Date an Asian will be rockin’ the Sulu Series with live performances from several of the Asian hotties featured in the video, culminating in the premiere of the music video on a rather large screen!

DATE AN ASIAN PREMIERE!!!
Sun, Aug 16 at 8pm
Sulu Series
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery Street (Between Houston and Bleecker)
$8/$5 w/ student ID
http://myspace.com/suluser ies

Live premiere of the “Date an Asian” music video by Jen Kwok, featuring Soce The Elemental Wizard and directed by Ballard Boyd.

Featuring stand-up performances from: Narinder Singh, Eugene Chang, Tommy Hudson and Phil Nee. Featuring improv from Keith Huang, Jamaal Sedayao, Binu Paulose, Joel Arandia and Roy Koshy. Plus dance crew Part-Time Models!

Sulu Series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! It’s tha la bomba.

Yo, Jen and Soce be spittin’ mad…stuff…about doin’ Asian guys…which is not weird at all…or at least it won’t be, after this video comes out!!!!

Part-Time Models are fan-fricking-tastic!

This is Fred Chao. Do you know him? No? Well, you’ll want to now….

…
Also, for those of you who are interested (AND SINGLE!!!), Soce and I are performing Date an Asian live at Comix next Thursday night at a HAWT Asian dating/comedy show:

Single Asians, come meet your match!!! Or just get hammered and laugh your ass off.

K-DATE COMIX
Thurs, Aug 20 at 9:30pm
Comix
353 W 14th St (at 9th Ave)
$15 online, $20 at the door
www.comixny.com

The one and only matchmaking comedy show! Comics perform, then pair up members of the audience! Hosted by funny and fabulously talented comedian Helen Hong! The hit show regularly sells out the 120+ seat Comix main stage, and was just featured in The New York Times.

Photos by Keith Huang
Sulu Flyer by DJ Boo

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As some of you know, I just wrapped my first feature film!!! I had a small (but principal!) role singing and playing ukulele in the movie Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts and James Franco. This is the movie based on the smash hit book by Elizabeth Gilbert that was #1 for, like, 3 years. More news when it hits theaters in 2011!

Also exciting news – drawing on my classical piano training (through college, in case you ain’t know!), I will begin shooting the short film”Diminished Chords” this week. I’ll be in a principal role as a high school piano student who teaches a hearing impaired student to sing. Awwwwww….

Finally, in the realm of theatre, I’ll be in a lead role in Big Girl’s Club, a superfun/sadistic play written and directed Leah Winkler of Everywhere Theatre Group. It’s being presented at Here Arts Center as part of its Autumn Artist Lodge series.

Anyway, so much stuff!!!!!!!! I think it’s safe to say that I’m offficially back from my “break” with these projects, my upcoming full length show (August 8 at Jalopy!) and the premiere of my music video, “Date an Asian” (August 16 at Bowery Poetry Club!)!

Please keep checking back for more updates and the “Shows” section for my performance schedule.

<3 Jen

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Many of you must know that one of my most frequent collaborators and best buds in music/comedy is this dude, Soce, The Elemental Wizard.

soce

Soce is a gay Jewish MC who straddles the music and comedy worlds, and produced and raps on my song, Date an Asian. Not only does he perform a billion nights per week, but this dude also holds down a 9-to-5 and contributes to several reputable industry blogs, including The Apiary and City Scoops. Seriously, how does he do it?!

Because this guy is excellent for so very many reasons!!! I was just at the CD release party for his third album, which completely solidified what an original performer he is. Not only is he so creative, but he’s also got tons and tons of energy to spare – plus he’s really one of the nicest guys ever (who else brings Odwalla carrot juice to a party?!)! He’s been such a good friend throughout my journey in NY comedy, and has pep talked me out of many corners with his wisdom and positive outlook.

At any rate, I hope that you guys will check him out – here’s his latest music video, “They Call Me” and his new CD, Master of Fine Arts, is available for purchase online:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKiqRbPNVJc]

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Jen Kwok with Tinkerbel Tompsin and Leslie Goshko at Jalopy in Red Hook, Brooklyn. August 8, 2009 at 9pm. $10 cover. Dirty Girls in Brooklyn: A little dark, a little funny, and pretty f***in dirty!

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Date an Asian video shoot by Jen Kwok, Director Ballard Boyd, Producer and Rapper Soce The Elemental Wizard

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I went through and taped a whole bunch of Comey Central stand-up specials, as I do from time to time. De temps en temps. I JUST realized that they were all dudes. EVERY single one of ‘em. This is going back about ten years work of shows: Kevin Nealon, Hugh Fink, Jamie Kennedy, Pete Correale, Daniel Tosh, Mike Birbiglia, Leo Allen. The only female stand-up special I’ve watched in months is Wanda Sykes (who, btw, is getting her own late night talk show this fall).

Dear Jesus, I am not really one to complain and I’m definitely not a feminist, but this is really wack!!! (Should I also now mention that they were all WHITE guys too?) Do I come off kind of angry? Maybe it’s just because I’m surprised – surprised that I’m so used to it that I didn’t even realizeit was a sausage-fest until three hours later!

If I had to guess – TOTALLY guess, I’d say that of comedy shown on Comedy Central, the breakdown is this: 90% guys, 10% women

Ethnically? 95% white, 3% black, 1% hispanic and 1% “everyone else” (asian, native american, etc.)*

When I’m around the New York stand-up comedy scene, this is what I thiiiink – TOTAL guess – I see: 70% guys, 30% girls

Ethnically: 85% white, 7% black, 5% hispanic, 3% “everyone else” (asian, native american, etc.)

I’m sure this is huuuuge progress compared to the past, when I’m sure the distribution was even more fucked up. But sadly, the gender numbers are still only slightly little better than they are in, say, jazz. Or landscaping.

No doubt that others and myself are going against the grain simply by doing comedy while being who we happened to be born. A close friend in comedy once told me – somewhat annoye – that I have it easier being an Asian girl and NOT “just another” white guy. Well, maybe in some ways, like getting on an all-Asian show or an all-female show (there’s yet to be an all-Asian girl show, although it could happen if literally all five of us decided to do it). Yeah, I stick out, but as far as making it easier? This is far from an affirmative action industry.

And if you look at the end product – if you flip on the televesion as I did, it’s very evident that the glass ceiling still remains. Let’s see how long it takes to smash through.

Maybe in 10 years I will watch Comedy Central and be happy if I see:

60% men, 40% women

80% white, 10% black, 5% hispanic and 5% “everyone else” (asian, native american, etc.)

Or maybe I’d still be disappointed.

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OK, so I wrote this song called “Date an Asian”, which is all about the merits of dating an Asian guy, and I need LOTS of Asian dudes to be in it! So seriously, calling ALL Asian men!!!

Project: “Date an Asian” Music Video
Shoot Dates: July 11-12 (Sat-Sun)
Location: Greenpoint, BK

Description: “Date an Asian” is a comedic R&B song that extols the awesomeness of “dating” an Asian guy. We are looking for a wide variety of Asian/Pacific Islander guys to be in this video.

Written and Performed by Jen Kwok (NBC Stand-Up for Diversity, CNN)
Produced by and Featuring Soce, The Elemental Wizard (MTV, Sirius)*
Directed by Ballard Boyd (Logo, Collegehumor.com)*

*check out these guys’ websites at the links to your right

If you are interested in being in the “Date an Asian” music video, please hit me back at dateanasian@gmail.com with the following info:
1. Name
2. Email Address
3. Phone Number
4. Availability for July 11-12
5. Your websites, picture and any “special skills” you may have: dancing, martial arts, skateboarding, great abs – ANYTHING that a girl (or guy) might find impressive

This is an unpaid project, but a true labor of love. One reason why I became a performer was to squash wack Asian stereotypes. Asian dudes have been the butt of jokes for way too long, and this is my little love letter to spread the message that ya’ll are SEXY!!!!!

Please pass this casting message along to friends and family in the NY area who may be interested.

Thank you for your time and support, and hope to see you on the set!

<3 Jen
dateanasian@gmail.com

Awwwww yeah!!!

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It suppoooosedly takes 21 days for something to become a habit.  Good habit, bad habit – all habits nonetheless. Since taking a break from performing, I’ve noticed that I have inadvertently changed quite a few of my behaviors.  I am no longer: 1.  Obsessively, COMPULSIVELY, CONstantly checking my Gmail, faceboook, andoccasionallyMySpace. 2.  Drinking coffee every [...]

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1. Made “Swedish Wedding Soup” from Ikea meatballs, diced tomatoes and barley.

2. Cleaned the house thoroughly and reorganized our office area.

3. Practiced the ukulele 1-4 hours every day.

4. Read Aldous Huxley’s “Doors of Perception”

5. Walked around the neighborhood.

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Lady Gaga parody Lady Gag Butterface Poker Face
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EBNChW7G0M]

Produced, directed and written by the sicksick man known as Kevin Tor, mixed by Eric Fortin and performed by me.

If you like it, please PASS IT AROUND! COMMENT! RATE IT! FAVORITE IT! We want this shizznazz to go viralicious!

THANK YOU!!!!

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