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About Anthony Kao

Anthony Kao is a writer focused on international affairs (especially East Asian geopolitics), media studies, and cultural criticism. He founded/edits Cinema Escapist, a publication that explores the sociopolitical context behind international film and television. He's also written for The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The Diplomat, Eater, ChinaFile, etc.
Anthony Kao is the founder of Cinema Escapist and a writer who focuses on the intersection of international affairs and cultural criticism.
Anthony's website

NBN Episodes hosted by Anthony:

Korean Studies September 27, 2023

Celluloid Democracy

Cinema and Politics in Cold War South Korea

Hieyoon Kim

Hosted by Anthony Kao
Listen:
Before South Korea became the democracy and media powerhouse that it is today, it underwent several decades of authoritarian rule during the Cold War from the late 1940s to late …
East Asian Studies July 20, 2023

Truly Human

Indigeneity and Indigenous Resurgence on Formosa

Scott E. Simon

Hosted by Anthony Kao
Listen:
Similar to countries like the US and Canada, Taiwan also has indigenous peoples who've existed before the arrival of colonizers, and continue to grapple with the legacy of colonialism to this …
Anthropology June 28, 2023

Between Somaliland and Puntland

Marginalization, Militarization and Conflicting Political Vision

Markus Virgil Höhne

Hosted by Anthony Kao
Listen:
On February 6, 2023, fighting erupted around Las Anod, a city in the eastern parts of the de facto independent state of Somaliland. This still-ongoing conflict has been subject to recent …
Political Science March 3, 2023

Narratives of Civic Duty

How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia

Aram Hur

Hosted by Anthony Kao
Especially within the last decade, the word "nationalism" often evokes images of bombastic demagogues and democratic backsliding. But does nationalism always hurt liberal democracy? In Narratives of Civic Duty: How National …
East Asian Studies February 18, 2023

Hollywood in China

Behind the Scenes of the World's Largest Movie Market

Ying Zhu

Hosted by Anthony Kao
With her book Hollywood in China: Behind the Scenes of the World's Largest Movie Market (New Press, 2022), media scholar Ying Zhu explores the 100+ year relationship between what are now the …
Russian and Eurasian Studies February 10, 2023

Muppets in Moscow

The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia

Natasha Lance Rogoff

Hosted by Anthony Kao
It’s the early 1990s, and the USSR is no more. An intrepid young American TV producer has been given a seemingly foolhardy task: bringing the beloved children’s show Sesame Street to …