Podcasts by Top Five
Chris Paek and Liz Lin break down everything - pop culture, politics, race, food, religion, family, thirtysomething life, and all of their top fives. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/topfivepod/support
Further podcasts by Chris Paek and Liz Lin
Podcast on the topic Gesellschaft und Kultur
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3.15 Aging Parents from 2023-05-22T18:59:25
Chris and Liz are still buzzing from their recent trips -- Chris's to Mexico City and Oaxaca, Liz's to DC for her first sightseeing trip with kids. Then we get into a much more serious t...
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3.14 Maybe "Do What You Love" Was All a Capitalist Scam from 2023-02-24T11:00
Chris is ambivalent about celebrity conductor Gustavo Dudamel's surprise move from LA to New York, and Liz is still awed by the amazing food she ate during a trip to LA. Then, we talk abou...
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3.13 Do You Still Identify as a Christian? from 2023-01-17T11:00
Chris is existential about giving up his California residency, and Liz is as surprised as anyone that she’s become a member of the BTS ARMY. Then, inspired by our last top five, we have a ...
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3.12 Couple Friends from 2022-11-22T11:00
Liz is obsessed with the podcast Normal Gossip, while Chris is considering a new angle on voting in his last California election. Then we get into a topic we haven't heard nearly ...
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3.11 All We Want to Talk About Is the Manti Te'o Documentary from 2022-10-13T10:00
After an unexpected two-month hiatus, we're back and we can't wait to chat! Chris declares his undying love for the Container Store, while Liz is blasting through the podcast 60 Songs ...
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3.10 I Don't Have Time for Hobbies, I Just Got a Travel Credit Card from 2022-08-19T10:00:38
Chris is distressed about the Great Salt Lake drying up, while Liz is basking in the afterglow of a trip to New York City. Then, inspired by Liz’s recent entry into the world of travel credit ca...
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3.9 The Top Five Film Festival from 2022-06-24T10:00:43
Chris survived COVID, and Liz cannot believe the shitshow that is the Michigan Republican gubernatorial primary. Then we celebrate the rarest of occurrences: We both saw Everything Everywher...
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3.8 Do We Still Have to See Every Asian American Movie? from 2022-05-17T10:00:58
We're reeling from the SCOTUS leak, so we needed a minute to unpack our reactions and both the political maneuvering and the toxic theology that got us to this point. Then, on a more hopef...
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3.7 What Percent of the Household Labor Do You Do? from 2022-04-19T17:36:53
The Slap was top of mind for us and everyone else in the world, so by popular request, we talk how we experienced it as avid consumers of celebrity culture (Liz) and survivors of toxic masculini...
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3.6 Show Me Your Spreadsheets and I’ll Tell You Who You Are from 2022-03-22T10:00
Note: This episode was recorded a few weeks ago, before Russia invaded Ukraine, and it feels like we live an entirely different world now. Sending love and care to all, especially those who are ...
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3.5 Who Are You Inviting To Your Wedding? from 2022-02-17T11:00
Chris is appalled that anti-CRT rhetoric is turning into actual book bans, and Liz wept through Speed Cubers, a sweet documentary on Netflix. Then, inspired by current events, we dig in...
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3.4 Kids, Job, Partner, Self: Pick Two from 2022-01-24T11:00
Liz is loving the cast album of Six: The Musical, and Chris is unsettled by his New Year's Eve viewing of Don't Look Up. (Spoiler alert: Please skip 6:00 to 17:10 if you ...
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3.3 Who Do You Buy Gifts For? from 2022-01-03T11:00
Happy New Year, friends! Holiday stress was top of mind when we recorded this episode, which led us to some critical questions: Who do you buy holiday presents for? Now that we have ...
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3.2 James Bond and the Bad Art Friend from 2021-12-14T11:00
Chris finally gets a taste of pandemic parenting, while Liz has unexpectedly gotten sucked into Succession. Then we dig into the last two items in our pop culture grab bag: The vi...
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3.1 Pop Culture Grab Bag from 2021-11-10T11:00
Surprise -- we're back and excited to chat! We're kicking off season three with thoughts about Ted Lasso (Liz) and the sudden ubiquity of Korean pop culture (Chris). Then we go through all the c...
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36. Engagement Culture from 2021-04-15T10:00
Liz is confused about why queer-affirming people continue to speak at events that are not (content warning for discussion of queer-unaffirming theology; please skip 2:10 through 9:45 if you’d li...
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35. The Atlanta Episode from 2021-03-31T10:00
CW: anti-Asian violence, murder
We would love to be talking about something else, but here we are. We check in and talk about the shooting through our lenses as Asian Americans and former...
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34. Is It OK to Wait in Line for a Leftover Vaccine? from 2021-03-24T11:00
In true pandemic fashion, Netflix is giving us life: Liz finally discovered Schitt’s Creek, and Chris loved The 40-Year-Old Version. Then we get into the ethical questions that...
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33. It's Time to Talk About MRAzns from 2021-02-23T16:27:41
Chris is astounded by the Smartmatic lawsuit, and Liz recalls a fifth chapter of sex ed that she forgot to mention in the last episode. Then we get into a topic that’s resurfaced again on Asian ...
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32. Why Does the Football Coach Always Teach Sex Ed? from 2021-02-09T11:00
Chris atones for the transgression of calling Michelle Branch a one-hit wonder, and Liz still isn't over how amazing Michelle Obama looked at the inauguration. Then, inspired by our discussion o...
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31. Our Bodies, Our Parents from 2021-01-25T11:00
[Content warning: body image issues]
Chris pays tribute to his late uncle; Liz is blasting through Big Mouth on Netflix. Then we dig into all the messages we got from our parents...
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30. What Do You Do With Problematic Old Friends? from 2021-01-07T11:00
Liz is obsessed with Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa’s incredible new(ish) album, and Chris is digging into The Color of Law, Richard Rothstein’s landmark book about housing segrega...
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29. National Landing and House Clothes from 2020-12-24T11:00
On the eve of his move, Chris reflects on his time in DC, while Liz finally sees the light regarding Harry Styles. Then, as we love to do at the end of every year, we reflect on what this year o...
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28. What Do You Get Your Parents for Christmas? from 2020-12-07T11:00
We’re so excited not to be talking about existential threats anymore! Liz is mourning the loss of Tony Hsieh, and Chris is binge-watching The Queen’s Gambit and The Legend of Kora Listen
27. One of the Best Things About Elections Is All the Data from 2020-11-25T11:00
We've got reasons to celebrate: Liz, the power of the people in getting Detroit's election results certified; Chris, the selection of Kim Ng as the General Manager of the Miami Marlins. Th...
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26. We Can Finally Breathe Again from 2020-11-10T19:45:52
IT’S NEW DAY IN AMERICA, Y’ALL. We’re elated to talk about Biden’s election win, our experiences of election week (including Liz’s day working at the polls… in Trump country), and the results we...
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25. How Have the Last Four Years Changed You? from 2020-11-02T11:00
Liz is channeling her pandemic and election anxiety into home improvement, while Chris feels the effects of an executive order at work. Then, on this Election Day Eve, we reflect on the last fou...
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24. Life After RBG from 2020-10-14T10:00
We‘re jazzed about the Michelle Obama podcast (and pitching in for the election)! Then, we talk about the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - hearing the news, our favorite RBG achievements, and wh...
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23. Nice White and Asian Parents from 2020-09-29T10:00
So much has happened in culture since our last season ended, so consider this our pop culture catch-up. We finally get to discuss The Last Dance (remember when that was what every...
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22. The New Racial Landscape from 2020-09-07T10:00
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Liz is still buzzing from the Democratic National Convention, while Chris is reeling from the newly released bodycam footage of Masai Ujiri, president of the Tor...
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21. So... It's Kamala, Right? from 2020-08-27T10:00
We’re back for our second season! And my oh my, how the world has changed. Liz is thinking about education and equity as a new school year starts in the COVID era, and Chris runs down everything...
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20. I Guess We’re Voting for Joe Biden from 2020-04-24T13:12:49
In these trying times, we’re finding hope in the political realm, of all places -- Chris from old Obama videos, Liz from a surprising victory in Wisconsin. Speaking of politics: Now that the Dem...
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19. When 'Rona Meets Religion from 2020-04-14T10:00
Liz has Feelings about Andrew Yang’s op-ed in the Washington Post, and Chris is not feeling Tiger King. We’ve also got feelings about how some religious communities have responded to the c...
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18. Life in the Time of Corona from 2020-03-26T10:00
The world has completely changed since we last recorded, and we’re trying to make sense of it all. We break down what our lives look like in the era of social distancing and working from home --...
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17. Reckoning with the Suburbs from 2020-03-12T16:00
Liz devoured the Catch and Kill podcast, and Chris is thinking about the immediate and long-term implications of coronavirus. Then we break down our ever-evolving relationships with the suburbs:...
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16. Race and Friendship from 2020-02-26T11:00
We can’t wait to talk about the Oscars! And we’re just as excited to talk about a recent Code Switch episode about race and friendship. We break down the kinds of friends we had grow...
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15. Out of Time from 2020-02-13T11:00
The whole world has changed since our last episode. We discuss the death of Kobe Bryant and what he meant to our communities, and Liz gives a nod to her childhood friend Jason Polan, who died th...
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14. Always Hustling from 2020-01-30T11:00
Chris is thinking about baseball’s sign-stealing scandal, while Liz is verklempt after getting a glimpse of her brother’s life in DC. Then, we talk about side hustles - the pros and cons of havi...
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13. The Biggest Stars in the World from 2020-01-16T11:00
Chris is still reeling from a visit to a California cannabis dispensary, while Liz can’t get over Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio’s interview on the WTF Podcast. Speaking of Brad and Leo, the Go...
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12. Decade in Review from 2019-12-31T18:00
Impeachment catches Chris's attention, and Liz revels in the food trends that defined the 2010s. Then we reflect on what the decade meant for each of us -- where we were when it started and wher...
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11. Home for the Holidays from 2019-12-19T11:00
Liz reflects on the end of Kamala Harris’s run for president, while Chris embarks on his first man-date. Then, in honor of the holiday season and all the big dinners that come with it, we talk a...
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10. Making Friends In Your 30s from 2019-12-05T11:00
It’s our first in-person episode! We talk about Chris’s weekend in Ann Arbor for the Michigan-Ohio State game and Liz’s last hurrah with football. Then, we get into a topic that isn’t discussed ...
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9. RIP Sports Illustrated, or How to Survive Capitalism from 2019-11-21T11:00
Liz wonders if she’s reached the final straw with football, and Chris raves about Parasite and Boon Jong-ho. Then, a discussion about the end of journalism as we know it, most...
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8. What Do You Talk About With Your Parents? from 2019-11-07T11:00
Both of us are thinking about recent episodes of Fresh Air - Chris, an interview with the writer with whom Prince collaborated on his memoir; Liz, a discussion about the cost of rebuild...
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7. Couples and Money from 2019-10-24T10:00
Liz binges on Conan O’Brien’s podcast, while Chris reflects on the geopolitical rift between the US and China opened by… the general manager of a basketball team. Then we get to some real talk a...
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6. Did You Apply to Harvard? from 2019-10-09T10:00
It’s been a minute since we applied to college, but those memories come back QUICK. We talk about that formative time, inspired by our topic of the day: the decision in the Students for Fair Adm...
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5. Why Aren’t We Excited About Andrew Yang? from 2019-09-25T10:00
The internet has been overflowing with good stories this week! We talk about the articles and podcast episodes that grabbed us the most. Then, we ask: If we’re all about Asian America, why aren’...
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4. What’s More ‘90s Than a Hidden Track? from 2019-09-11T10:00
Chris watches Aziz Ansari’s first standup special after his #metoo accusations, while Liz can’t stop talking about the new season of the 30 for 30 podcast. Then we ask our burning questions abou...
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3. We Need to Talk About The Farewell from 2019-08-28T10:00
A typhus outbreak makes Liz realize the extent of the housing crisis in California, while Chris grapples with giving up his car. Then we break down The Farewell -- what the film nailed,...
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2. New Year's Resolution: Skin and Teeth from 2019-08-15T10:00
Chris catches three race-related movies on a flight to Tanzania. Liz binges on Adulting, which leads us to break down the most adult things we’ve done in the last year. We wrap with this week’s ...
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1. Ali (Wong) Is the Greatest from 2019-08-14T10:00
Liz tries to figure out why #goback feels different and Chris escapes the madness with a trip to Fenway. Then we break down Always Be My Maybe, our anxiety watching Asian American media...
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0. ... Another Podcast? from 2019-08-14T02:00
If Malcolm Gladwell is to be trusted -- and we think he is -- 750,000 podcasts are already out in the world. So why make another one? We explain why we decided to start number 750,00...
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