Star Trek: Doctor Julian Bashir

Let's go back to DS9 for a moment, shall we?

Sudanese-born, England-raised Siddig el Fadil portrayed the boyishly handsome, genetically enhanced, yet socially naive, British-accented Doctor Julian Bashir.  By about the fourth season, the actor felt forced to change to a stage name, "Alexander Siddig", because people were having trouble pronouncing the five syllables in "Siddig el Fadil."

Keep in mind, the man's full name is Siddig el Tahir el Fadil el Siddig Abderrahman Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Karim el Mahdi...and people were bitching about "Siddig el Fadil"?

*exasperated sigh*

So anyways...there's that right there to begin with.

Blasian Thread #9.5

In this thread, I will be spotlighting two books that are...different. These are books that I would not have considered putting up here until I finished reading them. I find both books excellent, even though they are not similar, and I would recommend them anywhere however, I am choosing to put them up here because people interested in Blasian fiction may appreciate them too.

Camera Obscura by Lavie Tidhar!!

CAN'T FIND A RATIONAL EXPLANATION TO A MYSTERY? CALL IN THE QUIET COUNCIL. The mysterious and glamorous Lady De Winter is one of their most valuable agents. A despicable murder inside a locked and bolted room on the Rue Morgue in Paris is just the start. This whirlwind adventure will take Milady to the highest and lowest parts of that great city - and cause her to question the very nature of reality itself

Camera Obscura is steampunk fiction. That may be enough to throw some people off. I hold some interest in the steampunk genre so reading this book was not a problem for me.  

Before reading the book, I was worried that Milady de Winter would turn out to be a stereotypical unattractive Black woman due to the way she was described physically, she is very tall and wields a gun. I am happy to say that Milady was not a stereotype, at least not to me, she was complex and I could identify with her character, even though I've read reviews that describe 'difficulties' getting into the characters.

F.Cuz (Pronounced "Focus"): A Different View

Let me begin this post by stating clearly, that this discussion is about what I view as the de-sexualization of some male performers in K Pop and the repercussions for the artists, their fans and the music. I have been an observer of the Korean musical scene for about a year and I have done more listening than talking. I believe this process has been integral in allowing me to digest what I’ve observed and heard from the performers and their fans.

This post is not about enjoying the music because I am not its targeted demographic, though I make a few exceptions in the form of Se7en and JYJ. I am using F.Cuz and their promotional efforts for "Midnight Sun" as the exception, in an industry in which the suppression of internal thoughts, feelings and sexuality, create a toxic and unhealthy environment that leads to the stagnation of both the artist and music in terms of growth on both a personal & professional level.

The Origins of "Corruption"

Last year, I was introduced to the Blasian movement by my business partner and friend, Ankhesen.  It made me aware of an entirely different world that existed outside of my own.  I addressed this in a previous post and wondered if I’d be able to write in the genre after years of writing about black women exclusively paired with black men.  Not necessarily the easiest thing to do.

Fast-forward one year.  I just finished my first Blasian novel, a 350-page animal titled Corruption.  I started writing it last September, after being inspired by a most wicked scenario.  The book had risqué origins and was intended to be an erotic short story that I was going to contribute to MCP’s The Sultry Court.  But Jordan Yoshito and Mahogany Carroll, the protagonists, had way too much life and would not be restricted to a mere sixty pages.  And so I kept writing, wondering where I was going with it.  I got lost many times and considered abandoning the book, but once again, Mo and Jordan wouldn’t allow it.  I tried going in random directions, but then something occurred to me and it was then that I understood what it was I was really writing about.

Introducing the Hirosawas

A long time ago (February, 2008 to be exact), I published my second book, entitled Folklore, and Other Stories, a book of three stories in which a different Asian American man was the central protagonist in each story.  Though Middle Child Press didn't exist back then, FOS technically falls under what we fondly call "experimental" fiction.

In the very first story, "Folklore", I introduced a secondary character named Benjiro Hirosawa, a killer with the face of an angel, from a whole family of angel-faced killers.  He wasn't meant to be much; the focus was on the good guy, Kazuya Kurosaki.  But then...the bad ones have a way of sticking around and inspiring.

Eureka: Dr. Allison Blake

In the tradition of Ankh’s posts about POC characters in media, I’m offering up my own pick for a phenomenon that we see far too rarely on TV nowadays: the elusive black female. And here I have something even rarer to share with you: the black female lead.

Sci-fi Channel (or should I say Syfy Channel…ugh) TV show Eureka debuted in the summer of 2006 and I have to say, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Salli Richardson-Whitfield appear on my screen and promptly steal the scene from the show’s protagonist Colin Ferguson (Sheriff Jack Carter).  I just wasn’t expecting to see a black female lead and proudly admit that her presence—along with the fact that the show is just fifty kinds of awesome—cemented my devout loyalty over the past four seasons.

According to Salli, her character was not originally written for a black woman. She has recounted the fact that she was the only WoC in a room full of white women when she auditioned, but she was cast because the creators felt that she had the best chemistry with Ferguson.  Add that to the fact that Allison is smart as hell and one-half of the show’s OTP*, and I’m sure that there have been more than a few head explosions over the years.

Star Trek: Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu

As portrayed by George Takei

As with Robert Beltran's Commander Chakotay, this is a classic example of an actor of color in a not-so-rosy situation.  Certain fans have talked about Takei's "attitude" over the decades, singing the "big chip on his shoulders" song which Shatner pretty much egged on, but these are the fans with severely deficient memories.

Let's have a history lesson, shall we?  Star Trek first aired in 1966.  So you have a gay Japanese actor trying to work in Hollywood, in the 1960s, on a TV show were staff are getting death threats for their attempt at diversity.  Meanwhile, the dude playing the Captain threatens to wreck this highly innovative and promising show every time he's not the center of attention.

Keep in mind, this is all going down a mere twenty years after the last Japanese internment camp has finally shut down, and the victims who survived (which include Takei and his family) are callously being denied reparations by the [Dis]United States government.  Meanwhile, for the average white American, being overtly racist towards is POC still considered polite, civilized conversation.

Hmm.

Let's just say if Takei hadn't come out of this sitch swinging, POC everywhere would've wondered what was wrong.

Blasian Chemistry II

Previously: Blasian Chemistry

Fashion Tips from Moi for Actors Portraying Blasian Couples

#1 - Identify your target audience

Some of you want to impress white audiences because you feel it will advance your careers.  Some of you don't care about white audiences, and only want to impress either Asian American or Black American audiences.  And in some extremely rare instances, one or two of you briefly pause to consider your Blasian audience.

Start there.  You have to appeal to the audience which identifies with you the most first, and then worry about everyone else later.  Abandon the myth of the "universal" narrative; not everyone is going to be into you and so it's pointless to try to appeal to everyone.  In short, don't bemoan the fact you didn't land the (paying) roles you wanted.  Instead, challenge yourselves to be an absolutely stunning Blasian couple and try to have fun!

Blasian Chemistry

In his interview with me, actor Peter Jae stated, "I had a chance to work with [Gabrielle Union] on Perfect Holiday but playing a dry cleaner. I would love to be opposite [her] playing a different character. Damn, Morris Chestnut, can an Asian brother get some shine too?"

So just for fun, I sent him "Blasianism", a nice, simple composite of recognizable romantic Blasian scenes set to some laid-back music.  Mr. Jae replied that while he liked seeing these types of vids, a lot of the love scenes looked forced.  He attributed it to actually knowing a couple of the actors, but he also added that like it or not, chemistry - from the get-go - really is key.

Naturally, it got me thinking.

Whether we care to admit it or not, some of our more recognizable Blasian couples didn't have great chemistry, at least not compared to others, and I've been thinking about the variables which contribute to the problem.

Kiss from "Unbowed" - Extended Scene

Is it any wonder the AMBW movement goes hand-in-hand with the natural hair movement?

Nibble This 2 (NSFW)

You will find my editing skills have improved.

The music featured is "Monsters Demons" by British chanteuse and trip hop legend Skye. You can download her whole album Keeping Secrets from Amazon for $6.99.

I initially thought of using "Tous les Jour, Tous les Soirs" by Monsieur Nov again, but I thought a change in music would be nice, and hey...I figured it was a lady's turn anyway.

Star Trek: Commander Chakotay

As with Garrett Wang, I have boundless respect for "Latindio" actor Robert Beltran for the BS he put up with while starring on Star Trek: Voyager.  If you Google his name, along with the usual options you get "Robert Beltran Hates Star Trek" and "Robert Beltran Hates Voyager".

"Certain" Trek fans haven't been pleased with how candid Beltran's been about his displeasure with Star Trek; some even go so far as to talk about the "big chip on his shoulder" (gee...where have we heard that one before?). We at the Narrative, however, totally understand why he's mad.

Character Pros

1) Commander Chakotay was the first Native American we saw regularly serve as bridge officer.

Star Trek: Captain Kasidy Yates

Fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - arguably the best of all the Trek series (from a POC perspective anyway) will remember Captain Kasidy Yates, portrayed by the beautiful Penny Johnson.

Character Pros

1) Yates captained her own freighter ship.  She was an independent career woman, and she made decisions which stayed true to herself, rather than simply to please her significant other.

2) Yates was athletic; she devoutly played baseball like a pro.

3) Yates was the unapologetic ally of the rebellious Maquis.  She did not explain or justify why she smuggled medical supplies for them, and stood by her convictions even when she had to go to prison for a year.

Explaining the New Look

The Narrative is known for taking a cerebral approach to Blasian issues, so I decided on a more professional look.  I didn't want to go with any stereotypical designs like random Asiatic-looking writing (that was a background option).  I also wanted something gender neutral (i.e., not too femme).

Over the past couple of months, our subscribers have soared.  I'm hoping the new look draws further interest.

NaNoWriMo needs more Blasian stories and authors

As you've seen during the various Blasian Lit threads compiled by the awesome Eccentric Yoruba, Blasian lit is sorely lacking. Let's save this genre by jumping in and joining Ankhesen and Amaya, who are constantly hammering out new tales.

Every year, there is a national writing contest in November called NaNoWriMo. Contrary to popular belief, this contest isn't just for "white folks." It and its resources are for us, too. In fact, our very own Neo-Prodigy wrote the first draft of his novel, Hollowstone, in this contest. In addition, The Hunger Games and Water for Elephants began their lives as NaNo novels.

NaNoWriMo is a contest that requires each person to write 50,000 words, approximately 175 pages of a story from 12:00:01 a.m. November 1st to 11:59:59 p.m. November 30th. It's very simple. If you're so focused on typing this many words, then you shouldn't have time to go back, edit or second-guess yourself. Just sit down and type. It doesn't need to make sense. Just go with the flow. Output and QUANTITY, not quality, matters in November.

You also don't even need to worry about others reading your stories beforehand. When you upload your story for the word count verification, it'll be scrambled. No one will have access to it unless you give it them.

Remember, if we don't write our own stories, THEY'LL continue to write them for us! **shudder**

If you're not ready to write original blasian fiction, by all means, please write blasian fan fiction. Audrey/Dre, Zoey/Demetri, Alice/Kenji, Mika/Raizo, and Uhura/Sulu could all benefit from better stories and better characterizations.

If you think you're ready for original fiction, but feel a bit unsure about things, I have some links that might be very helpful for you.

Blasian Lit Thread #9

Another (small) compilation of books with Blasian themes, I am happy to say that I have read two of the books below.

After the Morning After by Lisa G. Riley

After another spectacular break-up that totally blindsides her, Dr. Victoria Howell has had it with men. She can’t trust her own judgment when it comes to the male of the species, so she’ll just put her overactive libido on hiatus. That’s her story and she’s sticking to it. The story is slightly altered, however, after a sex-filled night with former colleague and suspected corporate thief Sanjay Banerjee, the walking, breathing aphrodisiac. But it was just one night and one night is all it will ever be. And though she’s sure he didn’t steal from the company, she’s going to make sure he keeps his sticky fingers out of her pants from now on.