They Call Us Bruce 162: They Call Us Love and Noraebang

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 key creatives behind the k-drama/telenovela-inspired narrative podcast rom-com Love and Noraebang: co-director Amy S. Choi, co-writer Quincy Cho, and actress Julia Cho. They discuss telling stories with joy and authenticity, and why Randall Park is the perfect voice of Los Angeles.

Asian Americans Blow Shit Up

Guest Post by Julia Cho and Nicholas Pilapil



Asian Americans being sexy. It's a rare thing to see in the media. We're usually kept on reserve to play the sexless friend or dying immigrant (see #NotYourAsianSidekick). And if we are allowed to be sexy, it's typically as some unattainable mythical creature, who's always down to fuck and has nothing else going for them. Or you're a Chinese Olympic diver named Ning Zetao then everyone just wants to touch your abs. We become objectified and glorified sex objects.

In Artists at Play's production of The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up by Carla Ching, we blow that shit up and bring it back to reality -- that Asian Americans can be fucking sexy ... in a real way.

Diana and Max, The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up, meet at 9 years old, the day Diana's dad and Max's mom start fucking (older Asians get some action too!). The play jumps back and forth in time over 20 years, as Diana and Max fall in and out of love with each other, trying not to make the same mistakes as their parents.

Angry Reader of the Week: Julia Cho

"I am an actor, not the writer.



Hey folks! Allow me to introduce you to the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Julia Cho.

Artists at Play Presents '99 Histories'

September 13-28 at the Lounge Theatre



Hey, Southern California theater-goers. Artists at Play invites you to the Los Angeles premiere of 99 Histories. Written by Julia Cho and directed by Leslie Ishii, the play is a powerful story about the bonds between mothers and daughters. It runs September 13-28, with previews on September 11-12, at the Lounge Theatre.

99 Histories is a drama about memory, legacy and home. Eunice, a Korean American former cello prodigy, comes home pregnant and unmarried, and tries to mend her relationship with her mother Sah-Jin. Haunted by violent memories, Eunice must confront her ghosts before she can move forward.

Here's some more information about the production: