Asian Bitches Down Under

What is the phenomena of white worshipping and why does it exist? 

This week, we explore the prevalence of this condition in Asian countries and talk about how white people seem to get away with more. 

Helen speaks of her experiences in Taiwan as an English teacher, and Jessie confronts her own shame about exhibiting this trait. 

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Should Mother’s Day still even be a thing? Why are we so against celebrating a day, just once a year, for mothers? Why do some people become mothers? What makes a good mother? Should we just erase that term ‘mother’? 

We talk about the performance of motherhood, women who regret motherhood, why Helen is still trying to figure out why she became one, why Jessie probably won’t ever be one, Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, and Sheila Heti’s Motherhood. 

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They hold the greatest powers in society. They make laws, talk to the press, address the public and perform the 'good citizen'. They're sometimes corrupt, sometimes stupid, sometimes greedy, always performative. 

In mid-2020, we're still cataloging the daily, harmfully innocuous remarks male politicians make against women; be it their peers or women across society. Why are so many of them so conservative, so heterosexual, so, basic?

Plus, we share our own creepy experiences with sexism. Jessie talks about the insidious virtual signalling of heterosexual fatherhood. Helen talks about Taipei's mayor Ko Wen-Je and his quotidian sexism. 

Show Notes: 

You Should Expect Rape Threats (Julia Gillard, ABC, 2016)

Sarah Hanson-Young accuses David Leyonhjelm of sexism at defamation trial (Sarah-Hanson Young, The Guardian, 2019)

She Doesn’t have that Presidential Look ( Hillary Clinton 2018)

Malaysia issues apology after telling women to “stop nagging” (Malaysia’s Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, 2020)

Japanese mayor says men should grocery shop during pandemic as women 'take a longer time' (Ichiro Matsui, CNN, 2020)

Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir was the first openly gay leader back in 2009 - Iceland (US.News, 2017)

Ke Wen-Zhe continuous with his sexist remarks; "Because I was used to scold the nurses on daily basis.(New Talk, 2020) 

Ke Wen-Zhe sexist remarks chaos: The naked truth of gender discrimination (New Talk, 2019) 

The negativity of Ke Wen-Zhe's 'mis-spoke' comments; alienation perspectives on the oppressions women encounter (2019) 

Man who returns with a 25kg bag of salt (SETN, 2020) 

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In October 2016, Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982 was published in South Korea, and has since sold more than a million copies. It has been translated it into eighteen languages and a film adaptation was released last year. It's been on the bestseller list in Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea. 

Why has it become so popular? We chat this week about the powerful story of an 'ordinary' woman's life, and the extraordinary impact a humble narrative is casting on the lives of women across South East Asia. Our discussions about the story lead to examinations into South Korea's insidious and often hidden challenges faced by today's modern women. 

We talk about sexism, misogyny, patriarchy, K-Pop and molka; the epidemic of revenge porn and spy cameras that continue to maim the lives of women in South Korea. 

Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982 | Watch the Trailer here.

Read the Book review here. 

Buy the book here.

Mental health is rarely openly discussed among Asian societies. Why? Does shame and conservative gender roles contribute to this hidden struggle? Jessie and Helen unpack their own experiences and highlight other factors that may be exacerbating this often invisible condition, especially among Asian communities. 

Mental health research and evaluation in multicultural Australia: developing a culture of inclusion
Immigration-Related Factors and Mental Disorders Among Asian Americans 

Mental Health Among Asian-Americans 

Why Asian- American and Pacific Islanders don’t go to therapy  

Asian Americans Are Undergoing a Silent Mental Health Crisis  

Tackling taboos: Young people talk about Asia’s mental health problems 

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Mental health is rarely openly discussed among Asian societies. Why? Does shame and conservative gender roles contribute to this hidden struggle? Jessie and Helen unpack their own experiences and highlight other factors that may be exacerbating this often invisible condition, especially among Asian communities.

Alan Yang's film Tigertail takes his father's story, a Taiwanese immigrant, to the big screen (aka Netflix in 2020). Jessie and Helen's discussions about the film broaden to conversations about shame, masculinity, what true love looks like, and food. 

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Some Asian women only date white guys. I am guilty. This is a somewhat unsavoury thing to admit. But why? Jessie and Helen discuss the possible reasons. 

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It’s an old tactic that’s as old as the hills; the use of women’s bodies to sell things. You’d think that in today’s increasing ‘progressive’ society, we’re no longer side-lined so easily. And yet, Trade Show Models are still being used notoriously (and with a degree of success) in places like Taiwan and China. What's the social and ethical 'appropriateness' when it comes to using dolled-up-mannequin-like-adult woman in trade shows? Jessie and Helen discuss. 

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