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It's *finally* started to get warm in New York, which means a few things: I really don't know which coat I should be wearing, either iced OR hot coffee is a seasonally appropriate beverage...and it's time for us to ask you to support the work we do here at Death, Sex & Money.
Katie and I had a blast coming up with our game plan for this spring's campaign—more details on that below (hint: spandex will be involved). And we had even more fun because it's the show's fifth birthday this year, so there's extra reason to celebrate! We've had a lot of conversations together over these last five years, and if listening to them has made you feel connected to other people, or maybe changed your mind about something, we hope you'll give if you're able.
Speaking of being connected to other people, this week's new episode with actor Daniel K. Isaac is all about finding common ground with someone even when it's really, really hard. I love hearing him talk about his mom and the relationship they've been able to build despite their differences, and I hope you will, too.
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—Producer Anabel Bacon and the Death, Sex & Money team
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This Week on Death, Sex & Money
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It took a long time for actor Daniel K. Isaac to come to terms with his sexuality. Growing up as the only son of a very religious mother, he spent years trying to repress being gay, only to come out in college and be disowned by her. "The only thing that she did do, which was a clue for me at the time, was she continued to pay for my cell phone bill," Daniel says. "And so while while I had been disowned, it always felt like an option that we would never be a part of each other's lives." This week, he tells Anna about reconciling with his mom and navigating the gray area of their complicated adult relationship. Find the episode here, or in your favorite podcast app.
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Give To Get Sweaty (With Us)!
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It's that time of the year again—we're asking for your support! As Death, Sex & Money celebrates its fifth birthday in 2019 (🎉), we're making big plans for the next five years, and we need your support to make them happen. And we have a fun incentive this time: if 150 of you give, we'll hold an exercise class (yes, seriously) with the team here in New York a little later on this year. We're not kidding! Anyone who gives between now and April 30 will get a first-come, first-served invitation to come join the class. And don't worry—if you don't live in New York, we'll be livestreaming it so you can get your sweat on from the privacy of your own living room. We really want to work out with you all, so please give whatever you can to make it happen. And thank you!
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Your Responses: "I'm a Gasian and I'm Angry"
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That's the title of an email we got back in 2017, which we found in our inbox this past week as we were working on our episode with Daniel. A listener named Jason wrote us about feeling marginalized for both his race and his sexuality—and experiencing some of the shame from his family that Daniel talks about, too.
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"I was recently on Facebook and came across a clip from Steve Harvey commenting on how Asian men are basically not attractive, which opened years of coping mechanisms I've had to feel less demoralized, desexualized, and invisible. As a gay Asian (Gasian) male, I'm tired of being overlooked and forgotten in the media with the exception of being labeled as effeminate, unattractive, or a mixed martial artist.
I'm tired and angry that many Asian males don't have much of a narrative when I know there is a story to be told. Like the time when I tried to live the 'gay lifestyle' by having sex with many men, only to get warts from the first guy I slept with. Or [hearing] that I'm relatively 'attractive for an Asian.' Or the moment that my mom told me that she doesn't share with others that I'm gay the same way that she doesn't tell people that she's had an affair.
Being Asian, we tend not to air our dirty laundry out in public in order to 'save face,' but with Steve Harvey's flippant racism, I was reminded of all the years I've had to stay quiet. As a therapist myself (who also recently got married), I'm hoping that my story may help others who feel as invisible and powerless as I've often felt."
—Jason, 37, Seattle
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Listen to This: Audio We Love
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We're really excited to watch the new Hulu series Shrill—and while we were waiting for it to drop last week, we loved listening to the show's star, Aidy Bryant, on Fresh Air. Shrill is based on writer Lindy West's memoir about growing up fat in a fatphobic world. Bryant says she can relate to a lot of the experiences her character Annie goes through—and the ways she overcame them. "The second I stopped being afraid of someone calling me fat, I was able to start to focus on my goals and my dreams," she says.
And if you're not tuned into 10 Things That Scare Me yet, you're missing out—we especially love a recent episode featuring a listener named Kim and her list of ten fears. It's a funny one; she talks about being scared of malls and accidentally chewing on tinfoil. But she also nails some of the more terrifying things about interpersonal relationships that many of us can relate to.
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Next on Death, Sex & Money
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We asked for your stories of being laid off, and we heard from a lot of you who have lost a job. But we also heard from a listener named Stephanie, who wrote in about her dad, and her experience of watching him look for work over the last two years. Next week, the two of them talk together about his layoff, and why he still feels shame that he can't provide for their family.
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Support the show to break a sweat with the team!
(We're going to be using a LOT of great workout GIFs here...get excited!)
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