The Dark Side of Fetishization: Representation, Stereotypes, and Origins with Kaila Yu

Self-Helpless

Cloud10

Comedy, Science, Alternative Health, Health & Fitness, Education

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 8 November 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Delanie Fischer chats with author of Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty Kaila Yu to discuss the dangerous side of fetishization. She shares about the evolving perception of Asian women, the impact of media and representation (or lack thereof), and practical ways to recognize and dismantle harmful patterns. * This episode contains sensitive subject matter. Listener discretion is advised. Discussed in this episode: Preference vs. Fetish: Where's The Line? The Origin of "Yellow Fever" and Its Impact What Lies Beneath Perceived "Compliments" 4 Asian Tropes in TV, Music, and Film Asian Violence: Past and Present The "Model Minority" and Infighting The Belief That Asian Women Serve 3 Masters The Love Island Incident and Cancel Culture Kaila's Favorites: TV Character & Book Recommendation Addiction, Recovery, and a Healing Routine ---- If Self-Helpless has supported you, a quick 5-star rating or review (if you haven’t already) means so much! ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-helpless/id1251196416⁠ Free goodies including The Quote Buffet and The Watch & Read List: ⁠https://www.selfhelplesspodcast.com/⁠ Ad-free episodes now available on ⁠Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/selfhelpless⁠ Your Host, Delanie Fischer:⁠ https://www.delaniefischer.com⁠ ---- Episodes related to this topic: How Confidence, Culture & Self-Worth Shape Success with Big Asian Energy’s John Wang: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/228fec8c/how-confidence-culture-and-self-worth-shape-success-with-big-asian-energys-john-wang “You’re So Sensitive”: Understanding Everyday Microaggressions, Implicit Bias, and Best Practices with Billie Lee & Dr. Gina Torino: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/2396d366/youre-so-sensitive-understanding-everyday-microaggressions-implicit-bias-and-best-practices-with-billie-lee-and-dr-gina-torino Cancel Culture vs. Accountability with Sonya Renee Taylor: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/38432784/cancel-culture-vs-accountability-with-sonya-renee-taylor Exploring Fetishes, Kinks, and Pleasure with Goody Howard: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/234275b9/exploring-fetishes-kinks-and-pleasure-with-goody-howard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Lately, I've been so stuck in my head that I forget just about everything my therapist said.
0:08.8	Maybe I'm self-helpless.
0:11.2	Hey, everyone.
0:11.9	Welcome to Self-Hupless, where science, spirituality, and sustainability are brunch buddies.
0:16.5	I'm Delaney Fisher, and details about today's topic can be found in the episode description.
0:20.8	Returning listeners, if an episode of Self-Hupless has supported you in some way, Delaney Fisher and details about today's topic can be found in the episode description.
0:25.5	Returning listeners, if an episode of Self-Houpless has supported you in some way, a quick five-star rating or review, if you haven't left one already, honestly keeps this indie podcast alive
0:31.4	amidst the big old budget behemoths out there. So thank you for feeding the algorithm a little
0:37.4	treat for me. Ad-free episodes
0:39.2	are now on Patreon at patreon.com slash self-helpless. And info about some free goodies will be shared in the
0:45.5	outro. Okay. It's podcast time. What is fetishization? And more specifically, what is an Asia file?
0:53.7	So it's a pretty obscure term that nobody uses anymore, but it was just in the early 2000s.
0:59.5	And I only use it just because it's an easy way to say man with yellow fever, because that's
1:04.5	just too long or man with Asian fetish.
1:07.5	And my definition is a man who fetishizes Asian women and meaning he treats them as
1:13.1	disposable interchangeable and just um views them as like kind of subservient sex objects so it's
1:20.9	very different from a mere preference and here's where it gets tricky because all these men are messaging me angry because
1:29.5	they're like, it's a preference. But I'm like, there is a difference between a preference and a fetish.
1:34.9	Right. And what does, what are some examples of what that looks like in action? Let's say that
1:39.6	maybe somebody's in a romantic relationship or just the most common ones that we can be aware of.
1:45.8	Yeah, I mean, your last five-x girlfriends were Asian.
1:50.1	That doesn't mean that could be a preference.
	...

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