Tag:lwas

Oh, Korea. One idol types a few sentences about legalizing prostitution and suddenly the whole peninsula is on fire. Let me say this first: I am not shocked that a middle-aged male celebrity floated the idea of regulating sex work. I am shocked that people are shocked. Prostitution exists. It has existed through Joseon, through Japanese occupation, through military camptowns, through the neon boom of Gangnam and Busan. Pretending it doesn’t exist is not morality; it’s theatre. What fascinates me is how quickly the conversation shifted from policy to personality....

Let me say this slowly, with a cup of strong matcha in my hand: Japan is not “confused” about LGBTQ rights. Japan is cautious. Painfully, politically cautious. And caution, my darlings, is often just a polite word for fear. I have walked in Tokyo Rainbow Pride parades where salarymen in crisp white shirts stood quietly at the sidelines, watching with shy smiles. I have met lesbian couples in Osaka who introduced each other as “roommates” to landlords, then laughed about it over yakitori and beer. I have spoken to young...

Let me say something that might make both the footy blokes and the wine-o’clock mums uncomfortable: alcoholism isn’t just a “men’s drinking problem” anymore. And it hasn’t been for a while. For decades, Australia loved the myth of the hard-drinking Aussie bloke. Beer in hand, sunburnt nose, loud laugh at the pub. But equality cuts both ways, darling. When women entered the workforce in bigger numbers, claimed space at the bar, ordered craft gin instead of lemonade — we also inherited the country’s deep, messy relationship with alcohol. I get...

Oh, darlings. Breathe. Drink some water. Put the phone down. I have been watching this Korea–Southeast Asia online brawl unfold like a messy family reunion where someone brought up politics after dessert. And honestly? Everyone needs to calm down. Yes, racist memes are ugly. Yes, stereotyping Southeast Asian women as jungle caricatures is disgusting. And yes, mocking Koreans as plastic, arrogant or culturally delusional is not exactly Nobel Peace Prize material either. But must we burn down the entire house because a few uncles got drunk on X? Listen carefully,...

Let me tell you something deliciously ironic: in some of the most patriarchal corners of Asia, the only woman everyone is afraid of is the one who talks to ghosts. You can deny her theology. You can mock her incense. You can roll your eyes at her trance. But when your business collapses, your daughter won’t sleep, your husband starts behaving strangely, or your house feels “wrong,” where do you go? Exactly. To her. Across the region—from Korean mudang shaking their bells in neon-lit Seoul apartments to Vietnamese lên đồng...