Young Jean Lee is an Asian female. She's also an asshole.
As this blog was purely created as a contribution to the public discourse, I felt it necessary to respond to the accusations of a lack of diversity on this blog. While it's true that often white men and their stories tend to dominate in the asshole arena, it's incredibly important to allow assholes of color and asshole women to let their stories be known.
As Teresa Rebeck said at a very important speech that everyone quotes a lot, "If we lived in an ideal world, the balance of new assholes produced in theaters all over America would come out to, roughly, fifty/fifty... This is not what is happening. Women are being shut out...Seventeen percent of fifty percent is thirty four percent of a hundred percent. (Bear with me I’m not making this up I’m actually pretty good at math.) That means that sixty-six percent of the best assholes are women—the assholes that SHOULD be rising to the top.."
Her quote really made me understand something about the world. I realized that my mother is an asshole. I realized that my landlord is an asshole. I realized that my boss is an asshole. My friends, teachers, neighbors...so many of them are assholes. And though they are not all white men, their stories deserve to be reflected on the internet. Because...
Assholes come in all colors, shapes and sizes.
So I've decided to start an initiative here at "I Interview Assholes" called DIVERSITY WEEK. DIVERSITY WEEK will feature only assholes who are women and people of color. And once I started curating with an eye towards diversity, I realized, "Hey. An asshole can come from anywhere. Even my list of email contacts!"
To kick off DIVERSITY WEEK, I am proud to start with Diversity Guru Young Jean Lee. I happen to know what an asshole she is, as I worked for her for 5 years. I promise you, she is as big an asshole as any white man I know. Probably bigger.
Q. Why are you such an asshole?
A. Because I’m Asian.
Q. Who do you hate more: old ladies, puppies or fucking babies?
A. People of color.
Q. Why the fuck didn't you become a doctor?
A. Because I don’t like helping people. Especially sick people.
Q. Does your mother know you are an asshole?
A. Whenever I see her, she cries and says I’m going to hell (not a joke).
Q. If you could murder a concept, what concept would it be and why?
A. The concept that I’m not awesome. A lot of people think that, and it’s not true.
Q. What shows do you have coming up...oh wait, I don't care so don't fucking tell me. Seriously, don't answer this question.
A. My show STRAIGHT WHITE MEN will be at the Public November 7-December 7.http://www.publictheater.org/
*NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: WE FUCKING KNOW, JESUS CHRIST.
Q. Do you know that by being a theater artist, you are automatically an asshole?
A. Why, because I’m creating political change by writing plays?
Q. Name 3 people you know who are bigger assholes than you. Feel free to explain or not, asshole.
A. John Collins, Thomas Bradshaw, and Scott Shepherd, because they do everything all perfect in their lives and laugh at me for being fucked-up.
*NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: To aid in this egregious display of name dropping, I've provided links for your reference. They are links that absolutely link you to the actual people Ms. Lee is referring to.
Q. Do you live in Williamsburg?
A. PARK SLOPE #1 IN YOUR FACE!!!
Q. Where are you from?
A. That’s racist.
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