We know. Ever since “Survivor: Cook Islands” ended in 2006, you’ve been left with a Yul Kwon-sized hole in your heart. Get over it! There’s a good handful of Asian Americans on today’s reality TV shows. Here’s whom to watch.
John Park, American Idol, Season 9, FOX
For Korean Americans, this soulful crooner is our brightest hope in the reality world. He made it to Idol’s “Top 24” and will soon sing for his life in front of millions of viewers. Why he might win: 1) He has the Zac Efron look down cold. 2) Guest judge Shania Twain said he has “nice lips” and a “beautiful bottom end.” 3) His voice is as smooth as butter. Why he probably won’t win: 1) His sob story is that his parents disapproved of his career choice (snore), not cancer or single parenthood. 2) He rarely gets airtime (what gives, Idol?). 3) He might be a bit, as Simon Cowell would say, “forgettable.”
Jujubee, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 2, LOGO
Wigs, false eyelashes and pleather leotards—oh my! We can’t take our eyes off this she-male, Jujubee, a Laotian American entertainer and makeup artist from Boston who just wants to “fulfill the dream.” And that dream is to become America’s Next Drag Superstar. The voluptuous dynamo does a mean neck roll as she blurts out sassiness like, “Are you trying to be fierce to me, Miss Tati?” S/he has been called “a jack of all that is drag” and a “shoo-in to win the title.” Work it.
Joe and Heidi Wang, Amazing Race, Season 16, CBS
Asian Americans have always fared well in this ‘round-the-world contest that requires swift thinking and teamwork. (Remember Tammy and Victor’s million-dollar win?) We’ll have to see if the trend continues this season. Husband-and-wife team Joe and Heidi Wang already lost some popularity points when they saved spots in the bus queue for Brandy and Carol, whom they’ve formed an alliance with. Though the Chinese American couple from El Segundo, Calif., has made it clear that they’re not in the race to make BFFs, Joe has declared he’s going to be the “problem child” of the competition. “Joe is very confrontational,” Heidi added. “He certainly has said things that really piss people off.” Is bullying just part of their strategy?
All the Asian American teams on Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew, Season 5, MTV
Can’t tell the Asian American dance groups apart? A quick rundown. Hype 5-0 (pictured here) is the first crew from Hawaii. The Poreotics wear shades and are inspired by robots. Static Noyze is a diverse posse that tells a story with each dance number. Blueprint Cru is all about unified movements galore. Watch them as they battle it out on the big stage—and take a shot each time judge JC Chasez describes a move as “sick.” (Warning: You’ll get wrecked.)
Jay Nicolas Sario, Project Runway, Season 7, Lifetime
He can make a potato sack look good. No, really. Jay Nicolas Sario won the PR challenge, for which designers had to create a striking look out of burlap sacks. That’s haute. The Filipino fashionista, who works as the visual merchandiser and lead stylist for Gap Kids, loves creating “sexy and structured” pieces out of fabrics such as tweed, wool and denim. Since being on the show, he’s said, “I am a much better designer now and I do feel a sense of validation. I’m legit, bitches!”
