BAFTAs

[mrs_jingles]

As you all probably know, HOFD is nominated in 9 categories to the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards including best Foreign language Film and Best Actress (Zhang Ziyi). The ceremony will take place on Saturday February 12th. at the Odeon Theater (leicerster Square, Londond) Does anybody know if Takeshi will be there?
Are there some english people on this board? Is anybody maybe planning to go there to see Takeshi on the red carpet??
I would be happy if I could at least watch him on TV. We get to see so less from him on this side of the globe
Thanks for any Information

Love, M_J

[Webmaster]

I'm sorry to say... I don't think Takeshi will be going to London again 'cause he went there by himself just 2 months ago promoting HOFD. I know somebody was lucky enough to see him in person in the premiere though!!

Hey the premiere was probably held in Leicerster Square! That little theater near Chinatown right? You can always see stars there.

This site is in English only so I can say everyone speaks English here... don't even worry 'bout it They're just too shy for now.

[Yekiel]

Hey there!

Yes, that was me there lucky enough to see TK at the London Film Festival Premiere of HOFD (which, by the way, was at the Odeon West End, a pretty big cinema directly on Leicester Sq. The small one off Leicester Sq is the Prince Charles Cinema, and you don't really get to see any big stars there. I know cause I work there The biggest ones we had was the Hellboy cast)!

Thanx for mentioning me here!

I was sitting next to the corridor leading to the stage in front of the screen, where a line of people was standing, while one of the organisers was holding a speech. I turned to look who the people were and thought my heart just stopped dead...

TK was leaning against the wall, listening to the organiser and waiting for his call to come on stage. Totally off guard and unaware of anything else.

And me... I was so starstruck I didn't take a photo! 1m away, fer goodness' sake!

I have to say though that he didn't look very tall, and he didn't stand out much, either, wearing a black suit. Just looked like your regular guy. He does look gay, though.

Oh, I know this has nothing to do with Takeshi: does anyone know anything about Takuya Kimura, and whether he's gay? He very much looks like it... What is it with the Asian guys, I wonder...?!

Anyhow, thanx for sending me the link to this page. Will check it out more often. Til then keep up the good work!

See ya, Inga

[archyteckie]

Yekiel said:

Oh, I know this has nothing to do with Takeshi: does anyone know anything about Takuya Kimura, and whether he's gay? He very much looks like it... What is it with the Asian guys, I wonder...?!

Takuya kimura does look gay. But I think it's a Bishounen, "pretty boy," thing. Anyone who watches anime or plays video games knows of the male characters who look like girls with Long hair, tall, slender, and delicate features. To western eyes, he looks gay but to the Japanese girls he's beautiful. But I guess it really no different than the look of Justin Timberlake, Nick Carter, or any boyband. Who to many look gay but girls still love them.

[Asian Female]

You know, it is so racist to say that Asian men look gay because they are thin and waifish. The world doesn't revolve around machismo crap that western men export. All this talk Kaneshiro looking gay is ridiculous. The man is beautiful, he's Asian, he has Asian mannerism--and I am proud to find him sexually arousing. Western men are uncouth and brash, and I rarely find western men physically attractive.

My point: Don't generalize and make comments about someone's sexuality based on racist and stereotypical notions of western ideology. Asian WOMEN: stand up for your men--and smack anyone who makes racist comments.

[VERONICA]

first of all, asian female, you are responding to comments that were made TWO MONTHS ago. as you can see, the board has moved on! maybe you should, too.

secondly, the comments made were not racist. damn, most of the people on this board are ASIAN. to top it off, i stated openly that i think men who are on the thin side and slightly "feminine" are the types i like best. i NEVER said that "asian men look gay because they are thin". i looked over some of the posts before yours and i don't see where anyone else said that, either. one poster did comment "what is it about asian men?" but i don't think she was referring to them just being thin, but rather to their overall look/carriage. i did not like the fact that she said takeshi "did look gay, though". but i chose not to respond to it. she's allowed her opinion. if she thought he looked gay, well, she's the one who saw him in person. it's her opinion. i happen to not think he looks gay. i also happen to not THINK he's gay, either, so that settles that.

about my comments toward kimura: i meant what i said at the time, and i wasn't referring to him being thin but to the fact that he is so pretty and always has his hair done up and he's always posed in such a way that's too feminine for my tastes. however, in another thread on this board, posted yesterday, i retracted my statements about kimura, as i have gotten to "know" him better since i first learned of who he was back in february. i no longer think he looks or acts gay. in fact, i think he's rather manly! he's just kimura. no one else like him. just like there's no one else like takeshi. but back then, i thought different about kimura and i sure won't be apologizing for it!

everyone here loves takeshi and thinks he's beautiful and wonderful. seriously, you're barking up the wrong tree.

[Asian Female]

Veronica:
The issue isn't whether these posts are from two months ago or not. The point is that for anyone ask "what is it about Asian men" is reprehensible. In many other forums on Takeshi, and other Asian men, there are many posts similar to the one here. The bottom line is that there is a ridiculous western ideal of what is straight or not. The fact that you say that "thin" men seem gay to you is your western bias. Most of Asian men IN ASIA are thin. That is attractive. That is straight. I am sick and tired of western women--or Asian women in the west or Asian women who have bought into western propaganda--trying to make excuses for why Asian men may not be gay.

Regardless, let's face it. No one here is in love with the real Takeshi. We are all in love with THE IMAGE of Takeshi. Unless someone KNOWS Takeshi let's stop ridiculous speculation about his sexuality. That's his business. Enjoy his beauty. Don't make assumptions about him or other Asian men.

[Inga]

Jesus, this is getting really messy here, why's everyone so uptight about the sexual preferences and looks of some actors?

considering kimura, he's been married for some years to fellow actress and singer kudo shizuka and they have a baby daughter.
but he is often portrayed as feminine, especially in his earlier photobooks, where he dresses up as women, with make-up, clothes and all that. japanese seem to be more into gender-blending, but just have a look at the mangas and you know that (and this is my opinion, so please don't start harassing me). also i want to add i don't really care whether they're gay or not, as long as they're good actors and pleasing to the eye so what's the big issue?

generally i want to say that this is a fan page, where we are supposed to share our passion for some really good asian actors and not discriminate against each other, just because we might have differing opinions. i'd like to think we're grown-up enough for that. cheers.

[Yekiel]

dear asian female:

i wasn't making any racist remarks, i very much like asian guys and i do find them very attractive, otherwise i wouldn't be here. please be so kind and don't go ahead and weigh every single word someone writes. also, you're a fine one to speak. accuse me of being racist and call western men uncouth and brash in the same instant. now what do you call that??!!

i hope we can stop that bullshit now and enjoy the page for what it is: a fan page about some of the hottest asian actors around. cheers.

[MissCarlos]

Asian Female: I suggest that you stop being contradicting and think before you speak. You're getting the word "racist" mixed up with "judgemental".

If anyone were racist around here, the Webmistress would have banned them a LONG time ago.

Are YOU in love with the real Takeshi? Or is it his image that has you in love with him? Before you jump to any conclusions, you need to think about what you're saying.

Takeshi has fans, of all kinds, no matter what they look like or their sexual preference (there's a Russian here who's a fan of his. I'm Canadian. See how wide his fan base is?).

My favourite Canadian actor is straight but guess what? There are homosexual men who find him attractive. Some people even wondered if he WAS gay or straight. People pondered and told those who were wondering in a calm and friendly manner that he's straight, why? In a movie, he played a very convincing guy who's sexually confused and who had some rather steamy encounters with another man on-screen.

I happen to have a Japanese friend. He's not considered to be one of the most gorgeous Japanese guys in the world but I find him adorable and cute. I hold him near and dear to my heart.

Before anything else, I want you to know that I dislike your attitude on here. It's NOT because of your ethnic background. People from all walks of life have bad attitudes but that does not mean that everyone of every colour and creed are all bad because because we're not all bad people.

Not all of us Westerners are judgemental people. In fact, many of us find Japanese and Chinese to erotic and exotic becuase it's not something that's totally common over here.

Thing is, the term "gay" has been shifted around a whole lot and I dispise the fact that people would look at someone and think that they're gay because of what they look like. I've SEEN gay pride parades. Not all of the guys look slim and girly. A LOT of them are buff. Even some lesbians. I know a couple of lesbians. I went to school with one, but if anyone were to look at her, they wouldn't think she's one.

I am not ganging up on you nor am I overly mad at you. I am explaining to you my feelings in a calm manner, granted I probably DID come off a bit harsh at the beginning but it wasn't on purpose.

You're more than welcome here. In fact, the more fans the better so that everyone can know how much of a great Asian talent he is. Just don't be so quick to judge people.

[Asian Female]

Hi: I appreciate all of your comments back to me. I can see that you are all very passionate and really good people. My anger was raised by one comment made ("What is it about Asian men?") and the idea that "slender and feminine" look is gay. I mention this because that IS a stereotype of Asian men in western media. Go to AsianMediaWatch.com to see how Asian men are portrayed in western media. Recently there was a major magazine on U.S. stands that had a picture of a "pretty" man on it, and the caption read "Gay or Asian." After protest from civil liberties and anti-dafamation leagues, that cover was pulled.

Look, I am not trying to accuse you all of anything. I just want you to be aware of how the concept of sexual-orientation is embedded in women--especially in western culture where people like 50 cent and other rappers who represent women like they are "candy girls" is seen as "straight."

I like the gentleness that Kaneshiro excudes. I like his non-macho appeal.

I hope you all will just be more conscious of how it sounds when categorical statements about "Asian Men" are made--especially when their manhood is questioned like this.

Let's just enjoy this artist's talents and enjoy his beauty.

[MissCarlos]

That's pretty stupid for a magazine's cover to say "Gay or Asian". There are gay men of ALL colours. Yeesh. I'm glad that magazine was taken care of.

What stemmed the conversation of Takeshi's sexuality was by one member who seems to be obsessed by it (she was convinced that the April Fool's joke about Keanu Reeves being gay was true). At the other incarnation of the forums, she asked if Takeshi's gay and if he is, she'll no longer be a fan of his. She asked that SAME question here.

It doesn't MATTER who he prefers. Just because he's Asian doesn't automatically make him gay. Yes, many Asian men look beautiful, to the point that many (not including myself) would think that they're gay because they're too beautiful to be straight, but that happens in ALL cultures. Some people tend to jump to ridiculous conclusions about other's sexuality BASED on what they look like.

I have a gay uncle and he's not the pretty looking type and he's not the buff looking type, either.

And I gotta admit, some drag queens look better than some women.

[SamIAm]

Despite the heated nature of this debate, it's great to see such a level of intelligent discourse not found on many other actors' forums. That said, as the topic is no longer focused on the BAFTAs, shouldn't a new thread be created to continue this discussion?

[VERONIC]

SamIAm said:

Despite the heated nature of this debate, it's great to see such a level of intelligent discourse not found on many other actors' forums. That said, as the topic is no longer focused on the BAFTAs, shouldn't a new thread be created to continue this discussion?

i second that! i think it's a great topic. i had some more things to say but i felt that maybe it was too off-topic and i didn't want to annoy people, but if others are interested maybe...

...webmaster could you rename this thread to something like "OT: Asian Men"? that might help... (OT is "off topic")

[OleWiseOne]

Guest-Asian said:

I mention this because that IS a stereotype of Asian men in western media. Go to AsianMediaWatch.com to see how Asian men are portrayed in western media. Recently there was a major magazine on U.S. stands that had a picture of a "pretty" man on it, and the caption read "Gay or Asian." After protest from civil liberties and anti-dafamation leagues, that cover was pulled.

I certainly don't want to contribute to the off-topic nature of this discussion, but I do just want to say that I remember seeing that magazine article; and, as an Asian person, it was extremely offensive to me. It surprises me how many stereotypes exist about Asian men (& Asian people in general) within the Western media & how nonchalantly they're thrown out. It may not be apparent to those of non-western descent, but it's really obvious to me. Would that magazine even have THOUGHT about putting out something like that if it referred to African-Americans or Hispanics? Don't think so.

The typical protrayal of an Asian man in Western media: nerdy or undesirable (Sixteen Candles, Y Tuma Mama Bien, American Idol), dictatorial (Last Samurai, Shogun), effeminate (Miss Saigon, that movie with John Lone where he's playing an actor who dresses like a woman & convinces a Western man that he's a women so that this man marries the Asian male actor not knowing that he's really man-it's based on a true story). The list goes on, but I can't remember any more movie titles.

Until recently (like around 2000), how many Asian men were considered sex symbols within Western culture? I can only think of one, Bruce Li. Then, more recently Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat & maybe Tony Leung were considered attractive ... but their appeal is limited to certain Western populations. And just these few compared to how many countless Asian stars there really are ... the Western media doesn't seem to see the appeal of Asian men at all.

That is, not until Takeshi came within the western media's radar. Whenever I see his name mentioned in the Western media, they stick adjectives like handsome, dashing, pop idol & the like, to describe him. And yet, it can't just be left at the fact that he's a good-looking Asian man, there has to be that undercurrent questioning whether he's gay or not. Not that it matters, but why even bring it up?

It seems like the fact that a good-looking Asian man can't exist in and of itself, there has to be some condition connected to the fact that he's Asian & he's good-looking - and that condition always seems to be that he's gay.

It's insulting to gay people & to Asian people.