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Intern Jasmine’s Links Of The Daysian
Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures’ live action film adaptation of Akira is on the hunt for actors to play lead roles Tetsuo and Kaneda–apparently, Asian actors need not apply. [Deadline]
Foreign gentlemen must now be 50 years old or younger in order to marry Cambodian women. Oddly, no ban is in effect for foreign women and Cambodian men. [BBC News]
Tiger Woods‘s new girlfriend is rumored to be 22- year-old Alyse Lahti Johnson–an Ohio native with a past Florida DUI conviction. Upgrade! [Huffington Post]
Censorship or just the Chinese version of AT&T? Apparently, saying the word “protest” twice during a cell phone convo in China will result in a dropped call. [Mediaite]
ZOMG!!!! PUPPY CONGA LINE! [Urlesque]
Filed under: AKIRA, Alyse Lahti Johnson, Cambodia, Censorship, China protests, Intern Jasmine's Links of the Daysian, mail order marriage, puppy conga line, Racebending, Tiger Woods, Urlesque
AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo
Name: Liu Xiaobo
Age: 54
Occupation: Literature professor and jailed Chinese dissident
Known for: Returning to China from the U.S. during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and saving hundreds of lives by persuading students to leave the square as army tanks were rolling in; being imprisoned for most of the last 20 years for his peaceful protest of the Chinese government; helping to draft Charter 08, a manifesto calling for freedom of expression, free elections, and human rights in China.
First the good news: On Friday of last week, Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” Liu is the first Chinese citizen still living in mainland China to ever win a Nobel.
Now the bad: In advance of his winning, 14 overseas Chinese dissidents wrote a letter to the Nobel committee declaring Liu an “unsuitable” laureate for, among other reasons, being soft on the Chinese government. Then, when the award was announced, China censored any mention of Liu and the prize. And now Liu’s wife, Liu Xia, is apparently under house arrest.
A peace prize has been given, yes, but still, no peace.
[TIME: Chinese Dissident Liu Xiaobo Wins the Nobel Peace Prize]
[NY Times: Unusual Opposition to a Favorite for Nobel]
Filed under: Censorship, Censorship in China, Charter 09, China, Chinese Censorship, Chinese Dissidents, Freedom of Expression, Give Peace a Chance, Human Rights, Liu Xia, Nobel Committee, Nobel Laureates, Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo, Norway, Peace, The Chinese Government, Tiananmen Square
“Asian Babe” Blacklisted By Google Instant
Google has blacklisted a list of terms for users of Google Instant, to prevent people from accidentally stumbling upon porn, violence, and hate speech, unless they really want their porn, violence, and hate speech. Basically what this means is that Google Instant’s autofill function won’t fill in words like “bisexual,” “Latina,” “gay men,” “rapping women”–for the violent and spelling-impaired–or “n*gger,” so if you’re actually searching using those terms, you have to hit “enter” in order to get your results. Included among these terms–some of which seem incredibly innocuous, like “are” and “meats”–is “asian babe.”
Which makes sense, given that when you search “asian babe,” you get a whole lotta this:
And a whole lotta, um, that:
Continue reading “Asian Babe” Blacklisted By Google Instant
Filed under: Asian Babe, Asian Babes, Blacklisted Words, Censorship, Google, Google Autofill, Google Instant Blacklist, Google Search Results, Offensive Terms, Pervs, Porn, Rapping Women, The Internet Is Overrun by Racists and Pervs
Intern Jasmine’s Links Of The Daysian
Bad: Chinese censors have cracked down on “vulgar” dating shows for promoting materialism and open discussion of sexuality. Worse: Now that the shows promote civic mindedness and traditional values, ratings are down. [NY Times]
Amerie is now Ameriie. The extra I stands for “I haven’t had a hit in a while and I need some attention.” [Rap-Up.com]
Don’t give people any ideas: M. Night Shyamalan says, “If I thought like you I’d kill myself” when questioned about previous flops (of which there have been quite a few) while promoting The Last Airbender. [ONTD]
After rumors abounded that he was headed to the Lakers (BOO), Harvard b-baller Jeremy Lin has signed with the Golden State Warriors (PHEW). [MSNBC]
A preliminary reel for K-Town shows that while the cast may not be as orange as their Jersey Shore counterparts, they certainly know how to keep up when it comes to getting shit-faced. [TMZ]
A 66 year-old Korean woman chases down armed, would-be robbers of her dry cleaning business. If the Charlie’s Angels franchise comes back to the big screen, and for some reason Lucy Liu isn’t available to reprise her role, can this lady do it instead? [Angry Asian Man]
Amazian comedienne Margaret Cho is looking for hardcore Cho-dependents to promote her upcoming album Cho Dependent and tour, both of which are due next month. [MargaretCho.com]
Filed under: Amerie, Amerie is now Ameriie, Censorship, China, Chinese television, directors gone wild, If You Are the One, M. Night Shyamalan, Ma Nuo, Run Towards Love, television, the dating game, The Last Airbender
M.I.A.’s “Born Free” Vid: Is Ginger-Hate The New Black?
Have you seen M.I.A.’s much talked-about “Born Free” video yet?
It’s violent! It’s NSFW! It’s been censored by YouTube! It’s about GENOCIDE, people!
It’s also, frankly, a little silly.
The video depicts an American police state in which Gingers are rounded up and brutally exterminated, and by “brutally” I mean, in that beautiful cinematic way–replete with slow motion effects, big budget explosions, and a pastel desert sky–that filmmakers tend to favor, paradoxically, when they’re supposed to be showing you that killing is anything but beautiful.
And, YES, it’s a metaphor, but it’s also–as people have already pointed out–a South Park episode from 2005. A very funny South Park episode that made me giggle. Is that the desired effect of “Born Free,” to make people giggle at genocide? No? Then pick a better metaphor. Besides, Ginger-Hate is too trendy for M.I.A., it’s too cute.
But where this video really goes awry is with the song itself. “Born Free” sounds a whole lot like 9 minutes of you sitting on your bedroom floor, playing your records backwards. In other words, it’s kinda terrible. Especially for someone like M.I.A., who’s genius at delivering a message with a mean hook (see: “Paper Planes”).
About her music, M.I.A. has been quoted in the past as saying:
“Nobody wants to be dancing to political songs. Every bit of music out there that’s making it into the mainstream is really about nothing. I wanted to see if I could write songs about something important and make it sound like nothing. And it kind of worked.”
And therein lies the problem: “Born Free” sounds like nothing alright…but can you dance to it?
Filed under: But Can You Dance To It?, Censorship, Controversy, Dance Music, Fake Controversy, Genocide, Ginger Hate, Ginger Kids, Gingers, Graphic Violence, M.I.A., M.I.A. Born Free Video, Maya Arulpragasam, Music Videos, Political Songs, South Park Ginger Kids, Sri Lankans, Violence, YouTube Censorship
Chinese Internet Filter Censors "Gay Content," "Illegal Activities," and Garfield the Cat (UPDATE)
Garfield is obscene. So are pictures of cooked pork and close-ups of Johnny Depp’s face, according to Green Dam software, an Internet filter that will be preinstalled on every personal computer sold in China beginning July 1. (Oh, and Paris Hilton, too, but we already knew that.)
Such is the sophisticasian of China’s latest technology designed to further the government’s authoritarian reach prevent moral decay among its citizens. In addition to blocking what it perceives as obscene, Green Dam also allows its users to filter out “gay content” and “illegal activities,” which is to say, all of the fun stuff.
Geez, why not take down the entire world wide web while you’re at it, Communist Party poopers.
[UPDATE: China is postponing the installation of Green Dam software in new computers. Guess they're reconsidering the Garfield issue.]
Source
Thanks, Neal!
Filed under: Big Brother, Censorship, China, Garfield the Cat, Gay Content, Green Dam Software, Illegal Activities, Internet Censors, Internet Filters, Internet Porn, Pointless Uses of Technology
DISGRASIAN OF THE WEAK! China Gives a Shit
China has dominated news headlines since March 10, when 500 Buddhist monks marched on Lhasa to mark the 49th anniversary of Tibetan resistance to Communist rule. The fallout from the protests has been more or less as follows:
1) “China Tries to Thwart News Reports From Tibet”
2) “7 killed in ethnic-Tibetan riot in China’s Sichuan”
3) “China denies police firing on Tibetan protesters”
4) “China blankets Tibetan areas with troops”
5) “China admits to shooting protesters”
6) “China Claims Wide Support for Tibetan Crackdown”
7) “Official death toll rises in Tibet riots”
In the middle of this shitstorm, our friend Shayera sent us yet another AP story about China: “Sit-down protests trigger Beijing bathroom renovation.” Sit-down protests? Beijing? Renovations? Tell us more!
Apparently, Chinese Olympic organizers have been scrambling to replace the squat toilets in most of their venues with seated toilets, to appeal to foreign visitors.
“After more than 30 test events, a lot of parties have raised the question of toilets,” Yao [Hui, deputy head of the organising committee's venue management department] told journalists.
“We have told the venues to improve on this, to increase the seated toilets.”
“Most Chinese people are used to the squat toilets,” said Yao. “But nowadays more and more people are demanding seated toilets.”
At first we thought this story seemed unrelated to the unrest, but then we saw the parallel.
China gives a shit. About demands. From your ass.
And that’s about it.
Source
Thanks, Shayera!
Filed under: Ass, Censorship, China We Have A Problem, Human Rights Violasians, Military Rule, Shameful Sheeit, Shitstorms, This is Bullshit, Tibet
Retardasian
Lust, Caution star Tang Wei has been banned in China.
TV and print media outlets have been instructed to pull any advertisements featuring the actress. The motivasian behind the ban has not been disclosed, although there’s a general consensus that Tang’s either too sexy for her shirt, too sexy for her shirt, so sexy it hurts, or Chinese officials weren’t pleased that Tang’s character in Lust, Caution sympathized with a Japanese collaborator played by Tony Leung, who has not been banned even though he actually portrays the traitor. Hmm…
Another thing we can all agree upon? Either reason for the ban is stooooooooopid.
Filed under: Bans, Blacklists, Censorship, I'm Too Sexy, Lust Caution, Tang Wei, Weird Chinese Behavior
Thinkpol=Adorable
Who knew that China’s internet Thought Police could be so cute?
According to the Washington Post, as of September 1, these little guys will “pop up on a user’s browser and walk, bike or drive across the screen warning them to stay away from illegal Internet content.” The animated cops will also be interactive:
If Internet users need police help they can click on the cartoon images and will be redirected to the authority’s Web site, it said.
So if you want to rat on your friend for looking at porn, you just click on one of these cutie-patooties!
I gotta hand it to China and the ever-so-creepily-named Beijing Public Security Ministry who thunk this up; authoritarianism made cute is VERY crafty.
But, alas, a thought pig by any other name–or artist’s rendering–still smells like shit.
(Who has name ideas for these two creepos? Best pair of names wins a DISGRASIAN tee. Email us at info@disgrasian.com.)
Filed under: Adorable on the Outside and Really F-ing Scary on the Inside, Censorship, George Orwell is a Genius, Thought Police, Weird Chinese Behavior
Let Jet In!
Jet Li spoke out publicly against Chinese film censors who banned his films (like 2001′s Kiss of the Dragon, pictured above) from the country because they feature gangsters.
NO GANGSTERS?
So, does this mean Jen and I aren’t invited?
What about us?Filed under: Bans, Censorship, Denied Entry, Disgrasian Loves NWA, Gangsta Gangsta At the Top of the List, Jet Li, Martial Arts Movies, Weird Chinese Behavior
The Rupervert
Entertainment and media’s hottest couple made headlines this morning.
“We know. We rule.”No, not BrangeliZzzZzzz. These guys…
“I’m with Ugly.”The LA Times reports that people are all in a tizzy over Rupervert’s proposed $5 billion takeover of Dow Jones & Co., who own the Wall Street Journal.
Critics cite as the latest example of those dangers Murdoch’s little-noticed introduction in China of his red-hot MySpace Internet property.
Launched in April, MySpace China censors user comments on the social-networking site more than is necessary, analysts say…
(Murdoch’s) Chinese-born wife, Wendi Deng Murdoch, a former executive at one of News Corp.’s Asian operations, recently was named the venture’s strategy chief, her first executive role since marrying the mogul in 1999.
I’m sure Wendi has, um, “earned” her role in the company–know what I’m sprayin’?–and we’ve certainly censored comments on DISGRASIAN’s MySpace page, especially from tools like this:
not a fakeBut isn’t there a reason it’s called, er…MY…space?
Click here for full story.
Filed under: Censorship, MySpace, Rupert Murdoch, Ruperverts, Takeovers, Wendi Deng Murdoch
China Trims the Fat
China’s at it again. Xinhua reported last week that China’s censors have cut Chow Yun-Fat’s scenes from Pirates 3 in half “for vilifying and defacing the Chinese.”
Whaaaaaaaaaat?This is an outrage. How dare China censor that Fu Manchu mustache? Or those dirty fingernails–no, scratch that, claws? What is so offensive about that mauled, ugly, chinky-ass mug? Huh?
A little over a week ago, I wrote that censorship is bullshit. Maybe I spoke too soon. Cuz now I think it could be kinda rad to have China’s power for a day. Here…let’s live the dream.
before DISGRASIAN censors
after DISGRASIAN censorsNow if only I had a time machine.
Filed under: Censorship, China, Chow Yun-Fat, Pirates Are Tired, Time Travel, Trimming the Fat
