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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2019)
U.S.A. December 2, 2019 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 7 David Chang says his new Netflix show honors Bourdain By Michael Cidoni Lennox The Associated Press OS ANGELES — “Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner” host David Chang says he understands why critics are comparing his new show to work done by his late friend and colleague Anthony Bourdain. Chang’s show fuses food and travel as did Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown.” “I don’t know how you couldn’t,” said Chang. “He was a pretty significant person in my life. But whether we were successful or not, the last thing we would ever want to do is to not be respectful and pay homage. ... The whole thing was hard to do, for obvious reasons. But we tried very hard and we were very aware of trying to make it a different show.” Bourdain, a chef and author, was known for using culinary traditions as a storytelling tool to explore cultures around the globe in his CNN series, “Parts Unknown.” He killed himself in 2018. Perhaps what’s most different about Chang’s new Netflix series is the sweet and occasionally salty chef himself. His empire includes restaurants, cookbooks, and now two Netflix shows. The first, “Ugly Delicious,” debuted in 2018. L The first four episodes of “Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner” pair Chang with celebrities as they explore a city — Chrissy Teigen in Marrakesh, Kate McKinnon in Phnom Penh, Seth Rogen in Vancouver, and Lena Waithe in Los Angeles. It’s with the history-making Waithe — the first black woman to win an Emmy for comedy screenwriting — where things get most interesting. Their conversation in a no-frills, suburban Los Angeles diner turns to lack of representation of minority groups in mainstream America. Waithe is gay. Chang’s parents immigrated from Korea in the ’60s. Representation is an important subject for Chang. In September, he told a Washington Post interviewer that the ethnic food aisles in grocery stores are “the last bastion of racism” in retail America. In talking to The Associated Press, Chang presented an example. “Why should my hot sauce be in an ethnic food aisle, but Tabasco is in a main aisle?” In terms of availability and information, however, this is a golden age of food, Chang BOURDAIN HOMAGE. David Chang, right, and actress Kate McKinnon try fresh mangosteen from a street vendor in Phnom Penh, Vietnam, in a scene from the Netflix series, “Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.” Chang says he understands why critics are comparing his new show to work done by his late friend and col- league Anthony Bourdain. Chang’s show fuses food and travel as did Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown.” (Netflix via AP) said. Consumers, manufacturers, and the culinary industry are better informed than ever. But the ripples from climate change could lead to a “different kind of food system,” he said. “We may eat things differently,” he said. “My dad used to tell me, man, ‘When I got an orange once a year, that was the greatest day of my life.’... And we may have to go back to that. And I don’t know what that looks like. But we can’t get whatever we want anymore.” There’s also been personal change for Chang as he and his wife, Grace, became parents with the birth of their son, Hugo. “Everyone says, ‘it changes your life,’ and I’m trying to find how to find a better balance,” Chang said. “I’m a work in progress, man. And working a lot is what I know how to do. And I do know that soon I’m going to have to learn how not to work so hard.” Baby Shark run continues with new tour dates By Nekesa Mumbi Moody AP Entertainment Writer N EW YORK — Most viral videos have a finite shelf life, but the “doo doo doo” of “Baby Shark” shows no sign of abating. The little ditty and dance about a family of sharks that captivated the toddler set and beyond will still be with us as we go into the next decade, with a “Baby Shark Live!” tour launching a new set of concert dates after recently wrapping up dozens of performances in its first run in North America. The second leg of the tour kicks off in Independence, Missouri on March 1, and visits the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland on March 27. “Our target demographic is two years old all the way up to six years old. That’s sort of the main sweet spot. But it’s family. It’s a family show. It’s parents with their kids. It’s grandparents with their grandchildren. It’s a show for the whole family,” said Stephen Shaw, co-president of Round Room Live, which is putting on the concert tour. “It’s a great night out. And we’re really pleased with the response we’ve seen and how broad the actual audience has been.” And while the concert, the first for most kids, may include the earworm of “doo doo doo,” the 90-minute event features music beyond that song, including nursery rhymes around for far longer than “Baby Shark.” “‘Baby Shark,’ which is obviously the title and the main song of the show, only sort of appears twice,” said Shaw. “And the rest of the show is filled with great high-energy fun.” “Baby Shark” has been around for a few years but it took the world by storm last year when the song and video by Pinkfong went viral with the nursery-school set, with little kids imitating the handclapping dance that went SHARK SHOW. The cast of the “Baby Shark Live!” tour is seen in this October 2, 2019 photo. The show has launched a new set of concert dates after recently wrapping up dozens of performances in its first run in North America. “Baby Shark Live!” is featured in Portland on March 27. (Photo courtesy of “Baby Shark Live!”) along with the video. Books, plush toys, and other mer- chandise inspired by the song were hot-ticket items for the holidays and the “Baby Shark” tour was soon hatched. “It’s one of those that has truly been a phenomenon where I think there’s any number of people who suspected it might start to fade a little bit, and it seems to be gaining steam,” said Jonathan Linden, Round Room Live’s other co-president. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a fun song that sort of brings people together and everybody seems to know it.” Getting exposure during the World Series as Washington Nationals fans adopted it as their rally song certainly helped extend that shelf life. And more “Baby Shark” is on the way as Nickelodeon has a cartoon series in the works. Ramsey Naito, executive vice president of animation production and development for Nickelodeon, said the network sees “Baby Shark” as an opportunity to “develop Continued on page 8 Need health insurance? 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MULTNOMAH COUNTY CLACKAMAS COUNTY Beavercreek Clinic Free Food Market 110 Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City December 3 ........ 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Clackamas Service Center 8800 SE 80th Ave, Portland December 10 ....... 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Mulino Child Development Coalition 13700 S Freeman Rd, Mulino December 17 .................12-2 p.m. Orchid Health Center 535 NE 6th Ave, Estacada December 20 ...... 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Rosehaven 627 NW 18th Ave, Portland December 2 ..............2-3:30 p.m. Department of Human Services: Alberta Office 30 N Webster St, Portland December 3 ........ 10 a.m.-12 p.m. CareOregon Open Hours 315 SW Fifth Ave, Portland December 4.....................9-11 a.m. December 11 ...................9-11 a.m. December 18 ..................9-11 a.m. Department of Human Services: East County Office 11826 NE Glisan St, Portland December 6 ..................12-2 p.m. Department of Human Service: SE Malden 8129 SE Malden St, Portland December 10 ........1:30.-3:30 p.m. Invite goMobile to your event or location! careoregon.org/gomobile Portland Rescue Mission: Burnside Shelter 111 W Burnside, Portland December 12 .................8-10 a.m. PSU Free Food Market In front of Shattuck Hall 1914 SW Park Ave, Portland December 16 ...........11 a.m.-1 p.m. Transition Projects Laurelwood Center 6130 SE Foster Rd, Portland December 19 ................... 1-3 p.m. Union Gospel Mission 3 NW Third Ave, Portland December 31 ................... 1-4 p.m. WASHINGTON COUNTY Family Promise of Beaverton Day Center Sunset Presbytarian Church 14986 NW Cornell Rd, Portland December 2 ........ 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Beaverton City Library 12375 SW Fifth St, Beaverton December 11 .................. 12-4 p.m. ASTHMA IS ON THE RISE. 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