Enjoying your breaks? So am I, and as I'm taking my time listening to a podcast (self-purportedly) devoted to Asian American activism, some things have both intrigued and irritated my APA sensibilities. Keep reading.

Hosted by three men in New York City, Fallout Central is recorded every few weeks to give a overview of global and national news from Asian American perspectives. Hmm, that's a lot like what we do here. Anyway, as a podcast (and as podcasts try to resemble radio shows), these guys take interviews from ordinary callers and prominent figures in Asian America. Calvin our chair even claimed to have done an interview with them about the police incident early last semester, but searching through their site and podcasts I doubt this ever... Edit: Confirmation made. (Thanks, Calvin!)

A very big issue on the show is the "emasculasian" of fellow Asian men. In an effort to fight this plight, they've done some interesting interviews, for example with Yul Kwon, who once transcended the racial terms of Survivor: Cook Islands, giving a new face to the Asian American male. Another interview was with the Asian Playboy, who works as something of a consultant for Asian guys on how to pick up women...

Their rhetoric on men's issues, however, often borders on ignorance and mistreatment of APA women's issues. In a Dec. 26th interview with Jenn Fang from Reappropriate about Asian American feminism, these men could not get past the (to them, confusing) relationship between feminism, Asian American feminist activism, and Asian American racial activism. One host went so far as to question in front of Jenn the tone and intentions of "traditional" feminists, relying on hackneyed personifications of a movement he perhaps couldn't understand. In a Jan. 6th Year in Review podcast, one host (might have been the same one) told the eyewitness account of an Asian guy in a club who was not successful with a "tall, beautiful white woman" (until he came along, of course, and saved his sorry ass). Whenever they talk about the problems with Tila Tequila's show, it comes back to its lack of Asian males, not the problematic over-sexualization of Tila herself. (Listen to the latest podcast.) See the problem?

I think Fallout Central needs a few female hosts.

Of course, FC gets its fair share of disgruntled audience members, and while I'm a little judgmental now, I still do listen to their podcasts and think they can do so much better. So what am I to do? I'm going to take the Fallout Central challenge one Sunday this 2008 and present to them a challenge of my own: bring on some regular girl power. Because you can't claim to rep "Asian American insight" with only half of Asian America's existing perspectives and experiences.

If you've heard their podcasts and want to take the FC challenge yourself, call them at (212) 255-2898 on any Sunday.