Asian Entertainment News & Celebrity Gossip

Here’s another picture post. Rather than the obvious concept of Asian beauty, I thought I’d challenge your view of conventional aesthetics by featuring someone most people either are gaga or gagging about… not much middle ground on this one. May the Dumpling introduce to you, Devon Aoki… here’s some background info for ya:

Anyone familiar with the knife wielding skills of Japanese chefs at restaurant chain, Benihana’s, should be familiar with Devon Aoki. Born in New York City but raised in California and London, Devon’s, Japanese father is Rocky Aoki, a former Olympic wrestler and owner of the Benihana restaurant chain. Her mother, Pamela Hilburger, is a jewelry designer of English and German heritage and her brother, Steve Aoki, is a well-known Los Angeles, California DJ.

At the age of thirteen, Devon was discovered in New York at a concert she had gatecrashed and began modeling soon after for fashion houses Lancôme, Chanel, and Versace. At 5 ft 5 in, Aoki is known as the world’s shortest supermodel but was able to parlay her talents into films such as 2 Fast 2 Furious, D.E.B.S., Sin City and Dead or Alive and music videos for Duran Duran, Ginuwine, The Killers and Ludacris.

Click on ‘Read the Article’ below to view larger images of the below thumbnails!

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As a follow up to an earlier post on Zhang Ziyi, new information has surfaced regarding the identity of what is rumored to be her new boyfriend. It is none other than Pepé Le Pew disguised as 53 year-old French actor, Tcheky Karyo. Photos of the couple kissing at the NBA game have since circulated widely on the internet, showcasing Ziyi’s ‘flying dragon, sucking face’ technique.Tcheky meanwhile has apparently taken his past role in the film, Kiss of the Dragon, a bit too seriously.

Truth be told, no one seems to know who the heck this guy is. Numerous reports have also listed the mystery man as Vivi Nevo, a venture capitalist and one of the largest shareholders of Time Warner. In this day and age, it’s just really hard to distinguish between one sleazy old man from another.
Zhang Ziyi will be filming Jonas Akerlund’s new movie, The Horsemen with Dennis Quaid. Ziyi’s manager, Ling Lucas, confirmed that Ziyi is currently polishing her English skills at the Julliard School in New York City.

Dead of winter. Nothing like curling up with your favorite blanket, eating some hot dumplings, reading a good book and checking out a non-necessary, overindulgent picture post of one of today’s hottest models. I’ve included some bio info from Wikipedia if you feel the need to justify viewing her pics with some background text… kinda like how you read Playboy just for the articles *wink*wink*

Jarah Mariano is an Asian-American supermodel. She is of Hawaiian, Korean and Chinese descent. Contrary to popular belief due to a magazine misprint, she is not of French roots and is also not the first Asian Victoria’s Secret model, She has campaigns for MAC cosmetic ads, featured in ads from Armani Exchange, Abercrombie Fitch, Victoria’s Secret and is in Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got” video. Bruce Weber immortalized her in L’Uomo Vogue alongside her father; she was also the subject of Weber’s lens for Abercrombie & Fitch. She is represented by model agency IMG. She is a University graduate and currently resides in New York City.

CLICK ON ‘READ THE ARTICLE’ TO SEE LARGER VERSIONS OF THE PICS!

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Chinese superstar, Zhang Ziyi, was spotted watching a New York Knicks basketball game on Friday with someone rumored to be her boyfriend.

For now it’s just gossip based on the fact that the two were seated side by side and seen laughing and talking very closely throughout the game. That said, was this outing really that innocent on her part? Everyone knows, for example, that the rules of New York celebrity gossip clearly dictate that if you want the paparazzi to speculate about your love life, you have to:

1. Sit courtside at a Knicks game where celebrity star gazing is more fun to watch than the hapless Knicks
2. Be non-chalantly affectionate in front of all the photographers in the media capital of the world
3. Appear with someone equally famous/ recognizable or someone completely unknown so that people can make things up about you two.

Whatever the truth is, the Dumpling wishes Zhang Ziyi and her uncle new friend happiness in the new year!

That feels so cool… my last boyfriend couldn’t grow facial hair

Trust me, Ziyi, no one will recognize you. Without makeup, you look like every other Chinese girl I’ve dated.

South Korean actress and pop singer U-Nee was found dead from hanging in her home in Seo-gu Incheon, Sunday afternoon.

U-Nee’s grandmother found the body of the 26-year-old singer hanging from a door frame after she returned from a church service.

Police investigating the death have announced the case was an apparent suicide, though the singer left no note or will. U-Nee’s mother has testified that U-Nee had been suffering from depression.

U-Nee’s third album “Honey” is due for release on February 1. People have speculated U-Nee was suffering from the huge pressure associated with the release of the new album and was upset by online criticisms and attacks.

U-Nee came to the public’s attention under the name “Lee Hye-ryeon” with her 1996 debut in the KBS TV drama “Grown-ups Just Don’t Understand”. She appeared in the movie “Seventeen” in 1998, then in the TV dramas “Theme Game” and “Tears of the Dragon”.

Her debut album “Go” was released in 2003 and she gained even greater popularity with the 2005 release of her second album “Call Call Call.” Her sexy dance moves and revealing fashions made her the favorite of teenagers across Asia. [CriEnglish]

From Paris to China: That’s Hot

Shanghaiist recently reported some pretty scary statistics from China’s Xinhua agency. Where some see gloom and doom, the Dumpling sees a career opportunity for some people. First the numbers:

• There will be 30 million more males of marriageable age in China than females by the year 2020
• China’s sex ratio for newborn babies in 2005 was 118 boys to 100 girls, compared with 110:100 in 2000. In some regions, the sex ratio has reached 130:100
• The Chinese capital Beijing saw 109 boys born for every 100 girls in the first 11 months of 2006

The sociological consequences of this will likely lead to greater trafficking of women for prostitution, a higher incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, a growing gay population, and some really great video game players coming from China… with so few available women, what else are they going to do on a Saturday night!

BUT… this also presents a great opportunity for washed up pop tartlets in the US to extend what will no doubt be a flailing second rate career into a revitalized comeback in China. With the trashy triumvirate of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, they can bring back the home made sex tapes, the panty-less crotch shots and ‘whoopsie’ nip slips to a whole new market desperate for anything including their washed up antics. 30 million single dudes, now ‘That’s Hot’.

…NOT!

Sorry ‘bout that. The Dumpling just saw the film, Borat, last night and has been quoting lines from it all day. Anyways…

Jin, an Asian-American rapper, released a song ‘dissing’ The View’s Rose O’Donnell in response to a recent comment that many deemed racist and stereotypical against Asian people.
O’Donnell referenced a recent drunken incident with Danny DeVito then attempted to imitate a Chinese newscaster, citing, “It’s news all over the world. You can imagine in China it’s like, ‘ching chong, ching chong, Danny DeVito, ching chong ching chong…’”

Jin’s song,”You’re Fired,” uses Nas’ “Ether” instrumental as well as audio clips of Donald Trump, in light of Trump and O’Donnell’s recent verbal war. Jin cited, “I recorded the song basically for the same reason she decided to do her little ‘ching chong’ bit. That’s just how I am.”

To hear the song, click here 

It’s not enough that he has a family with Angelina Jolie, been named People’s Sexiest Man Alive twice, and is now receiving genuine critical success as an actor for “Babel” and as a producer for “The Departed”. No, to add insult upon injury, Brad Pitt has to be a nice guy too. Jerk.

According to the National Ledger:

Japanese actress, Rinko Kikuchi, credits her “Babel” cast mates, particularly Brad Pitt, for helping her through the storm of international attention that’s been coming her way since the feature debuted at the Cannes Film Festival.

It was at Cannes that she saw the completed film for the first time, met the rest of the actors for the first time and walked the red carpet for the first time: “Everything at the Cannes Film Festival was completely new.”

As the cameras flashed and the media called out, she says she kept saying, “What’s going on?” The rest of the “Babel” team looked after her, however, especially Pitt. “He was very concerned that Rinko didn’t know what to do. He’d take her hand and tell her, ‘Follow me,’ and very much had that kind attitude”, says a close source.

I swear, if he and Angelina win the Nobel Peace Prize for all their humanitarian efforts, I’m going to do something crazy like vote Republican in the next election. I’m not playing around here, folks!

A HUGE shoutout to Martin Scorsese who won best director for the “Infernal Affairs” remake, “The Departed,” at the Golden Globes Monday, especially after he acknowledged the original director, Andrew Lau, during his acceptance speech. Even more importantly, he thanked my boy, Dan Lin, who is the VP of  Production at Warner Brother Films – HOLLA!

And did you notice how Cameron Diaz, clearly unable to think straight since getting kicked to the curb by ex-beau, Justin Timberlake, misread the title as “Internal Affairs”; instead of Infernal. Way to kill those dumb blonde stereotypes, babe.

I’m sure he’s a great tennis player, the great Asian hope, super personality, yadda yadda yadda…

All I’m saying is that sometimes 1 + 1 doesn’t always equal 2. What am I talking about?

Thai tennis star Paradorn “Ball” Srichaphan, the first Asian to make it into the Top Ten world rankings, is dating Russian-Canadian former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova!

Now I don’t admit to really knowing who either of them are but check out the pics and you tell me that this boy ain’t got some moves on AND off the court.

According to reports, Paradorn, 27, met the 2005 beauty queen, who now works for a Thai brewery, in September at an international tennis tournament in Bangkok which her firm was sponsoring. Glebova, 25, who moved to Canada with her parents from a small coastal town in Russia when she was 12, was crowned Miss Universe in Bangkok in May 2005.

One of his previous flames also included Thai pop sensation, Tata Young. Tata and “Ball”… heh heh, sorry, couldn’t resist saying that.

Damn, I knew I should have studied less and played more sports growing up!