You are currently browsing posts tagged with firsts
What We Want To Know About Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, CA Supreme Court Chief Justice Nominee
California Gov. Schwarzenegger has nominated 3rd District Court of Appeal Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye to be the next chief justice of the California Supreme Court, which would make Cantil-Sakauye the first Asian American (and Filipina) to lead the state’s highest court, if confirmed in November.
The LA Times calls the 50 year-old Sacramento native–who’s a Republican but also known as an “independent thinker”–”a surprise nominee who is relatively unknown outside judicial circles,” so here’s what we’d like to know about her:
- What are her politics?
- What’s up with that fabu name?
- What kind of face cream is she using and where do we get some?!
[LA Times: Gov. Schwarzenegger nominates first Asian American to lead California Supreme Court]
Thanks, Dad and Tom!
Filed under: Anti-Agin' Asian, California Politics, California Supreme Court, California Supreme Court Chief Justice, Filipina Americans, Filipinas, Filipinos, firsts, Governator Schwarzenegger, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hot Asian Ladies, Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, Pinaysians, Republicans, Skincare, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, The California Supreme Court
BABEWATCH: YouTube Makeup Guru Michelle Phan
Name: Michelle Phan
Age: 23
Occupation: Makeup artist, YouTube sensation, and Lancôme spokesperson
Why She’s a Babe: Because as YouTube’s #1 beauty vlogger–her videos have been viewed over 150 million times–Michelle Phan is helping other chicks look like babes, and that’s a beautiful thing. Also, it takes courage to face millions of viewers without a lick of makeup–you may not know it, but we wear a shit-ton when we vlog–and au naturel is how she begins each video. (It helps, of course, that Michelle’s skin is flawless and seems to be utterly lacking in pores. Bitch!) While some of the Vietnamese American makeup artist’s tutorials are cute gimmicks–like the Barbie doll one, a look she demo’ed without using a mirror–and some verge on the clichésian, like the Geisha Halloween or Anime Eyes videos, many of her videos are just plain useful, which explains why Lancôme recently signed her as their official video makeup artist in an unprecedented contract for someone who got their start on the interwebz. Peep our favorites below. Even if you’re not into makeup, you may find yourself mesmerized by Michelle’s eerily calm demeanor and soothing voice.
Makeup For Glasses (aka Makeup For Diana):
5 Minutes Makeup (aka Makeup For Really Fucking Impatient People, aka Makeup For Jen):
Continue reading BABEWATCH: YouTube Makeup Guru Michelle Phan
Filed under: 1, Beauty Bloggers, firsts, Geisha Makeup, Lancome, Makeup, Makeup Artists, Michelle Phan, Number Ones, RiceBunny, Vietnamese-Americans, Vloggers, YouTube, YouTube Sensations, YouTube Tutorials
The Miss USA Pageant And The Politics Of Beauty
One of the most awesomely fake controversies of the year has got to be the decrying of newly-crowned Miss USA Rima Fakih–the first Muslim-American and second Arab-American winner of the pageant–as a “politically-correct” choice, and the hostility demonstrated primarily by the Right toward this idea of politics mixing with beauty. Because anyone with half a fucking brain knows that politics ALWAYS mixes with beauty. Apart from a preference for facial symmetry, which has been proven in different scientific studies to be an objective and cross-cultural beauty criterion, humans aren’t born with an innate sense for what’s beautiful. In other words, beauty is not so much in the eye of the beholder as it is in the thinking. Our thinking, as in…our ideologies, belief systems, and politics? Why people are bringing this up now as some kind of newfangled liberal invention is beyond me. Was it not political that the first Eurasian Miss USA was only crowned in 1984, the first Latina Miss USA in 1985, and the first black Miss USA in 1990? Did the fact that white chicks almost always took home the title of Miss USA in the thirty-plus years before that have nothing to do with politics, and, more specifically, the political notion that “American beauty” equals Caucasian?
Look, if Miss USA is getting more politically-correct, we should all be singing hallelujah. Let’s not forget that these women still put Vaseline on their teeth to keep that crazy person’s smile on their faces and they prance around in bikinis and stilettos as though that’s a completely normal thing to do when half-naked in public, so a little swinging of the pageant’s politics toward something more progressive and a little less racist is a Barbie-heeled step in the right direction.
ALSO, just to reel this in from an overthinking place: Continue reading The Miss USA Pageant And The Politics Of Beauty
Filed under: Beauty Pageants, Fake Controversies, First Muslim-American Miss USA, firsts, Miss Michigan, Miss USA, Miss USA Rima Fakih, Pageants, Rima Fakih, Second Arab-American Miss USA, Symmetry, The Politics of Beauty, Vaseline Smiles
AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Ed Wang, First Chinese American In The NFL
Name: Ed Wang
Age: 23
Hails from: Virginia
Occupation: Professional football player
So, first the good news: Over the weekend, 6′5″, 309 lbs. (no, that is not a typo) offensive tackle Ed Wang became the first Chinese American player drafted into the NFL.
As a Chinese American, a Wang, and a lifelong football fan, I weep for joy.
Now, the bad: He’s going to the Bills.
As a Chinese American, a Wang, and a lifelong football fan who’s always considered the Bills the whipping boy of the NFL–they last went to the playoffs in ‘99, they’ve never won a championship, and they hold the dubious distinction of being the only team who’s gone to (and lost) four consecutive Super Bowls–I just weep.
Ah, well…two steps forward, one step back!
To learn more about Ed Wang, watch the video below. His parents Robert and Nancy are former Chinese Olympians–dad was a high-jumper, mom was a hurdler–and they’re cute as all get out. In that Hardass Asian Parent way, of course. Choice quote from Ed’s dad:
Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Ed Wang, First Chinese American In The NFL
Filed under: Asian Football Players, Big Wangs, Chinese-Americans, Ed Wang, Edward Wang, First Chinese American NFL Football Player Ed Wang, firsts, Football, History, NFL, NFL Draft, Olympians, Virginia Tech Hokies, Wangs
DISGRASIAN OF THE WEAK! Gloria Allred
Famed, self-proclaimed “feminist lawyer” Gloria Allred has accomplished some bold and fascinating things during her long, high-profile career. She sued the Boy Scouts for excluding girls. She repped Nicole Brown Simpson’s family in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. In ‘04, she filed the first lawsuit in California challenging the denial of marriage licenses as being unconstitutional.
But Allred also represents Tiger’s classiest mistress, Rachel Uchitel, and helped her nab $10 million to keep her trap shut about her sexy times with the year’s most famous philanderer. She took on client Josyln James, the porn star who’s been peddling her dirty wares alongside an online log of Tiger’s banausic sexts, and seeks an apology for James’s… time?
The attorney now stands alongside a new money-grubbing fame-seeking apology-seeking bandwagoneer: Woods’s kindergarten teacher, Maureen Decker. Decker feels wronged by a story that first appeared in Charles Barkley’s book The Wicked Game, which was published in 2005–and after five years realized that Tiger Woods was wrapped in a shit spiral and ladies everywhere could cash in if they played their cards right she couldn’t take the “migraines, elevated blood pressure, and colitis” for one more day, sought Allred’s inparticular counsel, and went public with her beef.
Does simply signing clients with vaginas make one a feminist? Because we kinda think that a truly pro-fem lawyer would have been the one working to secure Elin Nordegren’s future and due financial security. Instead, she’s taking a percentage of victories for women who feel they are owed something for spreading their legs and screwing somebody else’s husband. Ah, what a powerful message: “If I fuck you, you better take care of me.”
Filed under: 15 Minutes of Fame, Bad Examples, Elin Nordegren, Fame Whores, Feminism is Dead, Feminists, firsts, Glorie Allred, I Call Bullshit, Lawsuits, Mistresses, Money-Grubbers, Rachel Uchitel, Striking While The Iron Is Hot, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods Affair, Tiger Woods Affairs, Tiger Woods Sex Scandal, Ugh
AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Jeremy Lin
Name: Jeremy Lin
Hails from: Boston, MA (via Palo Alto, CA)
Occupation: College senior, Basketball player for Harvard University
Jeremy Lin Knows How To Win
Continue reading AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Jeremy Lin
Filed under: Asian Basketball Players, Bests, Bright Young Things, College Basketball, ESPN, Everybody Loves a Winner, firsts, Hardass Asian Parenting, Harvard, Jeremy Lin, Pigeonholes, The Suzuki Method
Caption This: Liu Wen, First Asian Model In A Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
(Liu Wen is the “first Asian model” to walk in a Victoria’s Secret fashion show–if you don’t count Blasian Chanel Iman, who also made her VS debut at the same time–November 19, 2009.)
[Starpulse: Hot Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Photos]
[The Cut: Liu Wen Is the First Asian Model Confirmed for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show]
Filed under: Asian Models, Chanel Iman, Chinese Models, firsts, Heidi Klum, Lingerie, Liu Wen, Liu Wen First Asian Model Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
10 Things You Need To Know About Ming-Na
1) Ming-Na stars in the Syfy network’s new show Stargate Universe, the third TV series in the Stargate franchise.
2) According to our pal Joz at 8 Asians, Ming-Na will play the first lesbian Asian American TV series regular EVAR on the show.
3) Her character is Camille Wray, a “strategically savy (sic) member of the International Oversight Committee (IOA) and the highest ranking one stranded aboard the Destiny.” This is code for “hot lesbian not to be fucked with.”
4) Ming-Na will be engaging in some serious girl-on-girl action with 24’s Reiko Aylesworth, who plays Wray’s Earthbound life-partner.
5) IRL, Ming-Na is a Steelers fan. Which means Diana would like to make out with her, too.
6) She has been professionally credited as “Ming-Na Wen,” “Ming Wen” and “Ming-Na.”
7) Ming-Na is 45 years old.
She has the skin of cherubs after a diamond facial.
9) She may have been the real-life inspiration for Benjamin Button.
10) We would hate on her for looking so damn good, but we’d really like to get the name of her derm.
[via 8 Asians]
[SheWired.com: Ming-Na's History-Making Gay Universe On 'SGU']
[Official Stargate Universe Website]
Filed under: Aging Gracefully, Anti-Agin' Asian, firsts, Great Skin, Lesbians, Ming-Na, Science Fiction, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Filed under: firsts
SPORTS ILLUSTRASIAN: Rinku Singh Keeps His Eye on the Ball Instead of the Ladies, Gets Historic Win
Gulf Coast League Pirates pitcher Rinku Singh made history Monday by becoming the first India-born player to record a professional baseball win in the U.S. (The GCL Pirates are the rookie developmental team of the Pittsburgh Pirates.) You may recall that Rinku and his countryman Dinesh Patel made history before when they signed with the Pirates organization last November after placing first and second in an Indian reality-show contest called The Million Dollar Arm, thereby becoming the first India-born players to ink a professional sports contract of any kind in this country.
So how did Rinku get his first win? Did he manage to bring up the velocity of his fastball from the low 90’s? Did he paint the outside corners of the strike zone? Did he introduce something nasty and unhittable to his limited pitching repertoire?
My theory: he started keeping his eye on the ball instead of the ladies.
I kid, I kid! (Rinku, if you’re reading this like you did that other time, where you thought I was calling you a perv when I was really calling you a babe, know that this is what we call in America “giving you shit.”)
Then again, he only had to strike out one batter to get the win, so I’m not going to get my panties too far in a bunch over this “historic” moment. (Yes, Rinku, still “giving you shit.” See also “heckling.”)
[DISGRASIAN: Babewatch: Rinku Singh]
[Rinku's blog: The Good - The Bad & The Ugly]
[Deadspin: Rinku And Dinesh Are Not On The Babewatch!]
Filed under: Dinesh Patel, firsts, Gulf Coast League, Heckling, Indian Baseball Players, Lost In Translation, Million Dollar Arm, Minor League Baseball, MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates, Rinku Singh
Sam Yoon for Mayor of Boston!
Boston City Councilman Sam Yoon is currently running for mayor. A Democrat who was born in Seoul, moved to the U.S. at 10 months old, and became a citizen at 10 years old, Sam is the first Asian-American to hold elected office in Boston. Bear in mind that Boston is one of America’s oldest cities, almost 379 years old. To be the first Asian-American elected official in the city’s storied 379 year-history is nothing short of amazian.
We sat down recently for a Q & A with Sam about his campaign. We not only learned of his stellar qualifications–Princeton undergrad, Harvard grad, community organizing–we also discovered something completely unexpected about the 39 year-old politician. As they’d say in Boston, Sam is wicked funny.
Over email, we discussed some of DISGRASIAN’s favorite topics: Hardass Asian Parents, math, advanced degrees, hot dogs, and, of course, the Boston Red Sox.
Why did you decide to get into politics?
Because it was the one career choice that would completely befuddle my parents.
When you decided to pursue a career in politics, did your Asian parents try to convince you to go to law school instead? Were they worried you wouldn’t make enough money as a public servant?
After my parents paid for a very expensive college education at Princeton, I became a teacher. After my brother graduated from Yale, he pursued ministry. We were going into the two lowest-paid professions. My parents got used to it.
You taught math in New Jersey public schools after graduating Princeton. Are you good at math? Are you good at math because you’re Asian?
All of the above. I’m a proud Asian math geek.
So studious! So Asian!How many musical instruments were you forced to play as a child?
Two: piano, then the flute. My immigrant parents didn’t know how much cooler it would have been had they chosen the saxophone. Or trumpet.
We understand your wife Tina has a doctorate in biology from MIT. Do you ever call her Dr. Yoon?
Because she got her graduate degree from MIT and mine’s only from Harvard, of course she makes me call her Dr. Yoon. Truthfully, sometimes we get wedding invitations addressed to “Mr. and Dr. Yoon.” Which isn’t humiliating at all. Really.
When people say, “An Asian-American mayor of Boston? Really? I never really pictured that,” what do you say?
I don’t blame you. Look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_Boston
But then try scrolling down this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Us_presidents
Sam finds another Asian at the St. Patty’s Day parade! w00t!What issues will you focus on as mayor of Boston?
Check out my website samyoon.com and while you’re there please donate $500.
The Bruins went to the Conference Semis this year. The Celts won the NBA Finals in 2008. The Sox won the World Series in 2007 and 2004. And the Pats have won three Super Bowls this decade. What’s in the water in Boston these days that’s making its sports franchises so great?
Steroids, obviously. I’m looking into whether or not this is legal.
If you could play any position on the Red Sox team, what would it be?
Pitcher, because I’m sure any Korean could be at least as good as the three Japanese pitchers we have already. Not that there’s any rivalry between Koreans and Japanese or anything.
If you were a Red Sox player, what would be your at-bat song?
“Mr. Roboto” by Styx.
How fast is your fastball?
Faster than Dice-K’s these days. [Ouch! But true. Sigh.--Ed.]
What’s your favorite food at Fenway?
Truth be told, I’m a huge hot dog fan; the Monster Dogs are good.
Hypothetical scenario: You have the choice of saving either a Yankee player or your political opponent from a burning house. What do you do?
Save my political opponent, because I want to beat him.
Reaching new Orient Heights, indeed!Filed under: Beantown, Boston Politics, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, firsts, Hardass Asian Parents, Korean-Americans, Politasians, Sam Yoon, Sam Yoon for Mayor of Boston, Tina Yoon
BABEWATCH: Kamala Harris
Name: Kamala Devi Harris
Age: 44
Hails from: The East Bay, CA
Occupation: San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General candidate
Why She’s a Babe: SF District Attorney Kamala Harris is hot because she’s tough. She’s tough on gun felonies, child assaults, hate crimes, and violent crime in general. The only thing she isn’t tough on is, obvs, the eyes. She’s also the Queen of Firsts: the first woman elected District Attorney of San Francisco, the first African-American voted to that office in California, the first Indian-American to hold that position in the United States. And her next move? Becoming the first female Attorney General of the state of California in 2010.
To learn more about Kamala Harris’s 2010 campaign for CA Attorney General, go to her official website.
Become a fan of Kamala’s on Facebook here.
Filed under: Badasses, Blasians, California Attorney General Race 2010, East Bay, firsts, Kamala D. Harris, Kamala Devi Harris, Kamala Harris, Mixed People, San Francisco District Attorney, We Love Being First
