Escape From Plan A

In an extended discussion about cultural appropriation that started in Ep. 286 about what is messed up with the cultural appropriation fight as we know it, this episode with Teen, Chris, and our friend John Bai looks at what are legitimate concerns at the heart of the issue. Is it simply inevitable that America turns cultures into cultural products? TWITTER: John (@bohnjai) Chris (@JesuInToast) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Every Culture Appropriates by David Frum | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/05/cultural-appropriation/559802/ The Shocking Viral Reaction to a Prom Dress by Jeff Yang | CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/02/opinions/the-shocking-viral-reaction-to-a-prom-dress-yang/index.html Democracy vs. The Melting Pot by Horace Kallen | The Nation: http://www.expo98.msu.edu/people/kallen.htm SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Chris and Millie, along with EFPA's favorite guest Trevor Beaulieu from Champagne Sharks, go in on the latest ridiculous cultural appropriation brouhaha involving attacks on a white British woman, Pippa Middlehurst, for authoring an Asian cookbook. They look at the root causes of this cultural appropriation angst among minorities, as well as the possible reasons that young white women seem to frequently be the target of these cultural appropriation crusades, which are often spearheaded by women of color. NOTE: Part 2 of this episode can be accessed by becoming our Patreon subscriber at www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Trevor (@champagnesharks) Millie (@onemillicentcho) Chris (@JesuInToast) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Jess, Teen, and Chris discuss the aftermath of Roberta Kaplan's resignation from Time's Up (for her pro-Cuomo work) and how the whole #MeToo/#TimesUp movement has come to resemble some twisted melding of a religion and a mafia-like protection racket. TWITTER: Jess (@cogitatotomato) Chris (@JesuInToast) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Who Actually Gets To Create Black Pop Culture? by Bertrand Cooper | Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/07/who-actually-gets-to-create-black-pop-culture The Women's Movement by Joan Didion | NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/30/archives/the-womens-movement-women.html The 9.9% Is The New Aristocracy by Matthew Stewart | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/06/the-birth-of-a-new-american-aristocracy/559130/ SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Considering how the Plan A founders met online well into adulthood and have now become close friends, four of them (Jess, Jong, Teen, and Chris) get together to discuss the importance of continuing to make friends as you get older, as well as the new ways we have of doing so, such as through the internet. TWITTER: Jess (@cogitatotomato) Chris (@JesuInToast) Teen (@mont_jiang) Jong (@calicoarse) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Adam and Filip are joined by returning guest Connie Griffith to discuss the recently filed case against Blizzard Entertainment (and its owner Activision Blizzard) and the rot at the root of the video game industry in general. As a former Blizzard employee and industry veteran she provides a vital and unique perspective to make sense of the case specifically and what it could mean for the future of the video game industry. The trio also discuss the walkout that Activision Blizzard employees staged on Wednesday, July 28, the 'Cosby' Suite story related to the case, and some of the awful responses from Blizzard Entertainment / Activision Blizzard executives. Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/planamag CHECK OUT OUR LIVESTREAMS ON YOUTUBE (and subscribe!): www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1W1syiwY053urp-IH-OjQ Twitter: Connie (@gamedevconnie) Filip (@filipgwriting) Adam (@snbatman) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Connie's Twitter Thread in Response to Mike Morhaime: https://twitter.com/gamedevconnie/status/1418946551834157056?s=20 California sues Activision Blizzard over a culture of ‘constant sexual harassment’: https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/22/22588215/activision-blizzard-lawsuit-sexual-harassment-discrimination-pay Activision Blizzard employees call leadership response to harassment suit ‘abhorrent and insulting’: https://www.polygon.com/22594765/activision-blizzard-open-letter-harassment-lawsuit Blizzard is encouraging its own employees to attend Wednesday’s walkout with paid time off: https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/27/22596957/blizzard-pto-sexual-harassment-walkout J. Allan Brack Response: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12uVBSRkbEP5tOHymCf0Lllpol4JMrjYh/view?usp=sharing Fran Townsend Response: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DW5m6xLgc3ulz6hu4x-DLqRnAYOMsr1l/view?usp=sharing Inside Blizzard Developers’ Infamous Bill ‘Cosby Suite’: https://kotaku.com/inside-blizzard-developers-infamous-bill-cosby-suite-1847378762 SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Untitled" by Ciel

Jess, Chris and Teen start off a conversation about an Asian American surgeon who divorced his wife after finding out she was a high-priced escort, and talk about why such dark (and darkly comedic) real-life stories remain untold in the project of Asian American 'media representation.' And why we need these stories. TWITTER: Jess (@cogitatotomato) Chris (@JesuInToast) Teen (@mont_jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Untitled" by C L

On this episode Teen and Adam ask the question, 'What normal?' Things seem far, far from normal during this supposed summer return to normal. There doesn't seem to be much rational reason for optimism, so how are we supposed to be rational and also avoid a funk of cynicism? Also, new theme music debuts on this public feed, by Ciel (@aerialist) Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/planamag CHECK OUT OUR LIVESTREAMS ON YOUTUBE (and subscribe!): www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1W1syiwY053urp-IH-OjQ Twitter: Teen (@mont_jiang) Adam (@snbatman) REFERENCED RESOURCES: U.S. forces in Afghanistan attack anti-China militants https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-usa-china/u-s-forces-in-afghanistan-attack-anti-china-militants-idUSKBN1FS23S US removes separatist group condemned by China from terror list https://www.dw.com/en/us-removes-separatist-group-condemned-by-china-from-terror-list/a-55527586 SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Escape" by Ciel

What was it about the late 90s that produced a whole bunch of great American movies about disillusionment with office culture? Liza, Teen, Chris, and Filip get together to discuss American Beauty, Office Space, Fight Club, and The Matrix, with a little venting about some atrocious writing on the eve of Euro 2020 that Chris swears cost England the championship. Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/planamag CHECK OUT OUR LIVESTREAMS ON YOUTUBE (and subscribe!): www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1W1syiwY053urp-IH-OjQ TWITTER: Chris (@JesuInToast) Eliza (@aesthdistance1) Teen (@mont_jiang) Filip (@filipgwriting) REFERENCED RESOURCES: What Euro 2020 Has Revealed About Englishness: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/07/euro-2020-england-patriotism/619382/ Why Millennials Are Leaving Six-Figure Jobs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N88OE2ZCHBM&feature=youtu.be SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com UA Theme: "Chairman Mao" by Bambu

With law-and-order candidate Eric Adams's apparent victory in the NYC mayor race, Chris and Teen look at the political divide between renters and homeowners, and how that sometimes overlooked fight explains a lot of not only politics but also culture. Plus, they speculate on how the musical Rent's mentality still persists today in social liberalism. Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/planamag CHECK OUT OUR LIVESTREAMS ON YOUTUBE (and subscribe!): www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1W1syiwY053urp-IH-OjQ Twitter: Chris (@JesuInToast) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Alex Yablon article on NYC's renters vs, owners: https://alex-yablon.ghost.io/renters-owners-and-the-new-york-city-lefts-mayoral-ennui/ SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Fresh off his documentary ACCEPTED's debut at the Tribeca Film Festival, Dan Chen—friend and prior guest of EFPA—joins Chris and Millie to talk about his new film that examines the story of T.M. Landry College Prep, a school in Louisiana that was renowned for sending its lower-income minority students to elite colleges until investigations proved there was something shady going on. The trio also discuss what they do and don't want to see more of in Asian American filmmaking and their thoughts on various media rep controversies. TWITTER: Chris (@JesuInToast) Millie (@OneMillicentCho) REFERENCED RESOURCES: ACCEPTED | DanChen.co: http://danchen.co/ NYT article on T.M. Landry: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/tm-landry-college-prep-black-students.html Tribeca's ACCEPTED page: https://tribecafilm.com/films/accepted-2021 SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)