AngryGayBlackCanadianman

Although younger South Asian actresses such as Shilpa Shetty and Aishwarya Rai are receiving more international media attention I believe Nandita Das is more talented. Everyone talks about how pretty Shilpa and Aishwarya are but I firmly believe Nandita Das is a beautiful woman she is stunning! Nandita is very fastidious she is more of an independent art house actress and she is respected for her acting abilities. I admire Nandita because she has been able to navigate between Bollywood and Hollywood. I would love to see Nandita in a major blockbuster mainstream Hollywood film that would be amazing!

I think Nandita’s success proves a darker skinned South Asian actress can have success in Indian cinema and international movies. In South Asian cinema the actresses tend to be fair skinned and have Eurocentric features. Nandita is a beautiful brown skinned South Asian woman and she has a huge audience in India and internationally.

Nandita has a solid career she has appeared in Indian films and western movies. I remember the first time I saw Nandita act was in Deepa Mehta’s lesbian drama “Fire”. I thought Nandita’s performance was so strong in “Fire” she was very brave to be in the film. There were protests in India and even violence because some South Asian men were enraged that the movie involved South Asian actresses in a lesbian film. After “Fire” Nandita appeared in the acclaimed film “Earth”. Nandita is such a talented actress she has a new movie out called “Before The Rains”.

“Before The Rains” is set in 1937 India in the state of Kerala. Kerala is a very interesting Indian state because it is a matriarchal society and women are in control not the men. The women in Kerala have the power since literacy and higher education is available for women.

Okay I will admit the plot for “Before The Rains” is a bit derivative. How many times does there have to be a movie about a young beautiful South Asian woman in a doomed marriage? Are South Asian men being stereotyped as being pernicious and abusive to women? I have to admit I yearn to see more movies with South Asian men in more tender roles in Western cinema instead of just being evil husbands.

What is the real issue with the interracial love theme is it to create controversy or to provide texture to the film? I kind of wonder if the screenwriters or producers can think outside of the box a little bit more? Also, how can the stunning Nandita Das be just a maid? The only reason “Before The Rains” is even worth watching is because Nandita Das is in the film if she wasn’t in the movie I wouldn’t care about the film at all. I think Nandita deserves better roles to showcase her talent.

Nandita’s character in “Before The Rains” is a young beautiful South Asian maid Sajani she is in a loveless marriage to a callous South Asian man. Sajani wants more out of her life she desires excitement and pleasure. The Indian husband in “Before The Rains” is evil he beats Sajani after he finds out that she is involved in an interracial love affair with a white man. Sajani falls in love with her white boss LLinus Roche’s character Henry Moores.

The village people find out about Sajani’s interracial affair and all hell breaks loose. The movie was released in North America recently. Also, I have more good news Nandita is directing her first feature film called “In Such Times” I am so excited!

Some People say the Writer’s Strike from earlier this year is the “reason” Grey’s Anatomy’s ratings are down. I agree to a certain extent this is true. However, I have also been reading various blogs and a lot of people are still really upset that Isaiah Washington was fired last year from Grey’s Anatomy.

Isaiah Washington is a fine brother! I love Isaiah Washington he is so sexy and he’s also a very talented actor. Grey’s Anatomy lost the best actor on the program when Shonda Rhimes decided to fire Isaiah it was a dumb decision. Isaiah Washington, Chandra Wilson, and Sandra Oh were the only reasons why I watched the show.

Isaiah is still working thank goodness last year’s controversy didn’t destroy his career. I really loved the Christina and Burke relationship you cannot duplicate this kind of chemistry. I just think the whole gay slur controversy went too far the gay mafia is also very hypocritical as well.

Does anyone remember the racist anti Asian comment lesbian comedian Rosie O Donnell made on live television? Oops I forgot I guess GLAAD, HRC, and rest of the white gay mafia groups didn’t mind Rosie uttering racist Anti Asian American jokes.

I should of known better since Rosie is a rich white American lesbian she gets a free pass for her bigotry. Rosie was also an employee of ABC television. I guess ABC has different standards for white and black employees. It is like talk about double standards. The Isaiah Washington controversy proved the white gay mafia are not friends of the black community that’s for sure.

However, I can’t help but wonder if Isaiah was “white” would he have been treated so harshly and so unfairly by the mainstream media? Where was the black media? Why didn’t the black press support Isaiah more?

The only support public declaration of support for Isaiah was from the NAACP. Isaiah won best actor for his work on Grey’s Anatomy, The white gay mafia screamed at the top of their lungs but Isaiah deserved the award because the award was for his acting talent. Isaiah also received a standing ovation at the NAACP Awards because he won actor.

Look at all the incendiary comments made by white actress Katherine Heigl she also has no respect for her fellow actors, the crew, the executive producer Shonda Rhimes, or the fans. I guess Heigl gets a free pass for her disgusting unprofessional comments because she is a pretty young white woman. Heigl basically pushed the cast and crew under the bus with her flagrant grandstanding and diva like behavior.

Maybe Shonda Rhimes and ABC made a mistake maybe Katherine Heigl should of been fired instead of Isaiah Washington? Heigl wants to leave Grey’s Anatomy anyway because she thinks she is a big movie star.

Heigl better watch out though because the public is very fastidious. Heigl could end up like David Caruso. The only reason Caruso was able to return to Ton CSI Miami was because he’s actually talented. I am not sure Heigl is “really” that “talented” an actress her talent seems to be skin deep.

Katherine Heigl one of the stars of the ABC hit show Grey’s Anatomy has made some controversial statements removing herself from the nominations for this year’s Emmy awards.

Heigl said “I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention.”

Heigl also said “In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials.” The latter statement is a total dig at the writers on Grey’s Anatomy. Heigl is ungrateful, selfish, petulant, and immature.

Now some people may think Heigl is being “noble” but really she isn’t. Heigl obviously thinks she is the star of Grey’s Anatomy but she’s not. Ellen Pompeo is the star of Grey’s Anatomy not Katherine Heigl. Sandra Oh has a more prominent role on Grey’s Anatomy then Katherine Heigl as well.

Heigl doesn’t get it she is not the “star” of Grey’s Anatomy and she will “never” be the female lead on the show. It is clear to me that Heigl’s ego has gotten too big she obviously can’t handle being in a supporting role on Grey’s Anatomy.

Heigl does have a strong supporting role on the show. Heigl is taking her frustrations to the media and public in hopes of getting kicked off of Grey’s Anatomy but it won’t happen. Heigl is too important to ABC and they won’t terminate her contract.

Katherine Heigl is known for being outspoken she blasted Isaiah Washington last year in the press. I thought Heigl’s comments about Washington last year were totally out of line as well. Does anyone remember Heigl also complained about not receiving the same salary as Sandra Oh last year? Heigl has since received a salary raise. It appears Heigl is also jealous of Sandra Oh because she has a more prominent role on Grey’s Anatomy then Heigl.

However, Heigl’s comments demonstrates a lack of class and professionalism. It is clear Heigl thinks she is too a big a star to be on Grey’s Anatomy anymore. The ratings for Grey’s Anatomy have taken a hit this season due to the writer’s strike. However, Heigl probably thinks Grey’s Anatomy is slowing down her red hot film career.

Don’t feel sorry for Heigl though she gets an excellent salary for Grey’s Anatomy and since the show is now in syndication she’s going to make even more money. However, Heigl’s comments this week reeks of arrogance and petulance.

Everyone knows Heigl’s film career is on fire she was the female lead in Judd Apatow’s comedy “Knocked Up” the film grossed $ 148, 768, 917 at the domestic box office and the worldwide box office was an incredible $219, 001, 261. The production budget for Knocked Up was only $30 million dollars the movie. After the success of Knocked Up Heigl complained to the media saying the movie was “sexist”.

Heigl proved she can headline a hit movie by herself with her next film 27 Dresses . 27 Dresses was released earlier this year in January and since January is usually a slow month for the studios the expectations are not high. However, Heigl proved she does have an audience. Heigl is everything Hollywood loves she is young, attractive, blonde, and she is talented.

The domestic box office for 27 Dresses was a healthy $76, 808 654 and the worldwide box office was $158, 062,108. The budget for 27 Dresses was only $30 million dollars. The bottom line is Heigl’s career is sky rocketing she is in high demand. Heigl’s film salary is $6 million per movie and she will definitely make even more money. The quandary for Heigl is the fact she has a contract with ABC and most of the year is devoted to filming Grey’s Anatomy. Heigl wants to make movies she doesn’t want to be on Grey’s Anatomy anymore.

However, Heigl has to remember she never would of gotten the big film roles if she wasn’t a star on Grey’s Anatomy. Grey’s Anatomy put Katherine Heigl on the map in Hollywood. If Heigl wasn’t a star on Grey’s Anatomy she never would of gotten the attention of the power brokers in Hollywood. Heigl shouldn’t be slapping the writers of Grey’s Anatomy in the face with her backhanded comments.

What about Canadian actress Sandra Oh? Where is Sandra Oh’s Emmy award? Where is Chandra Wilson’s Emmy award? Where is Ellen Pompeo’s Emmy award? I thought it was kind of odd that Katherine Heigl won because I always considered her to be the weakest link on Grey’s Anatomy.

Does anyone remember Sandra Oh? Yes Sandra Oh was one of the stars of the hit comedy “Sideways” a few years back but she wasn’t the star of that film. Also, I am cognizant of the fact Sandra Oh has won a Golden Globe award and SAG award for her brilliant performance on Grey’s Anatomy.

It is nice that Sandra’s talent has been recognized by Hollywood. However, Sandra Oh isn’t being offered any leading lady roles despite the fact she is a superior actress to Katherine Heigl. Despite Sandra Oh’s incredible success on Grey’s Anatomy she is still only being offered secondary film roles.

The question is why? Why hasn’t Hollywood given Sandra Oh her breakthrough opportunity to shine on the silver screen? Nobody can say it is because the public doesn’t know Sandra Oh because she is famous. Is it an issue of race perhaps? It definitely appears to me that race is a factor here.

Katherine Heigl fits into the Hollywood category of the pretty, young, white, American, woman she already has a built in audience. Sandra Oh is viewed as an anomaly an Asian Canadian actress that was able to make it big in America.

It is interesting because in Canada Sandra Oh was always one of our biggest stars. Sandra always was a leading lady in Canada she was never second fiddle to anyone in Canada. The problem is Canadian films simply don’t generate enough international media attention or make enough money.

I remember Sandra Oh from the 1993 film “The Diary Of Evelyn Lau”. I was stunned at Sandra’s incredible acting talent. Oh followed up the Evelyn Lau movie with “Double Happiness” and she also starred in other Canadian films such as “Last Night”. Sandra Oh realized she had to move to America in order to have a profitable acting career.

Sandra Oh is successful she is a working actress and she has some acclaim in Hollywood. Katherine Heigl should be lucky she is blessed her career is thriving some struggling actress would gladly take her role on Grey’s Anatomy. Why is Heigl even complaining? Isn’t Heigl making enough cash?

Sandra Oh is in a similar predicament as another actress of colour Parminder Nagra. Nagra is the star of hit British comedy “Bend It Like Beckham” yet her co star Keira Knightley eclipsed her. Even though “Bend It Like Beckham” was a huge international hit grossing over $76 million worldwide Parminder was never offered any leading lady roles. The truth is despite Parminder’s beauty and talent she is not getting the leading lady roles because she is a South Asian British woman.

Keira Knightley is a talented actress I am not going to knock Keira but I find it odd that she is so much more successful then Parminder. Parminder should be the star of “Tulia” about the Indian American actress Vanita Gupta but of course we already known African American actress Halle Berry won that role. So what is an Asian actress supposed to do? It has got be so frustrating for Parminder and Sandra that inferior talents such as Katherine Heigl are getting the big roles while they are still in the background in supporting roles. It makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs it is so unfair.

Parminder is a British woman of South Asian descent Hollywood refuses to give South Asian actresses leading lady roles. People can say there is no “demand” for South Asian women but the truth is South Asian women aren’t even given a chance to smash the glass ceiling.

Now Knightley is a big star while Pariminder is still on ER. Parminder is a solid actress she is a star but just like Sandra Oh she is a woman of colour. Women of colour in Hollywood have it the hardest because they have to deal with the racism and the sexism of the film industry.

It is tough for women of colour to reach the top in Hollywood they have to have “cross over” appeal to reach a mainstream “white” audience. Hollywood won’t give Pariminder or Sandra the leading lady roles because they don’t think the public wants to see Asian women in leading roles but Hollywood is wrong. Hollywood refuses to even give Parminder Nagra or Sandra Oh the opportunities to shine in leading lady roles. Why can’t Asian women even be given a chance to reach the top?

I am not suggesting Oh and Nagra have to be in big budget movies. Nagra and Oh aren’t even getting the female lead in independent film either!

Hollywood doesn’t know what to do with Sandra Oh and that’s a shame.I honestly believe if the right screenwriter, or producer, and director would give Sandra the right material she could easily get an Oscar nomination due to her incredible talent.

I received a nice e-mail this morning I learned for the second time this year some of my poems got published. The SNR Review is an online literary journal and my poems “I Still”, “Star Of David”, and “Unknown Territory” got published today. I am really motivated right now to continue writing poetry because now nine poems I have written this year are published. I need to find a way to find more literary connections though. I need to find a new mentor someone that can help me reach the next level.

The question is how do I get published “in print” again? How do I get another another poetry book published? I am trying I have mailed out numerous poetry manuscripts in April 2008. Does anyone have any advice? Anyone know about any publishers accepting poetry manuscripts for publication?

I just crave to be published “in print”. I know I shouldn’t complain and I won’t because it is nice that editors acknowledge they like my poetry. I really do want to my poetry published “in print” again though.

Link to SNR Review Spring/Summer 2008

http://www.snreview.org/0108Douglas.html

After listening to Usher’s new album “Here I Stand” I am very impressed. Usher was the second crush I ever had in my life. There is just something about Usher he can sing, dance, act, and he is gorgeous! I melt every single time I see Usher on television. Usher is the new king of R&B since R Kelly is on his way out. Usher is an international superstar although R Kelly is very popular with urban audiences he isn’t as successful as Usher overseas.

I love Usher because he is a positive image of a young black man. Yes Usher admits to one night stands and cheating on girlfriends. Usher is flawed he is not perfect I admire his honesty. Usher is a very sensitive man. I love sensitive men because they are willing to open up about their feelings and emotions. I have to admit I have a weakness for sensitive male singers and songwriters. I don’t like aggressive men or macho men. I don’t like it when a man is reticent.

I read recently that Usher has fired his mother she is no longer his manager. I applaud Usher for moving on from his mother because he is now independent and following living his life on his own terms.

Usher has clearly matured he is no longer a boy he is now a man. Last year Usher married his stylist Tameka Foster and this obviously pissed off a lot of his female fans. Some of Usher’s female fans forget Usher is almost thirty years old he isn’t a twenty one year old stud anymore. Tameka isn’t gorgeous but she obviously is the woman Usher loves. Usher has always had a predilection for older women doesn’t anyone remember Chilli from TLC she’s older then Usher. I guess Chilli was more palatable because she is attractive.

I don’t understand why some black women are always complaining whenever a black male celebrity marries outside the race? Usher even pointed out he was always going to marry a black woman and have a black child. So what’s the problem? Why are some black females upset with Usher now? Some black women have told me they want to see more positive images of black love. Isn’t Usher’s marriage to Tameka good news?

I don’t care that Usher married an older woman that’s his personal business. Yes, Tameka is thirty seven but so what? Love is love. Why should Usher give up the woman he loves just because some jealous female fans can’t handle him falling in love? Don’t Usher’s fans want him to be happy? Usher deserves to be happy we all deserve to have some happiness in our lives.

The song I love the most on “Here I Stand” is called “Trading Places” in this song there is a gender role reversal. Usher sings about “making coffee, eggs, breakfast in bed” for his woman. Another song I love is “His Mistakes” in this song Usher pleads with the woman he loves to stop blaming him for her ex boyfriend’s egregious behavior.

Some fans may be upset because there are a lot of ballads on the album. Usher demonstrates on “Here I Stand” he is an incredible singer.

Other stands outs on the CD are “appetite”, “Love In The Club”, and “Lifetime”. Usher is branching out I doubt “Here I Stand” will sell as much as “Confessions” though. Confessions was Usher’s breakthrough the CD sold over 9.5 million copies in the United States. Since the public is downloading music these days I doubt “Here I Stand” will sell as much as “Confessions”. “Here I Stand” is a solid album demonstrating Usher moving in a new direction.

Choose Me is Chinese Canadian writer Evelyn’s Lau’s second short story collection. The stories in this collection are beautifully written. The stories are very depressing, sad, miserable, but also very realistic. The women in Choose Me aren’t impulsive women they are simply women that want to be loved. The question remains do these women love themselves enough to understand why they chase men that are unattainable?

My only criticism of Choose Me is that I think the women in the book needed more “agency” and “control” over their own lives. I wanted to see more independence from the female characters. I was hoping the women in Choose Me would eventually “stand up” for themselves instead of allowing themselves to be taken advantage by men. The young women in Choose Me are chasing older men that have financial resources but realize its just a mask.

The women in this book seem to be blinded by the devotion or attention of men. Shouldn’t the reader also question why did Zoe for instance in the story “Family” chase after Douglas the married father with two kids? Why was the prostitute Sybil in the story “The Outing” upset at her John for taking her to a common bawdy house?

The only story in Choose Me that shows some female agency is “A Summer Place”. Catherine isn’t in love with Barry although he invites her to Max’s summer place. Although Catherine the photographer has feelings for Max he is unattainable. Max is a good man he’s in love with Claire. Yet Catherine can’t help having feelings for Max. Max is wealthy he owns property and he’s a tall fit man.

It is clear Catherine is sexually attracted to Max for all the wrong reasons. Catherine is content though she understands that Max is in love with Claire and she doesn’t attempt to cause problems to their relationship. Catherine realizes she will have to find someone else another man that loves her and the emotional connection is mutual. Although Barry attempts to make a move on Catherine she rejects Barry because she doesn’t love him.

In one way you can argue Lau is making the women appear as though they are “victims” of their circumstances. The women are in love with men that are within their grasp yet never reaching them.

The strongest points of Choose Me is Lau plunges into the minds of these women and exposes their faults. The anger, the frustration, the passionate words Lau writes explores the fierce and frantic heterosexual relationships. Although Lau’s work can also definitely relate to gays and lesbians as well.

The bridge between women and men is wide according to Lau. The men in Choose Me are alluring, attractive, powerful but also pernicious. The men in Choose Me are evil, vindictive, they know the women love them by also love ” playing with their emotions”. These men “play mind games” “pretending to be interested” in the women yet they are just just stringing them along.

The men simply want the “attention” of the women it boosts their ego these men don’t “love” the women. The men in Choose Me are all about raising their own self esteem while hurting women in the process. Yet the men in “Choose Me” are all about “holding hands” or giving “soft kisses” or ” affectionate words” with the women until the women realize its too late.

On the one hand you can say the women could be misinterpreting the actions of these men. However, Lau suggests the men in Choose Me know exactly what they are doing. The women believe that when the men shower them with “attention” that they are interested in them. Sadly, the women soon realize these men are all about themselves. The feelings the men have for the women are ephemeral not eternal. The men also have other women on the side such as wives or girlfriends yet also want more attention.

The males in Choose Me gain strength from taking advantage of women not just for sex but just attention. Some men just like it when women are around them that are “into them” but they are not “into the women”. The way these men “keep” the women around is by making the women “think” something might happen but it never does.

The women in Choose Me realize they have to break it off and abandon these men so they can get their lives back on track. I kind of wish the stories in Choose Me were a bit longer. I was dying to  to learn more about the female characters. I wonder if Evelyn will write another short story collection?

I wish Lau had explored a bit more about the aftermath of these relationships. How did Zoe get over Douglas? Did Sybli stop prostituting? Did Catherine find true love? Evelyn Lau’s writes so eloquently with clarity about the battle field in relation to the affairs of the heart. Choose Me is a wonderful book and Lau’s writing is crisp, clear, descriptive and fantastic.