Escape From Plan A

Yasmin Nair joins Teen to talk about the trope of navel gazing Asian American essay. We find it all the time these days in places like the New York Times -- politically limp-wristed writing about our childhood insecurities, cultural homelessness, all to appeal to white readers to 'understand' us. Some call it Mango Poetry. We also talk A LOT about Jason Momoa for some reason... JOIN THE PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Teen (@mont_jiang) Yasmin (@NairYasmin) (yasminnair.net) REFERENCED RESOURCES: 'Parasite' Won, But Asian Americans Are Still Losing: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/10/opinion/parasite-oscar-best-picture.html Jason Momoa, Aquaman, and the Art of Queer Friendship: http://www.yasminnair.net/content/jason-momoa-aquaman-and-queer-art-friendship SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Diana, Jess, Filip and Teen talk about personal incidents of racism related to the coronavirus outbreak. Despite the WHO calling for international solidarity, there is a dramatic rise in anti-Asian racism fueled by a media which seeks to take political advantage of a public health crisis. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Diana (@discoveryduck) Jess (@cogitatotomato) Filip(@@filipgwriting) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Jess's Tweet on how attacking Chinese people for exotic meat is shocking in its historical ignorance: https://twitter.com/cogitatotomato/status/1222255735884541952 Teen's Tweet on the personal effect of the unfair and cruel demonization of Chinese people in America, as an American: https://twitter.com/Mont_Jiang/status/1223119539409260544 SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Though this is not an official Escape From Plan A endorsement (who the hell are we to endorse anyone?), Teen and Oxford are joined by returning guests Trevor Beaulieu of Champagne Sharks and Phan of Pod of Most Resistance to talk about their reasons for supporting Bernie Sanders. Special focuses are placed on the last-ditch desperation attempts to paint Bernie's campaign as sexist (e.g. Warren allegations and Rogan endorsement) and why the seemingly official AAPI endorsements of Warren and Biden were bullshit. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag Phan's podcast, Pod of Most Resistance: https://www.podofmostresistance.com/ TWITTER: Trevor (@rickyrawls) Phan (@phannyfishcakes) Teen (@mont_jiang) Oxford (@JesuInToast) REFERENCED RESOURCES: Bess Kalb's tweet about Warren vs. Bernie controversy: https://twitter.com/bessbell/status/1219721500950851584?s=20 Jeff Yang's tweet about AAPI For Warren: https://twitter.com/originalspin/status/1220282384341295104 SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

In light of The Farewell's (expected?) lackluster performance in China, Jess and Oxford talk about whether the Asian American storyline, especially those of 2nd-generation AsAms, has a limit. Oxford ponders whether AsAms are a Lost Generation and whether we can simultaneously stay true to our roots while not rehashing the same tropes, while Jess talks about the suffocating effects of "good representation." *This is a bonus episode for Patreon subscribers! For the full episode, please become a patron at: www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Jess (@cogitatotomato) Oxford (@JesuInToast) REFERENCED RESOURCES: 'The Farewell' flops in China: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-farewell-richard-jewell-flop-china-1268915 Momtaza Mehri's Tweet about immigrant parents with cooler stories: https://twitter.com/RuffneckRefugee/status/1219617855177732096?s=20 ‘Asian-American actors are ugly & your films make us look backward’: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/478793-hollywood-china-farewell-failure/ SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Cut through the political noise, and get to the low notes, the bass-line. It's all about immigration. Who gets to be an American going forward. Trump represents a discontinuity in how we think about immigration, a sharp departure from the system we've had in place since 1965. Jess, Mark and Teen discuss how, just because this shift began with Trump, does not mean it will end with him. What does this mean for Asian American political identity going forward? Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Jess (@cogitatotomato) Teen (@mont_jiang) Mark (@snbatman) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Teen speaks with the journalist Tim Shorrock (The Nation) to look past the simplistic mainstream narrative of "Good Korea/Bad Korea," and into the troubling legacy of American militarism on the peninsula. Tim's recent article "Welcome to the Monkey House" details the kichijon system, a coercive system of prostitution that bears a disturbing similarity to the Japanese "comfort stations" employed during the Second World War. REFERENCED RESOURCES: "Welcome to the Monkey House": https://newrepublic.com/article/155707/united-states-military-prostitution-south-korea-monkey-house Tim @ The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/authors/tim-shorrock/ Tim's Blog "Money Doesn't Talk, It Swears": http://timshorrock.com/ TWITTER: Tim (@TimothyS) Teen (@mont_jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

The Boston Plan A crew (Diana, J and Bryant) get together to talk about the persistence of Miss Saigon in American culture, why that's a problem, and why are so many Asian Americans fans of this musical built on the worst Orientalist and imperialist tropes? *This is a bonus episode for Patreon subscribers! For the full episode, please become a patron at: www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: J (@j_maraan) Diana (@discoveryduck) Bryant (@mfbt) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

Joe Wong joins Diana and Teen to talk about the social value of Asian American comedy. It's been a kind of golden era -- from Ali Wong's continued breakout success to Ronnie Chieng's recent Netflix comedy special -- but what role do our best comics play in an era marked by social disorder and antagonisms? Joe Wong offers his view of this exciting but high-stakes era of Asian American comedy. TWITTER: Joe Wong (@JoeWongComedy) Diana (@discoveryduck) Teen (@mont_jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

It's been a constant theme in modern consumer capitalist culture: to just opt out of the whole dulling cycle. Diana, Jess and Teen talk about an unmistakable resurgence in opting out -- whatever that means -- in response to our alienation from what dominates our finite supply of time, energy and mental focus: work. *This is a bonus episode for Patreon subscribers! For the full episode, please become a patron at: www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Diana (@discoveryduck) Jess (@cogitatotomato) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: The Gervais Principle: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-or-the-office-according-to-the-office/ On The Phenomenon Of Bullshit Jobs: https://www.strike.coop/bullshit-jobs/ SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

We have declared war on Iran. Jess and Teen talk about the helplessness they feel in light of massive and incomprehensible events which will have unknown -- and perhaps minimal -- impacts on the drudgery and routine of our day to day American lives. Is there a reason to feel grief? Is there a cause for hope? Or is there really nothing much to see here? We are in uncharted territory, faithful listeners. Break in case of war. TWITTER: Jess (@cogitatotomato) Teen (@mont_jiang) REFERENCED RESOURCES: The Man Who Saved Kyoto From the Atomic Bomb: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33755182 SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)