not a teenage dream: Recent Episodes
teenage dreaming
Faced with the daunting task of growing up, five teenagers with something to say try to make sense of the world through story and conversation.
These past few months, many hate crimes targeting asians have gained much media attention, sparking protest against anti-asian violence and racism. There are few words to truly sum up the anger, frustration, fear, sadness, and hope that many of us, particularly asians, currently face, and still struggle to process and fight back. In this episode, we, as asian americans ourselves, process the string of publicized attacks, voicing our own fears, hopes, and experiences that have even preceded the violence we face today.
The pandemic has been going on for nearly a year, leaving many of us unmotivated for school, work, or personal pursuits. Beyond the rather mundane day-to-day life of school and quarantine, we've begun to contemplate what life beyond and after school might look like, our hopes and concerns for the future and how we might get there. Join us for a somewhat existential conversation on ambition!
It's a day after the election, January 21st. We reflect on the past four years as well as our hopes for the next four: a possible end to the pandemic, semi-functioning government, the usual. Join us for Google Translate-voiceover filled banter and fun! (Katrina couldn't speak, so she used good ol' Google Translate.)
They're feared, revered, and have a complicated history: tiger parents. In this episode, we ponder the oftentimes overbearing nature of parents, and how that has affected relationships with our own parents and siblings. It's a chill time, so grab some tea or toast, and listen along!
Colorism. What one might call a side-effect of racism. It is often excused or pushed aside, even within communities of color. We'll talk about colorism in all its shapes and forms, from beauty standards to "preferences" and how it extends beyond the color of your skin.
Oftentimes, we are not told the complete story. It is perhaps most relevant in the story of Thanksgiving. The version of the story many of us grew up with is whitewashed and incomplete. In this episode, we discuss the act of celebrating Thanksgiving in comparison to its historical roots and motives. We also cover our own evolving perceptions of the holidays and celebration.
Affirmative action isn't a new idea. It was brought up once again in California's Proposition 16. A highly contested proposition, it was recently rejected this past election. Many of our fellow students disagree on what affirmative action is and what it represents, so we decided to break down what we knew about this proposition, the idea of affirmative action, and discuss its implications.
Articles mentioned:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_California_Proposition_16
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-31/prop-16-guide
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-01/affirmative-action-divides-asian-americans-ucs-largest-overrepresented-student-group
(recorded November 11, 2020) These past few weeks have been pretty hectic. You know, political upheaval, a highly contested election, an ongoing international pandemic, the usual. Here, a week after the election, we'll unpack some of the drama; reactions to the results of the election, and a discussion on Proposition 16 and some other local propositions here in California.
(recorded October 14, 2020) Though this world is constantly changing, in this episode, we take a step back from it all and discuss some ~spicy~ events, from the Supreme Court to the iPhone 12. Just a chill (though rather frustrated) debrief of life's happenings.
The divide between the sides of the aisle have grown exponentially in the past several years, each side staunchly disagreeing on nearly everything. How have we seen these two parties face each other around us? How have political beliefs bled into our perception of the character and virtues of a person? In this episode, we explore the "left" and the "right", and discover that there is much more to justice.
Although the deadline to register to vote in many states has already passed, make sure you go out there and VOTE! Make your voice heard! In some states, if you are under 18, you can still pre-register to vote. Find out if you can here: https://www.usa.gov/voter-registration-age-requirements
(recorded in July 2020) Our vocabulary when discussing the inner workings of our society has grown exponentially in the past several months. Today, we double down on some of these concepts and definitions, such as privilege, representation, and recognizing its presence in our lives.
(recorded in July 2020) "The digital age." "The age of information." "Why are you on your phone all the time?" As teenagers today, oftentimes we are characterized by our 'obsession,' 'addiction' if you really want to go there, of our screens and devices. In this episode, we discuss the impact of social media, its power of connectivity, communication, and misconceptions.
(recorded July 2020) At a time of realization and reckoning, sometimes we put our mental health on the back burner, only to let it boil over. How do we deal with both what's happening around us and what's happening within our minds? And as the youngest generation, how has our exposure to topics of mental health helped or harmed us?