A weblog by Ernie Hsiung

Even though Asian Americans make up an important percentage of the San Francisco Bay Area, our presence is still not prominately seen in the media. The one exception: news reporters, especially the noticable amount of female Asian American news anchors. Whether they like it or not, Asian news anchors become celebrities of sorts — as a familiar face seen on the television, they inadvertantly become an icon of Asian-American issues and visibility.

nubla_vs_joe.jpg That being said, LYD readers: which Bay Area Asian Female News Reporter is more likely to win a knife fight — Malou Nubla or Terilyn Joe?

On the left, Malou Nubla: Co-host of Evening Magazine, a local variety show.

PROS: As far as Asian newscasters go, she’s the “It” girl. People post blog entries and photos of her. Also, I can totally see her getting into a drunk shoving match.

CONS: Popularity does not give you an advantage in a knife fight. Also, she’s the host of a variety show rather than a hardcore newscaster, so if she were ever in a drunk fight, she would probably pull hair before she ever tried to attack someone at the base of their neck with a stilletto.

On the right, Terilyn Joe: Former news anchor for KNTV and KGO-TV.

PROS: You know it’s bad when a google search on her leads to the Artistic Prison and a story on how she pelted eggs from a window during a noise dispute. The acrylic painting of her, however, isn’t too bad.

CONS: Mysteriously left KNTV, and thus newscasting, after the egg-throwing incident, thus disqualifying her from an Asian newsjournalist knife-fight. Which is too bad, because I would cast a trophy made out of bronze, track her down and deliver that shit to her in person. Where she’d then, as a show of thanks, pelt me with tomatoes and eggs.

(Man, if I had some extra time and was any good at Flash, I would totally make them fight in ninja costumes. Damn.)

§1430 · November 10, 2003 · Uncategorized · · [Print]

35 Comments to “battle of the asian chick news reporters”

  1. Lee Chaolan says:

    Ern,
    You totally forgot about the reporter on Mornings on Two. My high school friend’s sister, Claudine Wong. I’d take Malou first, then a tie with Malou’s sister, Christine and Claudine Wong, and then Terilyn Joe.

  2. JII says:

    As much as I’d like Malou to win, she doesn’t have Terilyn’s sheer aggression.

    Terilyn in a walk.

  3. Jessica says:

    For real: Terilyn Joe is fierce.
    Just look at that smile – you know those teeth are sharp enough that she’d say “knives are for sissies!” And that hair – clearly she wears the helmet of power. I bet she can do that thing where she glares at you and your esophogas clamps shut.

  4. Miel says:

    Wow. The ninja costumes thing! That’s MY fantasy! I thought you were gay…

    It’s so obvious that Terilyn would kick.

  5. aj says:

    i met malou nubla when she used to do those “mornings on 2″ spots. she came to sega to do a little thing on the dreamcast, nfl2k, making games, and mocap. she’s a hottie.

    i’m fine with the knife fighting as long as we get five minutes of hair pulling and clothes tearing before the knives come out.

    oh yeah, did i mention that malou nubla is a hottie?

  6. courtney says:

    what about NBC 11′s Lisa Kim?

    Malou’s a cutie. My Dad has a crush on her… he would watch her traffic (or was that weather?) reports in the morning just because of her.

  7. Nathan says:

    Yeah. Definitely Terilyn.

    She would kick ass, keep the smile going and never let her hair fall out of place.

  8. I bet you did not know that the first lady of Washington State was a former asian news reporter?

  9. Here in Seattle we are ruled by Lori Matsukawa

  10. Jesse says:

    Terilyn Joe ALL THE DAMN WAY. It’s her hair, man, her HAIR, no one can touch it, it protects her.

  11. Nala says:

    Is it me, or do these two look anything but Asian? It looks like they’ve “generican’d” themselves.

    Then again, it’ll be 2078 before you see an Asian on the local news here in the Cowlands.

  12. Vincent says:

    I was thinking the same thing Nala. In fact, I thought the one on the left was african-american. Go figure.

  13. geno says:

    Terilyn would kick some serious ass. Really, I saw her at a party a couple of weeks ago. She could kick my ass. Oh wait, that isn’t saying much.

  14. 6togo says:

    my friend chris dated christine and said the family is really cool. so if this was a sweetness contest — the nublas would prevail. but since this invovles weaponry, terilyn — no doubt. polus she’s canadian. oh wait, lt me rethink my answer!

  15. jstrizzy says:

    Malou, definitely. Maybe she’s not a news anchor per se, but she goes out and does stuff, while Terilyn just sits there behind her anchor desk, protected by her carapace of hairspray and makeup.

    But what about Kristen Sze, my favorite makeup job of all the asian women reporters? And Thuy Vu, who has the coolest sounding name?

  16. Christine says:

    Terilyn, anecdotally, is pretty damn bitchy. My bro had a friend (incidentally Asian American female) who worked at KGO as a correspondent — and she said Terilyn came right up to her and said, “You’re never going to make it, I can tell.”

    Whoa!

  17. maggie says:

    Nala,

    Behold Tram Mai of Cowtown (Cols. OH):

    http://www.azcentral.com/12news/bios/articles/bio_tram_mai-CR.html

    I don’t know how she’d do in a knife fight, but she’s in good shape because she always does this thing where she walks at some point during her report. Toward the camera, along forlorn railroad tracks, over to someone to ask a question. It’s her thing.

  18. Nala says:

    Maggie: Wow! So there is! Or was.

    She apparently worked for WSYX, but I don’t think she’s there anymore.

  19. k8 says:

    yay for cowtown (aka cols, ohio…)!

    And yeah, isn’t there, like, you know, Connie Chung, and aren’t there like 3 on CNN? Then I /know/ there’s one on MSNBC… Do I know these people’s names? No. But I can look them up.

    I’m just too lazy to.

  20. MikeB says:

    I could totally see Terilyn kicking ass and taking names. She’s got that “don’t fuck with ME, bitch!” look in her eyes…

  21. d says:

    For more Can-con, news with Lily Kwan from Toronto,
    and weather by Lila Feng.

  22. lump says:

    Obviously, I’ve no idea who these people are – we don’t see them this side of the Atlantic – but I am surprised that you haven’t included Channel 5′s Tricia Takanawa

  23. Liz says:

    Is it just me or do they both look Hispanic?

  24. John says:

    Malou for endurance (she appears to be quite athletic) but Terilyn for just plain fightin’ durty. Damn that would be a good fight.

  25. Huntington says:

    Until this is sorted out, the champeen must remain KRON’s grande dame, Wendy Tokuda. That woman has fascinated me since childhood, and she even moved to L.A.’s NBC affiliate for awhile to console me while I lived in Santa Barbara.

  26. Jeff says:

    Malou Nubla has it in the bag.

  27. Donny O says:

    A friend’s SO is another correspondent for KNTV and says Terilyn is “the bitchiest bitch that ever bitched among a group of true bitches”

    My vote goes to Terilyn Joe.

  28. TheBadger says:

    Dude, I’m totally into Malou Nubla. I’m straight and live in Philadelphia, but I’m now wanting to move to CA just to watch her on TV.

  29. Jessica says:

    In a knife fight between Malou and Terilyn, they take each other out and the winner is Jan Yanehiro, who hosted Evening Magazine before Malou was even born but who’s still totally hot. I bet Terilyn burns offerings to Jan, every full moon.
    Either that, or she burns her in effigy. Sounds like she really is an evil bitch.

  30. sean says:

    Well, given that #2 looks to be no stranger to the knife, I’d say she would be teh winnar by a nose (ba dum bum).

  31. punch me out right now i dare you says:

    why are malou nubla and terilyn joe being pitted against each other? we all know who’s in better shape. i don’t care if terilyn joe has been around longer and “is a better role model for blah blah blah bliggity blah”.

    malou would look better in a tight ninja suit anyway. and also, she seems more credible and up to date, not intimidating and ugly like the other women reporters we see crawling out of the woodwork.

    ok, that was very uninformed and i dare you to e-mail me. i will print your responses in the premiere issue of idontcare(andneithershouldyou).

  32. Ro says:

    Nydia Han would kick both their asses.

  33. LKeller says:

    Terilyn Joe “mysteriously” left her anchor job at KNTV? The only mystery is that an upcoming NBC affiliate would hire her in the first place, or wait so long to fire her. No Bay Area news anchor has been the butt of so many jokes since Van Amburg – and he had HIGH ratings. But in a knife fight – I’d bet on Terilyn. Malou doesn’t seem mean enough.

  34. uh-uh says:

    I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting BOTH Terilyn and Malou (Malou TWICE: one on the job, one not)

    -Terilyn was dressed in a leather trenchcoat with her helmet piled high on her head. There was a quiet toady in her tow who followed her instructions silently. I’ll let you draw any conclusions. DEFINATELY not for those who have weak knees…at least who cannot put much weight on them whilst bent.

    -Malou on the job: she was very straightforward, polite, and faux friendly. Off the job: amazingly like the smartass that she portrays herself on Evening Magazine. DEFINATELY not for the meek.

  35. chad says:

    i know, i know…i’m a little late to this party, but i so think terilyn would kick malou’s ass.

    just my opinion.

    but i do miss terilyn badly.