MAKE IT RAIN, PEOPLE!

Rain in Vain

Several excellent websites have already chastised People magazine for printing the above interview with Korean pop singer Rain next to a photo of someone who is neither Rain nor any form of precipitation.

In fact, the man in the photo above is actor Karl Yune, the younger brother of actor Rick Yune.

(At least I think that's Karl Yune. He kind of looks like Jet Li, so it's hard to say. Plus, in the right light, he also resembles Kim Jong Il. It's like one of those Magic 3D pictures where if I stare at it long enough, I start to see every member of my family.)

Anyway, as tempting as it is to categorize this as further evidence that non-Asians can't tell Asians apart, I resist.

True story:

Two years ago, I accompanied the Dixie Chicks to the Time 100 event in New York City. (You can read about it here.) As I trailed the Chicks onto the first red carpet for domestic print press, I heard a few reporters and photographers quietly ask the person next to them whether I was Rain, who was also being honored as one of the Time 100. A sole cameraman rolled tape as I approached.

I was mistaken for Rain!

Sadly, most of the American press did not even care whether I was Rain or not. They were all waiting for J. Lo.

As I left the area, I sighed about how non-Asian people apparently think we Asians look alike.

But then, when I walked onto the red carpet for international press, nearly all the Asian photographers started snapping pictures of me like crazy and yelling, "Rain! Rain!" Of course, they quickly stopped when somebody pointed out that I wasn't Rain.

Even after realizing that I wasn't Rain, the Asian press (who seemed to be covering the event solely because of Rain) continued to assume that I was in some way connected with him. Perhaps I came off as the Joey Fatone to his Justin Timberlake. Reporters shouted at me, asking what it was like working for Rain, whether I knew if he was coming, and what I thought about his being honored as one of the Time 100.

It would've blown their minds had they learned that I was actually with the three white Texan women a few feet ahead of me.

Needless to say, if the Asian paparazzi is mistaking me for Rain (albeit momentarily), then I think it's safe to say that all people -- Asians and non-Asians alike -- think Asian people look alike.

For what it's worth, I offer the side-by-side comparison below:

Can you spot the differences? For starters, the guy on the left (me) is not one-tenth as handsome as the guy on the right (Rain).

--Junichi