Rice Privilege

WE'RE GOING UP UP UP IT'S OUR MOMENT!! GONNA BE GONNA BE GOLDEN!

As Kpop Demon Hunters becomes a global phenomenon, we examine the pros and cons of having your culture widely accepted by the mainstream and what other Korean trends are taking the world by storm. But what about Kevin, who's not even Korean? Is there some form of proxy Asian pride to be felt there as well? What does it mean to be Asian Australian and see these forms of musical and artistic expression celebrated by the mainstream?

All this and more, in our latest episode of Rice Privilege, a place to explore the trials and tribulations of being part of the global Asian diaspora.

Audio clips are taken from:

- Golden LofiLabs Remix

- SNL featuring Bad Bunny

- Free Remix by Miles Away

- Children sing Golden with live orchestra La Sinfonica

Last episode was a self-help guide. This time around, put on your history hats!

Kevin encounters an almost unnoticeable piece of graffiti on the sign of a local Japanese bistro in Prague. The perpetrator is calling out a dark piece of world history, but is a humble okonomiyaki bar the right place and right time for it?

Jason also reflects on the historic tensions between neighbouring Asian countries, including his own family's experience with Japanese colonisation of Korea.

Jason and Kevin reflect on the upcoming Lunar New Year, establishing a new community seeking to reclaim the celebrations, and how this third complete cycle of the Chinese Zodiac in their lives spurs thoughts on...death. Memento mori!

It's been a hot minute, but we are back! Catch up with Jason and Kevin as they reflect on how their life paths have diverged so rapidly in 2024 - parenting, career changes, and navigating their early to mid-30s (sad face emoji).

Also, they coincidentally both spent time in their respective mother countries and look a little into some of the differences and similarities in Korean and Malaysian, and European cultures.

This story is a rare perfect storm of pop culture, race, politics, religion and sexual identity, so you know Rice Privilege had to jump on it!

We speak with Malaysian drag artist Carmen Rose about what it's like to be a queer public figure in a conservative, religious society, her reaction to Matty Healy's onstage antics which led to the cancellation of Good Vibes Festival, as well as what exactly she means by the infinitely quotable diss: "It's giving white saviour complex".

A lot has changed in a year! Check out this recap of our lives this past year and how a change of scenery to Berlin has helped many artists and creatives, including Jason, discover a sense of belonging. Meanwhile, Kevin grapples with the idea of belonging and what that could mean for raising a mixed race child in the 21st Century! 

Dr Seuss has been trending recently for his caricatures of other races in lesser known publications. Translated into the 21st Century, Kevin and Jason discuss the man behind the famous children's books, a little bit about cancel culture, and why wearing stereotypical 'Chinese' clothing these days just doesn't go over too well. 

A German radio DJ made a joke about BTS' cover of a classic Coldplay tune. It comes fairly ill-timed during a time of intensifying hate against Asian migrants across the world, and the ARMY responded in kind. Here's our take on the story. 

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung and starring Steven Yeun, Minari is an award-winning and critically-acclaimed film, garnering praise for its portrayal of the American dream through a Korean lens of storytelling. But is it authentic? Or is it like finding carrots in your kimchi? We dissect some of the aspects of the film that worked, and some that just didn't.