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The man is back! After some disastrous performances in San Jose and in Asia, Ly Tong re-established himself as the leader of the Vietnamese community by doing what has always worked for him in the past – commit a crime and then brag about it.
Ly Tong went from fool back to hero again in an act of vandalism that’s widely applauded by the protestors.
Last week, Ly Tong came to Santa Ana and joined the protests against the F.O.B. II: Art Speaks exhibit. That’s Tong on the right, with Cung The Tran, a leader of the Nguoi Viet protest and a defendant in the paper’s lawsuit.
As Ly Tong told it in an email he sent out to a vast number of people (text in Vietnamese here), he and another person approached one of the curators of the closed exhibit, told her they’d come all the way from Houston just for this and asked her to let them in.
As they went through the exhibit, round and round, the co-curator was with them. And finally they arrived at the politically sensitive Black Room upstairs and came upon Brian Doan‘s photo (above right) and Steven Toly‘s painting (above left).
And then the co-curator turned to lead them out, and that’s when Ly Tong sprayed the art work. His friend, though, was not as fast and couldn’t take photos of the vandalism.
So they came back again and talked their way into the space again, took the pictures posted here, and then he stuck a thong bikini onto the picture of Ho Chi Minh‘s bust, had his friend take the picture to the right, and ran out.
To the idolation of the crowd, of course.
Heady from his success, Ly Tong took on another flag.
Over the week-end, Ly Tong claimed he snuck into USC, took a ladder from a construction site, climbed up the wall of the international student center there, and swapped the red-and-yellow-star flag hung there with a yellow-and-red-stripes flag. No photos for confirmation, though.
Not everyone is happy with Ly Tong’s theatrics, however. “Leader of the community,” though often self-proclaimed, is a coveted and profitable title. Some have expressed displeasure that Ly Tong the out-of-towner is inserting himself on their turf.
Ly Tong is not a community leader and vendalism is bad…having said that, Batard Brian Doan’s father should burn down the Ho Chi Minh’s statute and the communist propaganda pictures at his son’s home.
A despicable namby-pamby.
Bravo, Ly Tong. We need you here in Bolsa….. You are my hero……
Wow, Ly Tong can spray paint Bastard Brian Doan’s face red and he will still have community’s support.
Hero? Hardly, unless your definition of hero includes vandalism, petty theft (allegedly) and possessing a fundamental lack of understanding about what it means to live in a plural society.
I wonder what would happen if VAALA turns the matter over the police/DA, now that they have both the defaced photos, and Mr. Tong’s “confession”.
The definition of Hero ;” …. one who wins admiration by deeds of courage”
and this case, Ly Tong can certainly qualify as hero in today’s viet american community.
Kevin, police will arrest Bastard Brian Doan for instigating public outrage under public nuisance law.
Mr Bolsavik,
The last paragraph rings so true!
Sorry Jung, “instigating public outrage” isn’t a part of any “public nuisance law.” Perhaps you meant inciting riots, or something to that affect?
/s
AmJur Award Winner – Property Law, and practicing attorney.
Mr. Bolsavik,
* I sincerely urge you to persuade all VAALA members to stop this insane path to mutually assured destruction.
* Your wife have contributed so much to the cultural maturation of the Vietnamese community over the past decade. Do not let one misguided gamble to destroy her reputation. VAALA placed their bet and lost, it is time for all of us to recognize the need for community healing is more important than wining the argument.
Ohso64, you are right! Just keep Bastard Brian Doan inside of cell with picture of Ho Chi Minh hung on the wall.
I am positive Bolsavik is strong anti communist.
Ly Tong is NOT the leader of our community. He is a retarded person and VAALA are a bunch of politically naive people.
Our next step is to boycott VALAA and any businesses associated with their organization….. Just wait & see
This lynch mob mentality is beginning to unravel the community! I hope most of you are joking about. Let’s give these people the benefit of the doubt. After all, this is their livelihood. You would not want the same done to you out of mistake. You receive whatever you put out.
kyle vo, the viet community isnt starting to unravel it unraveled years ago and with no real leadership it will continue to unravel. i’m sure this communist loser ly tong will use this crime to panhandle more money out of people since thats the way he makes his money. and you know the crazy thing about it? people will give him money.
A detail about Brian Doan’s artwork that is almost never brought up is that this photograph is part of a diptych, which means that there are 2 images installed to tell the whole story that artist wants to tell. In Brian’s case, the second photo is hung to the left of the photo with the girl and depicts a man standing in the middle of the woods (obviously outside of VN) with his eyes closed and carrying in one hand an empty bird cage with its door left open.
Diptychs usually involve a conversation of contrasts, and for Brian’s installation, it’s: freeing outdoors vs. indoors with no windows; girl’s eyes dreamily staring into a land beyond towards the direction of the guy vs. guy’s eyes are closed not looking back; one is a little darker vs. the other a little brighter; he is standing vs. she is sitting.
I understand that art can be challenging to decipher, but that is also the beauty of it–it’s not black/white or good/bad, nor should it be.
If the newspapers, tv’s, and blogs would show the two images together as they were intended, perhaps the whole conversation of the simplistic “these Communist symbols are offensive” could be taken to the next level. Perhaps we could talk about how this is the reality for many of the younger generation in Vietnam who grew up seeing the “communist” flag and pictures of HCM as “normal.” Many of these youths can be disillusioned with how these communist ideologies can be so easily exchanged for a cell phone, a pair of jeans, or even a golden bust. It’s speaks more to the commodification of Vietnam.
Too bad many of you can no longer view the exhibit as it was intended so that you could see for yourself how the rest of the room was arranged and to also see the other powerful works of art that just blew me away!
I’m glad to see that many people are talking about this subject as this is one of the organizers’ goals. Keep talking about it, community, and I encourage you to talk about it from an informed place and not be manipulated by the media or other organizations or individuals that spin it in a certain way for their own agenda.
I trust that our community will one day transcend these narrow views of these symbols and not give them away so easily to the commies!
In unity we stand!
Jose S, we all receive what comes to us. The people with bad intention will get theirs – that I know. After the smoke and dust clear, the hero for the today may be the future court jester. Father time decides our fate!
This blogosphere has informed whom I should stay away and mock. Thank you Mr. Bolsavik! By the way, send my regards to your wife, not that I know her.
Eye of the Storm,
I thank you for the observation. If I were to combine the earlier comments regarding the woman with the tank top and yours, the story would be that that the woman (people of Vietnam) wants either the attention of the man (VN Americans) or be where he is. By him not looking back, he is either refusing to see her or not seeing her for some unknown reason. The empty cage possibly represents the pet (home land) he once lost.
I am not sure about these statements. Can anybody help me?
Ok, this is what my wife and I finally came up with. The woman is basically trapped in her
Eye of the Storm,
Ok, this is what my wife and I finally came up with. The woman (the people of VN) is basically trapped in her environment and yearning for escape from her situation.
The man (VN Americans here in the States) believes that he needs to set anything trapped free, symbolizing freedom. He is relieved to set the bird free by the closing of his eyes. The bird he releases symbolizes the woman trapped condition.
The man dreams that one day communist VN will achieve this freedom such as the bird where the people in communist VN can pursue their dreams and personal freedom like those in the free world.
The motivation of this art exhibit propaganda only helped revsit the past pain suffered by our viet community members.
Plain naiveness excuse is a lie and Bastard Brian Doan has to be held responsible for his unpermissible brutal offensive act.
If I were to continue on with Eye of the Storm’s premise then the diptych presentation of the barb wire and commerce would be that the former democratic Vietnam had a viable economy. Now, it is a prison camp, more or less, represented by the barb wire.
Am I reading this correctly? Please help!
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Im totally disappointed. Thats all “Anh Hung” Ly Tong could do? I thought the Vietnamese Che Guevarra could do better than just stick a panties on Chairman Ho’s face and take a picture. At least he can teach Brian Doan a lesson. THis aint bassass after all
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http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/01/assemblyman-jose-solorio-asked-santa-ana-mayor-miguel-pulido-to-close-the-viet-fob-ii-exhibit/
We have general agreement that this exhibition was a agression against our anti communist community.
Only dumb mexican wannabe Arturo Pedroza wants to fund/support pro communist propaganda…what a weirdo!
He thinks all people are against mexicans……….genophobia radical Arturo Pedroza needs immediate help with underdeveloped neurons causing occasional sparks in empty skull.
Art, go after your big sugar daddy Lou!
Ky Ngo is a scholar and gentleman compare to Santa Ana lunetic Art Pedroza.
Art Pedroza wants to rule our viet town with his destructive cholo agenda.
Whenever someone doesn’t agree with his crazy anti viet ideas…he gets upset like a real idiot. Arturo Pedroza can qualify for the refund from his past education institutions. He surely stinks whole town.
No wonder Art lost by whopping 10,000 votes in his city race. Thanks to smart voters….
Art Pedroza probably wanted to rename the city of Santa Ana to ” Little Tijuana”.
Does anyone know if there will be artwork at either the Tet Parade or Festival?
Eye of the Storm, your comments are simply true, but too sophisticated for some of the haters on both sides of the “commie” isuue to consider or, much less, understand enough to agree or disagree with. It will take generations, if ever, for reason, logic and historical truth to prevail.
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