The Informed Drinker: In the Beginning, There Was Rum
Why We Don't Like You: Texas A&M Aggies
![Weekend Music Preview: Woven Bones Tour Kick-Off [Beerland / Friday]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2009/11/beerland_27nov2009_250-thumb-110x110-460924.jpg)
Weekend Music Preview: Woven Bones Tour Kick-Off [Beerland / Friday]
Thief Nabs $10K Flagship Trek Bike From Mellow Johnny's
![Turkey Time Means Focusing on Football, Film, and Food! [Extra Extra]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2009/11/4118824456_b29afe8992_m-thumb-110x110-461242.jpg)
Turkey Time Means Focusing on Football, Film, and Food! [Extra Extra]
It's a mad, mad world out there, folks. If you don't believe us, just check it out for yourselves...
LAist tracks an award-winning TV writer who worked on Good Times to a homeless shelter and sees a Little Old Lady get a jaywalking ticket because she can't get across fast enough (in the same post!). Poets invade Metro and an LAist contributor's new book asks WWJB.
Gothamist gets down with the immigration rally and their readers want to be heard. The anniversary of the Mets' 1986 World Series is celebrated via a RBI Baseball reenactment, construction begins on Highline Park and deliverymen sue their pizza making employer.
Houstonist saw a local newspaper cancel a conservative comic strip and the right get worked up over it. The Texas Alcohol Commission is reconsidering its new tactic of arresting drunks before they hit the street, some guy got hit by two different cars while mowing his lawn and immigrants rallied.
Bostonist posts on that marathon thing and the Red Sox. Marathon thing and the Red Sox. Marathon. Red Sox. Get it? And then the running of the immigrants.
SFist is shocked (shocked) to be named the gayest city in the country. Immigrants rally, Bonds may be indicted and their mayor rocks Vanity Fair along with a bunch of fat guys.
Chicagoist talks to Perry Farrell about the Lolapalooza Festival that has squated on Chicago and then comments on NewCity's annual rock list. They change tack to investigate the Empire Carpet guy and point out that guys, in general, may be kind of complex.
Torontoist sees their city's seal hunt and suggests a seal club sandwich recipe. And there's a reaction, of course. They interview the editors of an online breakup letter collection and their mayor makes the hallowed pages of Vanity Fair.
Austinist went interview crazy this week and talked with the director of Brick Rian Johnson, the Executive Director of the Texas Commission on the Arts Ricardo Hernandez and the band Of Montreal. Also, Austin is the 2nd greenest city in the country.
Shanghaiist brings the dirt on racist gym shoes from Adidas and the triumphant return of PCs with MSDOS installed. Do these things contribute to or mitigate a quality of life ranking of 103rd globally.
Seattlest would like to dispute the NYT's take on black chefs. The city's chins wag over transportation and the proposed Red Light district. Seattle is lacking in a numerically precise amount of areas and the immigrants are on the loose.
Phillyist invites everybody to their city's pillow beat down this week. People who aren't up for that can also check the zombie pub crawl. AOL's review of Philly's dining is reviewed and, hey, it's Easter.
*Banner image (c) Matt Wright
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Did you know that the creator of Ray Fong, Barry McGee, is half Chinese? With that knowledge my question is, can a person be racist against their own race?
This post was written by Eric Nakamura, a friend of the artist.
---------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
I know Asian Americans rally through emails. It seems like any worthwhile independent project or controversial topic spreads quickly this way. This is one of them, and honestly, it's not the most important topic, but it is something that I think you should know.
Yesterday, I received a pair of Ray Fong Adidas. They are truly beautiful shoes. The box, laces, and details are amazing. I doubt a sneaker can get much better. I put up some photos at:
http://www.giantrobot.com/blogs/eric
I realize there's a lot of controversy over the Ray Fong image that appears on this shoe. It's been on CNN and BBC in addition to the viral emails I mentioned. As a friend of the artist Barry McGee, I feel the need to come forward and address the topic.
I've known Barry for nearly ten years, and I can safely say that he isn't racist. For many of you who are following this controversy, you should know that Barry McGee is half Chinese-American, and has been featured on the cover of Giant Robot magazine multiple times. We were proud to exhibit the work of Ray Fong at our gallery in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Let me try to explain who Barry McGee is.
Coming from a graffiti artist background in San Francisco, Barry has transformed into an important contemporary artist in America. I personally believe that he has taken aspects of modern graffiti, including bombs, tags, throw-ups, stickering, and scribing, and made them acceptable in the world of fine art. Since his ascension in art, there have been numerous gallery and museum exhibits highlighting the new genre. The movement is featured in books and magazines around the world. One can also argue that it's given rise to a new industry in America, which is young contemporary art and many art-related products including designer toys, clothing lines, and, of course, sneakers. Barry is at the forefront of this, albeit unintentionally.
Making any product is rare for Barry McGee, and the shoe by Adidas should be appreciated as an art object. At $250, it's obviously intended for a select audience, which may but most likely won't include you. The image isn't a joke at anyone's expense; it's part of Barry's artwork. From his own words, the image is actually a no-holds-barred depiction of himself as a child. This isn't a racist Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt or an offensive Adam Carolla broadcast. Imagery like this is something that's been done by many respected artists including Kara E. Walker, Kehinde Wiley, James Luna, and Manuel Ocampo. Basically it's taking negative stereotypical imagery and using them in a proud manner. Barry McGee's Ray Fong image can be looked at in a similar light, and will undoubtedly outlive us all. It will be placed into permanent collections in museums. It will be written about for years to come. It may eventually be in art history books. I believe that Barry's art is precious, and a
n important part of art history.
As an Asian American, I am proud to have Barry McGee as a role model. In the realm of graffiti and street art culture, there are few Asian-American faces involved, and none with Barry's widespread appeal. He is perhaps the most respected graffiti artist of all, and his audience ranges from broke art kids to billionaire museum benefactors. Most Asian Americans may not know Barry McGee or appreciate his art (yet), and that's a shame, but I recognize him as a hero and rank him among the 50 most culturally important Asian Americans.
Lastly, I know that this will eventually boil over and disappear. Those who hate Adidas for the moment will probably go back and buy a pair of shoes. I was going to let this go away, but after hearing the constant talk and reports of racism associated with Barry McGee, I felt the need to explain the Ray Fong I know. Help spread this side of the story.
Eric Nakamura
Giant Robot magazine
Giant Robot stores
gr/eats