Jeff and Phil check in with Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), and Karthick Ramakrishnan, Executive Director of AAPI Data, to get a pulse on the upcoming midterm elections. They discuss the challenges of voter engagement — including new and ongoing barriers to voting (and how you can take action); significant data trends across Asian American and Pacific Islander voter demographics; some of the urgent issues affecting AAPI voters; and key races to keep an eye on that could shape the future of our democracy. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of the upcoming midterm elections.

This episode is sponsored by National Asian American Theatre Company's acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, which brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Performances from June 9 through July 19. Use code H6BC for $59 tickets!

Jeff and Phil welcome Kevin Jeung, Chef of Research and Production at the legendary restaurant Noma -- named the World's Best Restaurant -- which is finishing up a 16-week residency in Los Angeles. He talks about neglecting to inform his parents when he dropped out of college to pursue cooking full time; the culinary experimentation (both failure and success, but mostly failure) that happens inside Noma's Fermentation Lab; and what that $1500 per seat menu actually looks and tastes like. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of doing a restaurant pop-up in Los Angeles.

This episode is sponsored by National Asian American Theatre Company's acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, which brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Performances from June 9 through July 19. Use code H6BC for $59 tickets!

Jeff and Phil welcome back comedian, writer, podcaster, and sister in rice Jenny Yang to catch up, kick off the summer, and spread the word about her Good Egg Immigrant Grocery Store Standup Comedy Tour, in which she jokes about growing up as a "good" immigrant kid, the importance of food to our cultures, and her own failed fertility journey. Jenny shares about the personal struggles that led her towards her first standup special and a nonprofit comedy tour benefitting immigrants rights organizations -- performed in immigrant grocery stores around the country. We're talking durian, bok choy, air conditioning, bad lighting, and Jenny's jokes. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of Jenny's fertility journey.

This episode is sponsored by National Asian American Theatre Company's acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, which brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Performances from June 9 through July 19. Use code H6BC for $59 tickets!

Jeff and Phil welcome filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura to talk about Third Act, his deeply personal documentary about his father, pioneering filmmaker Robert A. Nakamura, aka "The Godfather of Asian American Media." Tad talks about growing up in the shadow of his revered artist/activist parents, and the pressure that evolved into pride and partnership; making the movie he always knew that he had to make, and the challenges of putting himself front and center in the film; and how the camera -- and the ticking clock -- became the ultimate intermediary for father and son. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Third Act.

Jeff and Phil welcome back acclaimed legendary playwright David Henry Hwang, who talks about his new take on the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song, now playing at East West Players in Los Angeles. He talks about rewriting and re-contextualizing the book for this beloved show (still only one of the few Broadway musicals to center Asian Americans); refreshing some of the more outdated and regressive elements of the story -- including a few of the cringe-inducing lines from David's own 2002 revisal -- for contemporary times; and how this staging of Flower Drum Song represents a full-circle moment for David's life and career.

Jeff and Phil welcome back friend and filmmaker Bao Nguyen, director of the Netflix documentary BTS: The Return, which follows global pop supergroup BTS -- Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook -- as they reunite and record their highly anticipated comeback album Arirang. Bao talks about riding shotgun and spending the summer with the biggest band in the world; getting an intimate glimpse into the group's camaraderie, artistry, and unique dedication to their massive fanbase; and what it means for BTS to represent their nation and culture at this pivotal moment in their career. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making BTS: The Return.

Jeff and Phil welcome their old friend, writer and educator Scott Kurashige, author of American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism. He talks about his personal journey into Asian American activism and movement scholarship; the erasure of anti-Asian racism and colonial violence, and why we are constantly learning and re-learning this history; and why legislating and prosecuting hate crimes isn't necessarily the answer for multiracial solidarity. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of writing American Peril.

Jeff and Phil welcome rapper/actor/writer Jonnie Park, aka Dumbfoundead, author of the new memoir SPIT: A Life in Battles. He talks about why the time felt right to share his story through this book; coming up in Koreatown and finding his voice as an artist through the Los Angeles battle rap scene; making the leap from music to movies and TV in projects like K-Pops! and Beef; and why Phil is the only person who calls him by his government name. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of writing SPIT.

Jeff and Phil welcome back their best pals in podcasting, cultural critic/journalist/educator Rebecca Sun and Dino-Ray Ramos of DIASPORA, to re-connect, reset, and share what they've been watching/consuming/experiencing lately in pop culture and beyond. They discuss, among other things, Asians in the Regency romance of Bridgerton; the possibility of a brown James Bond in Riz Ahmed's offbeat comedy series Bait; the audacity of multiple Asians as health care workers on The Pitt; and how far pretty privilege can get you on The Traitors. Also: Jeff finally watched Pop Star Academy. This episode is sponsored by Chinese Republicans, a new play from Roundabout Theatre Company.

Jeff and Phil welcome writer/director Amy Wang and actress Shirley Chen to talk about their new film Slanted, a horror/comedy described as "Mean Girls meets The Substance." They discuss blending body horror and black comedy to tell an Asian American story about race, shame, and belonging; why the American high school prom is a useful and universal -- they love this movie in Germany! -- cinematic narrative device to interrogate some big ideas; how to find the "whitest" stock footage for your fake karaoke video; and why McKenna Grace speaks Chinese so well in the movie. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Slanted. This episode is sponsored by Chinese Republicans, a new play from Roundabout Theatre Company.