" because youre worring about how people will think of you because Hung, well if you are any kind of nonstereotype, it should not matter. and if you think an asian guy on TV being out going and admirable, is bad, well I think that may say something about you.

[PropellerheadCP]

are we really that naive (or braindead) to not be able to see what's going on? those girls only want their pics up on the site. the only reason why they would want to be associated with william hung is b/c of his current fame.

To be honest, I do know some girls who think he's adorable and WOULD date him. They're also the nicest people that I know and happen to be pretty.

I'm not saying that every female that I know, has the hots for him, but some do feel some form of attraction, whether to his positive attitude, or just that he's sort of a teddy-bear type character on TV.

So before anyone suggests that anybody else is naive or braindead, it's important to check one's own biases.

That stated... yes, I do hate what's going on with William Hung, due to all the negativity that surrounds it. It allows for a lot of racism to occure, under the facade of humor...and bad humor, at that.
However, that doesn't allow me to judge the people who see him in a more positive light (my buddy in Hong Kong, thought he was kind of cool, when I showed him the clip). If anything, I wish everyone thought of him more positively.

Not everyone's a good looking athlete.

[younggiftedandblack]

are we really that naive (or braindead) to not be able to see what's going on? those girls only want their pics up on the site. the only reason why they would want to be associated with william hung is b/c of his current fame.

I didn't think those were real pics.

[nameless]

So do you percieve Hung as a presentation of the entire Asian community. Because he is a "joke", that we must eliminate his prescence on television as a whole, including his apparent Asian-ness, because of who he is? I treat everyone as an individual, and I trust in Hung's ability to be himself, not of what everyone thinks he is. Not all asian men are like this, but there are some who are... and if you want to eliminate that aspect, then let me tell you this: You are ashamed of Hung because of who he is, and you'd rather not be associated with him because of it. I wouldn't give a rats ass, because I respect him on the sole basis that he was respectful, and even though I would admit god awful in performance, will still have bigger balls than me any day.

I'm not at all ashamed of who Hung is or what he did. I give him props for having guts for trying out (even though he and everyone on that show are pretty self-delusional IMO), and his background is definitely not something I would scoff at. I'm just annoyed at the thought of his image being used to perpetuate the nerdy, asexul Asian male stereotype as others have said. Of course, we all know that the stereotype is just that. However, people, out of either ignorance or spite, will ignore this point and choose to see Hung as a representation of the Asian guy. And isn't that the kind of two dimensional thinking the Asian community has been trying to put down? I also couldn't care less that Hung is the way he is, just as I'm sure nobody would care about the way I am. However, once either of us could be used in a way that could adversely affect all of the Asian community (like the points made in kasia's second letter), I would not hesitate to have our images removed. I just don't want all us paying for the act of one, whoever he or she is.



So if I made a website in honoring a person, that may be the case? I didn't know that Don wanted to be Hung's manager, and that's what made me quickly change my mind. Sometimes people will not know that others see their sites as harmful, because in conception, the thought was never there. Maybe it is internalized racism, so Kasie is educating the guy. Like I said earlier, I didn't know about Don attempting to exploit the guy, until much later.

I'm sure you could put together a tribute site that comes off a lot less tongue in cheek. It's pretty easy for me to see this site, as with all other sites of this nature, as laughing at Hung, not with him.



I think Will Hung is A-OK. hes PIMP. I think that people who are all "hes making asians look bad" and "hes a loser" should get up on that show, and show how much confidence they have. and Id like to know how secure you are with you "asianness" because youre worring about how people will think of you because Hung, well if you are any kind of nonstereotype, it should not matter. and if you think an asian guy on TV being out going and admirable, is bad, well I think that may say something about you.

When you get out into the real world, you'll realize that the way others perceive you does in fact matter.

[PropellerheadCP]

I just think that out of all the negativity, there is something positive about seeing a dude who has courage and spirit. At least he tried.

Y'all should see some of the people on the Chinese singing contests, that are held, every year. Some of the FINALISTS are terrible, let along the people who get rejected.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

are we really that naive (or braindead) to not be able to see what's going on? those girls only want their pics up on the site. the only reason why they would want to be associated with william hung is b/c of his current fame.

Yea, but that's also often the only reason why girls would want to associate themselves with many celebrities. Not that they are ugly, but just that if they were plain and ordinary people, they'd just be....plain and ordinary.

[kasia]

I just think that out of all the negativity, there is something positive about seeing a dude who has courage and spirit. At least he tried.

Y'all should see some of the people on the Chinese singing contests, that are held, every year. Some of the FINALISTS are terrible, let along the people who get rejected.

i agree with you that i shouldn't just jump to the conclusion that *no* girls are genuinely interested in will - but c'mon, we can probably safely say that at least some of those girls on that site are just making fun of him.

for those who keep on asking me why i'm ashamed of william hung - i think they're mistaken. i think will is one kool cat, especially b/c i was once an aspiring singer too. i know how easy it is for people to just sit on the sidelines and criticize when they themselves would never have the courage to try to pursue their dreams. so will is awesome in my book.

don chin, on the other hand, is not awesome. trying to exploit a 20-year-old Chinese immigrant by painting him as a nerd that everyone likes to watch is just disgusting. i'm sure will's mom does not appreciate that.

finally, people are overlooking the fact that people out there are mocking william and he, i truly believe, is just to naive or perhaps doesn't understand English well enough to catch it.

take his interview with the san diego radio station:
"are you really william hung?"
"yes, i am (laughs politely)."
"you're really hung?"
"i'm really hung."
*dumb white female deejay muffles her laugh while william has no clue about what he just said*

how condescending. why are we tolerating the mockery of a Chinese immigrant?

[Chester]

for those who keep on asking me why i'm ashamed of william hung - i think they're mistaken. i think will is one kool cat, especially b/c i was once an aspiring singer too. i know how easy it is for people to just sit on the sidelines and criticize when they themselves would never have the courage to try to pursue their dreams. so will is awesome in my book.
I don't quite feel that way. I don't consider him an embarrassment because I don't see him as a reflection of myself.

To me...eh, I guess he chased his dreams but so did everyone else who tried out and there have been, what, tens of thousands? He didn't do anything special.

I tend to think of him as totally self-delusional if he thought he had any chance, whatsoever, of making the cut. Pursuing dreams is one thing, but being totally disconnected from reality is another.
don chin, on the other hand, is not awesome. trying to exploit a 20-year-old Chinese immigrant by painting him as a nerd that everyone likes to watch is just disgusting.
I haven't gone through the site that much but I got the impression that Don Chin actually thinks that he's helping to promote Hung in a positive way...and that people are actually fans of Hung as a person rather than a caricature. Obviously, this is as delusional as William Hung's own self-appraisal of his singing skills. Anyway, it seems pretty clear that Don Chin simply doesn't get it.

[Faithless]

I kind of think that the Chin-ster does actually get it.

He's probably also interested in promoting himself as well, seeing as he has an Ebay business that he would like to see traffic directed to.

Don-o probably has a big ego and loves the "hits" that his Will Hung site is getting.

[Chester]

Don-o probably has a big ego and loves the "hits" that his Will Hung site is getting.
That's probably the case. The only thing more pathetic than a deluded, untalented schmuck is someone who exploits that deluded, untalented schmuck.

[Faithless]

That's probably the case. The only thing more pathetic than a deluded, untalented schmuck is someone who exploits that deluded, untalented schmuck.
Yeah, I would agree with that when it comes to The Donald.

Plus, I think he feels he's committed himself and there's no backing down, even with Kasia breathing down his neck. :rolleyes:

[kasia]

*panting*

j/k.

[lethal]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/11/BAGCM4U0UR1.DTL

UC's accidental pop star
'American Idol' reject is hot item on campus -- and far beyond

Rejection on TV's "American Idol" turned William Hung into a most unusual American celebrity. He's hot at UC Berkeley, where he studies engineering -- but he's scorching in Singapore, according to his unofficial publicist.

"If he went there, women would rip his clothes off in the streets," said Don Chin, a real estate agent in McKinleyville (Humboldt County) who started the fan site www.williamhung.net after watching Hung get bounced off the show two weeks ago.

The Berkeley junior has become as big as the gold backpack he hauls to his civil engineering classes. When he's not studying, the 21-year-old signs autographs, fields online love queries and grapples with whether he is a performer or a clown.

Hung -- who is ambitious, sincere and achingly naive -- doesn't want to be a clown. He wants to be a pop star.

"I see this as a learning experience of how to succeed if I was to become an American pop star someday," Hung, pausing to choose his words carefully, said over coffee this week in San Francisco's Japantown, where he was returning a rented CD.

Hung said he knows he has a lot of work to do as a vocalist. His spirited, Chinese-accented rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" was aired Jan. 27 by producers who clearly coveted Hung's entertainment value -- not his pipes.

Simon Cowell, the show's bad cop, interrupted Hung and told him, "You can't sing, you can't dance, so what do you want me to say?"

"I already gave my best," the Hong Kong-born Hung responded, "and I have no regrets at all."

America guffawed and gulped, taken with Hung's grace as much as his unique hip shimmies. Fans responded immediately: The man who is now known as the "Hong Kong Ricky Martin" received 150 e-mails that night.

Chin's fan site has been visited nearly 8 million times, while an online petition to get Hung back on the show claimed 30,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.

DJs have been remixing Hung's audition with everything from OutKast's "Hey Ya" to Howard Dean's Iowa scream. He was parodied on "Saturday Night Live. "

Meanwhile, Hung said he has been invited to perform at events from a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game to the MTV Asia Awards in Singapore, and he has appeared on several television shows.

On Monday night, Hung performed at an open mike at the Clark Kerr dormitories where he used to live and work in the dining commons. This time he was greeted by more than 400 students armed with cameras and camcorders.

"It's the pop-culture fad right now. And its Berkeley's own," said sophomore Alex Bollfrass in explaining his attendance.

"You have to respect his genuineness," said fifth-year student Whitney Brechwald. "He tries so hard."

But freshman Mike Lieberman was uncomfortable with the energy in the crowd. "He's out there performing, but everybody else sees him as a comedy act. He doesn't know that. It seems wrong."

Hung has joined an elite group of inadvertent Internet celebrities, among them Ghyslain "Star Wars Kid" Raza, a Quebec teenager who last year filmed himself twirling a golf ball retriever like a light saber and was petrified when classmates uploaded it to the insatiable eyeballs of the world.

But Hung is enjoying his 15 minutes, and even says he is trying to let time pass between appearances and interviews to lengthen the limelight.

Hung's story began with trips to karaoke bars with his parents in Los Angeles. As a freshman at Cal, he won a dormitory talent show by singing "She Bangs."

Last September, on a whim, he went to Pacific Bell Park to join thousands of people trying to get on "American Idol." The producers selected him to go in front of Cowell and the show's other two judges, telling him "She Bangs" was his best bet.

"I thought the producers were genuine to me," Hung said. "I still don't know."

Unbowed by Cowell's criticism, Hung -- who lives alone in a residential hotel in downtown Berkeley -- has only become more serious about his singing career. He is reading Cowell's book, "I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But ..." as well as "Singing for Dummies," and has joined a singing class and a Chinese choir.

"I hope I've shown everyone in the world that regardless of success or failure, just keep trying. Never give up," Hung said. "Because only then can you say to yourself that you tried your best and had no regrets."

E-mail Demian Bulwa at dbulwa@sfchronicle.com.

[Chester]

As a freshman at Cal, he won a dormitory talent show by singing "She Bangs."
Ugh. I guess his career as a court jester started before American Idol.

[puccalover]

I want to know how much of an F.O.B. he is. When did he come to the States? I'm guessing he's been here less than four years... can anyone confirm?

Maybe he's REALLY smart and he actually realizes his vocal limitations but he's trying to milk his 15 minutes of fame for all they're worth? Maybe he knows everybody is actually making fun of him but he's just playing along - pretending that he seriously believes in himself? He's just travelling a different path to success?

He is cute though...

[thaite]

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/tv/articles/0212hung.html

[Chester]

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/tv/articles/0212hung.html

Chin has offered to be his manager and do a merchandising deal...

Jeez. What a Colonel Tom...

[Ashen_import]

The major problem for Asians in the entertainment industry is that sooner or later it will always boil down to your ethnicity.

In the entertainment industry, especially in the case of comedians and actors, you almost always end up "playing up" your "asianess". Take Dat Phan for example, who's routine involves an impression of his parents; the asians in the audience laugh because they can relate, but I'm willing to bet that the non-asians were only laughing because the little asian on stage sounds funny.

While I believe that William Hung was most likely genuine in his audition, and probably wasn't poking fun at Asians, I do think that Don Chin's website and his motives are somewhat questionable. If anyone should be held accountable for misportrayal of Asian men, it should be Don Chin. By pimping William in such a manner, he's perpetuating the stereo-type that Asian men are geeks. Regardless of the fact that "thousands" of "women" are "throwing" themselves at William's feet, caliming that they love him, the simple fact remains that other people Will see Chin's portrayal of William, and apply that same standard on other Asians.

Now, don't get me wrong. I had a good long laugh at William's expense, not on the grounds that he was Asian, but on the fact that he was an engineer. Engineers + singing = funny stuff, because quite frankly, alot of my friends who are engineers can't sing (or for that matter, dance) very well either. Its just that I am sick and tired of seeing Asian men shoved into roles of comic relief, where they are constantly the butt of peoples jokes. Where they are portrayed as genderless, overly-intelligent wimps who have problems assimilating themselves into society, or overly-macho kung fu experts that can kill with their bare hands (and still have trouble assimilating themselves into society). In movies and TV, that's the only roles that Asian males are delegated to, and I think Don Chin's site completely reaffirms that opinion.

[puccalover]

Jeez. What a Colonel Tom...

I love this quote from that article:
"One good thing is that I am meeting more girls than usual," Hung said, brightening. "I don't know who they are, but they are much more friendly with me, so oh well."

He's adorable!!! He's an inspiration to us all...

[Ashen_import]

I want to know how much of an F.O.B. he is. When did he come to the States? I'm guessing he's been here less than four years... can anyone confirm?

Maybe he's REALLY smart and he actually realizes his vocal limitations but he's trying to milk his 15 minutes of fame for all they're worth? Maybe he knows everybody is actually making fun of him but he's just playing along - pretending that he seriously believes in himself? He's just travelling a different path to success?

He is cute though...

Hmm...He's been in the States since he was 11. I dunno...if memory serves me correct a lot of the "Hung" jokes start at around that age. I don't think he's quite as naive as people are making him out to be. I'm not saying he's purposefully trying to decieve people, I'm just saying that's probably not as oblivious as he's being portrayed.

[Faithless]

I love this quote from that article:
"One good thing is that I am meeting more girls than usual," Hung said, brightening. "I don't know who they are, but they are much more friendly with me, so oh well."

He's adorable!!! He's an inspiration to us all...
Then on Extra the reported that Ryan Seacrest had Willie on his show.

Simon came on and asked, "so are you getting laid?"

And Willie said in his goofey like way, "He he (http://fangor.freeshell.org/sound/beavis.wav) , nope, nope."

So, they are making fun of him.

[mr. x]

Jeez. What a Colonel Tom...

i know dude, this guy takes it upon himself to offer his ebay store services how thoughtful :mad:

[moJo]

i just heard a William Hung "song" on my local rock station (Live 105). They used interview clips (something about how he's in civil engineering and how singing is not related) and his "she bangs" performance and a techno/dance/whatever beat and music.

why did they need to quote his interview? they repeated the civil engineering bit about 10 times. if it was just using clips of his performance, i wouldn't have a problem with it, as stupid as the song sounds. but using clips of his interviews...is mockery to me.