So Lisa Chan, the young actress who appeared as “yellowgirl” in Michigan Senatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra’s racist Super Bowl ad has apologized; posting this note on her Facebook page:

“I am deeply sorry for any pain that the character I portrayed brought to my communities. As a recent college grad who has spent time working to improve communities and empower those without a voice, this role is not in any way representative of who I am. It was absolutely a mistake on my part and one that, over time, I hope can be forgiven. I feel horrible about my participation and I am determined to resolve my actions.”

Lisa Chan
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CEO/ President, The Strive
Vice President, Sparxo Inc.

If the posts on my twitter and facebook pages are any indication, many Asian Americans are not letting Ms. Chan off the hook with this apology. And I have to agree with those folks. It’s hard to see how anyone who claims to have worked to “improve communities and empower those without a voice” could’ve thought that participating in this ad would have been a good idea under any circumstance.

I know some have said we should give her a break because she’s young or maybe didn’t know what she was getting into, but again, those seem like flimsy excuses here. Having worked in the biz, I know how hard it is for Asian American actors and sometimes you are put in a position where you do have no control—maybe you show up on the set and realize your character has been re-written into a stereotypical FOB or the director and editor re-work your character in the editing room and turn it into something completely different than what you signed on for—but in this case, the commercial is just her, delivering those lines in that accent—I don’t see how she could not have been fully aware of what she was getting into.

As for the argument that she was just an actress trying to earn a living. If that were the case, I’d have more respect for her if she had just come out and said, “I’m sorry. I did it to make a buck.” Besides, I doubt she would’ve gotten paid that much for an ad for a local politico-wannabe. Actors–if you’re going to sell-out, at least do so in a national commercial.

As for her age? I may have done stupid things when I was 21, but no way I would’ve thought an ad like this would’ve been good in anyway. Besides, Miss Chan seems like a smart and resourceful person. After all, she recently self-named herself Miss Napa Valley USA (despite the fact she is not from Napa Valley nor does she live there) so she could enter the Miss California USA 2012 competition. She seems to know what she’s doing.

Oh, and when you write an apology, probably best not to conclude by listing your CEO/President/Vice President credits. People can mistake that for, oh, I don’t know–opportunism.

With that said, I do feel sympathy for the position Miss Chan finds herself in. For one, I think she could’ve handled this whole apology thing better. Maybe she thought that no matter what she said, people would still be pissed at her and that she was in a no-win situation. But as a young James T. Kirk showed us with the Kobayashi Maru—there is no such thing as a no-win scenario.

The first thing Miss Chan should’ve done was to hire a saavy, super-smart media spin doctor to craft her apology in a way that would’ve made it a win-win all around. And where could she find such a saavy, super-smart media spin doctor? Right here. You’re looking at him (or at least reading his words). That’s right…moi. Or for those who don’t speak European…me.

What’s done is done and it’s too late to help Miss Chan now, but if she could re-do her apology, here’s how I, as that saavy, super-smart media spin doctor, would’ve handled it:

“I am deeply sorry for any pain that the character I portrayed brought to my communities. However, now I can reveal my real reason for participating in what many saw as a justly racist ad. I knew the ad was racist. I mean—come on, shit, I’m a recent college grad who has spent time working to improve communities and empower those without a voice so I know what’s up and what’s up here was this—I did the ad because I knew it would reveal that mofo Hoekstra as the racist asshole he is, thus leading to a outcry and the erosion of any public support for him, allowing the much more awesome Debbie Stabenow to take the lead. I did it to take down the enemy from the inside and was willing to bear the criticism and hatred from my peeps in order to do so because that’s just the type of gal I am–you know, being a recent college grad who has spent time working to improve communities and empower those without a voice, oh, and Miss Napa Valley 2011. So…you’re welcome, Asian America!”

Lisa Chan
–
CEO/ President of Asian American Awesomeness
Vice President of In Yo Face, Haters