The podcast is called “Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast,” which launched this month through Chicago public radio WBEZ.
The Shoes Off Podcast is hosted by Kang Yoon-ji and Ahn Soo-ji, with Stephanie Kim as the editor and producer.
The show was designed to raise awareness of the discrimination and stereotypes on Asians, who have long been ignored, fetishized or made the butt of the joke in America.
Co-hosts Kang Yoon-ji and Ahn Soo-ji invite celebrities from various fields to reinterpret the word “sexy” in their respective meanings and talk about what their identity means to individuals or to the Asian community.
Host Kang Yoon-ji said, “At the podcast production meeting before launch, we first talked about inviting a sexy guest at the podcast production meeting for the first time,” adding, “However, while discussing sexiness, we decided to host a podcast that dives deep into the definition of ‘sexy’, and how it can be interpreted in a wide sense in various communities.
“Asian has long been ignored, excluded, and trapped in several types of stereotypes in the United States,” she said. “We invited various guests to host a podcast to break prejudice against Asian identity.”
According to them, the title “Shoes Off” is also derived from Asian culture. Inspired by the custom of taking off shoes at home, it serves to give listeners a comfortable and warm feeling.
Producer Stephanie Kim said, “There has been a lot of news related to Asian Americans in the past few years since the pandemic, but never good ones,” adding, “I want to turn the American perspective of Asians.” “We hope listeners will listen to our podcast and break free from Asian stereotypes and hopefully be able to change perspective.”
Korean actor and comedian Joel Kim Booster, the guest of the first episode released on the 1st, caught the eye with a provocative title, “He knows he’s sexy.” He made every effort to make himself attractive to others by grooming his appearance and spraying perfume. He also openly talked about his story of how hard he tried not to lose confidence, experience in the gay community, and the story of his adoption.
In the second episode, which was released on the 8th, Oscar-winning Chinese-Canadian animator Domishi confessed to finding a girl in on racy comic books sexy. In particular, he revealed an interesting story about finding a balance between parental respect and self-seeking through his childhood experiences.
The shoe-off podcast airs every Tuesday and consists of nine episodes.
BY KIM YE-JIN [kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
