By Chloe Bohne · May 19, 2010
An intern has many different faces. In my case, I am also a student and a drunk. Judge me if you will, but I still manage to get things done. And I am in college, so give me a break.
Anyway, I am taking a course this quarter on the history of Koreatown. Its actually pretty cool. Why, you ask?Well, I get to combine two of my all time favorite things: writing and drinking.My final project is a 25-page research paper based on my experiences getting drunk at bars in Koreatown.Yeah, I know pretty sweet class, right?
As if that is not awesome enough, my professor is this really cool, young dude who is all into films, so we get to watch documentaries or short films made by and about Korean Americans.Some are a little cheesy, like Yellow, but that’s expected when any new thing comes out.Like, buying the PlayStation 8 the first night it comes out even when you know that the first 1000 are faulty, but you really want it, so you end up wasting your money on it anyway.Well, we only had to get past like three ‘faulty’ films, before we got to Danny Cho and his work entitled K-Town Cowboys.
Granted, this movie appeals to me because I like to drink, and I like to watch movies about people drinking. But, I also like the whole vibe of the drunken, K-Town experience and I find it refreshing to see Asians portrayed in a different light: as drunken, American youths, with slanted eyes.
Hell, having gone to a “Korean” bar and a “White” bar in K-town, I think the Korean bars know whats up. Its not like the token LA bar: you arrive at eleven-thirty and leave around one-thirty.Two damn hours? What the hell? I got dressed up for that? I haven’t even caught a buzz yet. Based on my “research” and Cho’s piece Koreatown kids, or Cowboys, drink way harder than I ever thought they did. I’ve seen it; they even do it better than we do and they do it all night long (that’s what he said).
But, back to the movie, Cho had a classic cast of drunken characters: the new guy, who just got dumped by his girlfriend and moves to LA; the tough guy who always seems to take his shirt off before he gets into yet, another fight; and yes, the funny, fat dude. Finally! An accurate portrayal of the few Asian friends I had growing up. Who knew they would ever be portrayed as anything but a Kung Fu master or a computer whiz kid?
So I’m taking a moment out of my day to say thank you to Danny Cho for first of all making class a little more interesting, secondly for making a movie that depicting another side of my Asian peoples to the world, and lastly, for showing me where the hell I should be drinking on my Friday night. I’m getting sick and tired of being the only person who wants to start drinking at seven and not stop until four.
