Yu Up? with Rachel Yu

Obi joins Rachel with a bold thesis: modern men are gold diggers — they’ve just rebranded it as “emotional stability.” They break down the coded language men use when dating (“good family,” “great circle,” “grounded”) and why many men aren’t looking for low-maintenance women — they want high-maintenance women whose lifestyle they don’t have to fund. From finance bros quietly “marrying up” to datin...

Dominic joins Rachel to shut down one of the internet’s favorite accusations: there are no fake bisexuals . They unpack why coming out as bi — especially as a man — makes zero sense if it’s “for attention,” why society assumes everyone is straight by default, and how bisexuality gets gatekept differently for men vs. women. From frat houses being “accidentally gay” to the death of the term “metrose...

Britt joins Rachel with one very clear message: dump his ass . They unpack why women stay too long in toxic relationships — from lying, cheating, and yelling to emotional manipulation and “if he wanted to, he would” situationships. Britt shares her experience of staying in a deeply unhealthy marriage and how sunk cost fallacy, denial, and lack of examples kept her stuck longer than she should’ve b...

Bini joins Rachel with a truly unhinged theory: you can only say “I love you” three times in a relationship — after that, it loses meaning and you should probably break up. What starts as a debate about love languages spirals into immigrant parents who never say “I love you,” Spanish versions of love (“te quiero” vs “te amo”), emotional risk in relationships, and whether saying “I love you” is act...

Rebecca joins Rachel with a heavy but honest take: beauty standards aren’t just annoying — they’re emotionally and physically harming women. They unpack Western beauty ideals, global pressure to look “mixed,” and how women are expected to be both effortlessly beautiful and highly accomplished. From makeup with questionable ingredients to plastic surgery, pretty privilege, and dating dynamics, the...

Victoria returns for an entirely unnecessary bonus episode after their previous conversation somehow went viral (see episode 4 to learn more) — and instead of being normal about it, Rachel and Victoria decide to double down. What starts as a discussion about an adult creator lecturing at a university quickly turns into college sex classes, cultural differences between China and the U.S., and wheth...

Liz joins Rachel with a wildly patriotic dating strategy: straight girlies should date moderate men on Hinge and convert them “for the good of the country.” What starts as a bit turns into a chaotic debate about manipulation as civic duty, alpha vs. handyman men, why no one in New York stands up on the subway, and whether picking someone up from the airport is the ultimate green flag. They also un...

Arjun joins Rachel with a hot take that immediately divides the room: if you’ve been on fewer than four dates and you’re not interested, just ghost. No “I’m not feeling it,” no delayed closure, no fake emotional maturity three days later. They break down why waiting is worse than silence, how everyone mentally processes rejection before it even happens, and why a late “kind” text actually hurts mo...

Charles joins Rachel with a simple but controversial thesis: gay people deserve the right to be famous — especially him. From there, the conversation spirals into queer celebrity entitlement, “platinum star gay” lore, cooties, vaginal terror, and whether straight people should even be allowed privacy. They unpack fame as a sexuality, queer fishing, gold vs. platinum stars, and why not wanting fame...

Sarah joins Rachel with an immediately unhinged hot take: men should be attracted to armpit hair and nipple hair — the longer, the better. What starts as a body-hair manifesto spirals into ponies vs. stallions, dominance logic, puberty trauma, ariolas (Saturn rings), and whether shaving nipple hair is a crime against nature. There’s also an unexpected detour into astrology, pregnancy paranoia, Gen...

Talia joins Rachel with a correct and controversial take: men should be way more embarrassed during sex. They get into why women overthink everything while men bring unchecked confidence into the bedroom, why teaching grown men basic anatomy kills the vibe, and why “trying your best” is not enough when Google exists. Books like She Comes First and Becoming Cliterate make an appearance, as does the...

Charlotte joins Rachel for a very honest, very Gen Z debate about polyamory, monogamy, and the pressure to be “cool” in dating. They unpack why not everyone is meant to be poly, why jealousy TikToks feel like red flags instead of growth, and why having panic attacks every time your partner goes on a date might be a sign — and that sign is monogamy. The conversation spirals into first-date etiquett...

Rachel and Piyali spiral through modern dating, technology, and the unsettling realization that AI might be easier to deal with than men. They talk about “prompt engineering” as emotional labor, why dating apps bring out the worst personalities, and how men can go from “good morning beautiful” to absolute chaos in one missed text. They also unpack getting banned from dating apps for being too nice...

Amanda joins Rachel after they meet in peak New York fashion — in full costume on the subway at 5 a.m. after an absurdly good Halloween party. Their conversation quickly moves into why sex is easy but real intimacy feels terrifying, and how hookup culture often replaces presence with performance. They talk about eye contact during sex, emotional avoidance, and the realization that you can be physi...

Harkness joins Rachel to explain why being constantly surrounded by hot, drunk, horny people is exactly why he’ll never cheat on his wife. They unpack male insecurity, nightlife psychology, DJ pedestal power, and the theory that men cheat not because they’re horny — but because they’re terrified they “don’t have it anymore.” The conversation spirals into patriarchy as a long con, monogamy as a byp...

Annie joins Rachel to talk about how she accidentally became a NYC Midtown facial spa owner after her mom casually said, “I found a place,” and signed a lease the next day. They get into facials, injections, hiring 19-year-old nail prodigies, and the fact that her mom literally injects her own face — the ultimate trust signal in beauty services. They also spiral into dating histories (Asian → Blac...

Alexa believes men should stop talking for a full week the moment they realize they like you — because that's when they start saying the dumbest things. She and Rachel spiral from “shoes off in bed” to why feet are disgusting (and yes, the socks on or off during s*x debate made a comeback). They also rename open mics after girl names (“Open Michelle” supremacy), unpack why girly comedy spaces...

Being a funny woman should be hot, but somehow it’s a dating liability. Rachel and Rania dig into why straight men crumble the second a woman is funnier than they are. They talk insecure masculinity, comedy power dynamics, why men gain desirability from humor while women lose it, and why female comics feel pressured to dress down just to be taken seriously. They break down the open-mic ecosystem,...

Rachel and Hayley question if they have their lives together while everyone around them is getting married, pregnant, or asleep by 7pm. Expect debates on motherhood, dating comedians, sleep debt, and why New York makes aging feel optional. Also: a camera overheats from pure hotness, and Rachel admits to drunk-DM’ing celebrities instead of exes. Chaos, comfort, and zero life advice you should follo...

Minji and Rachel discover they might share a mutual curiosity about having a threesome — and yes, the sexual tension was very real. Minji talks about the time she slept with a woman who faked an orgasm , which left her deeply traumatized. They dive into Korean and Chinese culture — including the fact that they’ve both eaten dog — and had a friendly debate on whether it’s Lunar New Year or Chinese...

Aislinn argues that people should be naked more often and shares her experience performing at a naked comedy show, while Rachel talks about her time as a nude figure drawing model. Naturally, this leads to a deep (and slightly terrifying) dive into their adventures with hair removal — from Aislinn having to spread her own cheeks mid-appointment to Rachel translating for her friend after the techni...

Lucie and Rachel dive into the chaos of love in your 20s — from not being ready for babies (or baby weight) to the undeniable power of pretty privilege. Both have had men tell them their beauty is “worth dying for” . The conversation then spirals into all the ways they’ve been scammed — out of time, nudes, money, and yes… love. Their scammer hall of fame includes a "comedy booker", a hor...

In this spooky season, Alexa has a ghost in her apartment — and according to her medium, she jumped off Alexa's building because her boyfriend cheated on her. Alexa and Rachel debate whether socks should stay on during sex, since some people claim wearing them can lead to better orgasms. The conversation ends with both girls sharing their experiences with guys who wanted something to do with their...

As two Chinese women born and raised in China, Victoria and Rachel can’t help but wonder — do guys in the U.S. actually like them, or do they just have an Asian fetish? Somewhere between unpacking beauty standards and identity crises, Rachel admits she might secretly want to be a white woman (?!), and Victoria shares dating stories so wild it’ll make you rethink dating altogether. This episode is...

As a proud Texan, Kate believes that if God exists, He rewards you with a rent-stabilized apartment in Greenwich Village. she and Rachel cover everything — from the horrors of moving in with a man (ew) to gossiping about someone Rachel is definitely not in love with, to messy New York dating stories, and even why people seriously need to know more about the world (especially China). It’s pure chao...