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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
LISA LING & RICK YUNE
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:06:53 PM)
he's the most watched Asian woman on American TV. He's the year's hottest Asian American movie hunk. She's 26. He's 29. She's 5-5. He's 6-1. She's Chinese. He's Corean. Both are unquestionably American. She's daringly bubbly. He's recklessly intense. What makes them special to many AA minds is that they defied the odds and the unwritten laws of the American media to become the lone bona fide Asian American star couple.
Rick Yune was barely one wen his family left his native Seoul, Corea for Silver Springs, Maryland. His education has been enviably ivy-covered -- private schools topped off by a Wharton MBA. Then came a stint as a Wall Street stock trader and modeling for Versace and Polo. He made a memorable film debut in December 1999 as a young Japanese American husband accused of murder in Snow Falling on Cedars. Yune's character walks and gets the girl. A breathless Newsweek profile didn't hurt his career. His intense and classic Asian features add sizzle to The Fast and the Furious (2001) and will undoubtedly do the same for The Fence (2001).
Lisa Ling is a Sacramento native who got her start in TV at the age of 15 as a reporter for a syndicated teen magazine show called Scratch. Just as she was about to leave for Boston University, Channel One asked her to become one of its peripatetic on-air reporters. She attended USC while working full-time at Channel One's Hollywood studio. All her dates at USC were white, it's rumored. Soon after graduating she joined the panel of The View, ABC's popular daytime talkshow and began spending time with a Disney exec named Morgan Wandell. The fact that Disney is ABC's parent company led to resentment and innuendo. What really raised AA eyebrows was an Old Navy commercial showing Ling cavorting with a group of men and uttering the line "I like my man strong and good-looking". The beef? None of the five men are Asian.
Little wonder that many were skeptical of rumors that surfaced in early 2000 that Ling and Yune had become a couple. Some speculate that it's a sign that Asian men are ascendant. Others suspect it's just Ling's effort at rehabilitating her image with her Asian American viewership. Still others are just glad to see an Asian-Asian star couple at long last.
What do you think?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
I think the underlying issue for some Asian America men is that in this country every sexy famous Asian women has always been attached to a white man or has always exclusively dated white men. From T.V. anchors to movie stars. For the first time there is an Asian male sexy symbol/Hollywood actor that is admired mainly for his looks (and acting) and not because of his skills in martial arts or gun play. I think a lot of Asian guys were hoping for a little pay back in the light of the over sexualized image and interracial habits of most famous Asian women. Also since Rick Yune is a "sex symbol" I think there is also a need for his Asian good looks and sexiness to been seen as attractive to women of other races. For his appeal to be more universal and what better way for that unversality to be exemplified than for him to have been dating a famous/sexy white, hispanic, black woman. Also I think a lot of people just don't like Lisa Ling. She just seems attention hungry and willing to whatever to be famous. On one end she tries to defend Asian issues in a round about way on her show and the next she's being pawed at by white and black men in a clothing ad saying she likes her men strong. Ultimately relationships are a matter of love, lust or convenience.
Makadu
Monday, November 12, 2001 at 09:16:46 (PST)
Hi people. Personally, I think Lisa and Rick make an awesome couple. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as if WHY LISA??? wants Rick to date Corean girls and ONLY corean girls. Obviously, that's one heck of a racist opinion then. Anyway, as an Asian-American 13-yr.old, i think it's really cool that two Asian-Americans can publicly show that they're in love. Lisa and Rick are role models for Asian-America. Lisa's pretty; Rick's cute...and they're both eminent TV/Movie stars.Asian Pride couldn't ask for more in a couple.
sherrie berrie bluelilac07@aol.com
Friday, November 09, 2001 at 09:45:54 (PST)
Why is it that so many of the people commenting here are so upset that Lisa and Rick are together. They found eachother and they are happy...that is all that counts. So many people are jealous and disgusted by happy, successful, good-looking people....why can't they just be happy for them? This world is filled with too much hatred....why don't we fill it in with more love!!!!!
best wishes to the happy couple
Friday, November 09, 2001 at 08:27:02 (PST)
I am truly happy for Lisa Ling and Rick Yune. To all of you out there...We do not know them personally, so do not judge them! They are lucky to find love in each other, and shouldn't we all deserve to love or be loved???
I can't believe some of the insensitive, and racial comments listed... Are we only supposed to date people who have taste in clothes, or they have to be equally beautiful??? Or the right eye shape??? Get over your insecurities, as well as your jealousy folks!!!
Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder!!!
Tuesday, November 06, 2001 at 18:27:57 (PST)
I don't think alot of us here are wishing Rick be with a white girl. We just want to see him with his equal in looks like Kelly Hu. mmm.. mmm !
Kelly Hu is fionnnnnnnnn !
Monday, November 05, 2001 at 18:44:48 (PST)
The impression I get from some of you here is that you want to see Rick Yune with a Hispanic or white girl? And, many of the posters here had very racist vibes against Chinese women. Look, there are many black celebrities (esp. athletes) who date beautiful white women. But, does that mean us Asians should do the same? You guys don't really know how much those 2 love each other. They make us Asian Americans proud and they are not sellouts.
not a sellout one way or the other
Sunday, November 04, 2001 at 16:11:43 (PST)
As one of the corean/american male I do perfectly agree with you duluo36. You putted it quite well!
Seoulman67 joseph1@centurytel.net
Sunday, November 04, 2001 at 13:07:33 (PST)
Ricky baby, what are you doing, get yourself a real women, you can get waayyy better.
Lisa
Sunday, October 21, 2001 at 19:53:14 (PDT)
Not much. Lisa Ling is not much of a catch. Rick looks better with a latina like Jordana Brewster, like in the Fast and the Furious. What does he hope to achieve dating a talk show host? He can do much better.
Doesn't Lisa Ling and Lucy Liu look like female anteaters with their long angular face? Not attractive at all. Also, their eyes are not very appealling either.
Kenny
Thursday, October 18, 2001 at 17:17:57 (PDT)
Rick can do much better than Lisa.
All the Corean boys are shaking our heads. hahaha
Why Lisa??
Wednesday, October 17, 2001 at 20:58:22 (PDT)
Lisa must be giving some DAMN GOOD HEAD for Rick to want to keep her! Either that, or they're in a "mutual use" agreement--being a sham couple for the sake of their careers. How is this beneficial?
Lisa is rehabbing her image after the Old Navy Fiasco. It's blatantly obvious! Rick has had a good start to his career with SFOC and F&F, but being hooked up with a popular talk show hostess would also be a boost to him as well! Once they get what they want out of it, he'll dump her for some blond babe and she'll be chasing after the next White guy who'll get her one rung further up her career ladder.
Just a word of warning to Lisa: Janet Choi of The Real World Seattle is in your old Channel One TV job and I bet she'll be climbing over you on her way to the top!
Random Asian Dude
Monday, October 15, 2001 at 12:37:14 (PDT)
Question who wrote this article? The last time I checked "corean" or "Corea" was spelled with a "K" not a "C" . Does it really matter what the color of skin is when you are in love with someone ? is it not more important how that person treats you and vis versa ? if a man/women is dating another of same "race" and one treats the other like garbage is that ok because they are both the same "race". In my opinion love is blind, to race and religon. It is a mental and emotional state to classify it as a racial state ...is that not prejudice or even bigatry? to say you can only date people of your own race , creed, religon, ect, ect ,ect...... are we not feeding into the very cycle predudice . So she dated some people out side of her race so what! Look at the school systems and colleges in the U.S. less that 10 to 13 percent of the students are asian when I last checked. I think that we should note more that she is an independent women that has done Quite well for her self. she has a degree from college, interesting enough the writer above does not tell you what type. let here love and care for who she wants to care for . it shold not be any of our consern.
robertmikesidman mikerobertt50906@yahoo.com
Saturday, October 06, 2001 at 18:14:10 (PDT)
[Check out our Corea Spelling Policy --Ed]
I'm not famous, i am cuban / indian and just started dating a korean girl, can i expect as much stupidity from the rest of the world as i have seen in this website, because if I can , we might as well not bother, but then that would be letting 90% of you morons win.
Someone who knows post doesn't know that to be honest you she should leave her real name otherwise how can we believe anything she says. May I suggest you are someone who knows nothing.
Rick graduated with an MBE, traded futures and is a qualified martial artist, i'll vouch for his opinion and brain over yours anyday.
whambamvandamme whambamvandamme@yahoo.co..uk
Thursday, October 04, 2001 at 05:15:01 (PDT)
rick is too handsome for lisa ling!
he should go with an african america girl rather than some low rated talk show host who can't dress to save herself.
nikaknow
Friday, September 28, 2001 at 14:03:50 (PDT)
I'm happy that Lisa Ling is dating an Asian man, because so many Asian women seem to be interested in goofy looking white men. I was a little worried about her for awhile, but when she gave props to other handsome men of color, I realized that she was at least on the color scale. Best wishes, now let's see if we can work on Tiger Woods, Dean Cain,and a bunch of other banana bound Asian brothers and sisters.
michiko gordon
Friday, September 28, 2001 at 13:55:42 (PDT)
Lisa is so lucky not only is Rick so damn fine but he was an elite taekwondo athlete and to me that is the ultimate turn on I only wish I could spar with him every night. I love you Rick.
riley
Thursday, September 27, 2001 at 02:13:02 (PDT)
I have personally known Lisa since 1979. I can tell you she only had one asian boyfriend aside from Yune. He was Japanese and they dated briefly before her high school graduation in 1991. In addition, Lisa "dated" two producers (both white) from Channel One during her tenure there. The second got an executive job at Disney... who is the parent company to ABC... and the next thing you know, Lisa's off to NY and The View and then dumps the poor chump.
I would not put it past Lisa to strategically align herself with an asian boyfriend after the Old Navy fiasco. She would eat her own family to have gotten where she is today.
Someone who knows
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 at 17:32:06 (PDT)
Lisa and Rick are a fabulous, vibrant, and very exciting pair of contemporary, hard to find, up with the times, hip, well-informed individuals making a personable and significant contribution and difference in the popular culture and society of our day. I find both to be exceptionally positive role models especially for the youth of our increasingly enrichingly and diverse age.
Toujour L'amour!
XXX
duluoz36
Sunday, September 23, 2001 at 10:15:04 (PDT)
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