Beef: The Toxicity of "Happiness"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2023
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In this video, I discuss the 2023 Netflix series Beef (created by Lee Sung Jin and starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun), and its themes of condemning toxic positivity + the catharsis of interpersonal and creative expression.
Support the channel, if you like ✨: / qualityculture
^Over on Patreon Stef and I break down and interpret all of Beef's episode titles and artwork.
Sources:
Friend or Foe? Crows Never Forget a Face, It Seems | The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/sc...
Asian Enough: John Cho | iHeart
www.iheart.com/podcast/269-fo...
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This show was honestly a modern masterpiece. A very refreshing perspective on not just just anger and the toxic cycles of destruction and self-destruction we fall into because we can't fall out of old, bad habits in order to be happy, but very specifically Asian-American anger. It really occurred to my fiancee and I while watching this that we've never seen so many Asian-American characters be allowed to openly express such raw anger on film before.
Very LA-Asian “anger.” Found this show to be pompous and the resolution unsatisfied. Better Luck Tomorrow, EEAAO, or even Harold and Kumar Goes to White Castle has shown Asian American “anger” better
@@youlikeanhnot sure exactly what LA-Asian anger is, but it would make sense since CA and SoCal has the largest concentration of Asian Americans.
I mean there’s Jackie Chan….oh and all the shouty yakuza films, but yeah not American
@youlikeanh there was nothing pompous about this show
@@youlikeanh I'm Asian and grew up on the east coast and still found the themes extremely relatable lol
What struck me was George's toxic positivity, always avoiding the important part of a serious conversation by saying "it's okay" to everything
Fr i have a friend, and after discussing any problem with her i know the ending would be like, its okay you will fight n win, ik you , you will do it... I m like what if i don't, i d disappoint the person i m trying to confide in. I want to tell her please don't say its okay bcoz its not working anymore, i know its not ok
@@krishafymeyeah. Consider that your friend might says that for her self more than you bc s/he needs to believe it to get by.
@@krishafymeya ive always noticed it feels the worst being told youre strong when you dont really feel strong at all
@@toecurlersupreme you put it so well in words
That’s a fascinating observation!! Thank you!
Beef really captured the nuances of rage. Rage isn’t always a fiery explosion but anger that builds over time. Sometimes rage can help us to process our feelings and grieve
"The violence of positivity does not deprive, it saturates; it does not exclude, it exhausts." Byung Chulhan
The observation you made about Amy speaking in therapy as though "she's trying to get the right answer on a test"-I've never seen my first experience with therapy as well articulated as through this video and through this show. I was a chronically people-pleasing perfectionist growing up, raised by an Asian mom, and even though I knew I had issues, I somehow believed my therapist would judge me if I wasn't self-aware enough, if I wasn't getting "better" fast enough. It didn't help that my therapist was an Asian man; I subconsciously sought after his approval even more because of that, because I'd lived to seek my relatives' approval all my life. I grew up wearing a series of masks.
I'd like to think I'm in a better place now, as I've finally got a therapist who I allow myself to be vulnerable with (seeing Amy's incapacity to be vulnerable with her therapist was also like looking in a mirror for my past self). This show really is for those with pent up rage and resentment for having lived life to make others happy. It's no way to live.
As an Indian I have to say, I resonated so much more with Beef than I did EEAAO. I'm a sucker for media that depicts very specific flaws and Beef scratched that itch like no piece of media has since Disco Elysium.
You weren't wrong to intuit that some therapists would tell you you weren't getting better fast enough. I had a therapist literally tell me that, after giving it my all for more than a year. There are a lot of bad ones.
Thats how i ALWAYS was in therapy due to the fear of saying the wrong thing an them locking me up (idk where that exactly came from but that was my intern fear of saying what i exactly felt) and also wanting to people please even when i was there to get help and also that part of me thats competitive an wanted to "be right" and "impressive " my therapist.
ugh I struggle with therapy so much for this reason. I want my therapist to like me!!! It's so hard to admit to my dark side. I always feel like I'm justifying everything I do, when telling the truth, even if it's dark, would actually help me more. But it's hard not to feel like I would be judged.
I honestly love this show 100X more seeing the director talk about how it mirrors his own life in a lot of ways. It already felt raw, but the fact that he actually googled “least painful way to die” made my heart lilt.
I'm neither Asian nor live in the US nor an immigrant, but this show is one of the most relatable I've ever seen, got in my top 5 of all time. A masterpiece for sure.
Steven Yeun just can't miss, I've yet to see something where he doesn't knock it out of the park, be it a US or a Korean production. The whole cast was on point, even minor characters held more complexity and are portrayed with more nuance and compassion than many protagonists in lesser productions. Great video.
True, i think we human are all same no matter where, seeking to be understood and companionship
Kind of wild to me how many cultures tell their kids "you should only settle down seriously with someone like us" as if playing in the pool is fine but bringing them home is a betrayal. I guess it's nice in a way to know I wasn't the only one told this kind of nonsense growing up. Seems like a really well made show and I like the casting. Probably check it out at some point.
One of my favorite standalone sequences in this show was the scene where Danny confronted the church guy in his garage over presumably burning Danny's house down, and the guy broke down into tears over just being jealous. And Danny pivoted to trying to comfort / calm the dude. This show understood that angry people are not bad people (not automatically) - sometimes they can actually be the best intentioned of us. Fantastic piece of art.
It showed how Danny is wired to people please. He goes to the dude's house because he's mad but ends up being the one who comforts the dude.
I remember learning from therapy is that anger is almost always just another feeling trojan-horsing as anger. Sadness, loss of control, anxiety, stress, etc.
This is the best video essay I've seen on Beef til now. Thank you so much for your hard work in making this! You manage to simultaneously be eloquent and simple in laying out the themes, messages, and subtext of the show far better than I've seen elsewhere. You must've been an awesome English student haha great work brother! Looking forward to seeing more from you!
😂😂😂 I need this comment framed and sent to all my English teachers to prove how far I’ve come
@@QualityCultureBAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
I am a woman raised in an emotionally abusive household also with adhd, just meaning I have really struggled feeling and processing anger externally and have channeled it into anxiety, sadness, depression or internalised negatively. I have recently found trying to feel rage instead of sadness/rejection/negativity has actually helped me process and let go a lot better - not hurting others back but trying to get angry in a healthy outlet way - I loved this show, so many twists, it felt like how my own emotions just suddenly change and redirect
Dude you’re just like me frfr my adopted abusive family didn’t believe in adhd so I got fucked as well. I found out I was angry bc I hated myself not bc everyone around me was out to get me
yessss it can also be motivating in your life honestly, when you accept that rage/anger does not have to be violent to be expressed, it can motivate you and grant you energy unlike anything else ❤ too much is bad but trying to avoid it entirely can make you hate yourself and give up. Repression is unnatural, we feel all these things for a reason. Even on a biological level, anger is important to survival. Anger and rage give us the energy to fight back, again not necessarily with violence but in giving us a way to focus, especially with adhd ahaha
Can you tell how did you learn to process the annger and not transmit it externally to other people?
@@t-rajedits4417good question. I would like to know that as well
Same . I have felt rage and for some reason it made me want to work out , go for long drives , run or be alone to listen to rage music and paint . It is a natural occurrence. I'll admit when I was younger I did use alcohol to numb and forget my problems but grew out of it due to health complications and being a parent.
This show made me realized I was feeling pretty depressed hasn’t always been great but feeling better since
I relate a lot to the two protagonists.
They are entrepreneurs who take the world seriously, and can not stop working, where everyone else lives life in the back seat. They're the only ones who see the world has stakes, and because of that they can never relax. Even when they need to most, to connect with the people they care about.
This show is the best I’ve ever seen about depression, incredible piece of work
This is my favorite show I’ve watched in years. I loved the anger. I loved that, no matter how different the main characters were, they still stopped to that “low” with one another. And then at the end, when everyone else was gone, they understood each other and it brought them closer. I may rewatch it this weekend. Man I loved that show.
I absolutely LOVED this show, watched it twice, and binged it both times. It's fantastic and I think it's arguably one of the best shows to come out in recent years (especially with the acting) and the writing is top-tier, so glad you made this video. Thanks!
I love how, in the end, absolutely everything came together and turned the entire series into a movie. Even the cinematics changed. Last time I felt that was since breaking bad. Bravo
Yo, I really liked your summary/analysis, I had started watching Beef during my last semester of college but didn't get to finish it so this was good for me. I find it hard to believe that so much happened in such a short show! The portrayal of rage in the show was so fulfilling for me because it was exactly how I felt at the time just so many little frustrating things causing a person to bubble underneath the surface
3:09 ahaha, i appreciate that reference!
Amazing video dude! I was sad that I lost you guys' channel for a while but im glad i found my way back with this banger.
What i love about Beef is how raw and genuine the actor's characters are. Theres been many scenes where I resonated with them so much that i needed to take a second and reevalute myself outright. My favorite scene, though, is the ending in the hospital. Even without dialogue you could how tender and caring Amy became over Danny's wellbeing. It was a very touching scene, especially considering how everything started.
As my therapist says often to me, "anger is pain, usually unacknowledged pain."
Absolutely killed this essay. Fantastic show, easily one of my favorites, and this video only enhanced my love of it. Good job!
This was such a good video! There was so much I didn't notice in the show, I don't know how you saw it all. Thanks for making this
Your video essays are incredible, and I will absolutely watch this show after seeing your review!!! Thank you for your work!
Loved the show for how it brings out these themes, but the way you were able to articulate these topics was something I didn’t know I needed. Honestly felt like therapy lol Had to take some personal notes for myself. Thank you!
Your analysis was wonderful, as well as beautifully written & performed. Incredible insights!
Wonderful video essay! I think it really put words to some of the thoughts I had about the show as I was watching it, but the research and time you devoted to this really helps to expand those thoughts. Definitely agree. I could feel the repressed rage throughout the show and it made me feel uncomfortable, yet seen.
Great video! I just finished the show a few days ago and I really liked it (except Jordan's gruesome de4th oof). I'm dark skinned myself so I always root for content with POC as leads, but the way these characters were written felt so refreshing and new to me. I really missed seeing that in shows. Beef also gave me a new perspective on the burden many Asian-Americans feel, and your video also helped with that which is nice.
So yeah wish your channel all the best! :)
That's wild the series references my favourite ornithology study set lol.
The art is gorgeous, this series looks like something very special. Can't wait to watch.
Dude this is so good, thank you for your work
Thanks for the crow analogy, I noticed it's recurring theme but i've been searching what that signified
lol I love that that’s ur take away . It can be interpreted so many ways. The show has so many story lines,plot twists and stakes. So many truths in one season.
Great show finished it in one sitting the week it hit Netflix. My gf is Vietnamese and we watched it together. It was interesting to see her perspective in real time and in hindsight when talking about it later. I possess all the toxic qualities from every male main and side character so that was the part most hilarious to me watching it from that perspective
Incredible essay. Ive been looking for one worthy of the show, and this is it. 👏👏
Masterpiece ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Both the series and your essay.
This is a phenomenal video! Thank you for making it!
I randomly found this video and 30 seconds in you convinced me to watch it and I just wanna say thank you because this show was absolutely insane! I can't believe I ignored the hype 😅
incredibly well written show! i started watching just because i wanted something to help me fall asleep but i got hooked instantly!
excellent analysis.. super thought provoking
I loved and felt this so uncomfortably, it’s so stressful to watch but felt so good
It's cliche but... How in the hell are you gonna love someone else if you don't love yourself?
You can live other people but you can't accept their love unless you love yourself and the relationship becomes lopsided because you hold resentment
Who the fuck actually loves themself lmao what?
@@grantwilliams2650I’ve got news you’re gonna find surprising.
pitifully
@@grantwilliams2650 it's really about being kind to yourself, not being rude or overly critical. that's pretty much self-love
Such a great video essay, thank you!
This show honestly resonated with me in a way that I never expected.
Truly in awe of your videos, wow ✨
banger
I just heard about this show today and after watching this video I’m definitely going to watch it!
loved this show so much, fantastic video essay
Thank you mate, i really appreciate your work.
"The mortifying ordeal of being known"
The chair piece is quite interesting cuz like… it can be seen as a labor of love. The creation of it a type of commitment and dedication on the same level or tied into the type of commitment and dedication a lifelong marriage holds. Thinking that makes me think that that one girl wanting to chair has another meaning as well. Like it’s not just the chair it’s WHY the chair exists. But she doesn’t actively pursue that.
it only took this video to get me to sub. amazing work
In Germany when people smile it actually means something, in america when people smile its fake because they always smile, they even have to smile while they work have a good attitude.
was such a great random show , pure awesomeness
Excellent breakdown!!
It be cool if they’ll b a 2nd season doubt it
Fabulous acting, writing and music
Anger is righteous. It allows us to set boundaries, understand our values. Your expression of it might not be healthy but its necessary
It can be, for the introspective, for the rest its destructive and completely ridiculous , its violence projected onto the innocent.. unfortunately
I dont know about anyone but coming from a person who is emotionally immature in adult life...im finding the video and comment section helpful and soothing ..thanks everyone here
This tv series is a gem. So glad to have discovered it random. ❤
Such a great analysis.
I think at the end when Amy hugs Danny... She figured out he was her "Soul Twin.."
amazing video, great analysis
I put off watching this show for the longest because of the road rage plot. It sounded boring.
My wife and i binge watched after giving it a chance. What a masterpeice, by A24 of course. Such a great message of forgetting grudges and fogiving people who hurt you. You never know what someone is going through.
Great work!
I had a friend whose family always told her stories about and to not to mess with crows. She didn't listen. One day I was walking with her and she threw something at a crow and it flew away. She had to walk a different route for a few months because a murder of crows would wait for her to walk by so they could attack her. Don't fuck with crows they don't play around 😂
As an Asian Canadian, this hit pretty close to home, thanks
I like the short exploration of white women in the show: how Danny's scorn/ fetishization comes out of his own insecurity, and how even Jordan has hidden depth (and hidden pain) as a representation of what Amy might turn into. I think a lot of viewers would just stop at "OMG so true white women are exactly like this such biting satire" and miss the connections the story is actually making.
This comment hits even deeper if you know anything about Asian male misogyny, mra and anti-feminist beliefs in asian communities, white women being useful tools in manospheres of color, and the mess that happened behind the scenes of Beef (thanks to David choe being a sexist and awful person and Steven's and ali's complicity).
@@medtle1 That's the word l am looking for. While l was watching the show DANNY REMINDED OF MY DAD, especially that comment on white women. My dad is indo-caribbean and has the exact fethishzing views on black women. Which l see older Indian men in my country.
@@steamyvegetables1445 yeah. The mention of how Danny and Jordan viewed white women (and non-asian women in general) compared to asian women definitely reminded me of my dad and so many asian guys I knew in real life - especially during the early to mid 2010s when the Asian PUA movement made asian anti-feminism and Asian male misogyny mainstream and normalized both within and outside of asian spaces. [So many asian gals got harassed and threatened during that time, especially if they dared to criticize a cis straight asian guy, have feminist beliefs, and was dating or married to a non-asian guy. Well-known MOC in the manosphere loved using white women to recruit cis straight MOC into their anti-feminist movements. Keep in mind that the Asian PUA movement occurred right before the alt-right and donald trump running for president became a thing. JT tran and the asian pua movement are similar to donald trump and the alt-right. The asian pua movement inspired the numerous manosphere of color movements today.] There is a HUGE issue with (cis straight) men of all races and ethnicities objectifying, fetishizing, and using women that are not the same race and/or ethnicity as them to "get back" at the "evil ugly" women that are the same race and/or ethnicity as them for embracing "man-hating/westernized" feminism and "betraying" them, but the issue is extremely magnified in asian and swana communities. A lot of cis straight asian guys have a tendency to festishize and demonize non-asian gals while they claim to hate non-asian guys for "stealing" their gals yet will side with them when it comes to misogyny and sexism and hate asian gals to the point of seeing them as objects. I don't think a lot of asian guys and non-asians caught that in Beef, but a lot of asian gals familiar with Asian male misogyny caught that right away. (David Choe actually got called out for his sexist behavior, sexual harassment, and r*pe by Reappropriate back in 2014, but a lot of people didn't listen back then because his sexist remarks were aimed at asian gals and the person calling him out was an asian woman (who ended up getting harassed instead for calling him out). It wasn't until after Beef ended (in 2023) and it was revealed that David choe objectified non-asian gals that people started to pay attention to all of the crap he has done. The fact that Steven yeun and ali wong were complicit to all of his scandals and were the reason why David even got a role on the show instead of a struggling actor made it even worse. David choe wasn't even the first asian guy that got away with asian male misogyny for so long (even though numerous asian gals criticized him) and got backlash once his objectification of non-asian gals was revealed. Numerous cis straight asian guys like Aziz Ansari, Ryan Higa, Fung Bros, Kevin Kreider, Elliot rodger, Hank yoo, jeremy lin, john cho, jt tran, hasan minaj, shake, andrew liu, ricegum, andrew yang, eurasian tiger (formerly known as eurasian writer), sneako, hazma, ajit pai, mindy kaling's brother, etc. have done this as well.)
WOW was genuinely taken aback by the quality of your writing and the poignantly illustrated conclusions you drew. The show sounds rad but I actually kinda think it will struggle to live up to your review 😆
Saw the first 15 seconds of this video and had to watch the entire show before continuing. I'm back, 3 days later
When you are angry when standing, sit
If you are still angry, lie down
If you are still angry, pray
i finally finished the series so i could watch this 😭
7:55 this reminds me of the last scene of the Black Mirror episode Nosedive.
What an amazingly original show. Best new show I’ve watched since The Bear.
great review
loved the video, you guys are great.. .
i haven't seen it, but seems like a worthy watch.
0:25 wow, i watched an A24 film, i had no idea that it was gonna have existential themes in there!
The only thing I can think to complain is ... I WISH THE ENDING WAS MORE CONCLUSIVE/HAPPY. But thats nothing to complain about really
I don't think I can watch this show. Just these clips I'm seeing here are triggering some responses. Looks like a damn good show. I have too much anger and empathy in me to watch. Well, that's phrased wrong. Everyone has anger and empathy. I don't have the tools to control it anymore. They broke.
Accepting negative feelings is more productive than suppressing them.
take your time! i have similar issues, and i found it cathartic.
Same, I love the show but I felt so triggered by it that me and my best friend could not rewatch it again
It's okay to not watch it. Sure, you can glean some insights and enjoy the cinematography and artistry, but it's not necessarily gonna give you more than what you can get elsewhere, whatever that is. Besides, there's a lot of messed up shit the people involved with the show won't acknowledge. To me it's just another series, despite the fact it resonated with me as a Korean. I get much more from podcasts and reading books, and often it's far more rewarding.
I cannot believe you pulled off an Invincible reference at 3:08 ,that was incredible.
Took long enough for somebody to say something about that 😂
@@QualityCulture Glad to be the first.
Just saw beef, I would like to recommend a Malayalam movie "Ayyappanum Koshiyum" it is a somewhat similar story but more condensed and cathartic.
fantastic video
This show was so well written that it took me WEEKS to get passed the first episode. Danny having the mini come apart in the truck just hits too close to home. This show is a masterpiece in my mind.
always so fascinating how creative work allows us to be painfully honest without getting in trouble. i bring up suicide, i get fired from an unpaid work placement and banned from a dive bar! its fucking weird as hell to me, but better than nothing.
The fact that this show is actually an anthology series makes me kinda sad since it left off with Danny in the hospital and left me wondering if he is gonna recover but also left me excited since they are gonna feature a new cast and possibly a new city since season 1 takes place primarily in Los Angeles
Dude yes! Not enough people talk about this show. It's brilliant
This show really teaches me the importance of controlling my emotions and act politely to every stranger I meet on the street....
I know this comment was probably a joke but that’s like the total opposite of what the show was trying to tell you lmao
this is surely the worst way to find out your soul mate, btw :)))@@QualityCulture
@@QualityCultureNot really, it was showcasing your greatest enemy could be more similar to you than you think. So with an open mind or understanding, you could learn to control your negative emotions to prevent a domino effect of bad decisions
1) I love BEEF and it is one of the shows I think about quite often because it had such a huge impact on me. 2) You managed to bring up some new points I haven't thought of or I haven't seen/heard in other essays. Especially your point about how every character desires to build a strong connection with someone and experiencing rejection/while also being the neglecting person themselves. This one kinda hit me hard ngl 🥲. 3) Keep up your good work, your essays are bomb. This one is my favourite BEEF-essay by far! 💯
Can you do a video on triangle of sadness??
9:28 His surname is Lee, and his given name is Sung Jin
Your videos are so informative and edited so well! I don't miss a single one 😍 Love from Israel 💙🤍
Best show I've seen in years
This is one of the best shows ever
I want to watch Beef, but I'm so triggered by road rage, so I can't get past the first episode 😭
Intresting as an Asian legal Immigrant at first I had a clenched fist on my pocket always thinking I'm being treated like a jabroni at the jobs I worked at.
But as years go by, assimilating to the culture, becoming a citizen then hearing coworkers have the same struggles let alone also talking to people who work in my home country, I realized its just the nature of our daily struggles trying to make it in the world.
Theres no one out there trying to get you, its just the hustle and bustle we have to deal with.
Besides this what makes life intresting since if you think you will be happy sitting at home doing nothing collecting money. Its a boring hellish life which btw is a topic on its own
But all I say by the end of the day we all need to figure out what makes us happy and appreciate the life we are living
A beautiful video
I think the only question I have from this series is how did Danny get rich all of a sudden and was able to buy a new red truck and build that house for his parents to move into? I think it was around episode 6
Having seen CBTM *First*, the Creator's Use of the Time Passing with Light AND THAT FUCKING RAINBOW SHIFT AS HIS ARM COMES AROUND HER?
IMMEDIATE, HYSTERICAL TEARS
this show is so so good, i related to so many parts of it, the best thing netflix put out in years imo
Beef is a show that was good, but got ruined by David Choe's scandals and steven's and Ali's complicity to them. [David Choe got called out for his misogyny, sexism, sexual harassment, and r*pe since 2014, but a lot of people didn't listen at that time since his misogyny was directed at Asian women and the Asian PUA movement got a lot of undeserved positive attention both within and outside of asian spaces in the early to mid 2010s (and the people calling david choe out were all Asian women). After Beef got popular and it was revealed that david choe also directed his misogyny at non-asian women (while fetishizing them), that was when people started to pay attention to all of the crap david choe did and found out that steven and ali knew about that but didn't care since they were the reason he even got the role in the show.]
the show really showcased how much of a pos he was anyway lol
@@TalonV9 lol. I guess that's true. Probably a coincidence and ironic since the creator and director did not know who David choe was prior to casting, but I guess the character hit a little too close to home in regards to the person they picked to play him.
You can seperate the artist from the art, y'know
@@darianstarfrog But to what extent? Unfortunately for Beef, David Choe, Ali Wong, and Steven Yeun are the biggest stars in that show and they're the ones at fault in one of the David Choe controversies.
All I think about is some sentiment ive felt or seen in others, where "You dont want to share your emotions because others might get tired of you." I feel like as modern humans, we still only have a minority thats able to sift through emotions and understand others.
Its a complicated thing thats for sure, but i also feel like its not gonna be anytime soon we reach a better place as a society. And to add on to John Cho, its just asian parents in general. Im honestly completely fucked up emotionally