They Call Us Bruce
287 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 315 ratingsHosts Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present They Call Us Bruce, an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
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Episodes
180: They Call Us Thankful 2022
November 25, 2022 06:20 - 1 hour - 103 MBJeff and Phil welcome some good friends from the Potluck Podcast Collective: Ada Tseng (Los Angeles Times, Saturday School), Scott Okamoto (Asians in Baseball, Chapel Probation), and Kim Cooper (Asians in Baseball, Korean Drama Podcast) to celebrate "friendsgiving" and play a very special Thanksgiving edition of everybody's favorite roundtable segment: Thanks, No Thanks and WTF.
179: They Call Us Bad Axe
November 18, 2022 22:00 - 44 minutes - 61.3 MBJeff and Phil welcome filmmaker David Siev, director of the documentary BAD AXE, a pandemic portrait of his own family in rural Michigan as they fight to keep their American dream alive. He talks about telling his family's story through the lens of America's very real and very current racial tensions, dealing with actual local white supremacists, and making a documentary that weirdly folded in on itself partway through production.
178: They Call Us Maulik Pancholy
November 11, 2022 06:22 - 59 minutes - 82.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome back award-winning actor and writer Maulik Pancholy, who talks about his latest middle grade novel NIKHIL OUT LOUD, a sweet coming-of-age story about a gay Indian American teen. He talks about the anti-gay backlash he received for his first book THE BEST AT IT that inspired this new novel, what it's like to get your book banned by school districts, and the important question at the center of all this controversy that nobody seems to be asking: who's listening to the kids?
177: They Call Us Raymond Lee
November 04, 2022 06:59 - 46 minutes - 64.9 MBJeff and Phil welcome Raymond Lee, star of NBC's sci-fi drama QUANTUM LEAP. He talks about leaping into the lead role of a lifetime, subverting the notion that time travel is for white people, and why being great at nothing but passably good at a lot of things is perfect for playing Dr. Ben Song.
176: They Call Us Jay Chen
October 28, 2022 06:20 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MBJeff and Phil welcome Jay Chen, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in California’s congressional 45th district. He talks about why his Daily Show appearance from 2010 still weirdly remains relevant, his opponent’s increasingly shameless xenophobic and red-baiting attacks, and the benefit of running for congress in a super-Asian district that has so many incredible food options.
175: They Call Us Thai Cave Rescue
October 20, 2022 07:02 - 52 minutes - 72.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome Kevin Tancheroen, executive producer and director of the Netflix series THAI CAVE RESCUE, which tells the true story of the global rescue effort to save twelve young boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave. He talks about shooting in absurdly wet conditions, reconnecting with his own Thai roots, and prioritizing the soccer team (and the people of Thailand) at the center of this extraordinary story.
174: They Call Us 38 at the Garden
October 13, 2022 07:09 - 54 minutes - 74.4 MBJeff and Phil welcome Frank Chi, director of the documentary short 38 AT THE GARDEN, which chronicles the extraordinary ascendance of Jeremy Lin during his landmark 2012 season with the New York Knicks -- and the fateful game where he dropped 38 points on the Los Angeles Lakers. They look back at the sheer joy of that moment, what it meant for Asian Americans, and why it still resonates ten years later.
173: They Call Us Tanuj Chopra
September 30, 2022 20:19 - 41 minutes - 57.6 MBJeff and Phil welcome back friend and filmmaker Tanuj Chopra, director of season two of the Netflix series Delhi Crime. He talks about making the leap from indie films to international television, bringing an insider/outsider perspective to get the tone right, and the future of global storytelling.
172: They Call Us Yuji Okumoto
September 23, 2022 07:01 - 50 minutes - 69.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome actor Yuji Okumoto, who stars in season five of Netflix's Cobra Kai as Chozen Toguchi, the role he originated in 1986's The Karate Kid Pt. II. He talks about stepping back into the Karate Kid Cinematic Universe, his (and ours, and everybody's) love for Kumiko, and getting an unexpected redemption arc for his character over thirty years later.
171: They Call Us Jamie Ford
September 16, 2022 05:32 - 51 minutes - 71.6 MBJeff and Phil welcome bestselling author Jamie Ford, whose latest novel The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is described as an "epigenetic love story." He talks about the tragic real life of the first Chinese woman in America, weaving the intricate story of her imagined descendants, and exploring (and perhaps overcoming) inherited intergenerational trauma.
170: They Call Us The Partner Track
August 26, 2022 05:27 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBJeff and Phil welcome Arden Cho, star of The Partner Track, and Helen Wan, author of the original book that inspired the Netflix series. They discuss Helen's real-life career as a corporate attorney that inspired the novel, how Ingrid Yung became Ingrid Yun, and the convergence of timing and talent that finally made this adaptation possible. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.
170: They Call Us Partner Track
August 26, 2022 05:27 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBJeff and Phil welcome Arden Cho, star of Partner Track, and Helen Wan, author of the original book that inspired the Netflix series. They discuss Helen's real-life career as a corporate attorney that inspired the novel, how Ingrid Yung became Ingrid Yun, and the convergence of timing and talent that finally made this adaptation possible. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.
169: They Call Us Free Chol Soo Lee
August 19, 2022 17:51 - 57 minutes - 78.9 MBJeff and Phil welcome Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, directors of the documentary FREE CHOL SOO LEE, which tells the story of a community's landmark fight to free an innocent man. They discuss the important legacy of the case, why they were compelled to shine a light on this singular moment, the generational responsibility of unearthing our stories. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.
168: They Call Us Wesley Chu
August 17, 2022 06:31 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBRecorded live at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena! Jeff and Phil welcome novelist Wesley Chu, author of the epic fantasy The Art of Prophecy. He talks about writing fight scenes, allowing his characters to do what they want to do, and why this wuxia-inspired novel is the story he's been wanting to tell his whole life. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.
167: They Call Us Yuh-Line Niou
August 12, 2022 17:29 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBJeff and Phil welcome congressional candidate Yuh-Line Niou, who is running for the House of Representatives in New York's newly drawn 10th district. She talks about truly representational politics, making the legislative process more accessible for all, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of running for congress. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.
166: They Call Us Katherine J. Wu
August 10, 2022 16:46 - 1 hour - 98 MBJeff and Phil welcome journalist Katherine J. Wu, who covers science as staff writer for The Atlantic. She talks about joining science with storytelling, where we went wrong (and right) with our collective pandemic response, and the most erroneous assumptions we're making about COVID right now. This episode is paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.
165: They Call Us Jo Koy
August 05, 2022 19:11 - 15 minutes - 21.6 MBIn this special bonus episode, Jeff talks to Jo Koy, comedian and star of the movie Easter Sunday. He talks about the execs who told him his Filipino American story was "too specific," getting the backing of none other than Steven Spielberg, and doing it for the culture. For the culture!
164: They Call Us Lou Diamond Phillips
August 05, 2022 15:25 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome the man, the myth, the legend: actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who appears in the new movie Easter Sunday. They discuss how Filipino Americans are having a moment, LDP as LDP, achieving "icon" status, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being ambiguously Filipino. This episode is paid for by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Find boosters near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.
163: They Call Us Simran Jeet Singh
August 02, 2022 06:24 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBJeff and Phil welcome Simran Jeet Singh, scholar, activist and author of the book The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform You Life. He talks about his journey of faith, dad jokes, his refusal to give in to negativity, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being Sikh.
162: They Call Us Love and Noraebang
July 22, 2022 17:38 - 59 minutes - 82.1 MBJeff and Phil 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.
161c: They Call Us Live From New York - Part 3
July 15, 2022 17:14 - 42 minutes - 58.3 MBRecorded live at The Greene Space at WNYC! Sponsored by UBS. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, Jeff and Phil welcome tech entrepreneur/thinkers Anil Dash and Ben Sun to talk about Asian American impact on the tech industry (and get nostalgic about Asian Avenue). Part 3 of the in-studio "RISE Conversations" inspired by RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. Produced with the generous support of UBS.
161b: They Call Us Live From New York - Part 2
July 15, 2022 17:07 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBRecorded live at The Greene Space at WNYC! Sponsored by UBS. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, Jeff and Phil welcome writer/comedian Karen Chee and costume designer Minji Kim to talk about Asian American visibility in fashion and entertainment. Part 2 of the in-studio "RISE Conversations" inspired by RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. Produced with the generous support of UBS.
161a: They Call Us Live From New York - Part 1
July 15, 2022 17:01 - 36 minutes - 49.8 MBRecorded live at The Greene Space at WNYC! Sponsored by UBS. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, Jeff and Phil welcome chef Dale Talde, food personality Agnes Chung Talde and writer Frankie Huang to talk about the rise of Asian American food culture. Part 1 of the in-studio “RISE Conversations” inspired by RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. Produced with the generous support of UBS.
160: They Call Us Kathleen Kim
July 07, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 95.7 MBJeff and Phil welcome Kathleen Kim, the puppeteer behind Ji-Young, Sesame Street's first Asian American muppet. She talks about the process of bringing Ji-Young to life, her surprising journey as a puppeteer thus far, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of working on Sesame Street.
159: They Call Us Post-Heritage Month Blues
June 24, 2022 08:25 - 50 minutes - 68.9 MBJeff and Phil are still alive! Your hosts return to recap and reset after an extended, unintended hiatus. They discuss their most hectic Heritage Month ever, the suckiness of finally succumbing to COVID-19, and The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of what they missed over the last two months.
158: They Call Us Marvelous and the Black Hole
April 21, 2022 20:00 - 50 minutes - 70 MBJeff and Phil welcome writer/director Kate Tsang and actress Miya Cech to talk about their film MARVELOUS AND THE BLACK HOLE. They discuss making a different kind of Asian American coming-of-age movie, working with the inimitable Rhea Perlman, and mastering the secrets of sleight of hand.
157: They Call Us Michelle Yeoh
April 15, 2022 20:42 - 21 minutes - 30.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome the legendary, incomparable Michelle Yeoh, star of EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. She talks about being the center of the multiverse, embracing absurdity, and the fantastic mediocrity of Evelyn Wang.
156: They Call Us Daniel Kwan and Stephanie Hsu
April 12, 2022 06:46 - 39 minutes - 55.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome writer/director Daniel Kwan (one-half of Daniels) and actress Stephanie Hsu to talk about everybody's new favorite film EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. They discuss meaningful pelvic thrusting, why Stephanie is actually a witch, and the exclusive secret origin of "Jobu Tapaki."
155: They Call Us Ke Huy Quan
April 08, 2022 13:00 - 41 minutes - 57.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome a generational icon: Ke Huy Quan, who stars in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. He talks about his humble beginnings as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, how Crazy Rich Asians inspired his triumphant return to acting, and how to kick ass with a fanny pack (but not on the first take).
154: They Call Us Everything Everywhere All at Once
April 05, 2022 07:01 - 1 hour - 126 MBJeff and Phil welcome back their old friends Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of Diaspora to discuss their new favorite movie, Daniels' multiverse masterpiece Everything Everywhere All at Once. From Ke Huy Quan to butt plugs to hot dog hands, this film has it all and then some.
153: They Call Us Turning Red
March 31, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 85.2 MBJeff and Phil welcome Shirley Li (The Atlantic) and Anita Li (The Green Line) to talk about Meilin Lee and Disney/Pixar's animated feature TURNING RED. They discuss the incredible specificity of this Chinese Canadian story, what makes a film "relatable" and why it's so meaningful to let your teen girl characters go "AWOOGA!"
152: They Call Us Iris K. Shim
March 18, 2022 07:22 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBJeff and Phil welcome Iris K. Shim, writer/director of the feature film UMMA. She talks about working with the one and only Sandra Oh, incorporating traditional Korean cultural elements into a horror story, and whether or not her own umma will watch her movie.
151: They Call Us Domee Shi
March 11, 2022 08:01 - 29 minutes - 40.3 MBJeff and Phil welcome Oscar-winning filmmaker Domee Shi, writer/director of the Pixar animated feature TURNING RED. They discuss making an unapologetically Asian Canadian story, intergenerational drama, releasing the beast within, and accepting your whole self -- even your whole self is a giant red panda.
150: They Call Us RISE
March 04, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 112 MBOn the eve of their long-anticipated book release, Jeff and Phil welcome co-author Philip Wang and project manager Jes Vu, their co-conspirators on RISE: A Pop History of Asian America From the Nineties to Now. They discuss behind-the-scenes details on the making of the book, including The Good, The Bad and The WTF.
149: They Call Us Shoes Off
February 18, 2022 08:01 - 48 minutes - 67 MBJeff and Phil round up The Good, The Bad and The WTF of the week, including Ali Wong's latest standup special, Asian American excellence at the Winter Olympics, anti-Asian violence, Wrong Asians, and taking off your damn shoes inside the house.
148: They Call Us Dante Basco
February 10, 2022 08:34 - 57 minutes - 79.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome the one and only Dante Basco. He talks about his directorial debut The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, making a movie with his family -- his entire family -- growing up in Hollywood, and being perpetually linked to iconic characters, including Prince Zuko and, of course, RUFIO.
147: They Call Us Year of the Tiger
February 03, 2022 19:09 - 1 hour - 107 MBJeff and Phil welcome Potluck Podcast pals Ada Tseng (Saturday School) and Raman Sehgal (Modern Minorities, Quarantined Comics) to celebrate the Lunar New Year and discuss superstitions, superheroes, Michelle Yeoh, Lou Diamond Phillips, urine, basement bunkers and utility journalism.
146: They Call Us Lisa Ling
January 27, 2022 08:01 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MBJeff and Phil welcome award-winning journalist Lisa Ling, host of the new docuseries TAKE OUT WITH LISA LING. She talks about her own family's Chinese restaurant roots, the new ubiquity of Asian cuisines -- and the untold stories behind them, and why she does indeed have the best job in the world.
145: They Call Us Mayor Michelle Wu
January 20, 2022 14:00 - 34 minutes - 47.4 MBJeff and Phil welcome Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston. She talks about breaking barriers as the first woman and first person of color elected to lead her city, hitting the ground running, "getting city hall out of city hall," and embracing both legacy and innovation.
144: They Call Us Very Asian
January 13, 2022 08:03 - 1 hour - 88.2 MBJeff and Phil welcome Michelle Li, reporter and anchor for KDSK in St. Louis, and Marian Chia-Ming Liu, Operations Editor for the Washington Post. They discuss racist voicemails, reclaiming our Asian names, and the significance of being Very Asian in 2022.
143: They Call Us 2022
January 06, 2022 05:58 - 1 hour - 112 MBJeff and Phil return from the holiday "break" and ring in the New Year with one last look back, talking about The Good, The Bad and The WTF of 2021 -- including Marvel movies, squid games, library rockers, big city mayors, licorice pizzas and the damn omicron.
142: They Call Us Thankful 2021
November 25, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 115 MBJeff and Phil welcome entertainment writer/critic friends Hanh Nguyen and Piya Sinha-Roy to catch up and discuss recent pop culture happenings, including Squid Game, Eternals, and Cowboy Bebop. They also play a Thanksgiving edition of their favorite segment: Thankful, Not Thankful and WTF.
141: They Call Us Ally Maki
November 19, 2021 14:00 - 28 minutes - 40 MBJeff and Phil welcome actress Ally Maki, who stars in the Marvel series Hit Monkey. They discuss making movies and television during the pandemic, embracing the wild weirdness of an animated primate assassin, and creating community of shared identity: Asian American Girl Club.
140: They Call Us The Good Asian
November 12, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBJeff and Phil welcome writer Pornsak Pichetshote, creator of the noir crime comic book The Good Asian. They discuss the inspiration behind his Chinese American detective Edison Hark, the real-life history at heart of this hard-boiled mystery, and why The Good Asian, set in 1930s Chinatown, feels like a tale for modern times.
139: They Call Us Asian Faces
November 05, 2021 20:28 - 1 hour - 84.4 MBJeff and Phil welcome journalist Elise Hu, author of the forthcoming book Flawless, and David Yi, found and editor of Very Good Light. They discuss "aggressively Asian" faces, multi-step skincare regiments, and the global rise of K-beauty.
138: They Call Us SL Huang
October 28, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBJeff and Phil welcome mathematician and award-winning science fiction author SL Huang, who also happens to be a stuntwoman, firearms expert, and the first woman to be a professional armorer in Hollywood. They discuss her unique career, the recent tragic firearm incident on the set of Rust, the extensive procedures involved with on-set weapons safety -- and how things can go wrong.
137: They Call Us Kat Chow
October 21, 2021 13:00 - 53 minutes - 73.4 MBJeff and Phil welcome writer and friend Kat Chow, author of Seeing Ghosts, a memoir about grief, intergenerational loss, reclaiming your family's story... and taxidermy. She talks about The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of seeing figurative and/or literal ghosts.
136: They Call Us Fully Both
October 07, 2021 13:00 - 44 minutes - 61.3 MBJeff and Phil welcome Naomi Gleit, VP of Product at Facebook, who wrote a personal essay about her multiracial identity. She talks about growing up ethnically ambiguous, finding her voice on issues of identity and race, and embracing the notion that she is neither half Asian nor half Jewish, but fully both.
135: They Call Us Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.
September 30, 2021 13:00 - 54 minutes - 75.5 MBJeff and Phil welcome actress Peyton Elizabeth Lee, star of the Disney+ series Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., series creator and showrunner Kourtney Kang, and executive producer Melvin Mar. They talk about crafting a unique contemporary Hawaiian take on the beloved 90s teen doctor series.
134: They Call Us Justin Chon
September 17, 2021 13:00 - 31 minutes - 44.1 MBJeff and Phil welcome Justin Chon, the writer, director and star of the dramatic feature BLUE BAYOU. He talks about putting the spotlight on the plight of undocumented adoptees, setting an Asian American story in the South, and crafting films that create empathy -- and change.