Escape From Plan A

A couple of weeks ago, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was brought down by the fact that he was a disgusting and abusive scumbag to women, all the while presenting himself as a progressive feminist champion. In the #MeToo era, this kind of hypocrisy is no longer surprising. Along with Trump and Weinstein, Schneiderman is the latest mortal wound to the idea of white benevolence, especially white male benevolence. Teen, Oxford, and Mark talk about how this has freed Asian Americans to develop our own unique political and cultural viewpoints.

Intro Voice Track: "Girl at a Bar" from Saturday Night Live

Outro Music: "Harry Lime Theme" by Anton Karas from The Third Man (1949, dir. by Carol Reed)

Outro Voice Track: Eric Schneiderman talking about Weinstein investigation

TWITTER:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Mark (@snbatman)

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Why Has The #MeToo Movement Spared Woody Allen?: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-farrow-woody-allen-me-too-20171207-story.html

Four Women Accuse New York's Attorney General of Physical Abuse: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/four-women-accuse-new-yorks-attorney-general-of-physical-abuse

Korea? It's Always Really Been About China!: https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/09/22/korea-its-always-really-been-about-china/

Asian Fetish Or "Yellow Fever" Is Causing A Stir At NYU: https://t.co/uJMp95aPVq

The Alt-Right's Asian Fetish: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/opinion/sunday/alt-right-asian-fetish.html

Yellow Fever: https://thenewinquiry.com/yellow-fever/

Podesta emails re Asians: https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/16031

#AsianReadingList: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23AsianReadingList&src=typd

Did Trump Kill "Master of None"?: https://planamag.com/master-of-nones-failed-liberalism-a-chance-for-asian-american-progress-21ac11c50a69

What If Asian American Men Fall To The Alt-Right?: https://planamag.com/what-if-asian-american-men-fall-to-the-alt-right-3b392495786

Menelaus vs Paris from "Troy": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS9kqq6PNnQ

"The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein: https://www.amazon.com/Shock-Doctrine-Rise-Disaster-Capitalism/dp/0312427999

"Orientalism" by Edward Said: https://www.amazon.com/Orientalism-Edward-W-Said/dp/039474067X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526858459&sr=1-1&keywords=orientalism

"The Big Aiiieeeee!" (includes "Come All Ye Asian American Writers of the Real and the Fake") by Frank Chin: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Aiiieeeee-Frank-Chin/dp/0452010764/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526858427&sr=1-8&keywords=frank+chin

"The Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolfe: https://www.amazon.com/Bonfire-Vanities-Tom-Wolfe/dp/0312427573

"I Am Charlotte Simmons" by Tom Wolfe: https://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Charlotte-Simmons-Novel/dp/0312424442

Champagne Sharks episode with Kenyan sex trade segment in intro: https://soundcloud.com/champagnesharks/cs-087-the-throwaway-people-pt-3-04032018

It seems that every few months, a new incident occurs where the fiery debate over cultural appropriation is sparked again. What exactly is at the heart of this very emotional issue? Is it a fear of being replaced? Is it a fear of losing ownership of culture? Is it resentment at having feelings ignored? Is there a profit motive involved? Is there a gendered response, especially when beauty is involved? Eliza, Oxford, and Christina examine these questions in recent flare-ups about qipaos, music, food, and more.

Intro/Outro Music: "Karma Chameleon (Instrumental)" by Culture Club

Intro/Outro Voice Track: David Chang in "Ugly Delicious" Ep. 6 (Fried Chicken)

TWITTER:

Eliza (@aesthdistance1)

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

"Every Culture Appropriates" by David Frum: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/cultural-appropriation/559802/

"Jeremy Lin’s Dreads And Kenyon Martin’s Chinese Tattoo Are A False Equivalency" by Jessica Prois and Lilly Workneh: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeremy-lin-kenyon-martin_us_59dce0d9e4b0208970d00545

"The Dos and Don'ts of Cultural Appropriation" by Jenny Avins: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/the-dos-and-donts-of-cultural-appropriation/411292/

Brillante Mendoza's TV series "Amo" is the first Filipino-made television show to be picked up by Netflix. Though often compared to other shows about drug wars such as "Narcos" and "The Wire," there is a lot that would be unfamiliar to or lost on most American viewers. Eliza and two guest podcasters, Joey Marana and Aldovar, reach into their Filipino-American backgrounds to fill in the gaps for outsiders.

Intro/Outro Music: National Anthem of the Philippines (Instrumental)

Intro/Outro Voice Track: President Rodrigo Duterte's Inaugural Speech in 2016 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dx4SiyERVg&t=216s)

TWITTER:

Eliza (@aesthdistance1)

Aldovar (@aldovar3)

Brillante Mendoza's TV series "Amo" is the first Filipino-made television show to be picked up by Netflix. Though often compared to other shows about drug wars such as "Narcos" and "The Wire," there is a lot that would be unfamiliar to or lost on most American viewers. Eliza and two guest podcasters, Joey Marana and Aldovar, reach into their Filipino-American backgrounds to fill in the gaps for outsiders.

Intro/Outro Music: National Anthem of the Philippines (Instrumental)

Intro/Outro Voice Track: President Rodrigo Duterte's Inaugural Speech in 2016 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dx4SiyERVg&t=216s)

TWITTER:

Eliza (@aesthdistance1)

Aldovar (@aldovar3)

Are Asian Americans being cut out from the American embrace of Asian culture? And is this really a problem? Teen and Jess talk about the Asian American female critical abhorrence of 'Isle of Dogs,' in particular the character Tracy Walker. The conversation turns towards the bias against women having public conflicts, the concept of Asian American cultural property, and the rising anxiety caused by an American culture that increasingly admires authentic Asian culture.

Intro/Outro Song: Isle of Dogs OST

Intro/Outro Voice Track: Anjelah Johnson and Amy Schumer

TWITTER:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Jess (@cogitatotomato)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Moeko Fujii's review of IoD: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-isle-of-dogs-gets-right-about-japan

Slate Culture Gabfest podcast re IoD: https://www.wnyc.org/story/spoiler-specials-isle-of-dogs/

Teen's review of IoD: https://www.cinemaescapist.com/2018/04/isle-dogs-metaphor-japanese-politics/

Are Asian Americans being cut out from the American embrace of Asian culture? And is this really a problem? Teen and Jess talk about the Asian American female critical abhorrence of 'Isle of Dogs,' in particular the character Tracy Walker. The conversation turns towards the bias against women having public conflicts, the concept of Asian American cultural property, and the rising anxiety caused by an American culture that increasingly admires authentic Asian culture.

Intro/Outro Song: Isle of Dogs OST

Intro/Outro Voice Track: Anjelah Johnson and Amy Schumer

TWITTER:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Jess (@cogitatotomato)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Moeko Fujii's review of IoD: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-isle-of-dogs-gets-right-about-japan

Slate Culture Gabfest podcast re IoD: https://www.wnyc.org/story/spoiler-specials-isle-of-dogs/

Teen's review of IoD: https://www.cinemaescapist.com/2018/04/isle-dogs-metaphor-japanese-politics/

For Asian Americans, there is often the question of whether there's a sort of Promised Land, where there is less racism and more happiness. Frequently, Canada is suggested as such a place. Filip and Oxford, who were both born and raised in Canada, discuss the good and bad of life in the True North strong and free.

Intro/Outro Song: Theme from Hockey Night in Canada

Intro Voice Track: Don Cherry on the truth about "Natives" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5p5r6tiK6M&t=2s)

TWITTER:

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

I Wanted To Love Paris, But It Didn't Want Me: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jenhchoi/i-wanted-to-love-paris-but-it-didnt-love-me?utm_term=.fnnpy6bYO#.diWx3O1zo

The Lover: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lover_(film)

Hiroshima Mon Amour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_mon_amour

Many Asian Americans see college education, particularly elite college education, as their main pathway to success. But is that true? Furthermore, does the process turn Asian American kids against each other to strive for inclusion in a selective white liberal milieu? Jess, Oxford, and Oriana draw upon their experiences at these types of schools to talk about whether we should idealize these institutions at all.

Intro/Outro Song: "Graduation Song (Instrumental)" by Vitamin C

Intro/Outro Voice Track: 2012 Wellesley High School Commencement Speech by David McCullough Jr.

TWITTER:

Jess (@cogitatotomato)

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

Asian Americans Think An Elite College Degree...: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-lee-ramakrishnan-asian-american-prestige-20180327-story.html

Prescriptive Stereotypes and Workplace Consequences... ("Berdahl Study"): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22506817

"Excellent Sheep" by William Deresiewicz: https://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Sheep-Miseducation-American-Meaningful/dp/1476702721/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523842119&sr=8-1&keywords=excellent+sheep

"The Price of Admission" by Daniel Golden: https://www.amazon.com/Price-Admission-Americas-Colleges-Outside/dp/1400097975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523842784&sr=8-1&keywords=price+of+admission

Self-described comedian Esther Ku’s racialized act (that demeans Asians for white audiences) set off a battle on Twitter. The story was picked up by Nextshark and NY Post. Oxford, Teen, and Mark discuss the incident and try to layer some sense over the chaos, including recognizing similar patterns in other minority communities.

Intro Song: "Black Cab" by Higher Brothers

Intro Voice Track: Esther Ku on United Airlines' crimes against David Dao

TWITTER

Oxford (@oxford_kondo)

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Mark (@snbatman)

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Comic Faces Backlash For Racially Charged Tweets: https://nypost.com/2018/04/04/comic-faces-backlash-for-racially-charged-tweets/

Comedian Esther Ku Has a Serious Problem...: https://nextshark.com/comedian-esther-ku-serious-problem-using-racist-self-hating-asian-jokes-laughs/

The Alt-Right's Asian Fetish: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/opinion/sunday/alt-right-asian-fetish.html

Dating While Asian at Penn: http://www.34st.com/article/2018/02/dating-while-asian-at-penn-the-fine-line-between-fetish-and-preference

This Is Not The Representation I Asked For: https://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2018/02/22/this-is-not-the-representation-i-asked-for/

Yellow Fever: https://thenewinquiry.com/yellow-fever/

Meet the White Nationalist...: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/richard-spencer-trump-alt-right-white-nationalist/

Does Lena Dunham Have Yellow Fever?: https://planamag.com/does-lena-dunham-have-yellow-fever-8b6a8f8dd4fd

White Sexual Imperialism (p. 297): https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1243&context=crsj

A Letter To Asian Girls: https://etcetera.org.au/diversity/a-letter-to-asian-girls/

Natalie Tran's "White Male Asian Female" Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chFKDaZns6w&t=1581s

"Big Little Man" by Alex Tizon: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Little-Man-Search-Asian/dp/0547450486/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523506933&sr=8-1&keywords=big+little+man

"Black Skin, White Masks" by Frantz Fanon: https://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Masks-Frantz-Fanon/dp/0802143008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523506963&sr=8-1&keywords=black+masks+white+skin

Champagne Sharks Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/champagne-sharks/id1242690393?mt=2

Jess, Filip and Teen continue their conversation on race and class. Does class ascension require letting go of our ethnic identity? Why does not being seen as Asian, but rather just a person, seem neither fully right, nor fully wrong?

Intro/Outro Song: Smoke Weed Everyday

Intro Voice Track: The Joy Luck Club

Twitter:

Teen (@mont_jiang)

Jess (@whatsupjess)