Popular Culture
Tielman Brothers and Van Halen Brothers
The great rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, the lead guitarist of the band “Van Halen,” passed away yesterday. I can distinctly remember the first time
Chainsmokers “Closer” Covers in Southeast Asia
I read an article last week by Ariel Heryanto called “Popular Culture for a New Southeast Asian Studies?” [in The Historical Construction of Southeast Asian
The Yijing is Vietnamese Animated Movie
Having written extensively over the years about the idea that South Vietnamese philosopher Lương Kim Định promoted that the Yijing (Kinh Dịch) was created by
When was the Vietnamese Nation Formed?
In North Vietnam in the 1950s there were a few major historiographical debates that took place between scholars, and which were published in two journals:
Đại Việt Man Meets Đông Sơn Man
I’ve always wondered what would have happened if someone from the Đông Sơn period (that is, the time at the end of the first millennium
Movie Theaters in 1951 French Indochina
I came across a document that contains a list of movie theaters in French Indochina in 1951. The distribution of theaters is predicatable: 14 in
Win Min Than as a Hapa Actress
Today someone posted a picture on facebook of an Anglo-Burmese actress by the name of Win Min Than who made a movie in the 1950s
Equal Rights to Makeup in 1930s Vietnam
I came across this nice image in an early issue of the journal Phong Hóa. A wife is surprised to see her husbands powdering his
When an Apsara Ruled the Universe
The apsaras, or celestial female spirits, of Hindu-Buddhist mythology are figures of grace and elegance. They are renowned for their beauty. . . but did
Lý Công Uẩn in Film and TV
There were several films and TV series made recently about Lý Công Uẩn. They were meant to coincide with the 1,000-year anniversary of Thăng Long/Hà
The 1948 Burmese Olympic Team
The Nation reported on 12 August 1948 that members of the Burmese Olympic team were entertained at Buckingham Palace by none other than Their Majesties
Viet-Nam Music Explained to the Burmese
I was looking at The Nation newspaper from Burma for 22 October 1948 when I came across this article about “Viet-Nam Music.” It is supposed
Going to the Movies in 1954 Burma
Can a trip to the movies in Rangoon in 1954 tell us anything about Burma at the time? I think it can. In fact, I
Looking Good in Tents and Paper in 1960s Malaysia
I just came across these articles in the Malay Mail about certain hip fashions in 1963. The first was for “the tent” which apparently girls
Business Success Under Colonial Rule in the Philippines
So one of the first things which popped into my mind when I saw the picture for this adverstisement was that it was a symbol
Jane Palomar on Marriage and the Filipino Race
I came across this article about the Filipino actress, Jane Palomar, from the early 1960s in a magazine called Graphic. The article is called “Girl
Representing Minorities in Late-1970s Vietnam
I was looking at a pictorial magazine called “Vietnam.” Has anyone studied these types of magazines before? I think people have studied magazines like “Life,”
A Thai Beauty Queen and the Blood of Her Soldiers
I was looking at a Thai newspaper from the 1930s called the Siam Rashdra Daily News. The front page for April 24, 1935 had an