Lab leak theory and "Who Killed Vincent Chin?"
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Hello from Tammy\\u2019s fantasy vacation house! It\\u2019s just the three of us today, with two important topics.
First, the renewed media and political interest in the Wuhan \\u201clab leak theory,\\u201d which had previously been treated as a conspiracy. This essay, published last month by science journalist Nicholas Wade, made a stink by arguing that a lab leak was a reasonable possibility. China\\u2019s renowned virologist Shi Zhengli (aka, \\u201cbat woman\\u201d) responded just this week, in an interview with the NYT, and Biden has promised to lead an international effort to reinvestigate Covid\\u2019s origins in China.
We review the \\u201cwild\\u201d vs. \\u201clab leak\\u201d theories, fears of anti-Asian backlash in the US, anti-China geopolitics, the need for greater transparency among all nations for the sake of global public health and science (read this, by friend of the pod Yangyang Cheng), and the political backlash that may await experts and scientists who dismissed the lab theory (read Thomas Frank and Matt Yglesias on technocratic libs and social-media bubble-ology).\\xa0
Second, we revisit the classic documentary, Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987, dirs. Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Pe\\xf1a). We talk about the murder case, the film, and how these real-world and on-screen histories resonate today. We also discuss the recent controversy around, and cancellation of, a star-studded Vincent Chin podcast and new representations of Asian stories (including rumors of green-lit film and TV projects). Why do Hollywood Asian Americans keep forgetting (or willfully neglecting) to do their homework?
Reminder: If you\\u2019re into storytelling across media, join Jay, Andy, and Tammy (and other friends of the pod) on Saturday, June 26, for the Asian American Writers\\u2019 Workshop\\u2019s Page Turner conference!\\xa0Register here, and use discount code:\\xa0FRIENDOFAAWW!
Thanks for listening and reading! Please help keep our mikes hot (and join our absurdly lively Discord!) at\\xa0Patreon\\xa0or\\xa0Substack, and send questions and comments to\\xa0Timetosaygoodbyepod@gmail.com\\xa0or\\xa0@TTSGPod.
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