Sandra Oh, and non-cute Asian stars

The New York Times has an interview with Sandra Oh in conjuction with the release of Sideways, wherein I learnt her husband is Alexander Payne, director of Election, thereby raising her cool level even higher. I really liked Oh in Under the Tuscan Sun, and the voice that emerged from the interview solidified that liking. She had some sharp words to say about the lack of Korean support for Margaret Cho:
Koreans didn't support her because of their own [expletive] bias, what's the word, something -ist, not racist but just that [expletive] where they only want Asian stars who look like [expletive] Asian kewpie dolls. (Link)
Oh's got her finger on a phenomenon, although like her I can't name it. I'm always disturbed by the fact that every female pop star that comes out of the Hong Kong / Taiwan pop machine has that kewpie look to her. Sure, Hollywood favours the good-looking too, but at least you don't always have to be subjected to that cloying cuteness.

If Margaret Cho's frenetic aggro turns you off from her... well, you're missing one of the funnier standups around (admittedly, All-American Girl was pretty terrible as a sitcom). She's also quite articulate, as seen in this blog entry on the identity conflict between nationality and ethnicity.

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