Have you noticed the significant increase in Korean-American actors and actresses on TV and movies lately? Have you noticed there are more men than women in Hollywood? You would think that there would be more women in front of the camera because let’s be honest, Korean women are great to look at which makes sense in such a visual medium. Not that the Korean men aren’t studs but who doesn’t like looking at a Korean women? They are undeniably beautiful women. Then again, I guess it does take more than just looking good in front of a camera to make it in Hollywood.
This is a an anecdotal story I’m going to share and it does not provide any empirical evidence as to why there are more Korean guys than gals on the screen. However, it does suggest something. In my earlier days living in NYC, I roomed with actors and guys who worked at a movie studio. I was the odd man out because I had a regular job unrelated to the entertainment industry. I once asked one of my buddies if he ever saw Asian guys out on the audition circuit. He quickly responded, “Are you kidding me?! Those guys get more work than most actors out there.” Huh?! What? He continued to tell me that though there are only a few roles seeking Asian male faces, there were even less auditioning for them and he suggested that I just give acting a try – even though I had very little acting talent. Well, to best illustrate this perception, let’s do a quick roll call here.
Ladies on a TV show or in a film in 2009
Smith Cho, Moon Bloodgood, Grace Park, Jamie Chung, Kelly Choi, Margaret Cho, Jenna Ushkowitz, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Price & Yunjin Kim
Guys on a TV show or in a film in 2009
Daniel Henney, Tim Kang, Ken Jeong, Aaron Yoo, John Cho, Rex Lee, C.S. Lee, Justin Chon, Rick Yune, Sung Kang, Rain, Lee Byung Hun, Daniel Dae Kim & James Kyson Lee
We may have missed a few folks but these are the Korean-Americans who were in a prominent role in their film or show. Now 14 to 10 in favor of the men doesn’t seem like a big difference, but if we were to count up the hours of coverage or viewer impressions, then we would see the greater disparity. We don’t have time to count up every second and sum it all up but here are a couple proxies.
Weekly TV program comparison: Tim Kang, Ken Jeong, Rex Lee, John Cho, C.S. lee, Daniel Dae Kim and James Kyson Lee are in key roles on current weekly network television shows.
Movies: Only Moon Bloodgood and Jamie Chung were in big screen films this year versus John Cho, Aaron Yoo, Ken Jeong, Justin Chon, Rick Yune and Sung Kang. And don’t forget that Hollywood is really gambling with Ninja Assassins and the predominantly Korean cast with Rain as the lead role.
So what are we trying to say? Simple observations suggest that America is becoming more accepting of the Asian male and there are more opportunities for them. But what about the ladies? My conclusion is that there’s that much more competition on the female side of the fence where they’re competing against more open non-ethnic/racial specific roles. Though they may be going on casting calls for Asian-American woman between 25-30, they’re also going on casting calls for (all) women between 25-30. I thoroughly root for all the Korean women on the big and small screen, but I wish there were more of them up there. Don’t you?
As a follow up to last week’s piece on “What do Korean American Women Want”, this week we will take a look at the opposite perspective. There isn’t much of a background story to tell except that these reflections are based on my personal experiences, either first hand or stories I have heard from those around me.
Simply put, Korean American men are one of the most insecure species on this planet. When I say planet, I’m including not just humans, but among all mammals. For now, I’m going to exclude Korean men from my discussion because they have their own set of issues that are vastly different than the Korean American male.
In the United States, when it comes to dating and social culture, you can’t get much lower on the totem pole than being a Korean American male. Growing up, we’re the most sheltered among all our peers (a lot of girls like the “bad boy” vibe which we are not, we’re not genetically built to stand out in any American sports except for maybe tennis, golf, baseball, and perhaps soccer. Lastly, Asian men, in general, aren’t considered sexy or hot. I’m not saying this applies to all Korean American males, but from my experience, this has been more common than not. The cultural history of our “species” has shown we’re not the high school quarterback that all the girls cheer for on the sidelines. We’re the dorky, smart, or quiet “Asian guy” when compared to those around us.
As a result, we are really insecure. We don’t have the confidence to ask girls out, especially the outgoing and good looking ones. And if she’s non-Asian, we probably barely have the courage to even have a conversation with them. Of course we think we’re smart and sometimes have a sense of humor, but we don’t get the feedback from girls that give us the confidence to just go for it and ask someone out. But, a lot of this is due to Asian girls also having the similar insecurities and what would solve this whole dilemma is for girls to show a little more effort or feedback when she think an awkward Asian dude is trying to talk to you.
At the end of the day, I think what Korean American Men want is rather simple. We want security. We want to date girls that can shelter us from the stereotypes of the real world and make us feel like we are the alpha males we want to be. We want the person we date to be like our mothers in a way; someone to take care of us and be supportive no matter what we do. We want a Korean American girl who knows how to adapt to the modern customs of American dating, appreciate the value of career development , and understand some of the “Asian values” taught to us by our parents.
In talking with a bunch of my peers, there were some common things we as Korean American men want in a girl:
1. A Looker: Someone attractive (to each his own and Korean is probably the preferred ethnicity, but we all want to date a “white girl” once, right? jk )
2. Options: Is willing and capable to pursue and develop her career or raise family or both.
3. Bi-lingual: There’s no better way to win parents over than speaking in Korean to them.
4. Says “No” to: Smoking, Drugs, and perhaps once in awhile Alcohol
5. Modestly Outgoing: We want girls who know how to have fun, but not too much fun!
6. Anti-cling: For some reason, clingy girls were cool to date in high school, but now someone who can balance affection and independence is ideal.
7. Material Girl… Not: Well dressed girls definitely can catch a guys eye, but too much bling and all we think is “$kaching!”
I think this is a good start, but feel free to provide feedback or add to the list. One disclaimer is that because we Korean American men are so insecure, it’s tough to know what we want, but at the end of the day, if you make us feel like Tom Brady’s got nothing on us, we’ll love you.
The AMC website had an interesting feature this week, looking into the next generation of Asian-American actors and actresses. It seems that 2009 was the year where Asian-Americans were more prominent in film and hopefully it only increases. They called out not only the success of Ken Jeong and John Cho, but a few other Korean-American actors. Interestingly, 6 of the 8 actors they featured were Korean-American. Wohoo! Here’s the excerpts of what they’re saying about them.
Aaron Yoo The 30-year-old actor appears in four movies this year alone, the latest being Friday the 13th, in which he graciously allows Jason to smash him into a pulp. Yoo also carried a drunk Ari Graynor around in 2008′s Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, and played a suburban sicko in Disturbia (2007). Other actors looking to emulate his success can start with his hipster haircut, possibly accomplished with a pair of kitchen shears.
Jamie Chung Korean-American beauty Chung’s star is on the rise. She’s scored roles on shows like C.S.I., and even won the Female Stars of Tomorrow Award at this year’s ShoWest industry tradeshow alongside her cheeky Sorority Row castmembers. Next she’ll star alongside Shannen Doherty and Dylan McDermott in Burning Palms, a satire about Los Angeles. Not bad for a girl who kicked off her career on The Real World!
John Cho Cho’s been starring in the Harold and Kumar movies since 2004, and had small roles in big hits of old like American Beauty and the American Pie series. But this year he proved there’s more to his talent than stoner humor as he filled George Takei’s considerable shoes, portraying Lt. Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. Look for Cho in Caller ID in 2010… and perhaps on the Trekkie convention circuit as well.
Justin Chon This Californian has acting in his blood: His father was a movie star in Korea before coming to America. Chon, 29, began his acting career on shows like The O.C., before breaking out in the immigration flick Crossing Over and landing a part in a little movie called Twilight — in which he plays a cute guy who gets good grades and hangs out with Bella Swan. Which means: He’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Ken Jeong With roles in The Hangover, Knocked Up, and this month’s Couples Retreat, 40-year-old Jeong has shown the range of his comedy this year. In The Hangover, he bosses the cool kids, speaks in falsetto and gets naked as ruthless Asian crime lord Mr. Chow. Regarding his (100 percent gratuitous) nude scene in that role, Jeong commented: “I think the country is ready for tiny Asians to expose themselves.” Bring it on
Moon Bloodgood She’s in regular rotation on TV, but Bloodgood finally made her big mark in the cinema with this year’s Terminator Salvation, as resistance fighter and love interest Blair Williams. The 34-year-old model-turned-actress (and a member of the Maxim Hot 100) is a Dutch-Korean stunner who started out as a Lakers girl. Look for Moon in Bedrooms, out later this year.
You remember Jamie Chung from MTV’s The Real World: San Diego. Now Jamie’s moved away from her reality TV roots and she’s now moving on up in Hollywood. She’s co-starring in her biggest role yet in Sorority Row as one of the sorority sisters who cover up a deadly lie.
When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done, when after graduation a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret.
The Examiner website, which loves a lot of things Asian, is taking a poll to identify the young (under 30) hot Asian-American actress. Only one of the candidates is of Korean descent: Jamie Chung.
Born in San Francisco, California, the 26-year-old Chung is of Korean heritage.
She was working at “Tremors”, a sports bar in Riverside, California, as a waitress when she was discovered at an MTV audition.
She has since appeared on the soap opera “Days of our Lives,” the college comedy series “Greek,” and starred as “Samurai Girl.” Her recent movie “Dragonball Evolution” came out on her 26th birthday, April 10th.
However, the Examiner does highlight both Moon Bloodgood and Smith Cho as two other Asian-American actresses to consider.
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