comedy – Journo James's Journal

“Wedding Palace” Director Chris Yoo

Post author:journojames
Post published:February 17, 2012
Post category:Entertainment & Culture Feature Interview

Originally published May 2, 2011

wedding_palace_gallerythetattler — Scene from “Wedding Palace,” Photo courtesy of the Tattler

LOS ANGELES – The swanky 600-seat theater at the Director’s Guild of America in Los Angeles was sold out Friday night. The crowd of mostly Asian-Americans filled the plush red seats. They were there to see the new Korean-American romantic comedy “Wedding Palace.” The movie was part of the 2011 L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival’s second night of programming. The director of the movie, Christine Yoo, was there greeting viewers and looked delighted by the large turn out.

For Yoo, who was also the producer and co-writer of “Wedding Palace,” this was a special night. It was a culmination of her feature film directorial debut. (more…)

Jon Stewart’s Rally and Relevance

Post author:journojames
Post published:January 18, 2012
Post category:Feature Journalism News Op/Ed/Commentary

Originally posted Nov. 7, 2010

The Daily Show’s “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” event in Washington D.C. this Saturday is expected to attract over 70,000 people, illustrating how influential – intended or not – comedian and satirist Jon Stewart has become in the landscape of American politics.

President Obama and John Stewart, Photo courtesy of N.Y. Times

The high projected numbers for Stewart’s rally, that will also include comedic co-host Stephen Colbert, could be seen as evidence of how frustrated many Americans feel about the current extreme divisive state of political discourse in the country. More likely though, it is a barometer of Stewart’s popularity.

His ability to connect with a large audience has turned his “rally for people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies” into a worldwide event. Despite the fact that people seem to be unclear about what exactly the rally would provide, they want to participate. On Facebook, more than 290,000 have signed up as potential attendees. Satellite events around the country in more than 25 states, in cities like Wasila, Denver, and Atlanta have been quickly organized in order to be involved. And even places around the world, including Paris, Denmark, and a “base camp” at Mt. Everest in Nepal will join the main gathering at the National Mall. (more…)