WILD

I’m Vivian Yoon, writer and host of K-Pop Dreaming, the newest season of the podcast California Love from LAist Studios -- a series that blends memoir, pop culture analysis, and oral history to examine our shared sense of belonging. I grew up in Koreatown, Los Angeles in the 90’s and 2000’s. And even though I listened to K-pop all throughout my childhood and teen years, I never told anyone that I liked the music. The reason for this is complicated, but it essentially stemmed from me not knowing how to reconcile the two halves of my identity -- the Korean and the American. Which is why I was so surprised when K-pop suddenly became a globally-loved genre and started leading trends and influencing pop culture worldwide. I just couldn’t understand how this massive shift in the recognition and love of the music had happened. How did a genre of music that I used to only hear in my neighborhood become a full-on global sensation? My search for the answer led me to discover Kpop’s rich and complicated history -- spanning all the way from 1930’s Korea during the Japanese occupation, to the 90’s underground hip hop scene in L.A. And surprisingly, diving into this history led me to fill in gaps in my own family history, with stories about my parents and grandparents that I had never heard before.  This is the story of K-pop’s coming of age.  Stay tuned to listen to episode 1. I hope you enjoy it!     This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Save 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/Dreaming This episode is brought to you by your local Kia dealers. Visit kia.com to discover movement that inspires. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

This season, Erick Galindo is going tell you a wild story. The type of story that feels like a movie. But it was his life. He's talking about an adventure across America. Erick, the woman he loved, and for some reason her mom and her best friend, all in one car. On the road for weeks. He was steeped in love and in one of the most confusing relationships of his life. The kind of love that forces you to confront parts of yourself in a way you never have before. The kind where despite all that you wind up saying to yourself: I Think I'm Falling In Love. Coming from LAist Studios, in April 2023.

As the vaccines arrive, writer Erick Galindo's entire family gets COVID. Except his favorite person, a dog named Blanca, who teaches Erick a valuable lesson about moving on and letting go on a very special TV-style episode of WILD. Sponsors include: FEALS Become a member and get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. Feals.com/WILD PIRATE Receive 50% off on your first booking when you sign up at Pirate.com with the promo code WILD. This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Baltimore-born photographer Shan Wallace talks about why we’re not ready for the world to re-open. And how she found new ways to capture the world through her lens. Sponsors include: TalkspaceMatch with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD. FEALSBecome a member and get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. Feals.com/WILD BetterHelpThis LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Aida Rodriguez began her comedy career while living in a car with her two kids and working a full time job on the side. Now she is one of the funniest standup comics on the planet and she learned how to do that as a way of coping with the feeling of despair, something that’s helped her get through the pandemic.  Sponsors include: FEALSBecome a member and get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. Feals.com/WILDTalkspaceMatch with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD. This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

We made a rom-com! Falling in love during a pandemic unexpectedly distorts time to an exponential degree. In a fiction meets non-fiction romantic comedy, Megan Tan explains.  The following episode is intended for mature audiences. Listener discretion is advised. Show sponsors include: TALKSPACE Match with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD. FEALS Become a member and get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. Feals.com/WILD This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Linda Yvette Chávez co-created a hit Netflix show called Gentefied and is writing a major motion picture, but none of that helped with her imposter syndrome. But when she had to run a show and direct for the first-time in the middle of the pandemic, she found her voice and is now sharing her best practices for dealing with insecurity in the professional world.  Sponsors include: FEALSBecome a member and get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. Feals.com/WILD This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

With the comedy clubs shut down across the country, comedian Jenny Yang reinvents the venue by hosting stand-up in one of her favorite online gaming worlds: Animal Crossing. Sponsors include: Match with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD. This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

This is what the pandemic looked like to children of different ages, from different communities and even different countries. Sponsors include: Match with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD. This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Comedian Chris Garcia didn’t plan on having children. Then he became a dad in the middle of the pandemic, opening his heart in ways he never imagined and helping to heal the loss of his own father.  Sponsors Include: Match with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD. This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.