A down to earth and real guy who is friendly, mature, and considerate, I really connected with him on Bling Empire.
DISCLAIMER: The cover image for this post does NOT belong to me. It is from The Global Coverage and is only used in this post for entertainment and discussion purposes.
Don’t you ever tell me Asian guys are NOT sexy.
As an Asian American woman, one of the fastest ways to have me rolling my eyes, piss me off, and get me to hate you is to say that “Asian men are not sexy.”
Therefore, in an attempt to combat the racist, misinformed, ignorant, and decades-long stereotypes the media has placed onto Asian men as a group, I will now introduce my new blog series: Asian Spotlight. Through this series, I will explore, write about, and discuss about Asian people who are making waves in the entertainment industry, and bringing positive change and representation to our identity.
I would just only focus on Asian men, but there are some talented and gorgeous Asian ladies who I would like to support as well. I also believe they deserve some more loving, which I will spread through my blog posts (hello, my Asian sisters!). I already wrote about YouTuber HyuneeEats (please check her out); thus, today, I’d like to discuss about an Asian man.
A gorgeous specimen of a man.
Heheheh.
And his name is Kevin Kreider.
Look, I know what you’re probably thinking. “Kreider”?! That’s not an Asian last name. You trying to play me, Donuts?
Nope. I am not. I am absolutely not. Playing you that is! I’m ecstatic and proud to say that Kevin Taejin Kreider is definitely 100% Asian (Yes, Asian genes!). An Asian American–more specifically, a Korean adoptee–who was born in Seoul and adopted at age three by a loving German/Irish family, he grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Living in a predominantly White area, Kevin grew up knowing he was the sore thumb that stuck out. When he started Kindergarten, he came to a startling shock with his identity when a kid made fun of his physical appearance. Other kids would ask if he knew karate or any other type of martial arts so that they could mock and compared him to the most well-known Asian at the time: Bruce Lee.
Further difficulties with his identity came when he reached the ripe age for dating and romance. Asking a girl out to a dance in sixth grade, he was shot down for being Asian. He then tried his luck with Asian girls, thinking they would at least offer a different conclusion or reaction. Sadly, because the media implanted into their minds messages that White Men were the standard of attractiveness, they, too, unfortunately rejected him as well.
Listen to some of his dating experience through The Huffington Post interview below:
Video from YouTube
He later struggled even more with his identity by wrestling with what it means to be masculine as an Asian man living in America. The battles he fought led him to depression, self-hatred, and suicidal thoughts. At one point, all these mental crises affected his health to the degree that a physical disorder, an autoimmune disease called alopecia areata (AKA hair loss) manifested itself, threatening to ruin his modeling career.
Hear it for yourself from his Ted Talk:
Video from YouTube
Kevin’s story is both unique and common. Common, in the sense that there are many Asians like him who grew up in predominantly-White areas, neighborhoods, and cities, and who were also raised to feel like a “token Asian”–Asians who are/were seen as an outsider, a foreigner, an alien in America. These Asians are the lone ones you usually see in a pack of white and/or Black/Brown friend groups.
However, his experience is also unique given that he did not want to be the “token Asian” anymore, nor did he become “white-washed” or forever ashamed to be Asian (like many people I know). Instead, he used these unfortunate events and turned them into something positive for himself and for others.
Curious about his identity, Kevin began an emotional, but inspiring search for his roots. And, as a result of his tough experiences, he began to succeed in the modeling industry, becoming a speaker at events such as Ted Talks; giving interviews with big-name news companies like The Huffington Post; making a documentary called The Ugly Model; and now even starting his own film group, Taejin Entertainment LLC, to launch his acting career and to tell Asian-centered stories.
Kevin has come a long way from Philadelphia, moving to New York and then to Los Angeles, California where he is currently based in right now. A down to earth and real guy who is friendly, mature, and considerate, I really connected with him on Bling Empire.
What is Bling Empire about? Well, journey with Kevin as he navigates through the life and world of rich Asians (which the pioneering movie Crazy Rich Asians got its inspiration from). As someone who wasn’t born into wealth, Kevin serves as our tour guide into the incredible wealth that these Asian millionaires and billionaires enjoy. Nonetheless, the TV show is not only about splurging on diamonds and brand-named items. Following the lives of multiple individuals, you’ll be sucked into a world where you will connect with and discuss heavy topics such as fertility, toxic romantic relationships, an absent parent, moving on from a parent’s death, and finding your roots.
I’m planning to check out his documentary, The Ugly Model; but for now, if you’re interested in following this handsome fella, you can check out his Instagram here, Twitter here, and his own personal website here.
I’ll now wrap this post up with his sexiness.
If you want to continue seeing Kevin without his shirt on, then watch his new Netflix series Bling Empire. Or watch his interviews promoting the show. He takes his shirt off in a few of those, too.
And hey, pssst, he gets butt naked in the show. So what are you waiting for? Go watch the damn thing!
Interested in Kevin? Want to slide into his DMs? Or know what type of girls he’s into (and possibly see if you’re his type)? Check out the video below (hint: go to the 8:58 minute mark)!
Video from YouTube
For anyone interested, here’s some quick facts about Kevin Kreider conveniently placed into an easy-to-read table for you:
SOURCES: