Mindy Kaling, left, will provide the voice for the cartoon charcter Velma Dinkley, right.
There's much to do about Velma Dinkley, the main character in Mindy Kaling's 2022 version of Scobby-Doo.
HBO Max's producer and writer Kaling's adult animated series Velma re-imagines the iconic Scooby-Doo character as South Asian -- and Kaling doesn't care if some people are upset with that.
"Getting to voice this iconic character in her first ever origin story is a dream come true, and not just because it requires literally zero time and hair and makeup," Kaling continued. "And also you've hopefully noticed by now my Velma is South Asian. And if people freak out about that, I don't care."
Velma, as the title suggests, will be the main character in the updated Scooby-Doo. In the original cartoon of the '70's Velma was the bookish sidekick.
"No one's imaginations ever had a problem with a talking dog solving mysteries. So a brown Velma is fine. I think we can all handle it. In any case, you won't want to miss this, coming to HBO Max."
In an interview with Seth Myers, producer Kaling admitted she was a bit puzzled about the blowback. “I just couldn’t understand how people couldn’t imagine a really smart, nerdy girl with terrible eyesight and who loved to solve mysteries, could be Indian. There are Indian nerds.”
Hayley Kyoko, left, played Velma in the short-lived live-action series in 2009-2010. The first image from the new version , right, shows that it is not directed for young children.
Kaling's updated cartoon won't be for kids. Velma is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang.
As the first image from the new cartoon series indicates, there will be gore and semi-nudity in the Kaling version.
It also won't be the first time that Velma was depicted as a nonwhite character. In the 2009-2010 live-action series of Scooby-Doo, Velmas was played by Hayley Kyoko.
HBO-Max has not announced a debut date but it will likely be sometime this summer.
For all the fuss South Asian Velma has created, you can almost hear the series catchphrase when a major discovery has been made" "Scooby-doobie-doo!"
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.
HBO Max's Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices collection is impressive in showing how rich and diverse Asian and AAPI stories and how deep the AAPI talent pool is. The streaming network's collection celebrates Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month starting Sunday, May 1.
The collection will amplify the streaming network's wide breadth of Asian American & Pacific Islander stories and talent by featuring curated content available on the platform, in addition to the three winning films from the HBO Max Asian Pacific American Visionaries Short Film Competition directed by up-and-coming AAPI directors.
The hours of curated programming include the pay-to-view streamer's slate of recent Max Originals such as "The Sex Lives of College Girls," "Tokyo Vice," "Take Out with Lisa Ling" and "House of Ho;" well known and iconic hits such as "In the Mood for Love," "Crazy Rich Asians," "Aquaman," and "Bend It Like Beckham," as well as Warner Brothers streaming exclusive "Moonshot."
But for filmophiles, it reminds us that the talent and stories have always been there. Although India's and China's great films are unfortunately missing, HBO Max offers Gen Z aspiring filmmakers a glimpse of the treasured classics such as the "Seven Samurai," "Rashomon" and "In the Mood for Love."
Akira Kurosawa's 1956 'Seven Samurai' introduced Toshiro Mifune to western moviemakers.
In addition to the Asian American & Pacific Islander Voices collection, HBO Max's collection pages also include Anime and More Global Animation, an anime-centric page which also includes content from Studio Ghibli.
During this year's AAPI Heritage Month, HBO Max will launch the Ani-May initiative, which includes a celebration of iconic anime moments old and new, fashion from Asian animation, Cartoon Network's "Adventure Time" and other episodes influenced by anime. In addition, an original meditative rainfall video from Makoto Shinkai's "Weathering With You," and a new Adult Swim episode of "Ambient Swim" inspired by '90s anime will be featured.
Now in its sixth year and with Poppy Liu from the Max Original Series "Hacks" serving as the 2022 ambassador, HBO Max's Asian Pacific American Visionaries Short Film Competition showcases the work of emerging filmmakers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. The top three winning films will premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on May 6th.
In addition, HBO Max will host special screenings in both Los Angeles and New York City of the 2022 APA Visionaries Short Film Competition winners with receptions to follow. The LA event, inspired by Asian night markets, will host several local Asian Pacific American-owned food vendors and various goods from Asian Pacific American businesses.
This year's theme is titled "Power of Love," with submissions centering around Asian Pacific American perceptions of love in their relationships, friendships, or families. The top three winning films will be available to stream as part of the collection after the premiere in addition to previous year's winners "Neh," "Lonely Blue Night," "Fine China," "Si" and "Unmothered."
Below is a list of curations that will be included in the collection:
MOVIES
· 21 & Over, 2013 (HBO)
· APA Visionaries Short Film Winners - (Coming Soon)
· All My Life, 2021 (HBO)
· Aquaman, 2018
· Bend It Like Beckham, 2003 (HBO)
· Blinded by the Light, 2018 (HBO)
· Boogie, 2021 (HBO)
· Chungking Express
· Coffee Shop Names, 2021
· Cradle 2 The Grave
· Crazy Rich Asians, 2018
· Drive My Car, 2021
· Fine China, 2020 (HBO)
· Gensan Punch
· Happy Together, 1997
· Howl's Moving Castle, 2004
· In the Mood for Love, 2000
· In the Same Breath, 2021 (HBO)
· Kiki's Delivery Service, 1989
· Lonely Blue Night, 2020 (HBO)
· Malignant, 2021 (HBO)
· Meet the Patels, 2015
· Moonshot, 2022
· Mortal Kombat, 2021 (HBO)
· My Neighbors the Yamadas, 1999
· National Lampoon's Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj, 2006 (HBO)
· Neh, 2021 (HBO)
· Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, 2016
· One Night in Bangkok, 2020
· Princess Kaiulani, 2010 (HBO)
· Promare, 2019
· Rampage, 2018
· Rashomon, 1950
· Ride Your Wave, 2019
· Romeo Must Die, 2000
· Rush Hour Trilogy, (1998,2000,2007)
· San Andreas, 2015
· Seven Samurai, 1956
· Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape, 2021 (HBO)
· Si, 2020 (HBO)
· Snitch, 2013 (HBO)
· Spirited Away, 2001
· The Accidental Spy, 2002 (HBO)
· The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, 2013
· The Matrix Resurrections - 5/10
· The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, 2017
· The Personal History of David Copperfield, 2020 (HBO)
· The Problem with Apu, 2017
· The Raid: Redemption, 2012 (HBO)
· Unmothered, 2021 (HBO)
· Weathering With You, 2019
SERIES
· Adventure of the Ring (Taiwan), 2020
· Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, 2020
· Ballers (HBO)
· Dream Raider (Taiwan), 2020
· Family Style, 2019
· Fast Foodies, 2021
· Fena: Pirate Princess 5/6
· Folklore, 2019 (HBO)
· Food Lore, 2020 (HBO)
· Food Wars! Shokugeki No Soma, 2019
· Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, 2016
· Grace, 2018 (HBO)
· Grisse, 2019 (HBO)
· Halfworlds, 2017 (HBO)
· House of Ho, 2020
· Invisible Stories, 2020 (HBO)
· Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, 2020
· Kung Fu, 2021
· Miss Sherlock, 2018 (HBO)
· On the Job, 2021
· Our Flag Means Death, 2022
· Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness, 2020
· Sent, 2018 (HBO)
· Sort Of, 2021
· Starstruck, 2021
· Station Eleven, 2021
· Take Out with Lisa Ling, 2022
· The Sex Lives of College Girls, 2021
· The World Between Us, 2019 (HBO)
· Tokyo Vice, 2022
· Trinity of Shadows (Taiwan), 2021
· Warrior, 2019 (HBO)
· Wellington Paranormal, 2018
· Who's By Your Side (Taiwan) 5/12
· Your Lie in April, 2014
COMEDY
· 21 & Over, 2013 (HBO)
· Adventures of the Ring
· Ahir Shah: Dots, 2021
· Awkwafina is Nora from Queens
· Ballers (HBO)
· Bend it Like Beckham, 2003 (HBO)
· Coffee Shop Names, 2021
· Crazy Rich Asians, 2018
· Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
· Meet the Patels, 2015
· Moonshot, 2022
· My Neighbors the Yamadas, 1999
· National Lampoon's Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj, 2006 (HBO)
· Neh, 2021 (HBO)
· Our Flag Means Death
· Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness
· Rose Matafeo: Horndog, 2020
· Sent (HBO)
· Sort Of
· Starstruck
· The Accidental Spy, 2002 (HBO)
· The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan
· The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, 2017
· The Personal History of David Copperfield, 2020 (HBO)
· The Rush Hour Nested Franchise
· The Sex Lives of College Girls
· Wellington Paranormal
ANIMATION
· Death Note
· Earwig and the Witch, 2020
· Erased, 2013 (HBO)
· Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
· From Up on Poppy Hill, 2011
· Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
· Howl's Moving Castle, 2004
· Hunter x Hunter
· In/Spectre
· Inuyasha
· Jujutsu Kaisen
· KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world!
· Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
· Kiki's Delivery Service, 1989
· Kill La Kill
· Kiznaiver
· Mob Psycho 100
· My Neighbor Totoro, 1988
· My Neighbors The Yamadas, 1999
· Namoo, 2021
· Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 1984
· Noblesse
· Ocean Waves, 1993
· Only Yesterday, 1991
· Pom Poko, 1994
· Ponyo, 2008
· Porco Rosso, 1992
· Princess Mononoke, 1997
· Promare, 2019
· Puella Magi Madoka Magica
· Re:Zero-Starting Life in Another
· Ride Your Wave, 2019
· Rokka Braves of the Six Flowers
· Spirited Away, 2001
· The God of High School
· The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, 2017
· The Promised Neverland
· We Baby Bears
· We Bare Bears
DC
(Highlighting Asian American creators such as Fan Cathy Yan, Jay Oliva, and Sam Liu)
· All-Star Superman, 2011
· Batman and Harley Quinn, 2017
· Batman vs. Robin, 2015
· Batman: Assault on Arkham, 2014
· Batman: Bad Blood, 2016
· Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, 2017
· Batman: Soul of the Dragon, 2021
· Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1, 2012
· Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2, 2012
· Batman: The Killing Joke, 2016
· Batman: Year One, 2011
· Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), 2020
Oh, how Americans love British accents. Maybe having political commentator John Oliver explain racism against Asian Americans will reach a segment of the U.S. population who normally turn a deaf ear to the subject of AAPIs and the burden and fallacy of the model minority myth.
In a recent episode (June 7) of his award-winning show, Last Week Tonight, Oliver tackled the he “model minority” myth and how it makes it OK to discriminate against Asian Americans.
“It is pretty clear that many in this country don’t seem to know much about the history or experiences of Asian Americans,” said the 44-year old comedian who makes laughter the sugar to make sour topics more palatable to viewers. The British accent helps, too. “Very basically, America prioritized wealthy, more educated Asian immigrants, then turned to Black people who’d been subjugated for centuries and said, ‘See? They’re educated and successful. Why aren’t you?’” he said.
“The model minority myth is a tool of white supremacy and a trap,” he cautions. Breaking it down, further, he said: “There is no nice racism, there is no silver lining to it, and there is no working your way out of it. You are perpetually treated like a foreigner, still asked where you’re really from, and Asian Americans are one geopolitical crisis away from becoming the targets of violence again."
He concluded with an appeal for more disaggregated data that show the wide disparities within the AAPI communities.
AAPI have a long history in the U.S. and yet, when a poll asked Americans to name a famous Asian American, 42% were not able to name one. Of those who responded, they named Jackie Chan (who is not even American) followed by martial arts legend Bruce Lee, who died in 1973.
Sorry Kamala Harris, being Vice President doesn't give you enough bounce to be named by 42% of Americans.
I don't know why, but Americans seem to go ga-ga over everything British (ie followers of the royal family). Maybe Oliver's accent and self-described whiteness will help white Americans accept what Asian Americans have been saying for decades, especially during the recent surge of anti-Asian violence.
Kudos to nonAsian allies such as Oliver, who himself became an American citizen in 2019, for your support and for helping our fellow citizens to recognize the diversity of AAPI communities, our individuality, our humanity and our long presence in and our contributions to the U.S.
Jordan Andino teaches Selena Gomez how to cook chicken adobo.
The second season of Selena + Chef is on HBO Max and she learns how to cook the Philippines' national dish -- adobo.
Pop singer Selena Gomez is learning how to cook curing the pandemic by inviting guest chefs to give her cooking lessons virtually.
In the 6th episode of the unscripted Selena + Chef, Filipino Canadian chef Jordan Andino teaches her how to cook adobo chicken.
It's not surprising that Selena and her girlfriends love the results. It was the first time. they say, they had Filipino food, which is slowly coming gaining in popularity.
Andino, the charming and energetic Toronto native, grew up in a restaurant kitchen because his father was a professional chef and would often take his son to work.
Andino's recipe includes oyster sauce, an ingredient that is not in my own recipe. I'm eager to try it.
At one point, Andino Facetimes or Skypes his "lola," who gives a grandmotherly "It's OK," for Selena's results.
The other Filipino dish Andino teaches Selena to prepare is the mouth-watering turon, the plantain inside a lumpia wrap with generous amounts of sugar.
Andino is host of Late Nite Eats on the Cooking Channel. He’s also the Executive Chef at Flip Sigi, a Filipino taqueria in New York City, where he brings Filipino flavors and marries them with popular Mexican cuisine. Dishes include: adobo chicken tacos, adobo-rito and sinigang flip bowl. It's open for curbside pickup, if you're in the neighborhood.
The Ho family of Houston will star in their own reality show.
The much anticipated reality show featuring a rich -- I mean 1-percenter rich --Vietnamese American family is set to debut on Dec. 10 on HBO Max.
The show follows the real-life adventures of the wealthy Ho family headed by the patriarch/entrepreneur Binh Ho and his wife Hue.
HBO Max has described House of Ho this way on its site: “House of Ho…chronicles the daily lives of patriarch Binh Ho, matriarch Hue Ho, their daughter Judy Ho, their son Washington Ho and his wife Lesley Ho, Aunt Tina, and Cousin Sammy. Power couple Binh and his wife Hue immigrated from Vietnam to the United States with little money, relying on hard work to establish the ultimate American dream. They have built a multi-million dollar bank, a real estate development company and a new generation of American Hos. The series pulls back the curtain of their lavish Houston lifestyle and showcases the tight family connections that unite them as well as the multi-generational outrageous drama that ensues.”
The streaming network released a new trailer and if it is any indication of what the rest of the show is like, it could shatter a lot stereotypes of Asian Americans.
HBO is betting that House of Ho will have an appeal beyond the obvious AAPI audience and attract people of all races, much in the same way Crazy Rich Asians busted through the racial barriers.
Middle America loves to watch rich people and in a perverse way,expose the rich as human beings who make mistakes, argue among themselves to cut them down to size -- all to make the audience feel better about their own situation: Not as much money, but at least I don't have to put up with that shi*t.
The culture site Vulture is already licking its lips in anticipation, saying, "Oh, thank God, family drama to meddle in and it’s not your own. For everyone staying away from their folks for the holidays, HBO Max is filling that void with its upcoming reality show House of Ho, following the luxurious and stressful lives of a wealthy multigenerational family."
In the same vein, based on the trailer, the show could provide some cringe-worthy moments for AAPI, who will no doubt explain at the water cooler the next day, "Of course, not all of us are like that."
And that's the rub, like the criticism hurled at Crazy Rich Asians, the Ho family is not representative of the vast majority of Asian America: the kids being bullied in school, the shop keepers struggling to keep their head above water, the nurses putting their lives at risk taking care of COVID patients, the majority of us working at our jobs every day without recognition.
And here comes House of Ho, a prime example of how how Asians can achieve the American dream. Can you say "model minority?" Thanks, but no thanks.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.
The Ho family will be the subject of a new reality series.
HBO is betting that audiences can't get enough of crazy, rich Asians spending a lot of money for material goods and designer names.
Wlecome to the opulent, over-the-top world of the Ho family.
(Editor's Note: The "House of Ho" premieres Thursday, Dec. 10 on HBO Max.)
HBO Max will bring a new docu-series from Lionsgate TV, T"he House of Ho." The inaugural season of this comedic, full-hearted doc style series in the spirit of Crazy Rich Asians will include 8 thirty-minute episodes.
Led by patriarch Binh Ho and his wife, Hue Ho, the power couple immigrated from Vietnam to the United States with little money, relying on hard work to establish the ultimate American dream. They have built a multi-million dollar bank, a real estate development company and a new generation of American Ho's.
The series pulls back the curtain of their lavish Houston lifestyle and showcases the tight family connections that unite them as well as the multi-generational outrageous drama that ensues. While Binh and Hue have laid down a golden foundation for their children, Judy Ho and Washington Ho (yes, named after the nation's founding father and whose kids are named Lincoln and Roosevelt), they are not exempt from the constant pressure to achieve and to live up to their parents' lofty expectations.
Despite the power struggles, at the end of the day, the Ho household is filled with love, laughter, and a few designer handbags, of course.
"Rarely do you come across a family that is so rich in so many ways - not just in wealth, but in heart, traditions and love for each other," said Jennifer O'Connell, Executive Vice President of Original Non-fiction and Kids Programming, HBO Max. "There's great pride in being a Ho and they are ready to give the world a seat at their luxurious table."
"The Ho family is wildly engaging and we're very excited to partner with HBO Max in bringing this hilarious and exuberant series to viewers," said Alice Dickens-Koblin, Lionsgate SVP and Head of Unscripted Programming.The reality show is seet to premiere in the Spring of 2020.
The members of the Ho Family the show will focus on are:
Binh Ho, 71, despite being the super strict patriarch of the Ho family, Binh has nothing but good intentions. Originally from Vietnam, his hard work has paid off and he is now the owner of a successful bank. Although Binh is living the 'American Dream' he feels the need to control every move his children make.
Hue Ho, 66, is Binh's loving wife and the matriarch of the family. Hue is always the perfect looking, highly critical mom who thinks her children can do no wrong. She often defends the children when Binh seems unreasonable, especially over Washington's hard-partying ways. Her love for her family is rivaled only by her love of cooking, which is on full display at the weekly Sunday dinner she hosts. The authentic Vietnamese fare is mouth-watering but the drama at the table is even juicier.
Judy Ho, 39, is the first born of Binh and Hue Ho. The self-pegged responsible and reliable one, Judy was the perfect candidate to become a lawyer and did so with flying colors as she is the consummate perfectionist. She is a mom to three kids and is going through a divorce.
Washington Ho, 38, is the "former" playboy of the family with a reputation of dating questionable women and partying way too hard. Once he met Lesley, his future wife who would eventually steal his heart, he was forced to settle down ... a little. Now, he's a devoted father of two adorable kids, Roosevelt and Lincoln, but all of this is about to change as he attempts to prove he's a changed man and ready to step out of his father's looming shadow - he just hasn't quite figured out how.
Lesley Ho, 34, is Washington's independent, outspoken, down-to-earth and loving Vietnamese-American wife who juggles being the mother of their two beautiful children with her career as a pharmacist. Growing up in a small town, middle-class family in Oklahoma, she's had to adjust to the over the top lifestyle that comes with being a Ho.
Aunt Tina, 58, is the Aunt that likes to be noticed and makes sure that everybody does. From her purple streaked hair to her tight dresses, Aunt Tina is all about...well, Tina. She likes to work hard and play harder. As one of the younger immigrants of the Ho family, she grew up in Vietnam before following in her older brother's footsteps and moving to America.
Cousin Sammy, 29, should probably have her life a little more together but instead, lives for the moment even if it doesn't always work in her favor. Since she and Washington are so close, he decided to offer her a job as his head of marketing.
