Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome back Daniel Chong, director of the Disney/Pixar animated feature Hoppers. They discuss the silly, unlikely pitch for "Penguin Avatar" that actually got the green light; centering an angry Asian young woman at the heart of this adventure (and why this movie arrives amidst an incredible moment for animated Asian movie heroines); and all the fun world-building that goes into crafting a story set in the animal kingdom. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Hoppers. This episode is sponsored by Chinese Republicans, a new play from Roundabout Theatre Company.
What can robots teach us about humanity and about love? Maybe Happy Ending, the 2025 Tony Award winner for best musical, tells the unlikely story of two humanoid robots, as they fall in love while on a road trip. The show, including stars Darren Criss, Helen J. Shen, Marcus Choi, Dez Duron -- and Hwaboon -- recently paid a visit to NPR's Tiny Desk for a delightfully tiny performance.
Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated second season of Beef from showrunner Lee Sung Jin. Trading the parking lot for the country club, the new season begins when a young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife -- setting off a high-stakes game of favors and coercion within an elitist world ruled by a Korean billionaire. Season two premieres April 16.
A stretch of street in San Francisco's Chinatown will be named to publicly honor one of the neighborhood’s fiercest heroes. Tien Fuh Wu spent half a century rescuing trafficked women and girls and taking care of them at the Occidental Mission Home, which was later renamed Cameron House. "Tien Fuh Wu Way" will cover the portion of Joice Street that runs alongside Cameron House, which continues to be a safe haven for children, as well as women dealing with domestic violence.
Michelle Yeoh talks about playing five different characters in Sean Baker's new film Sandiwara, how Quentin Tarantino convinced her not to retire, that viral "Wicked Witch" meme, and the highs and lows of her storied career. "If there's no up and down," she says, "you've flatlined."
The new Pixar animated feature Hoppers involves body-swapping and flying sharks, both of which are absolute insanity from start to finish. But director Daniel Chong reveals that while the movie as it stands is admittedly crazy, it could have been a whole lot crazier.
