Voting link: http://iamkoream.com/krazykpop/

—— Forwarded Message
From: Elena Chang
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:33:03 -0500
Subject: first queer korean remake of a kpop video

hello margaret cho & team !!!

My name is Elena, also a member of Q-Wave (queer women of asian descent for visibility & empowerment)
I contacted Margaret a few years back to have her come to Rutgers University for “Coming Out Day” but she was not able to make it bc of her fierce tour…

First off, I’ve been following Ms.Cho for quite some time, and just wanted to say how pleased I am to see such amazing growth throughout the years. I’ve also learned to channel my activism through the arts scene as an out Korean-American nyc actress and its inspiring to see how much she has put into showcasing acceptance and visibility on many different layers. With that said I am asking for your support on a project that I’ve been working on that means a lot to me as a queer artist.

There is a kpop phenomenon going on (or rather, Korean/Japanese music video obsession). Our queer take on Taeyang’s “Wedding Dress” made it to the semi-finals in L.A. and has the potential to be selected and screened to be a part of a massive Asian-American Hollywood event. This would be the first ever queer Korean remake of Taeyang’s “Wedding Dress”. As progressive as the community has become, there’s still a lot of work to be done and my goal is to reach audiences to challenge them to question the traditional notion of marriage and recognize that possibility for universal love through this m.v. I would sincerely love to have your support on this and wanted to know if it will be possible to feature the video on your site even for a day to help spread the word. Voting closes this Wednesday and my team is really imploring for our community to help get this queer take on a k-pop video re-make to represent at the ceremony. We are the only lgbt-themed submission in the finals, so it is extremely important for us to show folks that queer love stories CAN EXIST in modern day Asian pop videos. Unfortunately it’s ultimately in the voting process in determining which videos make it to the top.

Here is some information: “a different kind of wedding dress” #3 Part of KOREAM MAGAZINE’S Krazy K-Pop Contest! here is the direct link to the voting page: http://www.iamkoream.com/krazykpop/ produced and directed by: elena chang & sam yim performed by: elena chang, sam yim, and jake choi director of photography/ editor: brian chamberlain Voting will end on November 17th at 6:00pm (PST). You may vote once every 12 hours. Voting ends Nov.17th, Wednesday, and any support would be MOST APPRECIATED! Here’s the link to the video to check out as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rN5rQFGYSk

DO YOU KNOW THAT DANCING WITH THE STARS IS THE ONLY TV PROGRAM WE WATCH. WE ARE EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH YOUR APEARING ON THAT SHOW. REALLY LOOKING FORWARD !!!

SO EXCITING !!!
LOTS OF GOOD LUCK & WORKS !!!

DAD WITH LOVE …OF COURSE WE WILL BE THERE.

Why is it better to have white actors play the roles of Asians? I don’t understand. Because it sells more tickets? I am not white and I have had no trouble selling tickets. Maybe the powers that be should ask me what to do.  I would tell them. “The Last Airbender” is the last straw to a lot of people:

—— Forwarded Message
From: Boone Adkins
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:51:36 -0400
To: margaretcho
Subject: Racism Against Asians in the casting of The Last Airbender: Would you help us?

Dear Margaret,

I love your standup! Your comedy is as deep as it is hilarious, and touches on a lot of issues I feel strongly about. I’m a college student who is Asian American (I’m half-Thai) and who is involved with the LGBT community as an ally, so I feel I can relate to you from two angles. I’m emailing you to inform you of a controversy that you may not be aware of, and to get your support.

It boils down to this: The hugely popular Asian-themed (as opposed to European-themed) fantasy Avatar: the Last Airbender is being adapted from animated TV to a live action movie by Paramount Pictures. The fantasy world of the original series is very well researched and very ASIAN – kung fu throws fireballs, people wear kimonos and hanboks, the art style is influenced by traditional Chinese painting and anime, and everybody eats with chopsticks and writes in Chinese. There is also a heavy Inuit influence in the design and culture of the Water Tribe.

And yet the producers of this movie thought it would be best to forgo talented Asian kids and cast three WHITE actors in the leading roles! Even with Asian actors in supporting roles and as extras, it sends the message that ‘Only white people can be heroes. Asian people can’t save themselves – they need white heroes to save them.’ There are stories about Asian kids who auditioned who now think their race isn’t okay, that they have to be white to get a role. Possibly to try to soothe angry fans, Paramount recast the main villain with an Indian actor and several supporting villains with other dark-skinned actors. So the message is still that ‘Only white people can be heroes,’ but it adds another message that ‘The evil Fire Nation are dark skinned, so dark skinned people are obviously evil.’ It’s offensive to Asian Americans like myself, damaging to our children, and hurtful to fans of the original series.

I beg you to lend a hand. There’s a small grassroots movement protesting Paramount’s casting decisions. Just a few words would do so much! But don’t take my word for it – more information can be found at www.racebending.com (especially http://racebending.com/youcanhelp.php) and http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/.

Sincerely,
Boone Jaisard Adkins

———————————————
From: Crystal Knoll
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:02:20 -0700
To: margaretcho
Subject: the last airbender

Hi Margaret!

I’m a big admirer of yours and a longtime fan.

I was wondering if you had heard about the new M Night Shyamalan film, The Last Airbender. It’s based on a recent Nickelodeon children’s cartoon, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was an amazing series set in a feudal fantasy world of magic – but unlike most fantasies that are based on European legends and culture, it was based on a variety of Asian cultures and ideas. All the characters in the series were Asian or Northwestern Aboriginal/Inuit inspired, as well as all the architecture, clothing, a lot of the plot structure, etc.

The movie adaptation has started filming, and originally cast all four lead characters (three heroes and one villain) with white actors. The white actor playing the villain (Jesse McCartney!) dropped out and was replaced by Dev Patel, so now we have three white heroes and one brown villain. Did I mention the villain came from a nation of genocidal tyrants? Yeah.

Anyways, you blogged once about 21, and how that was white-washed. Maybe that was worse because it was based on real events, but since this movie is aimed at kids there’s a lot of us that think this is pretty egregious too.

If you want to know more there is a great website set up at http://www.racebending.com/

http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com also has great posts about it,
and is the home of a letter-writing campaign. I understand you’re on tour just now and probably very busy, but we’d love to hear what you have to say about it!

Lots of love,

-Tally Knoll

———————————————

From: Min Yang
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:10:43 -0800
To: margaretcho
Subject: We Need Your Help! The Last Airbender Racist Casting

Hi Margaret, First of all I would like to say I am a big fan of you. I think you are a great role model for Asian-Americans and I am so impressed by what you have accomplished. I am not sure if you have heard about this controversy over the casting of the Avatar: Last Airbender movie.

I am not sure if you have ever seen this Nickelodean cartoon, but it is mega popular cartoon that features a world that is heavenly inspired by Asian cultures. The main characters practice martial arts that give them the ability to control four different elements: air, water, fire and earth.

M Night Shyamalan is directing the live action movie and they recently cast the four main characters of the show. In the cartoon, the four main character are clearly Asian and Intuit/Native American, but for the movie… they cast 3 White actors to play the parts.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/12/10/first-look-the-cast-of-the-last-airbender/

I am part of a large and dedicated group of fans who are trying to raise awareness for this clear case of discrimination. We are wondering if there is anyway you can mention this issue in your next video and please help us spread the word on this injustice!

You can read about all the issues and the letter writing campaign and demonstrations at the following sites:

1) Letter Writing Campaign
http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/

2) Blog by award winning Asian-American graphic novelist who is rallying industry professionals and other blogs
http://derekkirkkim.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-day-in-politics-same-old-racist.html
http://glockgal.livejournal.com/375625.html
http://ciderpress.livejournal.com/209919.html

3) San Francisco Chronicle Column on the subject
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/01/28/apop012809.DTL

4) Heated debates on the IMDB.com column… the amount of ignorant and racist comments you see here are shocking
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0938283/board/threads/

5) Facebook group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54866461619&ref=mf

I appreciate anything you can do!
Thank you so much,
Min

——- Original Message ——–
Subject: NO ON PROP 8: WATCH OUR VIDEO!!!
From: Kergan
Date: Tue, October 21, 2008
To: margaretcho

Margaret,

First of all, I loved your NO ON 8 ad! I worked at APLA with Selene, and it’s great to see you using her great talents for such a worthy cause. You are an inspirational figure, and I send you my highest regards.

I’m hoping you will promote the video my partner, kids, and I have made in opposition to Prop 8. As you know, the latest polls out today show Prop 8 in CA passing. Anything you can do to get this out would be appreciated. Feel free to load/share/forward!

Thanks,

Kergan

*****
Dear Friends and Family,

As you know your vote on Proposition 8 will directly affect us and our future as a family. We hope you’ll educate yourselves on exactly what Prop 8 is and isn’t, and have created our own video, which we hope you’ll watch and forward to your friends and loved ones.

With this election, we could see our rights eliminated or our family affirmed. It’s time to spread the love, and reject the hatred and discrimination of the past. We hope you’ll help us build a more perfect world by voting NO on Prop 8.

Thank you for your consideration!

Kergan, Russ, Mason and Marcus

The truth about Prop 8.

From: Sara Benincasa
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008
To: margaretcho
Subject: Again, with gratitude (and Sarah Palin video magic)

Hi Margaret:

I wrote to you two years ago when I had first started doing stand-up, and you did me the kindness of posting the email on your blog. The fact that you posted my message meant so much to me, not in the least because it brought new friends my way and added to my resolve to continue doing comedy.

I was a high school teacher back when I wrote to you. It wasn’t what I really wanted to do. What I really wanted to do was write, perform, and make people laugh.

Today, I host a nightly show about sex on Sirius, and I contribute to MTV’s 2008 Choose or Lose coverage. And for the past few weeks, I’ve been doing a series of fake Sarah Palin vlogs with my comedy partner, Diana Saez. The first video alone has garnered over 150,000 hits, as well as being featured on Wonkette, Comedy Central’s Indecision 2008 blog, Politico, and a bunch of other sites. Newsweek.com interviewed me last week and I just did an interview with the Washington Post this evening. Wolf Blitzer showed a clip from one video on CNN’s “Situation Room.” He is now our boyfriend forever, in our minds. But, most importantly, a field organizer with the Obama campaign down South wrote me the following note:

Dear Sara,

Keep up the funny stuff.

I don’t write to ask you to post the videos on your blog or anything like that. I just wanted to let you know that in a very real way, your posting that fan letter back in ‘06 contributed to my feeling good about the fact that I had decided to give comedy a real try. And I know you post lots of fan-mail, and I think that’s awesome. It must seem like a small gesture, but it can really mean a lot.

The first Sarah Palin vlog is here (and there are seven others). If you have time to watch it, I hope you enjoy my personal interpretation of the greatest single role model our country has ever known. And I’m looking forward to seeing your show at Radio City.

Shooting a moose from a helicopter,
Sara Benincasa

SaraBenincasa.com
http://think.mtv.com/SaraBenincasaNY
http://www.youtube.com/SaraBenincasa

I get that whole water thing but I’m curious to know your stance on Seltzer Water… (yes I really wonder about this)

I really enjoy seltzer water, sparkling water, soda water, Perrier – all types of these kinds of beverages. I think they are refreshing and good to drink. The problem is that the bubbles in the water really make me fart a lot – and I am the type of person who doesn’t need any help in that department. I am a super farty kind of person, and I will do it and admit that I did it. Whosoever hath smelt it, hath dealt it, and I am the dealer. I have all the fart cards and I deal them without mercy. Don’t ask me to hit you! I am also worried that the carbonation in these drinks will somehow make the water unhealthy. I am not sure about whether or not the carbonation is actually bad for you, but any fruit that makes you toot with that much sturm und drang can’t be good. I think musical fruit is cute but not when it’s playing Wagner.

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED THE DIVA CUP??

I tried the Diva Cup but it’s not big enough! I need a Diva 32-ouncer, because I feel like I’m bailing out a sailboat with the Diva Cup. It’s too small. I can’t unload it fast enough.

Are you ever going to do another network show or sitcom??? I miss your show still. I peed my pants laughing every time you were on. ( Figure of speach I swear lol)

Yes! I am doing a new reality show on VH1 called “The Cho Show,” starring me and my parents! It will start sometime this summer. Check out my website for more details soon. It’s gonna rule.

what’s the funniest thing you’ve seen or done lately this year? (besides your work, of course…)

I am absolutely in love with the Flight of the Conchords. They are so damn funny and also make some good music.

What’s your favorite thing about Los Angeles?

I love it because my house is there and my friends are there and my dogs are there and my husband is there….

Are you missing the finale of project runway? call me i’ll tell you who wins…

I totally missed it and I’m really upset about it. I have a feeling it’s Christian, but I don’t even want to know. If it’s not him I don’t want to know!!

…since I’m a Librarian what is the best book you’ve ever read in your life?

My favorite book for the longest time was “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold. I really love “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. I think Toni is my favorite author. I also love “The Namesake,” by Jhumpa Lahiri, which they made a film of starring Kal Penn!

What advice would you give aspiring comedians, writers, actors – hell, all creative people – who want to pursuit their dreams?

Just keep doing it, no matter what. I think tenacity is the main ingredient for success. People who just don’t give up, never give up, will eventually succeed.

if you could be any animal, what would you want to be and why?

I would like to be one of my dogs, because they have the best life!

“you need to get her to be more fan based oriented like actually talking to us and doing auto graphs she ignored us and ran off stage after wouldn’t talk to any one or do pictures and auto graphs…with out her fans she be doing nothing but laundry right now.”

And then I saw this youtube video of Hillary getting heckled by a guy screaming “Iron my shirt!!!”

That’s a weird way to try to bring down women. Threaten them with laundry! Why is laundry an insult? Laundry is cool! Especially if you have your own washer and dryer. It is not as exciting if you don’t but then you get to go to the bank and get quarters. I like having rolls of quarters around because then you can put them in a pillowcase and be ready to fight! You can really fuck shit up at the Laundromat if you have to: “THAT’S MY DRYER BITCH!!!”

Even though I have my own washer and dryer now, cuz I am classy like that, nobody at my house allows me to do my own laundry because I don’t understand the color situation. I am all about the laundry being integrated and I don’t think that the whites should have their own load because it isn’t fair to all the colors. So I mix the whites and the colors and then everything comes out kind of pink/grey. That is what I get for inclusion. I realize that the laundry is not the place to work out your segregation issues.

Anyway, Hillary and I are not doing laundry anytime soon so you better do your own.

From the link:

Dear BUST peoples~
I’m an ex-pat living in France and I gladly pay big bucks to have BUST magazine delivered here because it’s just so good that I can’t live without it. But I just finished reading the BUST interview with Gwen Stefani and it absolutely made my skin crawl.

Let’s face it; Margaret Cho isn’t the only one seeing red over Stefani’s use of Japanese girls as cute and stylish human props. I love Tokyo street culture as much as the next gal, but that doesn’t give a privileged White American pop-star from Orange County California the right to exploit it and then to tell an Asian woman that she needs to do some “research” before she can recognize blatant exoticism and objectification.

As a fan of No Doubt’s music I’ve tolerated Gwen’s bindis, and then the chola make-up. I was even supportive when they suddenly went dancehall, but Stefani should stop believing her own hype, and start listening to her fans when they tell her she’s gone too far. Her little fantasy “art project” has officially stepped out of bounds.

Frankly it doesn’t surprise me that Gwen just doesn’t quite get it, but for her to suggest that people of color need to do “research” to prove they’re being oppressed is down right despicable.

Someone needs to tell Stefani to do some “research” on the definition of the term: “Cultural Appropriation”, then Holla back with an apology, because with many of her fans of color, she’s about one geisha away from wearing out her welcome.

Here’s my original blog entry about the Harajuku Girls.

From: Holly Bruckner
Date: December 2, 2006
To: MargaretCho
Subject: Margaret a poem in your honor

So I was bored and I decided to write you a birthday poem. I hope you like it.

Margaret you are the coolest person on Earth
You’re like so much better than penis girth
You make me laugh till I pee
Whenever you talk about your pussy
You’re so talented- you can rap and you can dance
And even better you take a stance
You fight for the issues that matter most
Scaring the republicans like they’ve seen a ghost
Now you work for good vibrations- that’s so neat
Now I’ll think of you when my man’s about to skeet
You’re like the biggest inspiration in my life
Well…you and Paul McCartney’s soon to be Ex-wife
I mean…damn I should fuck and marry an old man for his cash
But then again I’m not gutter-trash
Oh I’m sorry I lost track for a second there
Anyways thank you for doing and saying what you dare
You’re a hero to me and plenty more
Because you hate Bush- I can’t believe he won again in 04
But you’re right at least we know where all the stupid people are
A color coded map of the states where you can’t find a gay bar
Where marriage is an exclusive right
Where they rather put an idiot into office than give into the homo plight
They won that battle- but we will when the war, in time
As we speak the ladder of equality we slowly climb
Thanks to your courage and support
One day everyone’s marriage will be legal in the eyes of the court
Not only the straight
Anyways you’re fucking great!

Happy Birthday

Oh I so know what you are going through…something about the process of looking back and examining your life can bring up terrible feelings, ones we would rather forget. My favorite way to forget is to dive into something sweet and chocolatey, but that isn’t the best solution. It actually makes things much worse because then I get angry at myself, because I am ‘fat enough as it is’ and ‘eating more doesn’t solve anything.’ It is horrible how we talk to ourselves. If we spoke like that to anyone we loved, we’d expect them to walk right out the door, yet for some reason, we find it completely acceptable when it is self inflicted.

You are right about feelings being overwhelming. Are there any other kind? I suppose I should be grateful, because I experience things so deeply, but it puts me in a state of perpetual agony. I think that eating disorders are very common, much more than anyone realizes. Millions upon millions of people have them. Some of them die, but most live with the disease, and are constantly in varying degrees of pain, and you have to think, “Is that life? I might as well succumb if I have to go on like this….”

I am a little better than I was, but I am certainly not cured. I have done it all, binged and purged, been anorexic and bulimic, been hospitalized and analyzed and sponsored and callipered and trained and hypnotized and acupunctured and juiced and detoxed and retoxed and all of it, but it hasn’t brought me the perfect body or perfect peace with who I am. I am trying to just settle into a kind of contentment with my physical self. I am just deciding to be perfect…and that oddly enough, works pretty well. That perfection is something that must be protected carefully. It is fragile! I can’t ever go into dressing rooms with anything that doesn’t stretch. I never put anything on that looks like it might be too small. I give everything that doesn’t fit to someone who can wear it, no matter how expensive or nice it is. I look at myself in the mirror and I don’t say anything, if the thing I say is likely to be mean. I don’t let comments about my weight or my looks ’stick’ to me, you know, like when someone says something stupid, and then you cannot stop hearing it in your head, echoing over and over until you want to just end it all just so you don’t have to hear it anymore? And I just go on like that… and it is a good life, if I watch myself. Kind of like when I used to diet, but now instead of limiting calories, I will not allow negative self talk. I cut out insults like I cut out carbs and it is hard as hell because I crave self abuse like hot, fresh sourdough bread, but you know you have to be nice to you if you are going to live together.

Another thing that helps is my burlesque show “The Sensuous Woman.” There are all kinds of bodies on display in the show, so many beautiful women and men, and it is such a healing thing to see someone who may not be the typical ‘model’ type flaunting their gorgeous butts and legs and breasts and everything, because I am so used to hiding myself and hating myself, that when I see someone who doesn’t, and is enjoying their body, telling a story with their body, with a beginning, middle and end, not worrying about their body, simply sharing their body, it’s like I am getting this weird permission to love mine, and it is incredible, because it is this little reprieve from the hell of my own making, this entry into a world where I am the most beautiful creature alive. I take off my clothes in the show, and everyone is screaming, not out of horror like I feared they might, but because they love it, and I love it. Nobody wearing pasties can ever be ‘fat’ or ‘ugly.’ It is about celebrating your body, and that was utterly unthinkable to someone like me. Come to our show if you can. I honestly believe that we save lives, and we would love to save yours.