The Elephant in the Bedroom

RNZ Originals
  • 5.0 (1)
  • COMEDY
  • COMPLETE SERIES

James Roque & Chye-Ling Huang take a raw, funny, and at times confronting look at the intersection of sex, love, and race.

Season 1

  1. EPISODE 1

    Just My Type

    When James Roque & Chye-Ling Huang realise they've only ever dated white people, they start to wonder... how did this happen? And is it really so bad to have a type? Watch a video segment from the episode here James & Chye-Ling, Asian creatives and best friends, realise they have a dating bias toward white people, and are investigating why. They hear theories from other people of colour who have the same type, linked to where they grew up, media, and wanting to belong. The Elephant in the Bedroom emerges: will their investigation have real-world consequences on their relationships with their white partners? On a double date, James & Chye-Ling, two Asian BFFs, realise their type is white people. How did this happen, and is it upholding a white supremacist system. Can love really be racist? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    35 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Out of Our Control

    The laws of attraction spark as James & Chye-Ling question the why of their white dating bias. Experts weigh in: is our type informed by genetics or society? Watch a video segment from the episode here Chye-Ling's fear that her type is genetically wired sparks a dive into nature vs. nurture. How much of whom we date is determined by genetics, and how much is socialised? Smart people in the fields of social psychology, neurology, and multi-ethnic people give evidence. A perspective shift happens, and producer Ruby, James & Chye-Ling address the class divide in the investigation itself. Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman reveals her twelve-year-old self and the white girl persona she thought would appeal to boys. Why is white considered the most attractive? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    35 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Race-Tinted Glasses

    Is sexual racism affecting your dating life? Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman and OnlyFans content creator Demi Hunziker help our hosts trace media's influence across cultural history and porn. Watch a video segment from the episode here As they reckon with their bias towards dating white people, hosts James & Chye-Ling look at representation and how this might influence their choices. Filipino media and the skin-whitening industry lead to conversations with Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman, OnlyFans content creator Demi Hunziker, and an expert in bias in the porn industry. Together, they examine how representation translates in the world of overt sexual media and harmful stereotypes in the porn industry. James & Chye-Ling are forced to confront how this impacts their personal love lives. They are presented with a new term that defines their investigation: "sexual racism." Fetishization and representation collide in the sex industry, as revealed by Māori-Samoan OnlyFans content creator and sex worker Demi Hunziker. How much does porn play a part in shaping our types? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    33 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Race Traitor

    Chye-Ling is called out on Reddit for having a white partner. The investigation turns to the Asian community, personal guilt, and the dark side of judgements on interracial couples. Where do these attitudes stem from? Watch a video segment from the episode here Sexual rejection leads to loneliness, low self-esteem, and bitterness. Just how far can someone spiral? After Chye-Ling gets called out on Reddit for having a white partner, the investigation turns to the Asian community, the dark side of judgements on interracial couples, personal guilt, and shame. In an attempt to understand it all, James tries to unpack toxic Asian masculinity and his past work, while Chye-Ling confronts the Reddit user who planted the seeds of doubt for her, as an Asian activist dating a white man. Amanda meets Brian, a white boy from a wealthy family. Soon, they're an item, and Amanda experiences all the bougie things she dreamt of when she migrated from Singapore. But she begins to spiral when she suddenly sees Brian from a different view. Do we date people for love or status? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    37 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Facing the Elephant

    After all the experts and moral arguments, it's down to James & Chye-Ling to finally decide: are they breaking up with their white partners? Watch a video segment from the episode here James & Chye-Ling must now answer the question they posed at the beginning: do they need to break up with their white partners to change the system we live in? We turn one last time to the experts to look at the psychology and moral argument for change, and drawing on friends who have gone against their type. Does knowing their attraction towards white people is influenced by a myriad of internal and external factors mean their relationships are safe? What will their partners have to say about all this? Nathan experiences being with an Asian man for the first time, and his life is turned upside down! He's faced with challenging his personal insecurities and internalised racism. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    34 min

  6. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing: The Elephant in the Bedroom

    Listen to the new podcast The Elephant in the Bedroom, hosted by Chye-Ling Huang & James Roque. Watch the video version of the trailer here The Elephant in the Bedroom is a podcast and documentary series where two friends risk their love lives to ask taboo questions around sex, love, and race. Opening the bedroom door to their deepest fears, James Roque & Chye-Ling Huang traverse through nature vs. nurture, geo-political history, and the impact of the media to find out why their dating preferences exist. Putting their relationships on the line, they ask: Can love really be racist? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    1 min

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

About

James Roque & Chye-Ling Huang take a raw, funny, and at times confronting look at the intersection of sex, love, and race.

Information

More From RNZ Originals