Two Pinays in CBS’s Survivor episode
Here’s an interesting contribution from Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre (news editor of the New York-based The Filipino Reporter):
One of the most controversial stories in the US this week is the CBS’ launching of the upcoming season’s Survivor series wherein the top-rated reality show is pitting against each other four teams of 20 castaways according to their race • Asians, Latinos, blacks and whites • for the $1-M US prize while stranded on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
The show's format has enraged people from various states, including New York, who are demanding that the idea or the show itself, which will premiere on Sept. 14, be yanked.
Survivor is the original reality show that paved the way for other real-life series including American Idol, Big Brother and Amazing Race, as well as the Philippines’ Extra Challenge. Survivor’s latest gimmickry came at a time when racial tension is still gripping the United States.
Incidentally, two of the five members of the Asian-American tribe in the latest Survivor edition are Filipinos: Brad Virata, 29, a fashion director from Los Angeles, California; and Jenny Guzon-Bae, 36, a real estate agent from Lake Forest, Illinois.
Mychal Massie, national chairman of the conservative African-American group Project 21, told CNSNews.com, a unit of the conservative Media Research Center, that the show will perpetuate "a racial divide, and I’m not certain that this particular racial divide is not intentional to show one [racial] group as more adept or more adroit than another group." New York Post TV columnist Linda Stasi wrote that "the whole concept is racist. Of course, it's ugly as can be. So will Survivor: Race Wars be a ratings winner? You bet! If racism hadn’t turned into entertainment, it wouldn’t be called ‘playing the race card.’"
CBS has defended the show claiming that it is trying to be creative, to "try something new." And not everyone is condemning the show.
Babes Harington, a Filipina who lives in New York City and the South of France, said it's just any other game where contestants are divided according to a particular bracket. "It could be boys versus girls, or one school against another, or the youth versus the elderly," she told The Filipino Reporter. "But I understand the ongoing the controversy... it’s because of racial tension. But sometimes people have to lighten up instead of becoming paranoid."
"I think it’s a good idea," said Ashley Mead, a white woman who designs wardrobes for TV shows. "It gives people extra incentive to watch the show, now, out of sheer intrigue. I wouldn’t have watched it before, since it seemed kind of dull, but this adds new flavor."
The show’s host, Jeff Probst, said that the idea came after criticism that Survivor was not ethnically diverse enough.
"I think it fits in perfectly with what Survivor does • it is a social experiment," he told Harry Smith on CBS' Early Show. "And this is adding another layer to that experiment, which is taking the show to a completely different level."
Popular talk show host Rush Limbaugh predicted "the Asian American tribe probably will outsmart everybody, but will that help them in the ultimate survival contest?"
New York City Councilman John Liu, a Chinese American, led a coalition of officials, including the city council's black, Latino and Asian caucus, at a Friday (Aug. 25) rally at the steps of City Hall in Manhattan, urging CBS to pull the show.
Hi Chen, thanks for posting. I am intrigued with this episode. I would like to watch because I know Jenny Guzon-Bae. She was one of our "circle of friends" few years ago. I was with her Mom during our trip to the Philippines only last Jan. for medical mission! Thanks for the news!!!
Kilala mo siya ate Katz....wow, talagang aabangan ko rin yan. Sana manalo yung mga Pinoys noh....Naku, for sure topic na naman yan sa office after lunch...
Hi, Chenez! Wow! Mapanood nga ito. Social experiment daw? Siguradong paguusapan naman ito dito. Siyempre dahil nga iba't-iba pa ang lahi. I'm sure marami naman ditong magra-rally. Anyways, talagang ganito ang buhay dito. I guess gusto naman ito(meaning nung mga reactions from different people) nung network para panoorin nung show. O di siyempre, high viewership means more revenues for them. Thanks for sharing. FYI, malapit na rin nung MTV awards.
This reminds me of Jasmine Trias. Remember...most of the Filipinos in USA and Hawaii texted so that she would not be eliminated? I listened to the radio the following day and most of the announcers in the radio of course, favored the lady who got the 3rd place. Anyway, during the final episode, no matter how many times you text, you could not go through the line. I guess, they "busted" the line so that Jasmine will not win because of millions of texters. Well.....that is life!
Wow yung mga asians ang nanalo sa challenge kanina....kahit 3rd silang dumating, first naman silang natapos sa puzzle...ang galing talaga!
Puka-Puka Tribe...Go! Go! Go!
Puka Puka Tribe, clockwise from top left: Anh-Tuan (Cao Boi) Bui, Jenny Guzon-Bae, Brad Virata, Rebekah (Becky) Lee and Yul Kwon.
This message has been edited by Chenez_ako on Sep 14, 2006 6:31 PM This message has been edited by Chenez_ako on Sep 14, 2006 6:20 PM This message has been edited by Chenez_ako on Sep 14, 2006 6:17 PM
Ang galing talaga ng mga Asians!!....grabe pati pagtawid sa rope may coordination which the other tribes don't have. Kaso na inggit yung talunan and they sent one Asian (Yul from Korea) to exile island.
Jenny, 36, Lake Forest, IL...Real Estate Agent
Born in Chicago, Jenny Guzon-Bae was raised in the western suburb of Melrose Park, Illinois. A natural tomboy, Guzon-Bae was often found playing football, softball, basketball, climbing trees or racing bikes with the boys in her neighborhood. Despite her parents' efforts to make her more lady-like by enrolling her in ballet and gymnastics (13 years of training), Jenny preferred beating out the boys. It wasn't until high school that Jenny finally embraced her feminine side, but she was still the fierce competitor on the inside.
A skilled writer, Guzon-Bae began honing her skills at age 15 when she was hired as a columnist for VIA Times, the largest minority newspaper in the Chicago area. She eventually graduated college with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in journalism from Columbia College in Chicago. She parlayed her writing skills into the spoken word when she became a television reporter for Chicago's only Filipino-American news program, "Philippine News Reports." Having retired from reporting a few years ago, Guzon-Bae continues to serve her community by emceeing various social events. She is currently a real estate agent.
Guzon-Bae heads up a volleyball league in her spare time. She also enjoys shopping, yoga, pilates, traveling and playing the board game Scrabble. She recently took up fencing, tennis and belly dancing. She enjoys watching boxing, basketball and football.
Guzon-Bae is a member of the North Shore Barrington Association of Realtors.
Guzon-Bae currently resides in Lake Forest, Illinois with her husband, Don, and their son, Casey. They have three dogs: Cola (an Australian Shepherd), Peanut (a Pembroke Corgi) and Sam (an American Eskimo). Her birth date is May 8, 1970.
This message has been edited by Chenez_ako on Sep 21, 2006 5:47 PM
Brad, 29, Los Angeles, CA fashioin designer
Brad Virata was raised in the small town of Oak Harbor, Washington, just outside of Seattle. The youngest of five children, he excelled at track, football and volleyball during his teenage years.
Virata received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in international communications from the University of Washington and was an active member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Shortly after graduation, Virata traveled throughout Europe and Asia working as a model. He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in fashion and attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. He began working in couture clothing sales and clothing design merchandising for Guess? Men's Division. He spent five years with the company and helped launch the clothing line "Los Angeles Denim Atelier." He currently works as the Director of Men's Merchandising for Lucky Brand Jeans.
Virata is an avid beach volleyball player and surfer. His hobbies include weight training, running, rollerblading, power yoga, beach volleyball and international travel. He is most proud of giving back to his community through work with organizations such as AIDS Project Los Angeles, Project Angel Food, Starlight Foundation and the Big Brothers Program of Los Angeles.
Virata is single and currently resides in Santa Monica, California, with his Boston terrier named Maxx. His birth date is November 23, 1976.
Becky, 28, Washington, DC attorney
Born to South Korean immigrants in Flushing, New York, Rebekah "Becky" Lee was raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. She attended Thomas Jefferson High School where she played varsity tennis all four years and did international volunteer work in several developing countries.
Lee received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in women's studies from the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she was an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi and the Women's Boxing team. Lee continued on to receive her Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. While there, she was elected president of the Asian Law Students Association and was involved with Pitt Law Women's Association and Pittsburgh Asian American Young Professional Association.
Interested in the prevention of domestic violence, she has been working on issues concerning domestic violence survivors over the last eight years as a policy associate and attorney. She is also passionate about creating awareness of the specific needs of battered immigrant women, such as language access and cultural competency. She has previously worked as a kickboxing instructor, policy associate and legal intern.
Lee enjoys playing competitive sports, doing hot yoga, traveling to warm climates and going out with her girlfriends. Her favorite sport is football, and she especially loves watching her two favorite teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Michigan Wolverines. She regularly plays flag football and tennis. She is most proud of passing the bar exam. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Lee currently resides in Washington, D.C. Her birth date is September 11, 1977.
Yul, 31, San Mateo, CA management consultant
Yul Kwon was born in Queens, New York to parents who emigrated from South Korea. The family moved to the West Coast when he was six years old and he was raised in Concord, California. He attended high school at Northgate High in Walnut Creek, California, where he played varsity water polo and track and graduated valedictorian.
Kwon then attended Stanford University and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in symbolic systems (theoretical computer science). While at Stanford, he received the James Lyons Award for Service, attended officer candidates school for the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Kwon went on to receive his Juris Doctor Degree from Yale Law School, where he served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal.
Kwon has enjoyed a diverse career straddling both the private and public sectors in law, business and technology. He practiced a mix of litigation, appellate, transactional and regulatory work at several law firms. He also served as a judicial clerk to a federal judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, he worked as a legislative aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman in Washington, D.C., where he helped draft sections of the Homeland Security Bill and other technology-related legislation. Several years ago, Kwon decided to switch careers and become a management consultant at McKinsey. From there, he joined Google's business strategy group and most recently went back into consulting.
Kwon's favorite hobbies include politics, boxing, ultimate fighting and volunteering with kids. He describes himself as idealistic, compassionate and ambitious. He became passionate about creating awareness for more minority bone marrow donors in the U.S. after launching a major search to find a match for his best friend who was diagnosed with leukemia, but ultimately succumbed to the disease.
Kwon is a member of the Washington, D.C. and California State Bar Associations. He is also a member of the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Kwon currently resides in San Mateo, California. His birth date is February 14, 1975.
Cao Boi, 42, Christianburg, VA Prelate, Loyal order of moose
Born in Vietnam, Anh-Tuan "Cao Boi" (pronounced Cowboy) Bui was a Vietnam War refugee when he was 11 years old. He eventually moved to the U.S. and attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He previously worked as a photographer, used car salesman, fisherman and farm hand. He currently works as a nail salon manager.
Bui's hobbies include bicycling, hiking, sky diving, photography and meditation. He hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2003 and has biked cross-country. He also enjoys playing classical music on his Martin Backpacker guitar.
Bui is the world-record holder in Marathon Softball where he played for 100 hours while serving in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. He is a member of the Loyal Moose Lodge #1470 in Christiansburg, Virginia, 82nd Airborne Division Association, Boy Scouts of America and Cub Scouts of Vietnam.
Bui is married to Kristol Bond and has two children, Jesse Dakota and Nicholas Roundtree. He has one dog, Charlie Woof, which he brought back from Vietnam when he visited in 2003. He also has two cats, Minki and Pinki. He currently resides in Christiansburg, Virginia. His birth date is April 10, 1964.
