They Call Us Preparing for the Inevitable

Jeff and Phil welcome playwright Lauren Yee and actors Kelly Marie Tran and Maureen Sebastian to talk about their staging of King of the Yees, a funny, intricate play about a daughter, her father, and San Francisco Chinatown, now playing off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre in New York City. They unpack the play's personal origins; navigating the many versions of Lauren Yee; the real-life Leland Yee (and Shrimp Boy!) scandal; and the challenges of bringing a multitude of Chinatown characters to the stage.

Jeff and Phil welcome writer/sociologist Oliver Wang and music writer Todd Inoue to commemorate the 40th anniversary of New Order's iconic synth-pop hit "Bizarre Love Triangle,"  and unpack why the song -- the Shep Pettibone 12" Remix, of course -- became a lasting dance-floor anthem for many Asian Americans (of a certain generation). They discuss personal memories of circle dances and sing-alongs; Oliver's research survey that heard from over a thousand respondents on the track's anthemic status; and theories on community, college life, generational identity, unifying expressions of joy, sad robots, "safe" places to rebel, and music's power to make listeners feel they belong. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of "Bizarre Love Triangle."

Jeff and Phil welcome actor/producers Ken Jeong and Daniel Dae Kim, and writer Paul Bae, key creatives behind the Audible Original series The Moons of LA. They talk about the project's journey from television comedy pilot to coming-of-age dramedy audio series; assembling an all-star cast that includes Randall Park, Jimmy O. Yang, John Cho, Sherry Cola, and Liza Soberano; mining the personal to tell a resonant Korean American story about family, relationships and mental health; and why a certain synth pop anthem absolutely had to make it into the show for authenticity's sake. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making The Moons of LA.

In this rewind episode, Jeff and Phil revisit their conversation with celebrated voice actor Eric Bauza -- the iconic voice of Bugs Bunny, among many other characters -- who recently passed away at 46.  Recorded in December 2020, they discussed issues of diversity and inclusion in voice acting, cracking the code of a good impression, and how a Filipino kid from Canada ended up as the voice of animation's most wascally wabbit. Rest in peace, Eric Bauza. 

Jeff and Phil welcome Andrew Law, creator, co-showrunner and co-star of the Netflix animated sitcom Dang! He talks about the show's evolution from a live-action dramedy to animation; telling culturally specific stories about sibling dynamics (despite being an only child) and flawed, messy Asian American characters; sussing out partners with possible Asian fetishes; and weirdly horny church worship songs (that are also total bangers). Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Dang!

Jeff and Phil welcome their old friends George Kiriyama and Traci Kato-Kiriyama, siblings who recently lost their mother, Ikuko Kiriyama, to talk about remembrance, grief (or pre-grief), and letting go. They share personal stories of the Kiriyama family's journey with loss; the role of caregiving and supporting aging parents; the lessons learned from honoring a loved one's legacy; and the emotional process of letting go and moving forward.

Jeff and Phil welcome Kiana Hall, the Seattle resident who spotted and named the viral phenomenon "Jimothy," the unusually-shaped raccoon who has captured the internet's heart. She talks about the fateful evening she encountered Jimothy on a neighborhood walk ("What am I looking at?"); why Jimothy has become a symbol of joy and resilience for so many, especially in this moment; the unexpected viral attention Kiana has received from the discovery; and the inevitable attempts to monetize and exploit Jimothy's image. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of discovering and naming Jimothy.

Jeff and Phil welcome Alice Chu, President of the legendary Great Star Theater in San Francisco's Chinatown -- the oldest Chinese theater in North America -- and David Chiu, City Attorney of San Francisco, to talk about the rich history, legacy and future of the Great Star and Chinatown at large. They talk about the mission to preserve and revitalize the century-old performing arts venue to serve the community; the continuing resilience of Chinatown businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond; and the Great Star's interesting connection to this podcast's namesake, Bruce Lee. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of San Francisco Chinatown's historic legacy.

Jeff and Phil welcome their old friend Leonardo Nam, who stars in Disney's Descendants: Wicked Wonderland. He talks about his journey as an artist from Argentina to Australia to Hollywood, where he first broke through in films like The Perfect Score, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift; his unexpected and delightful villainous turn as Maddox Hatter in Disney's wildly popular Descendants franchise -- including his very own full-fledged musical number; and the joy of getting to share this family-friendly project with his kids. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.

Jeff and Phil welcome Annie Lee, Managing Director of Policy for Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Sandra Wong, great-granddaughter of Wong Kim Ark, whose landmark 1898 Supreme Court victory established birthright citizenship in the United States. They discuss the history of United States v. Wong Kim Ark and its profound impact on American citizenship and civil rights; the contemporary political challenges to birthright citizenship and the erosion of constitutional rights; and the importance of educating the next generation about Wong Kim Ark's legacy.