‘Asian Susan Boyle’ is a Taiwanese Man-Boy Nicknamed ‘Little Fatty’
A bow tie-wearing, chubby-cheeked 24-year-old male from Taiwan is being called the “Asian Susan Boyle.” His name is Lin Yu Chun, and he is the latest singing sensation to garner millions of views on YouTube (nearly 4 million at last count).
Never mind the shape of his haircut, Lin will bowl you over with his singing. Jaws dropped when he appeared on a talent show on Taiwanese television and sang Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” (A monster hit of a song written by Dolly Parton in 1973, and later recorded by Houstin in 1992.)
He “floored the judges this week with his pitch-perfect rendition,” declared ABC News.
(Watch the Youtube video of his performance, below.)
Growing up a chubby kid with a plain face, Lin reveals that he was ridiculed for his appearance. “Being fat draws a lot of mockery in our society,” he told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview. (Yes, he speaks English!)
He found solace in music, reports the Daily Mail, locking himself in his room for hours as he sang along to Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, especially her songs from the soundtrack, “The Bodyguard,” in which “I Will Always Love You,” is included.
“I played it again and again even though my parents couldn’t stand it any more and asked me to stop,” he said.
Lin, who loves to sing and dreamt of a career in music, finds encouragement in his newfound stardom. “I now have more confidence in pursuing a singing career,” he told the Daily Mail. “You don’t have to be a good-looking man or woman to succeed. Just be yourself and try your best.”
Padma Lakshmi’s Baby Daddy Revealed!
Adam Dell and Padma Lakshmi in February 2009
Adam Dell is the father of Padma Lakshmi’s baby girl, who was born on February 20 in New York City. Till now, Lakshmi has refused to name the man who fathered her child.
“A friend revealed that he dotes on his daughter and wants to see more of her,” reports the Daily Mail. “Another said: ‘They are trying to work it out. They are trying to avoid anything messy.'”
The baby’s name is Krishna Thea Lakshmi.
Dell is a professor of business and technology at Columbia Business School in New York, invests in technology companies and is also a law professor in Texas, reports the Daily Mail.
Padma Lakshmi dotes on her new baby.
Korean Man Marries Anime Body Pillow (Photo, Video)
Lord have mercy. Lee Jin-gyu, 28, of South Korea has married his anime body pillow, reports the U.K. Metro. The pillow bears the blond visage of anime character Fate Testarossa. For the special day, he dressed up his “bride” in a long, white gown, then gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. (More after the photo.)
Mr. Lee was featured on local Korean television taking his “wife” to an amusement park, where he purchased two admission tickets — one for himself and one for his betrothed. “Isn’t that a waste to buy two tickets?” somebody asks him. “No,” he murmurs.
He takes Fate on a roller coaster, ignoring the shocked and staring crowds. Afterwards, he asks his wife, “Were you scared, are you okay?” She does not answer.
At a restaurant he orders two entrees of spaghetti. When the waitress asks, “Are you expecting another person?” He says, gesturing to the lifesize pillow sitting across from him in the booth, “No, this is my wife.”
What’s astounding — aside from the fact that a man married a pillow — is that Mr. Lee is so public about it. Having lived in Seoul for a year as an adult, I can tell you that it’s a country of conformists. The worst thing to do is to stand out from the crowd.
I’m a little freaked out by the story, but also feel admiration for his openness. I feel like saying, “Good for you , Mr. Lee! If that’s what makes you happy, who are we to judge?”
Asian-Americans Sleep Better Than Other Ethnic Groups, Says New Study
Are there ethnic and cultural differences in the way we sleep? Apparently so!
The National Sleep Foundation released the results of a new study in which they examined the sleeping patterns among four ethnic groups (Whites, Blacks, Hispanics and Asians). Granted, the number of participants in the study was small (only 1,007 people were polled, aged 25 to 60), but the findings are nonetheless interesting.
Blacks are most likely to pray before bedtime — 71% of Blacks in the study reported doing so. Of the four ethnic groups, Whites reported the highest rate of diagnosis for insomnia (10%), and Blacks the highest rate of diagnosed sleep apnea (14%).
Among those who were married or partnered, Asians (28%) and Hispanics (22%) were the most likely to report that they sleep in the same room with their children, compared to only 15% of Blacks and 8% of Whites.
Everybody had trouble sleeping at some point or another, but Asians are the most likely ethnic group (84%) to say that they had a good night’s sleep at least a few nights or more a week, reports the study.
What did all four ethnic groups have in common? Among those married or living together, all ethnic groups reported being “too tired for sex frequently” (21- 26% of the time). But if sex was going to happen, it was most likely among certain groups. “Blacks and Hispanics (10% each) are ten times more likely to report having sex every night than Asians (1%) and 2.5 times more likely than Whites (4%),” says the study. Does that mean Asian people need to start having more sex?
Read more about the National Sleep Foundation’s 2010 Sleep in America poll.
Asians at the Academy Awards — Oscars Red Carpet 2010
Well, unlike last year’s Oscars when we saw two Asians take the stage to accept their Academy Awards, this year, the only Asians we saw at the Oscars were on the red carpet on the arms of their partners.
There was Jason Reitman (nominated for Best Director for Up in the Air) and his wife, Michele Lee:
Shaun White’s Favorite Food? Chinese!
Olympic gold medalist and snowboarder Shaun White was interviewed on celebrity gossip show The Insider tonight and quizzed about his favorite things.
Favorite food? “Chinese food,” he said.
We are so proud he picked an Asian cuisine. But it’s too bad the interviewer didn’t ask him to name his favorite dishes. What does he like? General Tso’s chicken? Beef broccoli? Fried rice? We want details!
His other favorites:
Favorite musician: Jimmy Page
Favorite TV show: Lost
Reality show he’d most like to be on: MTV’s Jersey Shore.
White revealed he is currently single and that he is attracted to girls who sing or play instruments.
Daniel Henney Is Damn Hot
Model and actor Daniel Henney is so damn hot one wonders why he isn’t a bigger star — especially in America.
I only discovered him a few years ago when my mom was watching a Korean drama called My Name is Kim Sam Soon. I was keeping my mom company on the couch, mildly amused by the drama about a pudgy female pastry chef. Then Henney appeared on the screen and I sat bolt upright. “Who’s that?” I asked my mom, my eyes devouring his perfect face.
Daniel Henney with bear. (Facebook)
- Daniel Henney
Proof Asian Guys Can Grow Facial Hair
I seem to recall hearing some scuttlebutt about Asian guys not being able to grow facial hair. Well, here’s some proof that Asian men can grow lush, thick beards if they want. But I hope they don’t. Facial hair is gross, unattractive and is horribly itchy on contact. No one looks good with facial hair except Magnum P.I.
EXHIBIT 1: CHAN-HO PARK
Yankees Sign Chan Ho Park
South Korean-born pitcher Chan-Ho Park has been hanging out with A-Rod and Jeter and the gang in Tampa, Fla.
The New York Yankees announced on February 28 that it had signed Park to a 1-year contract worth $1.2 million with an additional $300,000 in incentives. The hulking, right-handed Park spent Sunday working out with the Yankees at spring training camp.
According to a New York Yankees press release:
“[Park] became the first-ever Korean-born player to appear in a Major League game on April 8, 1994 vs. Atlanta (w/ Los Angeles-NL) and is the first native of South Korea signed by the Yankees. His 120 career victories are second-most all-time among Asian-born pitchers behind only Japan’s Hideo Nomo (123 wins).”
Park has played for the Dodgers, Padres, Mets and, most recently, the Phillies. He was offered a one -year $3.25 million contract from the Phillies, but turned it down.
“I was deliberating on the Chicago Cubs and the Yankees, but their history and championship contention resulted in me picking the Yankees,” ESPN reports Park as saying.
Apolo Ohno’s Mother Was Teenager When She Gave Birth to Future Olympian
The fascination with Olympic short speedskater Apolo Ohno’s estranged mother shows no signs of abating.
The obsession is stoked, in part, because so little is known about her. It’s been reported that her name is Jerrie Lee, she is Caucasian, and she and Apolo’s dad, Yuki Ohno, divorced in 1983 when Apolo was only a year old.
It was unusual for the time, but when the couple divorced, it was the father who got full custody of the son, rather than the mother. This, despite the fact that Yuki owned a hair salon in Seattle, Wash., worked 12-hour days and had little time to take care of a small child. (One Halloween, little Apolo sat in his father’s salon wearing his costume, waiting to be taken trick-or-treating as it got darker and darker, and later and later. His father couldn’t leave; he had to tend to his clients.)
Why did Apolo’s father get custody? Why not his mother? Didn’t she want her baby?
One clue is revealed by a 2002 newspaper article which states that Apolo’s mother was only 18 years old when she married Yuki Ohno, a Japanese immigrant who was 37 years old at the time. When they divorced a year later when Apolo was still a baby, Yuki got custody. Maybe his teenaged mother knew she was ill-equipped to raise a child at the time.
Whatever the reason, it appears Apolo was raised with little or no contact with his mother, and hasn’t talked to her for decades. “After 19 years, it would be strange,” Apolo told the St. Petersburg Times in 2002. “I don’t have any (lost child) hotlines out for her.”
Yuki wants to keep his ex-wife out of the picture. ”There’s no story about her,” Yuki told Sports Illustrated in 2002. “No story. It’s insignificant to what he is now. We’ve got to keep it that way.”
Insignificant? No mother, whether estranged or not, is ever insignificant to a child. She may have had nothing to do with his becoming an Olympian, but as the person who gave birth to Apolo, she cannot be dismissed. Her non-presence has got be a factor in his life. It must affect him in some way that he did not experience a mother’s love while growing up.
As for the mysterious Jerrie Lee, does she watch Apolo on television when he competes in the Olympics? Did she watch several years ago when he won Dancing with the Stars? Does she think, “There is my child.” Or does she change the channel?
Asianista.com 