Congratulations on your new show Asia Uncut. I could barely imagine how immensely exhilarating it must be to move from playing Tigger in Disneyland to head of Walt Disney International Asia Pacific to President of Electronic Arts in Asia Pacific, to now hosting your own talk show.
From your Bio (the picture links are not working, by the way), you’ve spent the last 11 years here in Asia. It must have been an incredible 11 years since Asia has given so much to you, a world apart from your growing years in Illinois and working in a theme park.
I’ll be brutally honest here. I hate your show. Watching your show makes me want to slit my wrist and pour the entire contents of my cheap 95-cents bag of china-made salt into my wound. I hate how your set is decorated in tacky, western-imagined asian motifs. I hate how of all the talented people in Asia who could possibly host a show called Asia Uncut, you the producer, picked yourself.
It says here that you were inspired by Johnny Carson and you’ve been wanting to produce a Tonight Show-style format for us Asians. Ever wondered why in the many years of Television here, there’s nothing like it here? Could it be because it’s not a format that never worked? Ever watched anything on TV other than CNN and Disney? If not, maybe you should. Believe me, even in Shanghai where you live, there are shows that feature international celebrities – just not in the format you like, I suppose.
Edward Said once said that Western knowledge of the East is generated from imagined constructs that everything eastern are fundamentally the same. Did you think that decorating your set like this could pass off as “Asian”? Are those little chinese stone lions, the japanese Maneki Neko on your table and the indian-inspired armchair all part of your collective notion of what’s Asian? I think you might have gone off at a tangent here. I believe Asian identity in this day and age is no longer just represented by these – we are a lot more international than when you first stepped foot here 11 years ago. In fact, I don’t even believe it was ever represented to this extent. I suggest you fire your set designer because I find your notion of “Asian” is nothing more than a stereotypical cliché, made worse by the fact it’s a show with a caucasian host.
Which brings me to you, the host. I choose to believe you had good intentions with the show. I’m just unsure why you, the producer, would think a Gwai Lo would make a good host for this show. Yes, I know it’s probably your childhood dream to have your own talk show and I guess if you were still in America you would probably have no chance because there’s so many like you. Did you seriously think that we really want to watch a caucasian hosting a show called “Asia Uncut”? Do you think American viewers in USA would watch a show in primetime called “America Uncut”, hosted by an Asian? I didn’t think so.
There’s nothing wrong with adopting a Western format for Asian television. In fact, many of such formats have proved to be very successful. Take a look at Amazing Race Asia, for example, at least it had an Asian host. Would I watch Amazing Race Asia if there’s a caucasian host with caucasian guests? I have a few suggestions for you. You could either call it “The Tonight Show with Jon Niermann” (but you might get your white ass sued for copying the format), or you should just call it “Expat uncut” because I think new expats in Asia might find the Orientalism all sooooo novel.
I may not be an expert in television nor do I have your years of experience. But as an Asian viewer that fits right into Star World’s target demographic, I find your show lame by any standards. I’m sorry but just because it’s filmed in Asia, has a part-Asian crew with a set dressed in Asian motifs and some Asian guests doesn’t make it Asian. I recommend you step out of your expat circle and get attuned to what’s truly Asian. Perhaps you should try eating organs for starters. Most Asians in Asian countries eat organs in one form or another, but I’m sure you know that already since you’re the host of Asia Uncut.
I wish you all the best in your latest endeavor in Asia. I may not like your show, but I’m sure there are other Asians who do. If not, at least you have the expats.
Uhhhhm… beakee doesn’t eat organs >.<
wow, someone’s really antagonised! haven’t caught this but check out that asian font on “asia” uncut. somebody cue “kungfu fighting” please. oh, get me some chinese takeaway as well. and don’t you know, all asians carry numchuks in their bags.
haha… i’ve not watched the show but i sure had fun reading this rant!
@beakee – that’s because you’re vegetarian, so you’re excluded.
@disko – don’t forget to drink your daily dose of snakewine and practise your taichi.
@rk – you should have a watch and you’ll know what I mean.
Hello, my friend. I received your letter. May I call you Mr. Rant? Not sure how to address you. Excellent writing above. I mean that. Truly entertaining. Much better than our current writers, so how about joining our crew? We need to inject some Asians on the pulse aside from all the fat expats we have sitting around (when they aren’t shopping for kitchsy “Asian” furniture for the set). And I certainly agree with much of what you have to say, especially that I have a white ass. So, my proposition is that you come on the show as a guest, I read your review and we talk about it live. Quality TV to spice up the show to your liking. I want you as a viewer. What say you, mate? Jon (but you can call me “John”)
Dear Jon,
My name is 强仔. Apologies for misspelling your name. I’ve amended my post to correct that.
Thank you for your offer to have me on your show. I’m just 1 in 3.8 billion Asians in Asia and honestly, it’s not my childhood dream to appear in front of camera.
Furthermore, I’m not sure its in your best editorial interest as a producer to invite any blogger who doesn’t like your show as a guest. I’m not a celebrity so while I may satisfy your amusement, I certainly won’t drive your ratings.
Thanks for stopping by.
Oh gosh, you got served!
Understood, but it’s an open offer to stop by. I will likely read your review(s) anyway. We like the good and the bad feedback. Check us out in the future, as we’re quite tongue-in-cheek and doing a lot of the stuff intentionally which probably wouldn’t come across if you only see one show. Who knows though, you may watch more and want to reach for more salt. So, please watch episode two this Friday and let me know if it’s any better. If it sucks, rip it and me apart. Have a good one, mate. Jon
ep two sucks.
As an expat, this show is an embarrassment to white people living in Asia. I know people outside Asia who’ve never been here who have a better take on the region than Jon Niermann.
Forget the egotistical posturing, think about the corporate irresponsibility. This guy runs EA Sports in APAC and he is spending his company’s money on sponsoring this show, HIS SHOW!
How could you employ a guy like this? DO his global bosses know?
It certainly is the worst attempt at this format in Asia since Gurmit Singh’s shot at Letterman/Leno 5 years ago.
Apparently he is bankrolling the whole affair, so I am sure Starworld will continue to take his money in this climate, rather than make an editorial decision to CHOP this mishmash out of their schedule!
Hi Mike, thanks for dropping a note. I’m happy to hear that an expat also found this show distasteful. A lot of expats I know have a better sense of Asia’s pulse even if they haven’t lived here as long as Jon did.
I’ve even stopped watching Star World for fear of accidentally catching the promotional trailer.
I haven’t heard, but if he’s really bankrolling the affair, then that’s just an all-time low for television in Asia. Shame on Star World.
Oh yes, Gurmit Singh’s attempt is Emmy material compared to this. It wasn’t produced as kitschy oriental just to be asian, and at the very least, Gurmit was occasionally funny.
finally a great critique of such a crap show. seriously. the orientalism is just so offensive- random wushu artists, gongs, bollywood dancers… come on. it’s as if they had a manual of every cliched, hackneyed stereotype one can have about asians and played with it. ffs, asia uncut is simply insulting, demeaning and disrespectful- it ranks up there mickey rooney’s depiction of what an “Asian” is in breakfast at tiffany’s.
treat asians as any other- intelligently and with respect. get this sh!t show off the air.
keep up the good work la. keep on writing till we get this idiot (it’s not a question really of whether he’s white but that he’s horribly unfunny and just a plan idiot…) out of our tellies.
I’m just very thankful that show is the only one of it’s kind on local television… for now. I hope television networks broadcasting in Asia would be a little more sensitive.
But then again, if they all perceive Asia like this, then it will only perpetuate the stereotype. I’m hopeful and my fingers are crossed.
I stumbled upon your website today and wanted to offer some thoughts. I’ve personally known Jon for over 26 years and what I find most disconcerting about your posts is the perception that he somehow harms the image of Asia, when his only intention is to offer a relaxed, casual format that has successfully worked for many of the shows broadcast here in the U.S. (The Tonight Show, Letterman, Oprah, to name a few.) And I think the sets are beautiful. The actual skyline of Shanghai hardly looks any different at night and it is well represented here. (Letterman uses a backdrop of the New York City, The Tonight Show uses Hollywood.). And why not use Oriental furniture? He’s broadcasting from Asia!
What I find most offensive is to suggest he must be Asian to host this show. In the U.S., we call this racism. Yes, he had the opportunity to host his own show and he took advantage of it. What’s so wrong with that? I’m not sure of it, but I’m guessing that there are plenty of shows with Asian hosts if you’d prefer not to see a “white guy.” And, yes, we have various races well represented on our shows, starting with “The Today Show,” with Ann Curry, who is Asian, and Al Roker, who is black. And that’s the first show many people watch in the morning!
Just because Asia Uncut isn’t your “cup of tea” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t applaud the effort. It’s called “uncut” for a reason, and if you don’t like the show, you should do what many of us Americans do when we don’t like something on the tube: We turn the channel.
Good luck with the show, old friend. I bet you “all the tea in China” you’re going to be successful.
My blog stats show that I get a lot of hits from people who typed “Asia Uncut” and “sucks” in the same search, so I don’t believe I’m the only voice who thinks this way.
I don’t think he needs to be Asian to host the show. What I find most offensive is that there are people who think that pulling out every cliched, Asian stereotype and putting it on TV is OK (or even required) just it’s broadcast in Asia, to an Asian audience. I’m not sure which TV channels you get, but look around channels here in Asia. It’s not funny when an Asian does it, it’s probably worse when a Non-Asian does it.
The show is tackier than a 70s kung fu movie, and at least they had better dialogue. Jon has no showmanship or stage presence, his only means of garnering attention is to jump over his desk or climbing up that stupid doorway on set, much like the ‘look mom, no hands!’ technique. On the up-side though, at least now I have reason to switch off the tube and hit the gym!