The New University happens to be the campus newspaper. And because of that status, a large proportion of UCI students read the the NewU to get a feel about campus life. Which, you know, is totally legit. The NewU is the campus newspaper, campus life is kind of it's job to report. A lot of people read it. I do too. If you don't, well maybe you should. Apathetic motherfucker. =D
But this also gives the NewU an unprecedented amount of influence on-campus. Because, after all, what they print is what most students on campus assume to be true, or correct, or UCI. So when they write an article such as this (frontpage of NewU 12/3/07):
And attach with it a photo that looks like this (pg 8, NewU, 12/3/07):
Things get kind of problematic. It's not just ironic that the NewU wrote about an action the UC system was taking to recognize the diversity of Asian-Americans (the article talks about how the UC Admissions are going to separate "Other Southeast Asians" into more categories, including Thai, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Fijian, and others), and then attached maybe one of the most stereotypical pictures of an Asian American EVER, it's actually kind of fucked up.
RANT:
No, really, think about this. A lot of us Asian Americans (in the real world, you will notice this to be true) are trying to work against the stereotype in life that we're anti-social, or we're foreign (notice the V signs?), or that we're all Chinese, or that WE'RE NOT ALL RICH ENOUGH TO OWN X-BOXES, YOU RICH MOTHERFUCKER. And you know what? The NewU should know this. Especially when writing an article about AsianAmericans who have had trouble being recognized by society as NOT CHINESE, OR RICH, OR ANTI-SOCIAL, or just incredibly FOREIGN, why the FUCK would they go and post a photo of an Asian American who is holding an X-Box controller (really, think about this. why is he holding an x-box controller? what does an x-box have anything to do with this?? has the UC system suddenly recognized in their admissions program that Thai people play X-Box as well? No? THEN WHY THE FUCK IS HE HOLDING AN X-BOX CONTROLLER?), doing the V sign with this hands (Not that we don't do the V sign, some of us do, that's fine. But not all of us do. And the photo kind of implies that all of us do. Esp. because the article happens to be talking about ALL ASIAN AMERICANS) , and WHY DOES HE KIND OF LOOK LIKE A PANSY?!?
(Ok, I'm going to admit it. I kind of look like this guy. I wish I had an X-Box (I don't), I throw up Peace signs with my hands, and yes, I look like a pansy. But my roommate also happens to be Asian-American, he does not game, he balls up the court, he is viciously against peace signs (he's threatened me about them) and HE IS DEFINITELY SOME KIND OF DIFFERENT KIND OF HARDASS PIECE OF SHIT. But we're both supposed to be represented by this one dude in the photo.)
RANT OVER
I want you to know, I understand. I understand that the photographer, and probably the editor, and probably the writer, who took this probably thinks that this photo is incredibly funny. I understand that at some level, the photo is somewhat relevant to the article. I understand that somewhere, out there, a UCI student is laughing at that photo and comparing it to the rest of the Asian race.
I also understand that looking at the writer/photographer's name, neither of them are probably Asian-American. Which makes them laughing at the photo ESPECIALLY fucked up. And I understand that people who would defend the photo as related to the article, probably actually need to read the article, understand it's significance, and then take their foot out of their mouth. And finally, I understand that the UCI student laughing at this photo and comparing it to the Asian race, really needs to be slapped across the face, and recognize.
......
Man, having Rice=Rocket Fuel makes you as sensitive as fuck. But it's also kind of empowering and righteous. But sensitive as fuck.
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