Escape From Plan A

Chris, Jess and Mark talk about what's stressing them out during the coronavirus lockdown. Jess dissects the so-called $2 trillion bailout package and how it's going to decimate small businesses. In addition, secession, while seemingly laughable even half a year ago, doesn't sound so crazy now in light of Jared Kushner's use of "our" during one of the recent, daily White House press conferences. W...

Shin joins the podcast to talk with Teen about the politics of the Korean American left, how that informs views on the complex history of the Korean nation and the United States. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Shin (@ReclaimKorea) Teen (@mont_jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/...

Apologies for the late episode -- everyone's been pulled in a million different directions so we couldn't get one up for this Sunday. Teen gives a quick update on the situation in Elmhurst, New York (the "epicenter of the epicenter") as well as what he is thinking in light of the first completed murder of an Asian American in this surge of anti-Asian hate crimes. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon...

We're honored to have Kaiser Kuo (Sinica podcast, Supchina, Chinese Metal pioneer) join Jess and Teen to talk about the extent to which the media's portrayal of China is a relevant political issue affecting the lives of Asian Americans. Kaiser has a deep background in Chinese politics, especially with the way Western media covers it. With many seeking to place blame for the covid-19 pandemic, this...

Amanda, Chris, and Teen maintain social distance and record a podcast online to discuss the emerging debate of who is to blame for all of this? This is, without exaggeration, the largest global event in our lifetimes. The consequences will be massive. We are already looking for someone to blame. Although Trump has been brazenly saying 'China Virus' over objections from liberal media that this is i...

Chris, Filip, and returning guest Sen (from ep. 78, Conversations With Asian Trans Women) talk about what their lives have been like in lockdown mode. Among other things, they talk about video first dates, being an introvert vs. extrovert during the lockdown, shows (Kingdom, Giri/Haji, Ugly Delicious), books, and the likelihood Trump has the coronavirus. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/plan...

Trying something new! In the spirit of social distancing, Teen (me) does a solo podcast, with nobody else other than my coronavirus-dodging self. I'm filled with thoughts about being Chinese American in the time of COVID-19, how to contextualize that, and what the future looks like. There is a false take that the Chinese character for crisis = danger + opportunity. Perhaps fake Chinese takes can b...

Special guest Will got into a lot of fights while growing up in the UK due to racist bullies. Jong has experienced similar things as well. With Chris, they discuss their personal stories and how Asians should (and should not) respond to the increasingly publicized coronavirus-related attacks on Asians. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag TWITTER: Jong (@calicoarse) Chris (@JesuInToast)...

Teen and Chris discuss canvassing for local politicians in Queens, and the aftermath of Super Tuesday. After what seems like an entire year of campaigning, we are down to the final two viable Democratic candidates... and a full 8 months to go before the actual election. With the likes of MSNBC and CNN on full 24-hour Situation Room style reporting, will people just be totally exhausted and sick of...

For many people, Trump's election in November 2016 was a huge wake-up call that demanded new mindsets. New guest Nate Chan (a filmmaker in NYC) was living on a sheep farm in Norway (supposedly one of the best countries to live in) when Trump was elected, and he discusses with Chris what led him there in the first place and how the Trump victory not only made him come back to the U.S., but to also...

Recently, Jess has been taking an interest in screenwriting and with Chris, they talk about why people partake in the creative process (which is often a time-consuming and difficult endeavor) and why the recent failures of blockbusters like Game of Thrones' final season and the new Star Wars trilogy says about the direction of American pop culture. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/planamag T...

The coronavirus panic has enabled some of the dumbest Sinophobic takes in the prestige press. And few have been better at calling out this idiocy than EFPA's latest guest, Amanda (or better known on Twitter as @catcontentonly). In this episode, along with Chris and Teen, the discussion goes from critiquing these articles to delving into how and why Asian Americans come to realize that there's some...

The online Asian American discourse often involves accusations of "Stockholm Syndrome," which infers that particular Asian American writers and other public voices suffer from a kind of white worship as a result of being under white supremacist or colonialist oppression. However, this stark relationship doesn't seem to properly describe the relationship we have with liberal, multicultural institut...

Over virtual mimosas and eggs benedict, Teen and Chris (FKA Oxford) talk about the impending 'Parasite' remake, why "woke" movie marketing often fails, and how Mayor Bloomberg ushered in the 'Sex and the City' era of Manhattan elitism that is now fiercely battling to maintain its lost relevance against Trump and Bernie's respective political/cultural movements. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.c...

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! h...

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(@...

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 all...

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 represe...

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 th...

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 du...

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_mar...

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. TWITT...

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 beco...

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 liste...

With a new decade ahead of us, what are some things we want to see in 2020 for Asian America? Ray and Oxford get together to throw around ideas like having more purposeful Asian American spaces, formulating terms more specific than "Asian," creating an Asian Bechdel test, and more. *This is a bonus episode for Patreon subscribers! For the full episode, please become a patron at: www.patreon.com/pl...