Living in a human body means having hang-ups about your physical appearance -- that's just the rules of science! In this episode, special guest Khloe Kim visits the studio to discuss how these insecurities manifest individually and how to live with them. We touch on the differences between Korean and American beauty standards, insecurities in the "face department," bloated stomachs and flat butts, the merits of plastic surgery, and more. We conclude the episode with how we perceive our bodies when dating and looking for sexual or romantic validation. 

05/04/21

What makes something cool? Subversiveness? Ironic detachment? Chain-link wallets and nautical tattoos? In this week’s episode, we unpack the aesthetics of cool and rate things ranging from virginity and Russian literature, to pilates and Elon Musk. We also touch on indie rock and hip hop, mainstream skateboard trends, those people who always have cracked phone screens, and debate whether California is, indeed, the coolest U.S. state. 

04/27/21

Korea has changed a lot over the last 21 years. In other respects, it’s stayed exactly the same. Join us as we compare our childhood impressions of Seoul (either visiting or living here) to what it’s become today: a pretty awesome place to call home! Topics include: hiking culture and horny grandmas, the dark side of hailing a taxi after 12AM, Seline’s sexy (“I like to dress like a slut”) fashion sensibilities, the conveniences of Korean apartment living, and how Andrew is either really good at making older friends, or is being seduced by a cult. 

04/20/21

As opposed to parents or friends, your siblings are typically the people who have known (and will know) you for the longest time. And yet, there’s a neglected discourse surrounding the impact siblings have on each other, whether through the power of birth order, gender dynamics, or serving as role models or rivals. Join our conversation with Elaine Shin as we reminisce about shared living quarters, shit-stained road trips, and our favorite childhood movies.

We also debate whether you’d help your siblings bury a dead body. 

04/13/21

It’s only natural to ponder the “what ifs” of life. But as we break down in this week’s episode, such ruminations are actually “low energy” thoughts that lead—at worst—to self-pity and regret. So instead, the podcast celebrates decisive moments that, for better or worse, led us all to the present. Topics include: Jay choosing to break up with a long-term girlfriend, the moment Aaron decided to eschew K-Pop, yet another cringe-y story from the 26-year-old intern, and a heartwarming tale from Seline about why the podcast made her cry. 

04/06/21

Once a social work major at NYU, Katie Kim is now a filmmaker finishing her last year at Columbia University’s MFA program. As a highly empathetic and perceptive person, Katie details how her creative process hinges on the simple--yet powerful--premise that beauty and humor can heal both viewers and creators alike. She also talks about what she learned about directing and writing from her two short films (“egg” and “Blue Grey”), her love of Miyazaki, her current feature, and more. Jay, Andrew, and the 26-year-old intern intermittently chime in with movies that make them cry, their favorite musicals, and why Pixar films are quite possibly the apex of cinematic art.

04/06/21

The 26-year-old intern originally pitched this “food draft” idea in a drunken stupor. It sounded pretty low-commitment and fun, plus we were too lazy/drunk to suggest anything better. 

Well, thanks to the intern’s initiative and panache, this dish came out great! We touch on how modernization influenced Korea’s food culture, the utilitarian vs artistic aspects of cooking, whether we ought to eat animals, and how truffle oil makes us go #3. The actual food draft has us arguing over our #1 fast food chains, all-time top Asian foods, savory meals from TV and film, and much, much more. Seline even raps for us! 

03/16/21

This week, Seline, Jay, Chris and Aaron celebrate their podcast friendship by drinking tequila and dishing about--wait for it... friendship! The conversation jumps around from synced up menstrual cycles, our friends not inviting us to karaoke (you know who you are), middle school crushes, and NOT Seline’s love life. We also talk about friendship breakups, that one insufferable guy/girl your friend is dating, and the hottest Disney Prince of all time: Eric. 

Lastly, for listeners who like juicy gossip and friend-on-friend drama: The intern apparently had secret beef with Aaron—did it ever get resolved? Tune in to find out! 

03/30/21

In this episode we sit down to discuss the senseless attacks against Asians in the United States, talking openly about the complicated internal and external reckonings so many Asian Americans are forced to experience under the domain of white supremacy. We especially take time to focus on misogyny against Asian women, and how that comes in the form of sexual abuse and fetishization.

What does it mean to be visible and invisible in the U.S., and how do we move forward in a country that disregards AAPI experiences, despite our so-called "integration" into white society? We stand in solidarity with the families of the victims in Atlanta, and our hearts are with AAPI women, immigrants, and workers who experience the highest rates of violence in our community.

03/23/21

Conspiracy theories have long captured our collective imaginations and, in some cases, even turned out to be true. If you’ve ever wondered where conspiracy thinking stems from, or just want to hear us debate their veracity, then allow us to enter your minds.

Dropping buzz words like “magical thinking”, “intuition”, “malicious intent” and “Ted Bundy’s pajamas”, we come to learn that while some beliefs are benign, others can lead to insidious distortions of reality with real-life consequences.  And yet, they all stem from a very human desire to find meaning in an otherwise chaotic and irrational world. 

03/08/21