FILIPINO: Food, Colonization, Dating, Stereotypes, Comedians! | Ep.2 Culture Table

What's your reaction to when you found out Chappie, the owner, was actually a fourth generation Spanish person from the Philippines? Colin knows her. He's very nice. Everyone come here. This is Culture Table, a series where we sit down with different Asian comedians to have the funny conversations you thought you'd never get to have, but that you need to have. This is the Filipino episode with comedians Marcus, Jordan, and Ileana, where we address assimilation, stereotypes, comedy, and where Filipinos fit into the rise of Asia. All right, everybody, welcome to another episode of Culture Table. With us today, we have three Filipino comedians based in New York. Marcus Cardona, first generation born Filipino-American from Maine, living in Brooklyn. I'm Jordan Mendoza. My parents were born in Manila. My brother was born in Manila, but I was born in Boston. Hi, Ileana Inocencio. My dad was born in Alta Vaz, Aclan, and I was born in Virginia. And you guys are all professional comedians. Yeah. That's not a common job for Asians to be pro at, at least. I think more and more Asians, like in 2020, they're like dabbling in it. Yeah. I took an improv class in college, but as far as like, man, I got to live the rest of my life, check by check, on a comedy check, that's new. Oh, thank you. Yeah. Cool. Yeah, go ahead and you can break it down in the camera. This is our aligue pasta. This is the top selling dish here in Chismes for dinner. The tosino yempo, the pineapple tosino yempo, is the second favorite of the silog dishes here in Chismes. And we have the bangus, which is the milkfish, which is indigenous to our waters in the Philippines. We actually bring this product all the way from Davao. Lastly, is the chorizo benedict, which is our take on the traditional American eggs benedict. But instead of using a Canadian bacon, we do, we do a sweet pork patty. Filipino-Americans may or may not have a little bit more leeway due to the westernization of the culture. Like, the parents might be a little bit more okay with it, that you pursue the arts. But was it a difficult journey to kind of get to that point where you're like, making people laugh for the rest of my life? I don't think so. Yeah, my dad and my mom were always really supportive. I think they were harder on my brother because he's older, he's the boy, you know, my mom's from Singapore, so there's that, like, I guess, like, more Chinese influence in there. I'd never felt free to do what I wanted to do. I was going to be a doctor, and then when I wasn't going to be a doctor, my parents were like, well, he'll be a lawyer then, that's great. I moved to New York to be an artist, like a photographer and a video artist, and then I got into comedy, and my parents were like, no. I argued so hard for this, like, with my family. It was funny because, like, I did, like, the complete, like, stereotypical route, I was like a nursing student, and then I was, like, doing comedy at the time. It was like, I basically fought against that stereotype a bunch, and then I just had to keep pushing through because, like, my parents, like, didn't, like, really see, they'd be like, oh, why do you waste so much time doing this? But then after that, like, you know, because of that, like, I had a real voice, and I could actually talk with my parents. Yo, you guys, when you guys look at this food, this is the Filipino-American culture table. Garlic fried rice is very familiar. The tapsulog, for sure, because I would always have lapsulog, which was, like, the sweet sausage version of that, so I love that. The other stuff looks different. Your reaction to when you found out Chappy, the owner, was actually a fourth-generation Spanish person from the Philippines. Colonizer! Nice, he's very nice to everyone coming. I am part Spanish. Oh, you are part Spanish. I am a, I am descended from a Spanish priest. What percentage, like, did you take 23andMe to find out? Yeah, I actually just took 23andMe. How Spanish are you, man? I am 8%. We're all from Spanish influence, so I think, I think you should not taste it. I think in, like, American culture, when you're an Asian, you're at the buffet, and you can either choose to eat from the black section or the white section. The Asian section is so small, and, or, or, like, non-existent, really. So, that's why you see so many Asians who are, like, oh, they're a white Asian, they're banana, or they're a black Asian. A rotten banana right now. Is that what that is? You guys never heard that term? What? A rotten banana. I'm gonna miss that. What do you call it, a yellow M&M? Oh, interesting. And then, obviously, the white version is a Twinkie. You guys have heard that, right? Yeah, yeah, I've heard Twinkie, yeah. Different people, even in the same immediate family, might eat from different parts of the buffet. Yeah. The kids are all gonna pick one, a more stronger angle in unity for Asians, it's like, it's a crapshoot. Yeah. And I wanna, I wanna ask this because I think this is a great segue where, um, being Chinese and knowing so many Filipinos growing up, I was like, yo, Filipinos are so into subculture, whether it's, uh, they're kind of more emo playing the guitar, or whether they're playing basketball, or they're trying to be rappers, or they're break dancers, there's so much subculture. What do you think bred that? Like, it seems more than other Asians personally. Yeah, like, just like how Americans influenced, uh, Filipinos way back in the 50s anyways. Yeah. So I feel like we always had that aspiration to be more American, so I think we had that, like, weird upper hand before coming to America. Because of colonization, Americans installed this ideal that the ideal is going to be that you are an American, like, a white American, so that, I think that's why we are always searching for some kind of subculture to attach ourselves to because it's gonna make us feel like we can upgrade our race in a way. When we're just talking about subcultures, like, if you're, like, a Filipino and you actually, like, go into, like, self-identity, all you realize is, like, colonization, colonization, colonization. And even, like, here, like, when I grew up, my parents used to, like, be like, oh, like, you know, I have an American name, and they'd be like, oh, you should, like, diminish that. Then when we go back to the Philippines, I'd have, like, a cultural disconnect because they're like, oh, you're American. For Filipinos changing to, like, being black, I'm like, that's also another thing because, like, during that time, also, black nerds started popping up, and I'm like, that's where, like, I was like, why am I popular now? I think Filipinos being in the military. San Diego has a lot. Yeah. There's a military base there. Yeah. I knew a lot of Filipinos growing up. Their parents were part in the military, too. Well, yeah, that's where my dad, my dad joined the U.S. Navy, like, years ago, and that's how he came over here, so all of, like, the Filipinos I knew were, like, military guys and then their kids. You're not every man. Mine's weird because, like, my parents didn't meet in the Philippines. They met in Maine. Because you were kind of referencing colonization and the levels, different layers of assimilation that Filipinos have been through. It's funny, other Asians, sometimes we have beef with our upbringing because we're, our groups are not assimilated enough. Like, obviously, like, everyone, like, you know, kind of has, like, an issue with, like, colonization, but, like, so much of the existing current culture is from that. Like, I'm friends with a lot of, like, Viet friends, and, like, theirs is, like, you know, Vietnamese and, like, French, and, like, that's why they have, like, the banh mi and all that stuff, but culturally, like, you know, it's just, like, you wouldn't be who you were without all that that happened. That's the woke thing to say is, like, it was bad. But then what? Is everybody going to stop eating banh mis? Or is everybody going to stop? Are you guys chucking Jollibee's out the door? Because that is not Filipino food. I'm not throwing away fish sauce, absolutely not. I lived in a very white town around white people, and I was like, I really just want to fit in. I think as a kid, you just want to fit in. Now, I am very curious about what our culture actually is, but also not at all because I haven't done anything about it, so whatever. Do you think you guys had different Filipino upbringings because, in a way, you guys – and, you know, the crazy thing is, being a mixed country, everybody in the Philippines looks so different. You know, you totally could be somebody in the Philippines. You could be somebody in the Philippines. But it's almost like you guys as 23s and mes probably look, like, pretty different from each other in a way. Yeah. Similar but different. Is that – do you think that experience of even just looking different but still being under the same umbrella of Filipino culture changes the way you interface with it? Yeah, definitely, for sure. Like, it's definitely one of those weird interaction ones. Like, if I find out that we're both Filipino, usually, like, I'm, like, kind of more cool with you. It's not like it has to be the exact same type of Filipino. No, if you're just Filipino, we can talk about anything. If Bruno Mars comes on and you start dancing and then you look at me and you, like, make a point, it's like, yeah. I mean, I get Chinese a lot, actually. I don't always get seen as Filipino first. Honestly, it depends on how, like, brown I am during the season. Like, my best friend from high school is Filipino, but when we first met, like, the diversity director at our high school was like, you guys should meet because you're both Filipino. We shook hands and we went our separate ways because we were like, this kid – I'm not just Filipino. I'm, like, I'm my own person. Didn't you say that, in a way, you were, like, eating from the white side of the buffet and your friend was eating from, like, the black side of the buffet? That's right, yeah. My friend likes to say that I'm the white version of him and then he's the black version of me. That's weird. Are you talking about that mind meld? Because I think that that is a topic I want to touch upon because we're talking about assimilation. I feel like I learned my ability to assimilate into American subcultures from my Filipino friends because I definitely was not going to learn it from the Chinese kids at church because they just didn't do it. And you're saying, you know, your best friend is, like, the black version of you and you're, like, the white version of him, but you guys are melded by that Filipino mind meld. Yeah. What is that? Can you guys – I want to just make the section that's, like, the Filipino mind meld. What is it? Even though you married or your brother or your cousins may have all adopted a different American subculture, you guys all still got that, you know – Right. We're still Filipino. I think it is that, like, kindness of the Filipinos because, like, any Filipino house I went to growing up was, like, an auntie coming to me, like, did you eat yet? You know, and I feel like just being around that and growing up, you automatically want to be that way with your – the other Filipinos you meet. And also on a superficial level, it's like, oh, they look like me. They're my family, you know? And it's like you want to care for your family instinctively. That's the core that's going to bond them. Yeah. Family is very important to Filipino culture, although I wonder how much of that comes from Spanish culture. So, you know what? F**k family. I hate you, mom and dad, if you're watching this. Are you trying to become a – He's, like – He's Korean. I feel like, like, yeah, they're talking about family, but I feel like Filipino, like, just food, that's, like, a big bonding one because, like, they do, like, the Kamayan meals, which is, like, a big popular thing. And then beyond that, a weird one is, like, the Balikbayan box, which is, like, something that, like, most families do where you grab stuff and you send it back to the Philippines. So that's where, like, a weird, like, unity, even if you're in America. It's more, like, little things. Like, if they point with their lips, I'm like, ah, yeah, we're both Filipino. Or if you're walking to an airport and you go, like, if you see a head turn, I'm like, oh, yeah, that guy's Filipino. That's, like, a weird, like, thing that's just family from, like, parents and stuff like that. What does that mean? It's, like, getting your attention. That's all it is. Yeah, that does feel like peasant stuff. Everybody kind of has their own lane. I'm sure you guys all have your own audience. What do you guys think about Jokoy? Jokoy's a beast. Ah, man. Like, Jokoy, he's so good and he, like, gets, like, the stereotypes right about Filipinos that every time he writes a special, I have to, like, cut out chunks of my joke book. Oh, no. That sucks. A lot of militant Filipinos are going around. They said he's kind of, like, a fake Filipino. Yeah. Like, he kind of, like... That he is a fake Filipino? Yeah. Like, he's only half. And then his mom doesn't have that accent. Yeah. And his upbringing was much more whiter. And he sort of, like, extrapolated on the fob aspects to how to act. Oh. It's a... He still has it. It's just exaggerated. Which, on stage, like, we're acting. I also have to cut a lot of Jokoy jokes from my sets as well. That's not true. Not across the board. That is not true. Jokoy, you've been stealing my style for years now. I think he appeals to Filipinos. Like, my parents' generation, you know? So... Yeah. It's... At the end of the day, it's comforting to know that there's a guy making Filipino jokes that's making that much money, right? And he's that successful, right? You need to see that. Is there any sense that you feel like you need to lean into this style of comedy, like, make more Filipino jokes? Or you're like, I want to lean out for that reason. Like, what are those reasonings that you have behind your comedy? Jokoy doesn't really talk about money. Then you get to see, like, different nations talk about it. Like, Ryan Chang talks about money in his set. Ali Wong talks about money in his set. Jokoy kind of talks about it, but he just plays on, like, the bigger stereotypes that everyone knows. Right, right. So, I had to do it, like, from a Filipino's perspective. Because I've talked about how poor the country is. And I'm like, no one wants to have the conversation, but I feel like that's the whole point of, like, my comedy in general. I make the harder conversations funny, but you can joke about it. I'm like, it exists. Can you, real quick, just one specific joke that you do? Like, behind every successful Asian man is, like, an Asian mom who beat him into success. Like, the more you got beat, the higher successful you are. And I'm like, on the flip side, have you ever seen, like, an Asian woman collecting cans? She's just trying to replace the son she doesn't have. I'm like, this is... I'm just like, that's real. Damn. Alright, yeah. We had a joke that we used to do years back about growing up and hearing this split decision between Filipinos where Filipinos would be Asian for the good stereotypes and the Pacific Islander when the Asian stereotypes got really bad. Like, oh, we're good at school. We're really smart. We're Asian. Small p****. No, no, no. We're Pacific Islanders. Like, hold on. We're much more like the rock. The Samoan, Polynesian p****. Yeah, these guys, that's us when it comes to the dick game, yeah. So, I was in a meeting, like a general meeting with someone, an exec, and they were like, what's your comedy like? And I went, ahhh. Like, I really freaked out. But I liked, like, inspired by, I like Zach Galifianakis a lot. I look at what, like, Taika Waititi did with his career and I'm like, that's exactly what I want to do. Do you think being Asian will either help or hurt that? It's true that obscure, oddball comedy, typically, even though highly regarded as difficult to do, more of a white thing. Maybe the closest thing is that Hannibal Buress, and even he's kind of linear, but he's considered an oddball black comedian. I've just been like, how do I make this joke work? I've never really thought about it. All right, you guys, from round two, what was your favorite? I liked the aligue. Yeah, the pasta. That was really good. I liked the fish. Whatever that was called. Yeah, yeah. This is just like a weird sandwich. I liked the lechon. That was really good. That's like, yeah, pork belly. We're on to the dessert section, you guys. I had a question because, you know, we're all in comedy. What do you guys feel about, like, how you guys, like, look and how it affects the comedy, right? My whole perspective on it has always been, in terms of a widespread, mainstream level, we're really years away from having an Asian Seinfeld because people just can't get over how different of a culture we represent. Well, I mean, like I was saying, I actually have, like, an all-Asian sketch group and pitched the show to UCB, which was, at the time, a predominantly, like, white male community, and then we got a run. We were smart enough to know that this is what they would want of us because there had never been an Asian group that had a show there. So we were like, okay, we got to do it this way in order to get our foot in to create the stuff we want to do. That was, like, five years ago, and I think that's changed so much. But how did you feel? Because you said, even, uh, I'm not going to lie, one my Asian joke does super well. I think people, they really want you to be the thing that they see. They're like, come on, crazy rich Asians! I know! You, I know! You got it! It's, like, that's just racism. Does your part, white side, feel some white privilege? Like, I don't need to talk about the sandals every other minute. I really hope that one day I can feel more white privilege. Maybe you should just announce to people, you should bring the 23andMe results. I always thought my friends that were Filipino, that were trying to be comedians, said that they were trying to not talk about being Asian because people couldn't immediately identify them as Asian. Like, conventionally Asian. I'm not saying, like, that's not Asian. But, like, because I was like, oh yeah, visually they have more leeway to get away with, like, being seen as something else. I benefit from some sort of, like, mixed privilege of, like, we don't know what it is so he can do whatever he wants. You mean the same thing Vin Diesel has? Right! Like, what's up with Vin Diesel? Or The Rock? They're just like, put him in something! Right! He'll grab a couple demographics. I could see your ambiguous racial look being a benefit in certain systems, but if they come to you for that Asian hour-long special, it'll be a con. Yeah! I remember auditioning for, like, a summer stock thing where it was like they were doing King and I and Miss Saigon. And then I went in on audition and the casting director was basically like, you're good, but you don't look Asian enough. I've, like, literally had, like, audiences be on my side and, like, they're Latino and I say I'm Filipino and I just hear, like, a sigh in the audience. Like, I thought I was one of ours! I'd say it's, like, a lot of my comedy setup is, like, misdirect anyway. So I'm like, if they don't know what I am, then I can just kind of play the field. I wanted to ask you guys about Filipino representation in the mainstream as all this other Asian stuff is going up. This particularly East Asian looking, whether it's K-pop, you know, even Awkwafina's Rise or, like, Crazy Rich Asians, which are more Chinese-based. I think Filipinos had their time, you know, 10, 12 years ago. But yeah, it's not really including Filipinos right now. I think the issue, though, is, like, already what you're bringing up here. Like, we're all Filipino, but we all don't look like the same race. You can't make a family sitcom because it might look very different. You have to be 100% Korean to be legible. I always thought that the Filipino advantage of being racially ambiguous was good 10 years ago, growing up in real life, like, just on the streets. And then it's weird in a media way, when you sell it to a media company, then they're like, oh, we just wanted that. It's sort of a give and take. Would you guys take the higher risk of not fitting into Western society as a person in your personal life, but you get the easier type casting for roles? Yeah, what, uh, are you going to... What are you going to do? Do you want to be Japanese? One, two, three. We're all Japanese. But even just, like, having, like, Filipinos in writer's rooms, because we're always, like, the digital editors, the choreographers. To answer that question, you're like, dude, it's not about just being able to physically look like an Asian, Asian-Asian that Hollywood sees as an Asian. You're like, it's about just getting all the way through the system. And me, Japanese. Background and on camera. Honestly, like, whatever culture you need me to be, I'll just, like, be that. So this is Jordan's video of selling out entirely. Man, in a way, the people I see making it right now, they can emote and be family, like, gregarious like a Filipino, but they have a more Asian-y look. I don't think it's like, oh, Filipinos really had their time only 10 years ago and then that's it. I'm like, not really. It'll all come around and everybody's going to be able to do everything. And ultimately, like, as Asians come up and diverse faces come up, I do think generally it's still good for everybody. Did you guys watch the debut? Oh, I did. What is this? It's Rupio. Shame. Rupio. Great. I don't know who that is either. Rupio was, like, our mascot for, like, years. Shame. I told you. I'm Spanish or Japanese. I'm not Filipino. Alright, this is my application video for Terrace House, right? Thank you so much for the food. This is Toshikado de Kuzmin. What do you guys hope for the future of Filipinos in America? Here's what I think is going to happen. You know, I think Filipinos are already everywhere, so I think we're kind of like a sniper. We're going to, like, show up and then all of a sudden it's going to be all Filipinos everywhere. Like, on camera, behind camera, like, everything. Because I think that assimilation is something that is, like, our strength. Like, Asian August, like, that time when, like, was that when Crazy Rotations and Searching and To All the Boys I Loved Before, all that came out? That was great. But it should just be about, not, like, these peaks and valleys, but, like, this just, like, consistency. Like, I was at Trader Joe's and they had an ube ice cream, like, months ago. And I was like, that's awesome. I'm going to keep buying it. And then it went away. I missed the ube ice cream. The way that I see it is just about investment and, like, the next thing. I'm like, okay, so we've seen the K-pop people, we've seen, like, you know, Norfolk Queens. No matter what, they're going to be like, oh, man, I wish I had a show that had, like, some kind of black people, some kind of white people, Asian people, some Latino people. I'm like, oh, crazy. Filipinos. Like, that's what I feel like is going to make the next switch. I've assembled all five special cards, all five pieces of the puzzle. Exodia, obliterate! Like, you ever, like, damn, like, that's weird that we got to even have that, like, question about, like, how the group's going to, like, impact our careers? Or should we just exist as, like, solo units? Because theoretically, that's how, if we were all, like, blue people, that's how it would be, right? There wouldn't be any movement of, like, lighter shade blue. Like, we're all just one color of blue. It's just, like, everybody on their own. But because we're Asian, there is some sense of, like, damn, I really hope they make, like, three Filipino sitcoms on NBC next year, because I'm going out for that. And if that happens, like, I'm Filipino. So, yeah, if you guys are looking for, like, I can do the accent, like, I'll do whatever you want. Like, when people came out of Black Panther, I saw people coming out there. I was like, all right, Asian rich Asians. I'm like, all right, black Koreans. I'm just going to walk by myself. So, eventually, they're going to come to all the Asians at some point. Well, what's one project that you guys would like to see? Because if anybody's watching this out there, and they like any of you guys, like, what's something that you're either working on that you want to pitch? Or just, like, throwing it out there, like, yo, I want to see debut number two. I might just try pitching, like, a fictional, like, National Treasure story about General Tso. And then all you guys know about is the chicken. So, that's it. I wrote a Marie Kondo rom-com recently that I really like. The premise is that it's about a Marie Kondo-esque person who believes objects have feelings and falls in love with a client and his lamp. So, it's a, like, psychological sort of sexual comedy. Who are you hiring as a cast? Who, uh, you know who I like is the person from, uh, Maniac. Some freaky, kind of, freaky-deaky Japanese stuff. Is that the one you're writing with Fumi? The show that Fumi and I are writing is called We're Asian Now. And it's about, like, in your 20s having, like, this late adolescence and realizing, like, oh yeah, I am Asian. And it's a sketch show. For me, my group Asian Pop is working on a pilot right now. So, the thing that is cool about Asian Pop is that we each represent a different Asian country. So, we wrote a pilot that we're trying to pitch around. What countries you got in there? Uh, India, China, Japan, and Philippines. Oh, the big ones. Yeah, major, major players. Why'd you leave out the Koreans? Well, let's be honest, the Koreans, they didn't want to be a part of it. Koreans have all the pop groups right now. Yeah, they have everything else going on. But we have, like, a pilot about how basically all these Asian women date one white guy. And it, like, comes into fruition. It's very good. So, this is based on a true story, of course. We know that. All the guys here shook our heads. No, because we knew it was true. No, it's like, this guy is bad. He's a villain, so. What was your guys' favorite dessert that we had? I like the corn bibingka the most. So, uh, I like this one. Uh, yeah. Just bibingka. Just other ratatouille dish. I was like, chad. I like the Silvana. I've never had that before. It's good. I actually like that ube, uh, ube puree French toast. Yeah, that was good. I was like, really. I know that was the fusion dish, but yeah, that was good as hell. What do you think it is, guys, that made Filipinos have and continue to have this reputation of being, like, you know, always down for a laugh, dancing, jovial. Where did that, like, joy come from? Oh, happiness is free. That's why. It's happiness is free. That's it. No, that's what I'm saying. No, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like. You just came up with it. I thought about it, because I'm like, most of it is like, yeah, we drink and eat and stuff like that, like in our free time, like karaoke and stuff like that. I'm like, if we had the karaoke machine, we'd rather do it at home rather than go out. It's because happiness is free. That's my opinion. And also, I guess, island life. Because, like, Philippines, even though there are cities, it's 7,000 islands. So it's like, we have that, like, chill culture. My Filipino joke is dead. I think we are very NBC sitcom. Like, I think we're accessible, you know. We're network TV. Historically speaking. Except for you. No, I am NBC sitcom. No, you're not. I'm NBC sitcom. Wait, did you guys, did you, did you guys notice that in the beginning? Or ABC, whichever one. Whichever one. That when they first started really coming to America, there was this sense that Filipinos were taking white women. That's the only Asian group, that's the only Asian group that I heard that from. I primarily dated white women. And then, a couple years ago, I was like, oh my god, am I racist? Like, so I started, like, actively dating Asian women. And then I would have dinners with them. And they would also be like, are you, like, only into Asian women? And I would be like, no, I'm new to this. And then they were like, me too. I think there's like a cultural thing of like, okay, now we can date each other again. And it not be seen as we only date within our race. He was just talking about, like, dating Asians. Like, it was hard for me to date Asian girls because it was like, like, super Asian, like, a girl who was like, I can date a doctor, trying to date up, that weird, like, pride and prejudice type thing. That was like a weird thing. I'm a Filipino, I'm supposed to do comedy. And they're like, oh, what? I never felt like I got to dictate who I dated or who was attracted to me because I think the reason why black girls liked me early on was, do you remember Roger and Hammerstein's like, Cinderella with Brandy? The Prince was Filipino. And then Dante Bosco was like, this recent thing. And then like, all of a sudden, Puerto Ricans, like, two years ago, because Bruno Mars and Cardi B came out with that thing. They're just like, oh, you're cute now. I'm like, why? What advice do you guys have to people from other Asian groups that are not necessarily born with that same, like, I guess, inherent openness? Or are you literally like, no, if you're just not born Filipino, it's not in the cards for you to play that role. I kind of feel that, like, it's hard. Be a comedian. Don't just say, like, don't just say that PC, like, star shooting across the sky, like, now you know answer. Well, like, you know, like, we can't even figure out what, how we're this way. So it's like, how the **** are you going to figure it out for yourself? You know, like, I don't know. Yeah. I don't have all the answers. You should just be yourself, which is a lame thing to say. But also, like, I don't know, meditate and, like, take drugs or something like that. Oh, wait, are we talking about, like, core core? Break out of your identity. Like, you know what I mean? We're all, like, attached to these body bags that we think are our identity. But we're really just a universal consciousness that, like, it's just, like, in the evening, like, ube ice cream, ube ice cream, like, months ago, like, months ago. I can do the accent, I can do the accent. We're just floating energy. And then this is the casing. Ah, no. We're all the same, but we're also all different. You know what? I'll end on that. Yo, I want to give a big shout out to Chismus, this restaurant over in the Lower East Side, guys. You guys got to check it out. Check out Chef Chappy over here. Thank you, guys. It's been a pleasure hosting you guys. I hope you guys enjoyed the food. Thank you. Really wonderful. Amazing food here. This is what Culture Table's about. We're just being real, being funny, having the conversation that a lot of people don't have. All right, everybody, thank you so much for watching that episode of Culture Table. And until next time, we out. Peace. Yeah. I always say that Culture Table's like a conversation you might have for like anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes with your friends, but then like drawn out to 90 minutes. So I'm just glad because like, you know, most times, even in a mixed group of Asian friends, like your chances are you're probably not having a conversation like this at this length. So I think it's so cool to be able to have that. And man, they're all involved in some really cool projects. So check them out down below.