Kamau sits down with the outspoken multihyphenate Eddie Huang to discuss his evolution as a chef and writer.

Kamau gives Huang flowers for his moral clarity and refusal to let Hollywood reshape his identity. Eddie describes himself as blunt, and is guided by a strong internal compass that his wife and close collaborators help refine.

They discuss code-switching and how Huang leverages being perceived as nonthreatening, while his “pen game” and willingness to speak truth can feel threatening in a different way.

The conversation shifts to Huang’s debut novel, Come Undone, an autofictional work about Hubie, a rough-edged TV chef and traveler clearly modeled on himself. The final draft was written in five intense days while juggling childcare and marriage, with a disciplined daily routine and tight domestic deadlines that he believes improve his work.

Huang embraces polarized reactions to his work. He prefers “five stars or zero stars” because, to him, that’s evidence that he has told a specific, truthful story.

Kamau and Huang discuss his fraught history with ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, the sitcom based on his book of the same name.

They connect this to broader frustrations with Hollywood’s risk-averse, IP-driven system and contrast it with the relative artistic sanctity of publishing, where Huang works closely with publisher Chris Jackson, whom he calls the premier progressive editor championing writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates and others who push boundaries and speak truth to power.

They also touch on Eddie’s relationship with Anthony Bourdain, who he describes as a generous mentor who shared their disillusionment with travel TV’s demand for “happy endings” in a world where most people don’t get them.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788. Find the Anti Police-Terror Project at antipoliceterrorproject.org and Live Free at livefreeusa.org .

Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

Kamau sits down with the outspoken multihyphenate Eddie Huang to discuss his evolution as a chef and writer.
Kamau gives Huang flowers for his moral clarity and refusal to let Hollywood reshape his identity. Eddie describes himself as blunt, and is guided by a strong internal compass that his wife and close collaborators help refine.
They discuss code-switching and how Huang leverages being perceived as nonthreatening, while his &ldquo;pen game&rdquo; and willingness to speak truth can feel threatening in a different way.
The conversation shifts to Huang&rsquo;s debut novel, Come Undone, an autofictional work about Hubie, a rough-edged TV chef and traveler clearly modeled on himself. The final draft was written in five intense days while juggling childcare and marriage, with a disciplined daily routine and tight domestic deadlines that he believes improve his work.
Huang embraces polarized reactions to his work. He prefers &ldquo;five stars or zero stars&rdquo; because, to him, that&rsquo;s evidence that he has told a specific, truthful story.
Kamau and Huang discuss his fraught history with ABC&rsquo;s Fresh Off the Boat, the sitcom based on his book of the same name.
They connect this to broader frustrations with Hollywood&rsquo;s risk-averse, IP-driven system and contrast it with the relative artistic sanctity of publishing, where Huang works closely with publisher Chris Jackson, whom he calls the premier progressive editor championing writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates and others who push boundaries and speak truth to power.
They also touch on Eddie&rsquo;s relationship with Anthony Bourdain, who he describes as a generous mentor who shared their disillusionment with travel TV&rsquo;s demand for &ldquo;happy endings&rdquo; in a world where most people don&rsquo;t get them.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788. Find the Anti Police-Terror Project at <a href="http://antipoliceterrorproject.org">antipoliceterrorproject.org</a> and Live Free at <a href="http://livefreeusa.org">livefreeusa.org</a> .
Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people’s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.

Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast, Who’s With Me? Inspired by Kamau’s popular Substack newsletter of the same name, Who’s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. 

In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply—a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs, who is all of that in one body. So… who’s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday. 

Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people&rsquo;s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.
Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast,&nbsp;Who&rsquo;s With Me? Inspired by Kamau&rsquo;s popular Substack newsletter of the same name, Who&rsquo;s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times.&nbsp;
In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply&mdash;a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs, who is all of that in one body. So&hellip; who&rsquo;s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday.&nbsp;

Who's with Me? with W. Kamau Bell

Who’s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. Every Wednesday, stand-up comedian W. Kamau Bell sits down with someone he admires deeply to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place.

W. Kamau Bell is a Peabody Award winner, 4X Emmy Award winner, documentary filmmaker, Celebrity Jeopardy! champion, Official Ambassador of the band Fishbone, self-proclaimed #1 Bruce Lee Expert (non-Asian division), part-time activist, and full-time family man. Kamau is also known for his CNN docuseries United Shades of America, his four-part docuseries We Need To Talk About Cosby, and for scrawling “HAHA!” over his enemies’ faces on his Instagram account.

Who&rsquo;s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. Every Wednesday, stand-up comedian W. Kamau Bell sits down with someone he admires deeply to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place.
W. Kamau Bell is a Peabody Award winner, 4X Emmy Award winner, documentary filmmaker, Celebrity Jeopardy! champion, Official Ambassador of the band Fishbone, self-proclaimed #1 Bruce Lee Expert (non-Asian division), part-time activist, and full-time family man. Kamau is also known for his CNN docuseries United Shades of America, his four-part docuseries We Need To Talk About Cosby, and for scrawling &ldquo;HAHA!&rdquo; over his enemies&rsquo; faces on his Instagram account.

Eddie Huang on The Cost of Personal Truth

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/61d785a6-fd64-426a-8153-b4880048c632/transcript