Cup 40
Name: Gina Chen
Age: 22
Hometown: Troy, MI
Location of Interview: Starbucks in Atlanta, Georgia (Part Skype, part cell phone session)
Drink: Triple Venti Caramel Latte
(Gina was kind enough to send me some interesting photos of the inside of her workplace - they are spread throughout the article. Enjoy!)
So you had the opportunity to intern at Cartoon Network last summer, and now you officially work there. How did this come about? What was your reasoning for applying here?
"I needed a job, and I saw this internship posting last year in college. So I applied and they wanted me! I was very lucky."
What were your responsibilities as an intern?
"Be available for slave labor! Heh Just kidding. :D
I worked on the Techwood campus, which is the main seat of Turner's Entertainment networks and groups: Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, TCM, truTV, Turner Studios and Turner Sports.
There were 3 of us interns, and we were all pushed into a tiny room with 3 desks and 3 phones. Our office was dubbed "The Cave." But we made the place our own. We drew things on the walls, which were blackboard and white board walls, wrote our names in chalk, things like that."
And what do you do now?
"I'm what they call a T3, a Turner Team Trainee. I do a lot of note-taking and am learning all the ins and outs of how to market TV shows. Basically, we're boiling a show down to what's great about it, and what, where, and when people watch a TV show. I help people keep track of deadlines and making sure that all information is passed along. Just making sure that everybody knows what's going on."
Out of curiosity, what did you major in at the University of Michigan?
"I majored in Communications and minored in Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies. I was thinking about going to law school, but that idea got scrapped really quickly.
Education doesn't stop. I can always go back and get a degree in something but for now, I'm going to enjoy my 20's as I learn by working."
Do you think you would like to continue working in this part of the media industry, or some other area?
"I think I'm going to stick with TV for now. The landscape of the industry is changing like crazy. I'm also a TV addict, so I figured I can keep watching TV if I do what I do. The content [of CN] is phenomenal. Really smart and different.
The media industry is hard to break into, some parts are easier than others. But I'm thrilled with the company and people I work with. I can't ask for more. And my parents are happy that I actually have a job."
What's your favorite show at the moment?
"Oh, I have so many!! I really like Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Regular Show."
What shows did you like as a kid?
"Batman Beyond, Sailor Moon, Johnny Bravo, Dexter's Lab."
Yep, I definitely watched and liked all of those as a kid. Maybe not Johnny Bravo so much, but all of the other ones, absolutely. What's the environment like at Cartoon Network?
"The environment is very vibrant and upbeat. Colorful office and everyone is off the wall."
You said that you have a minor in Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies. Why is Asian American culture so important to you, and what do you plan to do with it as far as efforts go?
"I'm not sure yet explicitly what I'll do with it, but I know I can be an activist, just by having a consciousness everyday and being able to point out racism and oppression. That somewhat goes into portrayal of people of color. TV can and does form people's opinions of one another. For instance, if you're white and live in a primarily white community with very few colored people, TV may be the only way of forming a perspective on minorities. Research has shown that Asian American children are the most bullied in the U.S., partly because TV portrays that they won't fight back.
Many Asian American roles are built around stereotypes and lame jokes. If we can get away from that and have more diverse characters - not just interesting white people - and if we can get away from all of those assumptions in cartoons, anything can happen. Especially in animation, where characters are not bound by physical limits, production budgets or the cost of CGI effects!
I was one of 2 Co-chairs at Michigan's United Asian American Organizations (UAAO), an umbrella group similar to MSU's APASO (Asian Pacific American Student Organizations), and we tried to keep people aware of violence against Asians and racist acts. This last year, there was a fraternity on campus that used Vietnamese paddy hats as part of their pledge process, so we stepped in. And of course, it's very disrespectful to say things like 'ching chong' and 'ling long', so it's always about calling people out for their actions.
Do you see yourself creating a TV program sometime in the future?
"Maybe 20 or 30 years from now. Some people actually have a talent for storytelling but sadly, I don't think I'm one of them. I'm always so fascinated by what other people come up with. I like my role as a marketer. Always looking for the best aspects of whatever is out there, the best movie, etc. Or like, 'Hey! This book came out 300 years ago, but it's still awesome!'
Maybe this is too broad of a question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. What's your take on the general quality of television and movies now?
"I think I view TV and movies now from a different perspective from when I was younger. I've watched many times more TV than when I was 8, 9, or 10. I'm not much of a movie watcher; I don't think movies have changed very much. But TV, definitely yes, especially within the past 10 years, has changed dramatically. More and more people have access to cable and satellite. More things to watch and society as a whole is more open to the things you see on TV. There's lots of things to learn through social media. Everyone talks about everything online. People geek out more and it's OK. I think it's going to keep on getting better."
What's the food like down south?
"Ohmygod, the food is amazing! And no, the people down here don't just eat fried chicken. :-p
The food is kind of hipster-ish, in a way. Basically, it's any take you can imagine on traditional American food. Their BBQ is ridiculous, by the way. I'm not really a breakfast person but I do like to go out early for breakfast here. My favorite food here so far is fried green tomatoes.
There's a lot more to ask for from the sushi down here, though. And trying to find good Chinese take-out has been really hard - you have to go to the suburbs to get it.
What is it about their take-out that you don't like?
"They like to add more soy sauce and salt than I'm used to."
Please describe yourself in 6 words.
"Curious, consuming (of food, knowledge, and goods), caffeinated (I'm trying to kick coffee and cola.), dynamic (I try work to improve myself in better ways.), crafty (I really want to buy a saw to make furniture, but that's a long way off.), and homebody (I like to curl up and snuggle up.).
What do you feel is your greatest goal accomplished to this day?
"If I can take credit for this, having been able to meet so many extraordinary people and being helped, from being given advice on life to activism to the concept on different ways of thinking critically. Being surrounded with people who will always challenge my perspective of the world, that is my greatest accomplishment."
If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why?
"Can this person be fictional?"
(Thinking to myself, 'She's read my blog before.') Hahaha Yes. :)
"I would trade places with Fiona from Adventure Time. She's this butt-kicking maiden who does what she wants and saves the world and doesn't need nor have a boyfriend. I'd switch places with her because she has a pretty awesome mind. And a pretty awesome cat, named Cake. And some pretty rad friends ... Prince Gumball (Neil Patrick Harris) and Marshall Lee, the Vampire King (Donald Glover)."
If you could meet any one person from history, who would it be and why?
"Theodore Roosevelt. He seems like a fun, hilarious guy to hang out with. He got shot in the middle of one of his speeches but he still kept talking. He was a force of nature to be reckoned with. It would be so cool to sit down with him and learn how to emulate how he changed the world, then go and change the world for the better."
If you could have any special talent or ability, what would you choose?
"Teleportation! If it's raining outside, all I'd have to do is squeeze my eyes shut and then I'd be home."
What's the craziest thing that's ever happened to you?
"It was my third day as an intern at Cartoon Network. I was asked to make a delivery to a different floor, and when I got there I saw an old man with a red tricycle, cycling around the cubicles and shouting. I found out two days later that that guy was the President of Cartoon Network."
If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
"Once I figure this out, I'd go to the deep underbellies of the ocean. Hang out with the narwhals and squid, see if the Kraken really exists."
Favorite color? "Green. Emerald, to be exact."
Favorite movie: "2046. It's a weird Hong Kong movie..."
Favorite book: "The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye. The 1980 version is extraordinary! But the republished edition is horrible and has an ugly cover and illustrations."
What kind of music do you listen to?
"Lot of Imagine Dragons lately. My favorite classical music piece is Ravel's Le Tombeau. I've played viola here and there for weddings and The Michigan Pops Orchestra."
Favorite food as a child: "Tomatoes and eggs."
Favorite food now: "Mac and Cheese. Say Mac and Cheese and I'm, like, there."
What have you come away with from working at CN?
"We're always working to blow people's minds, give them something they couldn't fathom on their own. Watching our shows and coming to our events shows how creative and intriguing we are."
What kind of events?
"There's things like San Diego Comic Con … we do a partnership with Six Flags all across the U.S., and recently launched our partnership with LEGOLAND in Florida. It'll also be our third year at Atlantis in the Bahamas, where we've got all sorts of characters and parades and crazy things to excite kids.
What did taking part in UAAO teach you?
"That it's hard to change people's minds. It sucks sometimes. But I also learned that young people can do extraordinary things. Everybody ought to have the opportunity to find or have mentors, and to find a safe footing in the history of Asian-Americans before them. Being exposed to that information is something I didn't have before college."
If you could have any one thing in this world, what would it be and why?
"Realistically, a cat. But I'd really like a domesticated black bear that I can hang out with and know for sure it won't maul people, or would maul people for me and we'd not get in trouble for that. A polar bear would be awesome, too, as a vehicle to go to and from work in.
World peace. More conceptual, the Utopia where there is no oppression, honor, or privilege arbitrarily meted out by circumstance."
Anything else you'd like to add, Gina?
(Speaks first sentence in a sing-song voice) "Never stop learning. Or better, always be curious about any and every part of your life. Create a log of interesting things, people, and experiences you come across."
-HK