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Books & Theater Mary Poppins Live Birther Book Appears a Bit Late for Relevance By kam williams For The Skanner News PhoTo CourTeSy PCPa “I The Broadway touring production of ‘Mary Poppins,’ including a multi- racial cast, runs in Portland June 22 - July 10, at the Keller Auditorium. For tickets call 503-241-1802. ‘Hangover 2’s Dr. Ken Jeong Makes a House Call By kam williams For The Skanner News T he son of Korean immi- grants, Ken Jeong was born in Detroit on June 15, 1969 but raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. He graduated from high school there at the age of 16 after playing violin in the orchestra and being elected to the student council. Next, he attended Duke University, earning a bachelor’s degree before studying medicine at the University of North Carolina. However, while completing his residency in New Orleans, Dr. Jeong was moonlight- ing as a standup comedian, and he moved to L.A. after winning “The Big Easy Laff- Off.” He has since delivered unforgettable performances in such movies as The Kims of Comedy, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Couples Retreat and The Hangover. On TV, he’s appeared in a number of series and currently enjoys the recurring role of angry Spanish teacher Señor Chang on the NBC sitcom “Community.” He has also done a number of television specials, most recently hosting this year’s Billboard Awards. As for his private life, Ken’s wife, Tran, is a physician, too, and they have twin daugh- ters, Alexa and Zooey. Here, he talks about reprising his role as the flamboyant Mr. Chow in The Hangover Part II. kam williams: Hi Dr. Jeong. I’m hon- ored to have this opportunity. ken Jeong: Oh, thank you for interview- ing me. How’re you doing, Kam? kw: Just great, thanks. I told my readers I’d be interviewing you and they sent in a lot of questions, so I’d like to get right to them. Ken Emerson says: I have been one of your biggest fans ever since I saw you climb naked out of the trunk of the car in The Hangover. What do I have to do to get an autographed picture of you? kJ: [Laughs] Just forward his request to my publicist and I’d be very happy to send a picture to him. Absolutely! kw: How did you enjoy shooting The Hangover Part II over in Thailand? kJ: I loved it! It was just great. Being invited to go back to the big dance for the sequel to the movie that made my career was like a dream come true for me. It was an amazing opportunity to revisit the char- acter that put me on the map and to revisit with family. These guys are my favorite crew to work with. I just had a blast! kw: All the biggest laughs this go-round revolve around your character. kJ: [Chuckles] Thank you. That’s very kind of you. kw: Larry Greenberg says: You’re cooler than Buckaroo Banzai. I read that your come- dy career took off when Brandon Tartikoff saw you perform in New Orleans. Another reader, Fred Plunkett, Jr., who is from New Orleans, thinks that it was Bud Friedman who told you that you’ve got what it takes. Care to settle the debate by sharing who it is you credit with telling you to head for Hollywood? kJ: Yes, sir. It was a standup comedy contest in New Orleans called “The Big Easy Laff-Off,” and the judges of the con- test were both Bud Friedman, the founder of The Improv, and Brandon Tartikoff, the for- mer President of NBC and ex-Chairman of Paramount Pictures. I won the competition and got to perform at The Improv in Los Angeles. This was fifteen years ago. When I finished my residency in New Orleans, I went to L.A. where I would work as a doc- tor during the day, and then at night I would actually go to The Improv and do standup, all the while kind of cultivating my comedy resume. kw: Fred remembers seeing you perform with the Brown Improv group, which just celebrated their 17th year anniversary in New Orleans. He wants to know whether you still keep in touch with any members of the troupe. kJ: Of course! That was the improv group I worked with every Saturday for three years while I was doing my residency. I credit Brown with really helping me find my comedic voice. And there are many tal- ented actors and comedians I worked with there who I still keep in touch with today. I look back upon Brown as my training ground, my Second City, if you will. kw: Fred also reminisces about catching you at True Brew Café on Open Mic Night. Does that ring a bell? kJ: Yes! True Brew was a great venue located in New Orleans’ business district. It was a place where they had standup come- dy once a week. It was great because it gave me an opportunity to develop my act. I have very, very fond memories of New Orleans. kw: Will Cooper says: Given the number of years you invested in becoming a doctor, from med school to residency, before switching careers, do you ever wish you had s the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, illegally occupying the Oval Office? This book will demonstrate conclusively that no legal authority has ever verified Barack Obama’s legal eligi- bility to be president, that glaring inconsistencies and blackouts in his life narra- tive have caused widespread doubts among the American populace, and that, in fact, a compelling body of evi- dence exists that Obama is not a natural-born citizen as is required of all presidents by Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution. This book further estab- lishes the case that Barack Obama, aided by the media collaborators, has conduct- ed one of the most auda- cious cover-ups ever perpe- trated at the highest level of American politics. By the time you finish reading, you will understand the need to block Obama’s bid for re- election in 2012...” — Excerpted from the Preface (pg. v) Four years ago, black con- servative Shelby Steele took a calculated risk when he published a book explaining why Barack Obama would- n’t win the Presidential election of 2008. But in spite Shelby’s ending up with egg on his face, there’s been no shortage of so- called “birthers” again will- ing to predict the demise of Obama’s 2012 campaign even before it begins. With the help of Donald Trump, the notion that Barack was born outside of the U.S. began to catch fire this spring, at least until the President finally called a press conference on April 27th, the very same day that a book called “Where’s the Birth Certificate?” was being published by Skylar Blue. So, by releasing his original birth certificate, Obama ostensibly headed that opus off at the pass while simultaneously torpe- doing Trump’s political aspirations. I think most folks consid- ered the birther issue put to rest once and for all, but now along comes another tome with the same title as Blue’s. This “Where’s the Birth Certificate?” was writ- ten by Jerome R. Corsi, author of Unfit for Command, which ques- tioned the veracity of Senator John Kerry’s serv- ice record during the war in Vietnam. However, Corsi’s 400+ pages of copiously-detailed insinuations read more like the desperate ramblings of a mental patient or a paranoid conspiracy theorist than the product of years of sound, well-reasoned research. Nonetheless, all is for naught, given the President’s dispositive pro- duction of the missing docu- ment in question. Where’s the valid birth certificate? On file in Hawaii, fool! where’s the Birth Certificate? The Case That Barack Obama Is Not Eligible to Be President by Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. WND Books Hardcover, $25.95 420 pages, Illustrated Read the rest of this story online at www.theskanner.com May 25, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 7
