Chicago podcast spotlight: "Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast"
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Courtesy of WBEZ.
WBEZ hasn't launched a homegrown podcast in a while, but this month the station hatched one of its most interesting yet: "Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast."
The basics: Episodes run about 40 minutes and feature interviews with Asian artists including "Turning Red" filmmaker Domee Shi and "Fire Island" creator and actor Joel Kim Booster.
- The podcast is a collaboration between WBEZ reporters Susie An and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang and producer Stephanie Kim, who wanted to call it just "The Sexy Asians" — until they Googled it.
The vibe: Light and funny but also touching and serious.
The inspiration: "The three of us worked on a segment for 'Reset' where we interviewed ["Walking Dead," and "Minari"] actor Steven Yeun," An tells Axios.
- "It was so much fun, and Esther had a half-joking idea: 'Why don't we have a podcast where we talk to sexy Asians?' We pitched it, and about a year later, here we are."
The biggest surprise: "That our guests and even the three of us all have varied childhoods, backgrounds and origin stories in the U.S. But there are also so many shared experiences that are simply part of being Asians in America," An says.
The hope: "That people will have fun, learn something about the Asian diaspora and see themselves in our guests," An says.
What they're listening to: We listen to a bunch, but here are a few: "They Call Us Bruce," "Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend," "Las Culturistas" and "It's Been a Minute."
My favorite moments: I love the interviews but also when Kang says she "was a lazy sack of caca in high school." What? Me, too! Or at least that's what my grades said.
- And when An reveals she snuck out to an acting audition as an Alabama middle schooler, then got caught by her disapproving parents.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the name of the film "Turning Red."