I'd hate to go against Angry Asian Man on this one.

... But let's see some of the wonderful commentary the last post has received in the last fourteen hours or so since I've written it. Two comments on this very site have advised me to "watch the show before you go calling for a protest," and that "that's actually what he does...he squints when he's about to teleport". Even Angry Asian Man himself can't seem to find fault in Kristin's offhanded remark, saying "he's squinty because, well... he squints." One anonymous commenter went far enough to say "lol you slants are such losers, lighten up"; needless to say, this one was just straight up removed.

Funny things, because I've seen every episode produced of this sometimes problematic show. Not only do I often write about Heroes on this blog, I do Heroes recaps for Racialicious through the lens of race. Hence, the claims that I don't watch the show or don't know better aren't so valid. For those who do watch the show and find the term "squinty" in line with what they see Hiro actually do, let's clear up some misconceptions. I'm not exactly a trigger-happy blogger.

If I weren't a regular watcher I would have included the few words following Kristin's "squinty" remark - calling him a "carp". However carp was clearly a reference to Adam Munroe's line about Hiro in the Primatech plant. So don't say I don't know this show.

According to the handy Merriam-Webster Online, to squint is to "to look or peer with eyes partly closed". The key point of this definition is that the act of squinting requires that you keep your eyes open. Does Hiro keep his eyes open while teleporting? No, he squeezes them shut. What he does while exercising his superpower resembles nothing close to "squinting".

A fine distinction, I know. But insignificant? Probably not. Does this flaw in word choice on the part of E!Online's Kristin point to a negligence in her writing or something more? As co-editor Marilla put it: If Masi weren't ethnically Japanese, would his "squinting" get pointed out? The analogy is to Matt Parkman, who squints and furrows his brows in order to read minds - but would he be labeled "squinty"? I wouldn't hesitate to say that calling someone of Asian descent "squinty" is actually a much bigger offense than it reasonably seems. Maybe nothing more than a word choice flaw, this still points to something greater.

Am I the only person "sensitive" enough to notice? Comment 188 on the E!Online site writes:

"Thank you David! I thought I was the only one who cared that she used the term "squinty." Most people here aren't Asian or don't care, I guess, but I'm with you. It's totally inappropriate."

Comment 202 writes:

"I do believe this is the 2nd racist comment that Kristin has made about Hiro in as many weeks. Last week she made fun of the way he talks and this week she called him "squinty." You may be his "friend" but please watch what you say about him. Maybe you don't think it was racist, but it kind of was. You could have just written " torment our favorite teleporter" and left out the "squinty" I think we would have known who you were talking about. Instead you use a word that could be construed as racist. Bad Kristin."

While I'd like to know what the first racist comment was that Kristin made about Masi Oka, I probably have more interesting things to write about. Still, if calling out someone on this insensitive remark is "making a big deal" of it, then as bloggers of color what are we really doing?

Instead of checking (or forgetting to check) The Blaaag every half hour, here's a tip from the resident internet geek.

Use Google Reader. Any of you who have access to a Gmail account will be able to use the Reader to keep track of your web feeds. What are web feeds? According to Wikipedia, a web feed is, "a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content." For all intents and purposes, a web feed is an address on the internet that you can use with Google Reader to keep track of the blogs you read. Just click "Add Subscription" and put in your web feed!

The fun part? From Settings in Reader, go to Goodies and have fun with the toys there. My favorite: the Next bookmark. It's less efficient if you have loads of blogs to read like I do, but if you have only a few, you can always see if there are new updates without ever actually checking the site.

Also, do check the cool stuff at the right of this blog. We at The Blaaag have compiled a shared items feed with content from APA blogs all over the net with topics that we care about and discuss. You can add it to your feed reader, or you can check the side of the page when you visit.

And for those of you who really care about the interesting (and sometimes extremely offensive) things people say in the comments for this blog, there's a comment feed for you, although much of what you'll see is esoteric babble from AAA and PC members.

This time from the Spec website (reader comments), which I find myself reading now with more regularity.

Well, I'm an asian student. I'm amazed that a student belongs to Black Student Organization crying racism. You put yourself in race category. So far I haven't seen White Student Organization, American White Diver, White Causus etc. Can you just mingle in the organization such as Colorbind Diver, Colorblind Causus, Colorblind Student Organization. Why don't you all crying minorities do as I do....I went camping with my indian and black friends, went biking with my russian friend etc....you guys are hipocrits.

I wish I had harsher language with which to condemn your attitude and your identification with this viewpoint as an Asian student (one who apparently can't use spell/grammar check, much less express a decent opinion.)

You deserve a special honor in the APA Hall of Shame.

What can we Asians say? Typical white NYPD cops.

As I like to say, "when a NYPD cop gets hurt/killed, I ain't shedding no tears".

Wow.

The purpose of racial justice is not so that we can continue holding on to an us-versus-them mentality - the type of mentality that perpetuates racial hatred all over the globe, generation after generation. Solidarity does not make everyone else enemies.

So for this, "Anonymous", you currently hold the Worst Comment title in our APA Hall of Shame... Congratulations.

This will be part of a series, and will probably not end as long as the blogosphere exists.

Let me direct you to this comment on the Bwog. It doesn't matter the article it appeared under.

An (asian) student had an open container outside Broadway. NYPD rolled by, had a discussion with student, discussion became heated, student was handcuffed aggressively and thrown onto the ground, crowd assembled, NYPD officers called for backup to deal with crowd, several cars arrived, officers emerged to keep crowd away, lots of yelling, several racist comments were made by police (personal favorite: "had too much sake tonight?) Spectator was informed last night but has remained strangely silent on the issue.

Below:

As for the racist comment, I'm a little unclear how you heard this comment, since the cops were keeping people away. Regardless, prior to the arrest it is doubtful profiling occurred. Perhaps somewhere in New York City cops profile against Asians, but I would bet in the majority of asian-NYPD relations, racism works in Asians' favor, and ignorant cops assume that Asians are going about their gentle Buddha-tofu-meditation authority-loving business. Doesn't excuse the potential racism, but hey, are we really surprised at this point that the chaps with guns are willing to crack some skulls and make racist remarks? Well we shouldn't be.

If you want to be outraged at authority, that's cool, or if you want to be outraged at racism, that's cool. Hell, if you want to be enraged at both at the same time, that's cool too. But I would suggest not getting authoritarian tactics and racism mixed up in your own mind since it allows you two modes of completely separate arguments against the cops. Although both the abuse of authority and racism may have been displayed simultaneously, the phenomena are not intrinsically related since white cops will bust rich white boy heads from time to time. Just a helpful hint in case you ever have to go to trial with it.

All of this is pretty interesting (and pretty racist!) commentary on race relations in law enforcement, but to boot...

Dude, the only legitimate claim Asians can have of being discriminated against is by Columbia admissions.

Thanks a lot. As for the police incident, AAA will investigate...

We still contend, however, that racism escapes no one. Not the educated, not the worldly, not the intelligent, not the Ivy-Leaguer, not the New Yorker, not the person of color ... it goes on. Bwog comments get pretty ridiculous anyway, but here we still see real products of human thought. Keep that in mind.