Party - Interesting Documentary on the Asian American Clubbing Scene
While watching ImaginasianTV one night, I saw a preview for a documentary called Party, which seemed to be about the Asian Amerian clubbing scene in NYC, particularly the Korean clubbing scene. Of course, this piqued my interest so I DVR'ed it and watched it last night.
Overall, I found the documentary pretty insightful and entertaining and it was a good effort by first time directors Steven Hahn and Francis Hsueh. But a great first half was totally forgotten when the boring and depressing second half took place.
Party focuses on the nightlife for Asian Americans in New York City and why the AAs feel the need to separate themselves from the white parties. This part I found to be very interesting. The directors interviewed the partygoers and asked them what drew them to AA parties and clubs and I found all of the interviews fascinating. Here are some summaries:
- The promoters felt the need for AA parties because they feel out of place at typical "white" clubs. While not admitting that white woman would shut them down or whatever, they admitted that the whole scene would just be awkward with a group of 5 or 6 AA guys at the bar (little Chinatown, he called it) and that they would just stand out too much. Having a AA party lets them be in their own element and be more comfortable.
- Asian women felt like they would be candidates for fantasy fulfillment at white clubs, falling prey to the white man's curiosity for the typical exotic Asian woman stereotype. At AA parties, they wouldn't have to worry about that. They'll just be typical pieces of meat like everyone else. =)
- 2 AA woman described the typical AA man at a club to a tee! They said that the typical Asian guy would come to clubs with his "one pair of Diesel jeans, and his designer shirt untucked". I just had to laugh at that one. I just feel like it's so right on the money.
On my last trip to San Francisco, I went to a club event and it was an "Asian night" event. I did not really want to go cuz I knew what to expect plus I was already having fun at the place I was currently at but I ended up going at the urging of the friend whose cousin was running the event. Sure enough, I swear every guy in that place looked exactly the same. They were like clones. Designer jeans. Long sleeve dress shirt, untucked and buttoned at the sleeve. Short hair, gelled to the max so that it looked like a little spiky bush. It was so ridiculous. It's like every Asian guy at Ocean's here. It was actually very comical. How are the women supposed to tell the men apart when they all look like clones?
- Then another interview with another AA women also hit home. She was saying that Asian men don't have the balls to just approach women and tell her she's attractive, cute, hot, whatever. They always do it in sneaky ways, so as to avoid getting hurt directly. Like telling their friend to tell the girl he thinks she's cute or telling the girl's friend the same thing. Never directly. That girl said that she would go out with any guy that just approached her directly and told her he thought she was attractive, just as a reward for having the quijones to approach her. I thought that was pretty interesting.
Then other women commented on the other sneaky attack that they called "biscuiting". It's where the girls are dancing on the floor, and then the guy comes up from behind the girl and just starts dancing with them from behind, so it looks like they're dancing together. I've never done it myself, but I've seen it done every time I go to a club and it's pretty funny. I didn't know there was a word for it though. I don't know how they came up with "biscuiting".
- One of the promoters was a Chinese male and he had some insightful thoughts on AAs and their lack of interest in politics. He stated that AAs are only primarily concerned about themselves and their families. They couldn't care less about anyone else or the world or even the city around them, unless it affected them. That's why they show such a lack of interest in politics and don't utilize their right to vote at election time. Sad, but true.
- There was this one story about this woman who confessed she had a 5 year long romantic relationship with her cousin. That was pretty weird.
- One Korean Amerian male talked about how he feels he has no place in the world and that's why he hangs out in Koreatown. Being Asian, he looks different than the whites and feels awkward and out of place in the white world. But he can't go to Korea because he doesn't speak the language. So he hangs out in Koreatown, where there are others who look like him and share his plight.
That was all in the first half, which I found pretty damn entertaining. Then the 2nd half concentrated on these 2 friends, young Korean American girls and their backgrounds. They were so BORING! They kept going on and on about being bad girls in high school, hanging out with gangsters, partying, etc. and I just found it dreadful. Such a cliche, I thought. I wanted to get more info on the clubbing scene, not on these 2 boring women. That's where the film lost me. Instead of even integrating the stories of these 2 with other more interesting things, the film just concentrated on them for way too long and that's when I started FF'ing the DVR.
But anyway...overall, the film was pretty interesting and I would recommend checking it out either on ImaginasianTV if they air it again or buy the DVD.
Party movie website
Party DVD at Amazon
Overall, I found the documentary pretty insightful and entertaining and it was a good effort by first time directors Steven Hahn and Francis Hsueh. But a great first half was totally forgotten when the boring and depressing second half took place.
Party focuses on the nightlife for Asian Americans in New York City and why the AAs feel the need to separate themselves from the white parties. This part I found to be very interesting. The directors interviewed the partygoers and asked them what drew them to AA parties and clubs and I found all of the interviews fascinating. Here are some summaries:
- The promoters felt the need for AA parties because they feel out of place at typical "white" clubs. While not admitting that white woman would shut them down or whatever, they admitted that the whole scene would just be awkward with a group of 5 or 6 AA guys at the bar (little Chinatown, he called it) and that they would just stand out too much. Having a AA party lets them be in their own element and be more comfortable.
- Asian women felt like they would be candidates for fantasy fulfillment at white clubs, falling prey to the white man's curiosity for the typical exotic Asian woman stereotype. At AA parties, they wouldn't have to worry about that. They'll just be typical pieces of meat like everyone else. =)
- 2 AA woman described the typical AA man at a club to a tee! They said that the typical Asian guy would come to clubs with his "one pair of Diesel jeans, and his designer shirt untucked". I just had to laugh at that one. I just feel like it's so right on the money.
On my last trip to San Francisco, I went to a club event and it was an "Asian night" event. I did not really want to go cuz I knew what to expect plus I was already having fun at the place I was currently at but I ended up going at the urging of the friend whose cousin was running the event. Sure enough, I swear every guy in that place looked exactly the same. They were like clones. Designer jeans. Long sleeve dress shirt, untucked and buttoned at the sleeve. Short hair, gelled to the max so that it looked like a little spiky bush. It was so ridiculous. It's like every Asian guy at Ocean's here. It was actually very comical. How are the women supposed to tell the men apart when they all look like clones?
- Then another interview with another AA women also hit home. She was saying that Asian men don't have the balls to just approach women and tell her she's attractive, cute, hot, whatever. They always do it in sneaky ways, so as to avoid getting hurt directly. Like telling their friend to tell the girl he thinks she's cute or telling the girl's friend the same thing. Never directly. That girl said that she would go out with any guy that just approached her directly and told her he thought she was attractive, just as a reward for having the quijones to approach her. I thought that was pretty interesting.
Then other women commented on the other sneaky attack that they called "biscuiting". It's where the girls are dancing on the floor, and then the guy comes up from behind the girl and just starts dancing with them from behind, so it looks like they're dancing together. I've never done it myself, but I've seen it done every time I go to a club and it's pretty funny. I didn't know there was a word for it though. I don't know how they came up with "biscuiting".
- One of the promoters was a Chinese male and he had some insightful thoughts on AAs and their lack of interest in politics. He stated that AAs are only primarily concerned about themselves and their families. They couldn't care less about anyone else or the world or even the city around them, unless it affected them. That's why they show such a lack of interest in politics and don't utilize their right to vote at election time. Sad, but true.
- There was this one story about this woman who confessed she had a 5 year long romantic relationship with her cousin. That was pretty weird.
- One Korean Amerian male talked about how he feels he has no place in the world and that's why he hangs out in Koreatown. Being Asian, he looks different than the whites and feels awkward and out of place in the white world. But he can't go to Korea because he doesn't speak the language. So he hangs out in Koreatown, where there are others who look like him and share his plight.
That was all in the first half, which I found pretty damn entertaining. Then the 2nd half concentrated on these 2 friends, young Korean American girls and their backgrounds. They were so BORING! They kept going on and on about being bad girls in high school, hanging out with gangsters, partying, etc. and I just found it dreadful. Such a cliche, I thought. I wanted to get more info on the clubbing scene, not on these 2 boring women. That's where the film lost me. Instead of even integrating the stories of these 2 with other more interesting things, the film just concentrated on them for way too long and that's when I started FF'ing the DVR.
But anyway...overall, the film was pretty interesting and I would recommend checking it out either on ImaginasianTV if they air it again or buy the DVD.
Party movie website
Party DVD at Amazon
posted by Myong Choi at 9:02 AM
2 Comments:
They should have filmed WW and watch all the AA women come to him. He don't even have to move, they just stand in line and wait for their turn.
Went to Asian parties in SF too but 3/4 of the crowd were Chinese. Chinese guys are more aggressive and will come up and start talking even asking very silly questions like do you know a Jenny that used to go to University of Hawaii and she has brown hair? And the ones I talked to said they were from Oakland and came over for the party.
The Korean guys hung out by the wall and just do the 'are you Korean girl I am Korean boy' stare but have no guts to do anything but mental telepathy.
Are you more aggressive? Girls like that!
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