How I Met Your Mother
The January 13th episode of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother has been under constant criticism due to it’s offensive material and yellowface. Twitter has been going crazy with responses to the episode. The episode’s fantasy sequence showed the character played by Jason Segel receiving advice from three other main cast members dressed as “slap masters” styled from old Kung Fu movies.
Each of the characters is seen to be eating ramen, speaking in stereotyped accents, and backdropped by Asian designs as they teach him the Slap of Million Exploding Suns. The creators have given official apologies, as have some of the performers.
Cobie Smulders is seen in a traditional styled Cheongsam, utilizing a fan, and wearing heavily yellowed make up.
Alyson Hannigan wears a stylized silk jacket and her character is 106 years old. Her face is highlighted by her white make up and shirt giving off the impression of a geisha style.
Josh Radnor wears a Manchu mustache and robes. He speaks like a Confucian scholar.
Challenger
The Challe
nger Disaster is currently in the news for two very different reasons. One of which is because of Beyonce sampling audio from the event in her song XO. The second of the reasons that Challenger is in the news is because of the new photos recently discovered of the explosion. The January 28th anniversary is quickly approaching.
The biggest connection to Asian-America is crew member Ellison Onizuka. Born in Hawaii, he served in both the US Air Force and NASA.
Paull Shin
Washington state Senator Paull Shin is currently retiring from duty due to his recently diagnosed Alzheimers. In 1992 Paull Shin became the first Korean American to serve in Washington state legislature. As a child he was adopted from Korea during the Korean war. He attended the University of Washington where he studied East Asian Studies.
World War II Stragglers
Japan’s Hiroo Onoda, an imperial soldier, from World War II has died at the age of 91. He emerged from the Philippine jungles 29 years after the end of the war. It was because of his commander’s return to the jungle to overturn an order given in 1945 that he finally left the jungle. The 1945 order was to stay and spy on American troops. Not even his family could get him to leave the jungle, his loyalty to the Imperial Army was so strong.