Episode 96
#96 - Asian Masculinity with Mike Bow
Before diversity and inclusion was ever a trendy topic to back on social media, discussions surrounding what representation really does to a person's sense of identity have been going strong for ages. One of the more underdiscussed and misunderstood conversations is around Asian men and their desirability. Whether created out of jealousy or malice (or both), Hollywood has had a history of spurning on stereotypes of Asian men as weak & asexual while hypersexualizing & fetishizing Asian women. Fast forward to 2020, we see how much things have changed onscreen, but how has everything leading up to now played out across generations? How have these depictions gone on to influence young men & women IRL when it comes to their self-image & to their relationships? To discuss this, Minji sits down with her friend, actor Mike Bow, to unpack some of their perspectives. Mike shares his journey in pursuing a less traditional path as an actor & how his own self-image & the image put upon him by others has shaped it all.
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This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
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Don't miss an all AAPI production of HENRY VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts at The Public in NYC
The National Asian American Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of HENRY VI: A TRILOGY IN TWO PARTS brings an all-AANHPI cast to The Public Theater for a decades-spanning saga of Joan of Arc, warring dukes, and the bloody birth of the War of the Roses. Adapted by Stephen Brown-Fried, this is Shakespeare like you've never experienced it. Part 1: Foreign Wars opens with a king dead, an infant on the throne, and a country already coming apart at the seams. Part 2: Civil Strife picks up nearly 30 years later...and the bloodbath is yet to come. Simmering feuds explode into the War of the Roses, and nothing will ever be the same. Performances from June 9 through July 19! Use code H6BC for $59 tickets!