Linsanity (Part II)

Yesterday marked the release of the documentary, "Linsanity."  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2359427/

Last night, the 9:30pm showing of Linsanity sold out in the Monterey Park, CA AMC theatre so another showing was released at 9:45pm, which also sold out.  Why the draw?

Perhaps it's because Linsanity was a thrilling moment for sports fans who enjoy watching underdogs get their time to shine.  Perhaps it's because religious folks love watching when others are proud to offer their accomplishments as signs of their faith.  Or, perhaps it's because Asian Americans appreciate having a role model who challenges stereotypes.

During a Q&A session, Producer Christopher Chen (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1484535/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr2) relayed that he had originally taken notice of Jeremy Lin since he was a high school basketball player in Palo Alto, CA.  He and his crew follow Jeremy through the journey that takes him to Harvard and then the NBA.  Perhaps most admirable is that he and his colleagues dismissed a tempting offer to sell their footage when "Linsanity" made a social media frenzy in February 2012.  Instead, they continued with their passion project in order to tell Jeremy's story as originally intended.

May you have an opportunity to see this film during its limited release in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Linsanity

Who is Jeremy Lin? There's certainly been a lot of buzz about this intelligent athlete. Why? Perhaps because he's helped to defy some of the stereotypes about Asian American males. In case you haven't heard, here's a little blurb to help you become more acquainted with "Linsanity." http://diverseeducation.com/article/12604/



For a more intimate look at the Jeremy Lin prior to all the Knicks hype, here's a day in the life of our protagonist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLzrLXQIbwM



Of course, all the praises are not unnoticed by some backlash as well.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Is-Lin-Sanity-Getting-Lin-Sensitive-/139767573 (If you have difficulties pulling up the video using the link, try typing in "Jeremy Lin" at the site's search option.)





What do you think of all the hype? Has Jeremy Lin helped to break down stereotypes? Will the backlash lead to even more controversy? The world shall have to wait and see...