Jeff and Phil welcome comedian Ronny Chieng to discuss his latest Netflix special Love to Hate It. He talks about his efforts to harvest his wife's eggs (with no medical training whatsoever), the frustrating susceptibility of baby boomers to internet scams, his near-decade-long tenure as a correspondent on The Daily Show, and why the only career move he's concerned with is crafting the next joke. Plus: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Love to Hate It.
Jeff and Phil welcome filmmaker Sue Kim, director/producer of The Last of the Sea Women, a documentary about the haenyeo, a fierce community of South Korean divers fighting the save their vanishing culture from looming threats. She talks about her lifelong fascination with this "badass girl gang," her drive to tell the stories of unique subcultures like Korea's mermaids and competitive Rubik's cube solvers, and how to film a documentary about free divers when you're actually not a very good swimmer. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making The Last of the Sea Women.
Jeff and Phil welcome filmmaker Jean Shim and actress Jae Suh Park, director and star of the independent drama A Great Divide -- also co-written and produced by our very own Jeff Yang. They talk about making a movie inspired by the contemporary backdrop of anti-Asian hate, the personal experiences with racism and xenophobia that informed the film's story and characters, the quirks and challenges of shooting in the wilds of Wyoming, and why it's convenient to have a doctor on set -- especially if that doctor is Ken Jeong. Also: a special bonus edition of "Pass, Fail, Incomplete, and Fail," sponsored by McDonald's APA Next.
Jeff and Phil welcome writer Charles Yu, showrunner/executive producer of the Hulu series Interior Chinatown, adapted from his award-winning novel of the same name. They discuss the challenges of taking a somewhat indescribable and seemingly un-adaptable book and adapting it into a 10-episode prestige series; how Interior Chinatown is actually like Pokemon; and the fun of deconstructing the TV tropes of the police procedural "Chinatown Episode."
Jeff and Phil talk turkey in their semi-traditional annual observation of thanks and giving, and welcome comedians Joe Wong and Sierra Katow to talk comedy, careers and these troubled times. They talk about coming from very different -- parentally-supported versus culturally nonexistent -- standup traditions, the stereotypes that still hound them, and the future (or perhaps lack thereof) of our democracy. Also, a very special Thanksgiving edition of The Good, The Bad, and The WTF.
Jeff and Phil welcome co-creator/executive producer Rachel Kondo and writer/co-executive prodicer Shannon Goss of ShĆgun, now one of the most acclaimed television shows of all time. They talk about setting out to adapt the original novel with a different, shifted perspective, the complicated multi-step script-to-screen process of translating the show from English to Japanese and back, and getting the band back together to write another season. Also: a healing moment, a magical falcon, Zombieko, and The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making ShĆgun.
In this special live episode, Jeff (minus Phil) talks to acclaimed playwright David Henry Hwang about his trailblazing work, including Yellow Face, currently on Broadway at the Roundabout Theatre. He talks about the mind-boggling play-within-a-play inception of Yellow Face, what it's like to write a version of yourself ("DHH") into your show -- played by Daniel Dae Kim, no less -- and why his work seems to keep meeting the political moment. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of being David Henry Hwang. Recorded live at the Museum of Chinese in America in New York City.
Jeff and Phil welcome Dr. Michelle Au, who represents District 50 in the Georgia House of Representatives. She talks about her journey from medicine into politics -- from anesthesiologist to the first Asian American elected to the Georgia State Senate in 2020 -- how she's navigated some of the electoral shenanigans of her rapidly changing district, and the power of the Asian American vote in her swing state of Georgia during this extremely important and consequential presidential election.
Jeff and Phil welcome law professor and state senator Dave Min, who is running for Congress in California 47th district. He talks about why he made the decision to step into this critical race, the unique characteristics and shifting demographics of his traditionally conservative district, and some of the blatant (and sadly, unsurprising) anti-Asian racism his campaign has faced. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of running for Congress.
Jeff and Phil welcome George Cheung, Director of More Equitable Democracy and co-host of the podcast The Future of Our Former Democracy, which asks an important question for our anxious times: Why does American democracy suck right now? George argues that there's a major underlying issue: the polarizing winner-take-all electoral system. He talks about what it could look like if the United States dismantled its current electoral system and rebuilt a proportional representation system to save our democracy. BONUS: After the episode, keep listening to hear the first episode of The Future of Our Former Democracy.
Jeff and Phil follow up and welcome back chef Edward Lee -- just two episodes later -- fresh off the finale of the Netflix cooking competition Culinary Class Wars. Spoiler alert! He talks about his grueling journey to the final challenge, including the Endless Cooking Hell, his unexpected new nickname, that incredible dessert dish, and how his cooking throughout the entire show told a personal story about his Korean American identity. Also: Jeff and Phil offer The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of Culinary Class Wars.
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