OAKLAND, Calif. — Where else can you see Asian American men both objectified and celebrated for their commitment to community? At Hyphen Magazine’s Mr. Hyphen contest, of course.
Aristotle Garcia of the Filipino American Arts Exposition was crowned the new Mr. Hyphen on October 4 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, which was sweltering and packed with screaming women and men of all ages.
The third annual contest, presented by the Bay Area-based Asian American politics and culture quarterly, strives to honor Asian American men for their community work while redefining the image of masculinity in the community.
The others vying for the title and a $1000 cash prize for their non-profit organization were Scott Chan of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Mike Liu of the California Dragon Boat Association, Spring Bud and Maurice Seaty of U.C. Berkeley’s Southeast Asian Student Coalition, Eric Tam of the Asian American Donor Program and Rockson Yan of Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach.
The six contestants competed in three rounds of talent, question and answer and fashion.
In the talent portion, Yan got the audience’s hands swaying in the air with a smooth rendition of Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” Seaty coined the phrase “crotch-terrorism” in a thought-provoking and funny spoken-word piece.
But it was Tam who brought the house down with a rousing medley of iconic hip-hop dance moves.
During the question and answer portion, contestants were asked to name their least favorite Asian stereotype. Responses ran the gamut from being seen as apolitical, weak and quiet to pressure on Asian men to be breadwinners.
In the final round, contestants strutted in clothes by Asian American fashion labels Verum, Umami and Lucio Montana. The popular sleepwear portion sent the temperature of the hall skyrocketing: Seaty rubbed water over his bare chest, Tam ripped off his shirt with a single stroke and Garcia re-enacted the famous dance scene from Risky Business in his underwear.
Writer/performer Samantha Chanse hosted, and the judges were Miss Asian America 2008 Louisa Liu; Vincent Pan, executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action; and Mr. Hyphen 2006, Robin Sukhadia.
A great idea to acknowledge the beauty of Asian men in a proactive way. However, we mustn’t overcompensate by forming unrealistic images of the other kind. Objectively, think about the effects the images will sow into the minds of the next generation.
I rarely see good looking AA men. I wonder do they even exist??? I have so far seen handful of good looking AA men in my life. And that include actor Russell Wong. Whom all AA women dream of having for a spouse. He is our prince charming and Mr. Right. God I wish there were more of Russell running around. There is Keanu Reeves, but he is a little too white for my taste.
Dear Linda & Sue:
Gee . . . “beauty” — well, in this case, let’s make it “handsomeness,” or “hunky”?, who knows what sexists are reading these posts? — lies in the eyes of the beholder?
In which case, Sue, it would seem thzt your eyes have been glazed by too many subscriptions to too many glossy mags and equally surreal movies and teleseries. I feel for you. I really do. You poor kid, impoverished by today’s relentless and mindless exploitation of almost every media available and at hand. If you truly lust for a two-dimensional image of “beauty,” then you are doomed to a lifetime of frustration and meaninglessness.
And Linda, the only possible “overcompensation” of this er, ah “runway” celebration is to continue the delusions and irrealities of the Gollywood/Broadway/MSMedia perceptions of “beauty.” Most, if not all, of which are the product of cosmetics, lighting, AND promo, kiddo.
There are other musings on “beauty,” like Cocteau’s, which wasn’t all that different actually, but, at least, his film was intriguing, unlike the paper-thin images this “culture,” or, more likely, lack of same, seems to idolize or celebrate.
Which brings to mind that selfsame “beauty,” in this case, THREE-dimensional, of that incredible and literal “parade” of youthful beauty and pristine energy and spirit of the Olympics athletes at the recent Beijing 08 opening and closing ceremonies.
No matter the politics OR the absolutely showbiz aspects of the near-perfect “production” of prodigious proportions the cadres magically managed, the living “beauty” of ALL the competitors was shining bright and incredibly moving.
And, please note, this “beauty” transcended race, because, “black” or “white,” “brown” or “yellow,” and I would imagine “red” isn’t absent in the blend and meld of coloratiions and physiognomies, became indivisible as HUMAN.
Yes, some looked doubtful, askant?, and why not?, and some were simply young and frolicky, and again, why not?
But, by and large, all, EVERYone, at least to these imperfecct eyes, looked BEAUTIFUL, as in youth, as in hope, as in spirit.
And, nota bene, EACH could have marched under ANY of the flags of “nations,” never mind culture or creed.
That said, ladies, or women as the case may be, try to rethink your personal beliefs about “male” “beauty.”
A relatively unprepossessing
AND, alas!, aged
noncompetitor
P.S.: But, don’t cry for me, I had my day, such as it was or could be.
Sorry, folks:
This duncehead corner is not quite “done” for the day, as in still baying at the moon here.
Whatever, enough about “beauty,” how about “ugliness”?
And how about that snapshot of the late, and, here, unlamented, J. Edgar Schmoover?
Talk about oog-uh-lee!
The online reference, MSNBC, or was it NewsWeek, or maybe even Associated Press, whose Freedom of Info diggings into the FBI files on the late journalist Jack Anderson’s Beltway colunms gave “rise” to this belated and incomplete “picture,” snapshot notwithstanding, of the Hoover reign, and, believe me, it was monarchic, of the century past.
And not just becaise the guy likely was a “cross-dresser,” pink stilettos yet, or the fact that his chief aide was likely more than that, at least psychoemotionally, after all, I would be the last to condemn, much less indict, nonconformist behavior. We can’t help being what we are, can we?
But I DO find “the Man’s” eavesdropping on MLK considerably less than manly, sensual even, and, bottom line, the guy was a fascist. No other word for him.
That he was hot on the heels of the likes of Dorothy Healy was it? Back in those halcyon days of redbaiting, is considerably less than relevant to American political history. More like shooting fish in a nonexistent barrel and/or posing for front-page, two-column shots with the captured bank robber of the day, whether “pretty-” or “scar-faced.”
That Anderson “approved” of the redbaiting part more or less surprises this inkstained wretch, but that Hoover kept a huge, extensive?, dossier on him is ho-hum.
After all, it was said that almost every denizen in the Beltway lived in mortal fear of what the Man “had” on their individual peccadillos and wanderings.
Yeah, the guy was truly and literally UGLY, and the fact that this nation, to date, still doesn’t get it, OR him, is analogous to NewsWeek’s quandary over the er, ah, ten-percentum that still insists this nation is “on the right track.”
Well, that last is an improvement? Last I heard, the Dubyous faithful numbered twenty. But, then, it is also said that in Russia, SEVENTY percent are happy with Vladimir. Take your pick. I go with the majority here.
And I belong to NO party, albeit I have to vote for one.
So much for looks, folks. Unreliable guideline. Judge ‘em by their ACTS, in whatever cause or conviction. and not by their er, ah, “looks”?
P.S.: The late, great Lon Cheney, Sr., was a master of many “looks,” and I, personally, dug the most Chaplin’s splay-footed balletic “walk.” With insouciant cane.
Oops. Again.
Lon ChAney, no relation to THAT Cheney
Those poor guys just need a good topical solution to grow some hair on there chests and faces