General Babe Discussion, General Discussion

[Joe > Average]

Many have been telling me they feel BZ is less social than ever. That's ironic because we also have more posts and members than ever. To each their own of course, no pressure here, but to anyone looking for just the right platform, maybe this can be for them. I've always recommended the Chat Thread, so I figured I'd make this forum its own. Say and discuss whatever random thing that comes to your mind here .

[Joe > Average]

Off the top of my head, as a lover of SyFy and D-list movies, I wouldn't mind seeing more models in movies . I'm not saying to take D-list women's livelihood and even now there isn't a realistic range of everyday looks for some parts, but in light of the seemingly neverending fall of the supermodel debates, the combination of the internet and film roles is a great way for some to become more well known I think. I know height is an issue in some cases with movies in general. Oftentimes great efforts are made to downplay disparities in height that aren't intended to be an emphasis in the story. In the case of models, in Just Go With It, I noticed Brookly always wore flat footed shoes to avoid towering over the cast as she was already taller than Sandler flat footed, but I kindof would like to see more models in movies anyway. That's not to say leaving modeling unless they have Charlize or Mila level talent of course.

[TheBaronOfFratton]

Many have been telling me they feel BZ is less social than ever.

^Yeah, but I wonder if those people will actually contribute to these sorts of threads now? If you're not part of the solution etc...

I don't know Joe, screw those actresses! I've noticed 3 high-profile new fragrance campaigns on television recently (presumably for the Xmas market) all of which 'star' actresses - albeit 'A-List' calibre - in the form of Natalie Portman, Emma Watson, and Keira Knightley. So, if they're screwing over models by taking their traditional 'jobs' then I guess it's fair the other way around?

Of course those who'll bear the brunt will be (as you said) those further down the pecking order. But then I figure 'Busty Cheerleader #3' in Attack Of The Zombie Sex Cavemen has probably already suffered to get where she is now anyway - that casting couch isn't going to wear itself in.

Plus the roles models are going to get don't generally require much in the acting stakes. I mean all these MTA's were probably just hedging their bets at the beginning of their careers, I don't recall any of them being particularly successful models before becoming big name actresses. And when they are, and do try to crossover (like Cindy Crawford in Fair Game or Gisele in Taxi), it's ony ever as eye-candy really anyway. The amount of ill-will afforded to Rosie of late is telling though - people don't seem to want them to succeed. They've already decided she's turned her back on modelling, despite evidence to the contrary - and now thinks she's an A-lister herself apparently! Where are they getting these "facts"???

Mind you, it seems it's the same with singers too. Jennifer Lopez aside, it seems it's only rappers who are allowed to do both without instant mockery.

Anyway, nice start-off point. Hope this 'sort of thing' takes off. (Y)

[Joe > Average]

LOL @ those title examples .

Well, yeah, of course I wouldn't mind them taking an A-list spot if they could take it since they're taking their jobs on the other end. I'm surprised they didn't take cosmetic adds sooner since more women identify with celebs. On the flip side I was thinking more obscure models ironically since as with the Rosie example, the more well-known models may suffer backlash. For a lesser known like Kate Nuata who was that woman with the two guns in Transporter 2 I would assume its more of an everyone wins. People look her up and imdb and it wasn't enough to hurt her modeling if she was still doing it.

If I'm watching Yeti 2: The Revenge and the guy falls for the crooked government guy's daughter and she can't act, I guess it natural for me to think, that could have been Alyssah Miller in there I guess . Actually, in the age of internet, even a brief cameo is a subliminal plug for fashion. If a valet just spends a few seconds handing Valentina her keys and she says thank you and the scene is just a few seconds the 'answers' site will already have someone with a 'Who is the woman getting into the car in The A-Team 2?' Answer, model Valentina Z the same day .

[COP11]

I don't want to see any more models in movies, I'd like to see more Asian women (especially Maggie Cheung) in films in the United States. But that is just my opinion.

[Joe > Average]

I'd love to see more of her too . She's one of the most talented and versatile in the world I think and lovely on top of that . Since they're only 5% of our general population, I don't see many that often in general life, but I've come to appreciate their work in the arts the more I see.

[TheBaronOfFratton]

If I'm watching Yeti 2: The Revenge and the guy falls for the crooked government guy's daughter and she can't act, I guess it natural for me to think, that could have been Alyssah Miller in there I guess . Actually, in the age of internet, even a brief cameo is a subliminal plug for fashion. If a valet just spends a few seconds handing Valentina her keys and she says thank you and the scene is just a few seconds the 'answers' site will already have someone with a 'Who is the woman getting into the car in The A-Team 2?' Answer, model Valentina Z the same day .

^I think the majority of the girls in Yeti 2: The Revenge (not to mention Yeti 3: Snow Day, Yeti 4: Yetis in Miami, and the inevitable reboot after everybody said part 4 had "lost track of the the Yeti's original premise" - Yeti Vs. Karate Kid) aren't just MTA's (or model turned actress) but rather model/slash/actress/slash/whatever. And so it all kind of works out, I suppose?

I don't want to see any more models in movies, I'd like to see more Asian women (especially Maggie Cheung) in films in the United States. But that is just my opinion.

^You could always go see Maggie Cheung in Asian films! She's in a lot of them!

I take Joe's point though - that maybe "Asian" faces are underrepresented in US cinema? I can only think of Lucy Liu and Jamie Chung off-hand who are Estadounidense and in major movies. I mean you have Jackie Chan (Hong Kong), Jet Li (China), and to a lesser extent Zhang Ziyi (China) making the 'crossover' to Hollywood - but their success is kind of predicated on chopsocky fare...

I guess I'm kind of getting off the remit of this thread though. How about Maggie Q? I think she's gorgeous!

[COP11]

Oh I have seen most of her Asian films Baron!

I've only seen her in one American film and that was some Jackie Chan film and there was a voice over for her speaking parts.

I love Chiaki Kuriyama also. She has done much better roles then the crazy teenager in Kill Bill. And Maggie Q is gorgeous! Joan Chen still looks beautiful to this day

Yes Baron, unfortunately most Americans don't see the beauty in Asian women. There has always been that ridiculous debate that they all look the same. And most Americans will not watch foreign films or television shows with sub-titles, unless of course a big name actor/actress is starring in them.

[Joe > Average]

I don't want to see any more models in movies, I'd like to see more Asian women (especially Maggie Cheung) in films in the United States. But that is just my opinion.

^You could always go see Maggie Cheung in Asian films! She's in a lot of them!

Yes Baron, unfortunately most Americans don't see the beauty in Asian women. There has always been that ridiculous debate that they all look the same. And most Americans will not watch foreign films or television shows with sub-titles, unless of course a big name actor/actress is starring in them.

That's true about the subtitles . Some let you select voiceovers without subtitles on the DVD features, but some may not. I actually prefer the real voices for Japanese cartoons and movies though . Of course, sometimes I wonder if I miss subtle facial features and things like that by reading at the same time.

There are a lot that don't appreciate Asian beauty and say they look alike ect. or don't appreciate it as much as other things. On the other hand (though I'm sure you're both more traveled than me since I haven't been too many other countries besides Mexico), believe it or not in my world, the height of Asian beauty appreciation I've vitnessed is from Americans and Europeans strangely enough, even more than Asian appreciation of Asian beauty. With Americans, I think exposure is a bigger factor than appreciation. I hear people raving about Lucy Liu all the time and to me she's not a one in a million Asian beauty necessarily, so I bet there are a lot of Asian actresses that are just the right movie away from finding a fan base here. There are others I hear people rave about all the time that people just know from a small role in something rather than knowing who they are in general.

Adding to exposure with Liu as an example again (and know when I say 'Asian' here that's excluding bi-racial Asian, Hawaiian ect.), for me personally its almost like I can't miss what I never had almost. By that I mean, for most of my life, my exposure to Asian women as so limited, I didn't know there was anything to miss . I think most people accept what's in front of them to a degree and the lower percent go out and look. Some think or assume Swedish women are amazing, but most that think that are probably perfectly content that few of them are international stars and just accept what's in front of them. Lucy Liu was probably the only Asian female actresses I knew by name for quite awhile (wasn't really a big fan) and then I discovered Ziyi somehow and was like but when I got the idea to actually do some research, I was exposed to more and more, my appreciation went up astronomically. The only famous Korean woman I knew at all for most of my life was Margaret Cho . If I only knew three American blonde actresses for example, the probability of me being a of one of them wouldn't be high I don't think but since there's countless of them, the chance of finding some I like is much greater. The percentage of likes for me probably isn't high in any group, but the more you shoot the more likely you are to score.

With progressing generations, I'm also seeing more openmindedness about looks than ever. I can't say whether its more appreciation or whether appreciation is more accepted so the average person feels more free to express it, but its definitely there anyway.

Just based on acting, I really enjoyed this Chinese movie I saw a little while ago called A Gun, Man, Woman and Noodle Shop and loved the performances. The woman's name was *pulls up imdb* Ni Yan, and I'll be checking to see more from her.

[COP11]

Did you ever see Maggie Cheung in Irma Vep? I loved that movie.

I have traveled a lot, mainly to Europe, Australia and a few times to South Africa.

Only went to China a few times and that was the adoption process.

I like Lucy Liu, but there are so many better Asian actresses. As far as this country goes she probably is the most popular Asian actress. I think her claim to fame was the Charlie's Angels films. I loved her in 3 Needles though. That was a great film

[TheBaronOfFratton]

^No, I've never seen Irma Vep - and considering her outfit in that film it seems terribly remiss of me!

I first saw Maggie Cheung in Jackie Chan's Police Story (on an aside here, I much prefer subtitle to dubbing. Perhaps weirdly, I find them less distracting than the often terrible and/or uninterested 'acting' by often disinterested, disembodied voices... Here we are lucky, as unless it's animation it's always subtitled - the ebb and flow of language, even when I have no idea what's being said, is preferable to the shitty juxtaposition of a - for me - spanish or english speaking hack in an obviously foreign locale! That all said, the "sterling" work done on Police Story, ortother movies of it's ilk - such as Drunken Master are kind of made by this bad dubbing - paradoxically making it indispensable to it's enjoyment! Thus endeth this incredibly long parentheses!), but really remember her from the great In The Mood For Love and it's sorta sequel 2064 (Gong Li is nice in that too!). Have to say though, my particular favourite in Chinese/Hong Kong cinema is Fan Bing Bing...

I have always liked Lucy Liu - but I'm sure you're right. Are there many more US Asian actresses lurking about then? Like I said, I know Jamie Chung (and started her thread here), and I know of Brenda Strong from The Social Network - and that she has something to do with Disney, but that's about it. I think it was mighty bold (in regards to Maggie Q) of whichever of your network's commissioned Nikita with an Asian face as the lead and title character (not to mention female too) - sad as that is. I remember the big noise made about LOST's multi-ethnic cast and how great that was when it first came out (having TWO - yes a whole TWO black main characters, AND TWO Asian main characters too, plus Sayid - an "Iraqi" amongst it's initial ensemble), but ultimately the main focus of that show revolved around either Jack vs. Locke or Jack vs. Sawyer over Kate - all of whom were very much white...

If it's any consolation though, I'm sure our population is 5% Asian (specifically Chinese) too - and you won't see any on Argentine TV aside from this Japanese sushi-chef who does a cookery show!

[Jennka]

Isn´t Gong Li also famous in US? Since Memoirs of a Geisha and Miami Vice

by the way, she is PERFECT!

[Joe > Average]

There's quite a few mixed Asians and Hawaiians that are very popular here too. As to non mixed, I know of a lot of people who are in live with Michelle Wie and she has a lot of commercials here even though I don't know if she's even that good at golf aside from being able to hit far .

[Pierre Tombale]

I'm for more asians everywhere, modelling, acting, music...

[COP11]

Police Story is where they did the voice over for Maggie, I believe.

I have heard about Nikita but I haven't had a chance to catch on television yet, not sure if it is any good or not.

As far as Gong Li, I think Memoirs was the biggest thing she has done. And of course Hannibal Rising.

A lot of Americans had misconceptions about what a geisha really is. And the same goes for gravure models.

[Jennka]

I thought that movie expressed it quite well, what geisha really is? I´ve read a book, and it was even better than the movie... really great.

What are gravure models?

[Joe > Average]

I think its a genre of Japanese glamour model .

[Jennka]

what kind of genre?

[Pierre Tombale]

that nails it.

found in the Aki Hoshino thread:

porn...eghhh

but it's not