Top Five

Liz wonders if she’s reached the final straw with football, and Chris raves about Parasite and Boon Jong-ho. Then, a discussion about the end of journalism as we know it, most recently evidenced by the gutting of Sports Illustrated and Deadspin, morphs into a conversation about how to mitigate our complicity in a capitalist system. We close with the top five things we can’t believe are still around in 2019. Once you start asking "How is this still a thing?", it's hard to stop.

"Inside Football's Campaign to Save the Game," The New York Times, November 7, 2019

"The NFL Has A Painkiller Crisis That It Never Wants To Go Away," Deadspin, September 12, 2019

"A Lineman Became a Doctor, but Dementia Made Him Retire. He's Only 42," The New York Times, October 28, 2019

"The Ham-Handed, Money-Driven Mangling of Sports Illustrated and Deadspin," The New Yorker, November 3, 2019

"I Was Fired From Deadspin for Refusing to 'Stick to Sports,'" The New York Times, November 11, 2019

"How Internet Trolls And Online Extremists Are 'Hijacking' American Politics," Fresh Air, November 12, 2019

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Art by Colin Turnbull

Music by Origami Pigeon

Both of us are thinking about recent episodes of Fresh Air - Chris, an interview with the writer with whom Prince collaborated on his memoir; Liz, a discussion about the cost of rebuilding coastal real estate in the face of climate change. Then we get into another topic we can’t reasonably cover in 20 minutes: our relationships with our parents, now that we’re in our thirties. What do we talk about with them, with and without grandkids in the picture? Does the pressure stop after we meet the usual thirtysomething milestones? How have these relationships evolved since our younger days? Plus, our top five celebrity crushes - lists that were harder to make, and more self-revealing, than we anticipated.

"Prince's Co-Writer Reflects On Posthumous Memoir," Fresh Air, October 28, 2019

"Climate Change & The Cost of Coastal Real Estate," Fresh Air, October 17, 2019

"Going Home With Ocean Vuong," The Atlantic, June 4, 2019

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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Liz binges on Conan O’Brien’s podcast, while Chris reflects on the geopolitical rift between the US and China opened by… the general manager of a basketball team. Then we get to some real talk about couples and money: Does everyone merge their assets when they get married? Who should pay for the first date when culture and feminism give us different answers? Will we ever be free of our anxiety about picking up the check? Plus, the easiest top five lists we’ve ever made: pet peeves. Talking about the most irritating things has never been so fun.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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It’s been a minute since we applied to college, but those memories come back QUICK. We talk about that formative time, inspired by our topic of the day: the decision in the Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard case. We break down why affirmative action and race-conscious admissions are important, the use of Asian Americans as political pawns, and the perils of organizing without understanding our place in the racial landscape. Then, a classic top five: TV shows of all time!

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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The internet has been overflowing with good stories this week! We talk about the articles and podcast episodes that grabbed us the most. Then, we ask: If we’re all about Asian America, why aren’t we jazzed about Andrew Yang? We get into the model minority myth, the ideology undergirding Yang’s proposals, and our experiences with the YangGang. And that’s before we get to the real controversies: our top five things everyone loves but we don’t. Come for the sociopolitical commentary, stay for the shade.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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Chris watches Aziz Ansari’s first standup special after his #metoo accusations, while Liz can’t stop talking about the new season of the 30 for 30 podcast. Then we ask our burning questions about our very different thirtysomething lives: resuming adult life after a five-year break (that’s Chris) and parenting two kids while struggling to find time to work (that’s Liz). Plus, a jaunt down memory lane as we discuss our top five albums of the 90s. Brace yourself for nostalgia, all your teenage feelings, and a wicked horn section.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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A typhus outbreak makes Liz realize the extent of the housing crisis in California, while Chris grapples with giving up his car. Then we break down The Farewell -- what the film nailed, the scenes that stayed with us, and (spoiler alert) a surprising difference of interpretation on the ending. Also, an extra-fun top five: power couples! It’s the dawn of a golden age of power couples, y'all, and we’re lucky to be living in it.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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Chris catches three race-related movies on a flight to Tanzania. Liz binges on Adulting, which leads us to break down the most adult things we’ve done in the last year. We wrap with this week’s top five: problematic faves. Nothing and no one is safe.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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Liz tries to figure out why #goback feels different and Chris escapes the madness with a trip to Fenway. Then we break down Always Be My Maybe, our anxiety watching Asian American media, and the ways in which Ali Wong shows up for Asian men. Plus, our first top five: podcast episodes that changed our lives.

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Art by Colin Turnbull

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If Malcolm Gladwell is to be trusted -- and we think he is -- 750,000 podcasts are already out in the world.  So why make another one?  We explain why we decided to start number 750,001 and what we'll be talking about.  (Spoiler alert: It's everything.)

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Art by Colin Turnbull

Music by Origami Pigeon