Muscle Mommy

Summary

Add to Cart: Muscle Mommy
Hosts: Kulap Vilaysack & SuChin Pak
Date: March 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Add to Cart dives into themes of self-discovery, physical transformation, and generational shifts in social life. Fresh from both grappling with existential questions and the physical challenge of starting a new fitness regimen, hosts SuChin and Kulap embark on a revealing, hilarious conversation about their current “carts”—what they’re buying into (literally and metaphorically) these days.

SuChin shares her initiation into “Muscle Mommy” life, breaking down the realities, humiliations, and hopefuls of gym-going past 50—while Kulap recounts her foray into a Gen Z-centric club scene, uneasily straddling the line between anthropologist and chaperone. Across the episode, they explore what it means to change, struggle, and seek identity at any age.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Metaphorical Carts: Self-Assessment

• Both hosts introspect on what their “carts” (the things occupying their mind, money, and energy) say about their current lives.
  • Kulap describes feeling “a little lost. Twisting in the wind like a windsock. Hollow, thin. Being whipped to and fro...” (04:10)
  • SuChin distinguishes her state as “searching” instead of lost: “I'm more in the searching. So I was a bit lost end of last year... now I've got some wind in my wings and I'm just searching for who I am out there...” (05:46)

Notable Moment (05:23)

SuChin: "But I'm calling it a black in."
Kulap: "You're a black in. I activated a black in."

2. SuChin’s “Muscle Mommy” Journey

• SuChin reveals her doctor’s warning: “If you do not get on a muscle building regimen, serious, grave, lifelong illness awaits.” (09:55)
• She shares her trepidation starting regular gym visits, complete with a trainer—an experience totally foreign to her lifelong preference for mind over body.
  • The transition is both physical (“triggered a level nine, such a massive migraine” [12:49]) and existential (“I have created an existential crisis in this personal trainer...” [14:46])
• Hilarious, relatable bathroom mishap due to a sudden, unfamiliar digestive urge during a session.
  • “Day 2. Raging D in the middle of my session… Fast and hard. Out of nowhere. Because your body’s panicking.” (15:15–16:01)

Notable Quote (13:19)

“I’m just pre-booking that [chiropractic time], knowing full well that I am going full on, you know, for a few months, committing to the time and the financial strain to just get this train on the tracks and then we’ll reassess from there.” – SuChin

Insight

• SuChin’s vulnerability about never feeling “in” her body makes way for empathy and laughs; both she and Kulap reflect on the necessity and the mundanity of self-maintenance at midlife ("It's so much more about survival than it is aesthetics." - Kulap, 40:57).

3. The Trainer/Client Relationship Comedy

• SuChin describes the mutual discomfort in her partnership with the trainer—she feels guilty for being such a challenge, her trainer seems existentially tested (“I want to just sit her down and be like, you're doing good in life... do not let this take you down.” [23:39])
• Kulap relates with her own trainer stories, including once throwing a dumbbell in frustration.
  • “If I tell you I can’t do something or it’s not working, you better listen. It is not gonna change… I’m going to throw away.” (25:03)

4. Physical Challenges, Humiliations, and Small Triumphs

• SuChin’s discussion of “the box” exercise: Her trainer asks for basic step-ups, but SuChin negotiates for two crates to avoid a fall. (30:10)
• She reflects on her unique learning curve, and both hosts joke about being “gym cryptids”—rare, confusing, mythical gym clients. (28:00)
• Lighthearted threats of being “fired” by her trainer, and dark humor about her own aging process:
  • “I'm just carrying around a rotting carcass, trying to just slap her into some...” (42:04)

5. Late Onset Gym Life and Aging

• Kulap laments that at her age, it's all about maintaining bone density: “Now I’m just trying to keep it together.” (40:57)
• SuChin’s fitness goal with signature irreverence:

  “I want my butt to be as big as my brain when I die. You can’t lay me down flat.” (42:49)

  • Kulap imagines a funeral with a rose placed “betwixt” SuChin’s cheeks (43:23+)
  • Cultural note: They riff on the BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift) trend’s decline just as SuChin goes all-in on glutes.

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6. Club Kids and the New “Going Out” (Kulap’s Heated Rivalry Night)

• Kulap describes agreeing to a 9pm club outing themed on “Heated Rivalry,” expecting a dance night but landing in a Gen Z “watch party” hybrid.
• The club atmosphere is marked by:
  • Full lights up ("Why are the lights so bright? It's like a conference center." – SuChin, 50:36)
  • Clients mostly under 21, with X's drawn on their hands
  • Attendees focus on several giant screens, watching TikTok edits and show clips rather than dancing (“It's like you’re collectively… with people, but you’re not... Hardly any dancing.” – Kulap, 59:19)
• Both hosts consider the generational shift, recognizing clubbing is now about curated screen content and collective spectating rather than interaction or movement.

Key Quote (61:35)

SuChin: "It's almost like if you stepped into an IRL TikTok post."

Reflection (66:58)

SuChin: “Is it a little bit like, wow, this is kind of sad that this is what community is—looking at a bunch of screens of TikTok videos, recut, in community?”

Kulap: “It became clear to me: this is how content is consumed… One part is nice to be with other people… but, yeah, I’m not without judgment of like... we’re just looking at screens.”

7. Bridging the Generational Divide

• Kulap expresses a desire to better understand youth culture, mentioning weekly talks with her 15-year-old relative Kai to help stay connected to Gen Z mindsets (71:22)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On “Muscle Mommy” struggles:
  “My body is not… it’s not connected to anything important. What it is, is a vehicle for me to shuttle my eyeballs from object to object.” – SuChin (12:25)
• On her trainer’s existential crisis:
  “I have created an existential crisis in this personal trainer… Did I make the right choices to end up in this career?” – SuChin (14:46)
• On feeling like a medical oddity at the gym:
  “There are medical mysteries, and then there are gym mysteries. And that is the procedural we haven’t seen yet.” – SuChin (27:33)
• On clubbing as an “elder”:
  “[The club] is unlike any club experience I’ve ever, ever had… Everybody is looking at three huge screens.” – Kulap (58:33)
• On cultural disconnect:
  “You have no right. You had no right to be there. I’m glad you went to see what happens in the underworld.” – SuChin (65:03)
• On Gen Z socializing:
  “They’re all looking at screens. Bigger screens instead of looking at our smaller screens together.” – SuChin (67:22)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:18 – Show proper starts: hosts’ state of mind, existential musings
• 07:51 – SuChin introduces “Muscle Mommy” journey
• 09:55 – Doctor’s warning and commitment to fitness
• 12:49 – Physical aftermath: migraines, chiropractic
• 15:15–16:34 – SuChin’s gym bathroom emergency (hilarious, gross-out highlight)
• 25:03 – Kulap’s anecdote about throwing a dumbbell at her trainer (relationship-building)
• 39:42 – Post-ad break; discussion shifts to gym gear and embracing the process
• 45:22 – Kulap goes clubbing: “Heated Rivalry” night begins
• 58:33 – Full revelation of the “new” club scene: screens over dancing
• 61:35–63:40 – Anthropological assessment of Gen Z social life, cultural schooling
• 71:22 – Kulap’s efforts to connect with Gen Z via Kai
• 72:22 – Outro: hosts invite listeners to share their own journeys

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Flow & Tone

Throughout, the tone is self-deprecating, irreverent, and loving. Both hosts lampoon themselves, each other, and the absurdity of modern life, blending heartfelt confessions about their health and aging with their signature auntie-style banter—a blend of wise, withering, and world-weary humor.

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Summary Takeaways

• SuChin’s “Muscle Mommy” journey is marked by the hard, unglamorous realities of starting to work out late in life—with all the physical and existential confusion that entails, and the unique comedic material that ensues.
• Kulap’s club experience encapsulates the generational transformation of nightlife, from dance and connection to screen-focused, almost passive gatherings—a “TikTok in real life” event she perceives as both anthropologically fascinating and alienating.
• Universal themes: Even as the form and substance of leisure and health change, the struggle to connect (with body, community, purpose) remains timeless—whether in the gym, the club, or at home, eyeing your metaphorical cart.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• Expect plenty of auntie wisdom and embarrassment, TMI moments, and a frank, funny description of starting over and feeling out-of-place—whether that’s in the squat rack or at an 18+ club.
• If you’re searching for yourself, feeling a little “cryptid” in your current context, or just want to laugh about bathrooms and butts, this episode delivers both the pathos and the punchlines.

Transcript

[Sujin Park]

Okay, so Ku, do you remember earlier in the year I was looking for just a simple cotton pant? It was on my list. I know. It's like you realize that sometimes you just need the basics, you know, after you get through all the glitter and fluff. And so it hit me, where do I want to go for just simple, gorgeous basics that are super high quality without the sticker shock? It is Quince baby. And I check that right off my list last week.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Wow. I mean, results. I already ranted about all the BS companies that are not getting that V stock money this year. And Quint makes it really easy to hold that line. Carter's. You know, these aunties love to nag about a good deal for a steal. And Quince does it ethically.

[Sujin Park]

Don't get me started on their cashmere. Don't do that. You already know I scarf it, and that is ATC lore. But I also got this cutie I'm wearing today. Koo. It's a gorgeous ribbed chocolate cotton cashmere cardigan you can just throw in the wash.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I mean, actually was going to tell you that I really like that cardigan on you. I didn't really like it.

[Sujin Park]

This is so you. This is your color.

[Culat Vilaisak]

These are my color.

[Sujin Park]

To get this, you need to get this. Yes.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Sue, you're an animal right now. Go to quince.com addtocart for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to Q U I n c e.com addtocart for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com addtocart coo.

[Sujin Park]

I don't need to brag about this again, but I am a teacher's pet.

[Culat Vilaisak]

How so?

[Sujin Park]

My identity is a student. You know what I mean? I do the homework. So when Masterclass decided to come on board to help put this little show back on the tracks, I got my number two out and I started to really take note. I started the year with a mindfulness course from Jon Kabat Zinn. Highly recommend for a good reset. Now, the last thing, though, I watched was this incredible documentary on Patricia Field about fashion and coo. This just sparked something in my brain, you know, it just. It's one of those delicious looks into fashion icon history. You have to watch it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Ooh. I didn't know that that was available to us on Masterclass. I mean, it makes sense because they're all about igniting curiosity. With plans Starting at just $10 a month, you can get unlimited access to over 200 classes taught by the best business leaders, writers and creators in the world. Plus, with audio mode, each can now listen on the go.

[Sujin Park]

Right now, our listeners get an additional 15% off any annual [e-mail] addtocart that's

[Culat Vilaisak]

15% [e-mail] add to cart masterclass.com addtocart

[Sujin Park]

also with that fire boy. Bling bling. You forgot your bling bling. Wait.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Welcome to another episode of Add to Cart, the podcast about what we buy and what we buy into and what that says about who we are. I'm your auntie, Cool up vilay sock. And I am a little sick. You're hearing it in my voice and of course, in front of me, the most beautiful, the most wonderful, please introduce yourself.

[Sujin Park]

And I'm your other auntie, Sujin Park. Also sick, but sick in my heart and in my mind, but my body is strong.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Oh, wow. Oh, wow.

[Sujin Park]

Oh.

[Culat Vilaisak]

When it says.

[Sujin Park]

When we say rather what we buy and what it says about who we are. Just top line. You don't have to get into it. Just looking at all your add to carts. Just the. The cart of our lives right now, in this moment as we're recording.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Just go ahead.

[Sujin Park]

Just what is your cart saying about who you are?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Oh. Hmm. A little lost. Twisting in the wind like a. Like a windsock. Hollow, thin. Being whipped to and fro by spoken word poet lariat.

[Sujin Park]

Poet lariat. You know, being whipped.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You know what I need some new jewelry. Maybe a lariat Coming down below my breastesses.

[Sujin Park]

She's still doing it, guys.

[Culat Vilaisak]

But my breastes are so low. Poetry is so low. Pouring out of her, the heat, skin to skin. And I'm talking about the back of my breast to my undercarriage touching my stomach. Did I answer your question, Sujin?

[Sujin Park]

I mean, I was about to say. I was like, I actually lost all sense of time and space during that. Some would call it a blackout.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Huh?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Huh.

[Sujin Park]

But I'm calling it a black in.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You're a black in. I activated a black in.

[Lisa]

It's good.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, it's good. It's good to just every once in a while, shake the compass, see where we're at.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah, well, let me hear. Let me pose that question to you. What does your cart say about who you are right now?

[Sujin Park]

God, I hate to jump on this bandwagon, but I'm feeling similar, not lost. So like there's lost and then there's searching.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

You know, I'm more in the searching. So I was a bit lost end of last year.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Going into the new year. And now I'm like, I got some wind in my wings and I'm just searching, searching for who I am out there, just working through different versions of possible me's. And so my cart is. It's chaotic.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay.

[Sujin Park]

It's contradictory.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay.

[Sujin Park]

And there's a lot of different identities just, you know, workshopping. Workshopping my psyche. That's my cart.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Now that I say it out loud, I don't know if this cart is really lost in many ways. When we dive into this cart,

[Sujin Park]

you

[Culat Vilaisak]

could say I was found in some ways. And really it's more about entertaining you. And maybe that's why I did what I did.

[Sujin Park]

Ooh.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Maybe. I don't know. So that I could. Maybe I'm back in my 20s where the mode was do something to have a good story. And maybe that's where I'm at. The lost isn't like. It isn't a sense of like. Well, is it existential? I don't know. It's like. I know, but it's not sad. Yeah, it's not sad. No. I feel like I'm in this sort of. I'm in an in between.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It still isn't super clear where I'm being, like, shot out, you know, it's like I'm traveling through space and I'm still in, like, sort of that, like, wormhole, and I don't know where I'm gonna be shot out. That's how I feel.

[Sujin Park]

It's so much clearer now.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Good, good, good, good, good, good.

[Sujin Park]

Let's get into these swarmy carts, these squiggly wiggly carts.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, you were talking about the body. Your body. Let's talk on. Mike, you've given me a little bit big update. Yeah. You are on your muscle mommy journey. Could you speak on that?

[Sujin Park]

I. I'm so glad you gave it a title because I was. I was looking for it. I was like, is it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

What is it?

[Sujin Park]

I couldn't find the word because I. This is so not me. And again, we talked about the different versions of who we are. You guys all know who I am. I know who I am. But here I am in my fully. In my half century.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Sitting here, and I've talked about it, and I finally pulled the trigger. And I am in my muscle mommy phase right now.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I know that I like to call.

[Sujin Park]

It's crazy hard Rock hard abs.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay? That is our goal.

[Sujin Park]

This rice pot, it's gonna be alabaster soon.

[Culat Vilaisak]

We are on our way. Soochin is going like hewn from stone by the end of this. On the other side of this, she's gonna have chiseled cum gutters. Okay, you know what I'm talking about.

[Sujin Park]

For anybody who has to look that

[Culat Vilaisak]

up, you don't need to look it up. You know what they are? Listeners, nieces, nephews.

[Sujin Park]

Let me just say chest forward, chest hard.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Pecs.

[Sujin Park]

And so I texted our dear friend, boss of ATCC and Coolop, and I said, guys, I'm going to the gym. Day one.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

And it has rocked my world.

[Culat Vilaisak]

But the text chain was just to me when, when it was about what

[Sujin Park]

occurred, I couldn't change. I. I couldn't share that with anyone but the absolute dead center. The one, though, the one that is most likely stir in the pot herself over in her witchy corner, getting me here. Just. Just a quick little backstory for Carters who are mid story. For the past year, my doctor has said, if you do not get on a muscle building regimen, serious, grave, lifelong illness awaits. You are on the precipice. And I said, well, say it to me clear, lady. And I booked myself a trainer. I am. Yesterday was lesson four.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And to be clear, obviously what you mean is that you. You, you're in a gym, you're in person. Is that your situation?

[Sujin Park]

Correct? Yes, that is my situation. I thought I could worm and squirm my way. I was like, well, I'm just gonna do some YouTube videos, you know, huffing and puffing for about 10 minutes every three weeks. It wasn't working.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It wasn't working.

[Sujin Park]

Went for my follow up and my doctor was like, okay, whatever you're doing isn't working. You actually have to be in person in a gym. Just 1970s, you know, gym short. Pull up your socks.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yep.

[Sujin Park]

Get to it. Get to them squats, get to them barbells.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And yeah, I really need you to, like, let's dive into day one.

[Sujin Park]

Day one. I've never really been to a gym. I've been in a gym. I've never had a gym membership. You know, I'm not familiar with that kind of physical activity.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You, you'd go into a gym, say to like, interview Ludacris, move big. He's working out.

[Sujin Park]

Wait, I feel like I did do that. I know for sure. I played basketball with Usher. And that's a gym.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And that's a gym. And that's a Gym, you know, you've been around the equipment, you know, but you never partaked in it.

[Sujin Park]

No, no. And it just, it wasn't for me. I, I dare say I poo pooed it and looked down upon.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah, no, you're. For you, it's about the mind, not the body.

[Sujin Park]

No, body is just a vessel to carry my head around.

[Culat Vilaisak]

That's right. And that's why you bump into a lot of things.

[Sujin Park]

Correct. My body is not, it's not connected to anything important. What it is, is a vehicle for me to shuttle my eyeballs from object to object.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your body is essentially a cart or a wheelchair. That's right.

[Sujin Park]

A motorized scooter. Well, the scooter is breaking down. So I'm there day one. I mean, I knew that like it was going to be tough, but. But it's really interesting to see where the tough is, you know? Sure. The tough is on my body. It triggered a level nine, such a massive migraine. I had already pre booked. So this is what I'm doing. The weeks I have my gym time. I'm also doing my chiropractic time.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay.

[Sujin Park]

And I'm just pre booking that, knowing full well that I am going full on, you know, for a few months, committing to the time and the financial strain to just get this train on the tracks and then we'll reassess from there. So I've like put that aside. I've built the calendar. And then so I went into my chiropractor, she realigned it. Now here is the part that I didn't realize. I knew that, that my body was going to do crazy things like that. What I didn't realize is this poor trainer. Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It's not, it's not just you. Huh?

[Sujin Park]

Having to subject her to this type of whatever it is, whatever I'm doing in there. Tomfoolery, worming, squirming, complaining. It is a first for her. I can see that. This poor woman.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And I thought you're speaking of your experience. No, you're speaking of your trainer's experience, having you as a partner.

[Sujin Park]

What I want to hold here in this moment is this woman's career. I mean, she really is looking in the mirror after our sessions, being like, am I the one? Is it me?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Did I make the right choices to end up with this client?

[Sujin Park]

Did I make the right choices to end up in this career?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes. I'm at a crossroads because of this woman.

[Sujin Park]

At crossroads. I have created an existential crisis in this personal trainer that's Okay.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I see. Wow.

[Sujin Park]

I can see it in her face. And all I can do. As I told you, Ku is pretending that everything is normal.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Tell people what you've been up to, though. Let's get. Let's get some details here. Headache. Squirmy, wormy like. But let's color in the picture a little more.

[Sujin Park]

Well, not to get too graphic.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Here we go in 3, 2, 1.

[Sujin Park]

Day 2. Raging D in the middle of my session. 75 into the session, I get a. And I'm not a. I'm not a D person. That part of my body has always been pretty good. I don't have problems at either stop. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Too slow. It's not too fast. Just is. It works.

[Culat Vilaisak]

This was fast and hard.

[Sujin Park]

Fast and hard. Out of nowhere.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Because your body's panicking.

[Sujin Park]

My body was in panic and I was like, surely. No.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

I'm like, what? Because that feeling is unfamiliar to me because I generally know and expect it. I'm not the type of person out of nowhere. You're raised in on my.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You're solid, you're firm.

[Sujin Park]

Listen, do I indulge? And I think probably should not go out after this meal. You know what I mean? There's an expectation of like, okay there, you know?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

Shouldn't have had a latte or, you know, a triple cheese pizza. You know, like those kinds of things. So anyway, three quarters into the session, I get that feeling and I'm like, in disbelief. And so I kind of continue. And I'm like, oh, no, it's.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It's coming.

[Sujin Park]

It's coming.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It's coming. There's no wishing away and my pipes are clean.

[Sujin Park]

There's nothing for that ride to hold on.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Nope.

[Sujin Park]

I got whistle clean pipes down there.

[Culat Vilaisak]

That's right.

[Sujin Park]

Once it has left the station, it's just a straight bob sled down to gold.

[Culat Vilaisak]

So what? In that moment when you knew that this was coming, you were. Excuse me.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, I was like, I have to

[Culat Vilaisak]

go to the bathroom.

[Sujin Park]

I ran, you know? Cause it's like one of those. You gotta go and you get the key and then you go down the hall. And I was like thinking in my brain, like, oh, no, I gotta get going. And I was in there for so long, I ran out my time.

[Culat Vilaisak]

That was gonna be my follow up. You ran out your time?

[Sujin Park]

I ran out my time. Part of the time I spent in there was looking at the man in the mirror.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

And just like. You know what I mean? The reckoning. The reckoning of like, A lifetime of Slimehood.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah. So there was a reckoning that was happening both above and below. Always in that stall. Always.

[Sujin Park]

Yes, always. Usually when I have a reckoning like that, it's both the motorized cart needs a tune up. And my brain, it can't believe that this is not moving the way it should be. And so I, you know, I saunter back in there as if nothing is amiss. Ladies and fellas, you know what I'm talking about. When you know that, like, things are so weird that it has to come full circle and you have to pretend that nothing happens has happened. Otherwise it's just awkward for everyone involved. That way she can just go home.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

And really look at her choices in life. She doesn't have to do it in front of me. I don't have to be like, oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I. I just had a.

[Culat Vilaisak]

She was like, you walk, you saunter back, you know, like.

[Sujin Park]

And I say, oh, looks like we're at a time.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Ah, okay. So everything.

[Sujin Park]

She's like, I'll see you at the next one. Oh. Didn't really even hitch a step that

[Culat Vilaisak]

you grabbed your bag and you were out the door.

[Sujin Park]

Grabbed my bag and I was out the door. And then I promptly canceled my next session. Rather rescheduled. I needed some time.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Sorry. I'm so sorry. This is so funny. And how are we once a week? What's our cadence at this time?

[Sujin Park]

The cadence should be twice a week.

[Culat Vilaisak]

The cadence should be twice a week. And have we hit twice a week? Just that first week.

[Sujin Park]

Have we that first week? Well, one and three quarters, one would say. Yeah, let's count it as the second week I hit one.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay. Okay.

[Sujin Park]

And then this week, I'm on track to hit two.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed. Now, what are we.

[Lisa]

What.

[Culat Vilaisak]

What type of movement are we up to at this early juncture? Where are we beginning?

[Sujin Park]

We.

[Culat Vilaisak]

We have weights in hand.

[Sujin Park]

Um. I mean, towards the end, she'll put some weights on me, and I gotta really think about that too. She keeps saying, we're gonna move real slow. And I think her normal expectation for a trainer is, is that a client expects results. And so if I can't help this client achieve it, my job is on the line. And I wanna tell her, rest easy, relax. You wanna say, heat up that Jacuzzi tub.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Let's go have an Asian salad right now. Let's forget about this artifice. Let's, like, not like the fact that we're here. Let's be human, you know? Let's just. Across the way I get this salad, and let's just have that. A nice tea, and let's just not talk to one another and be in different tables.

[Sujin Park]

Truly, truly the depths of my soul, I am exposed in the most intimate tissues of my body. Kuma. That's all I want to do. I want to tell her to relax. Let me buy you.

[Lisa]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

A matcha and a mochi donut. You probably never even had one of those.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You deserve it.

[Sujin Park]

You deserve it. And when a trainer goes, can we do one more set? Or whatever those things are called, like you as a client, can you say no? Because I don't feel comfortable saying no yet. But going into session five, we may have to tweak it a bit.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Is it because you're in pain?

[Sujin Park]

I'm in a lot of pain. I'm just like. I have just heat pads all over my body all the time to not trigger another migraine. That's like my. Right now. The. The. The mind that I'm don't want to step on is like my muscles seizing to a point where I have, like, a migraine for a week, which was the first time. So it's. It's better.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You've communicated the migraine issue at all.

[Sujin Park]

A hundred. Oh, yeah. I canceled. She's terrified for her life.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

She may fire me.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Right.

[Sujin Park]

She may be like, I wouldn't be surprised if I got a text from her saying, maybe I'm not the one. Because she. From the way that she's talking to me, it feels like she's very unsure.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Of what to do with me. And it's not her fault. And I wish I could sit across from her with an Asian salad and an iced tea and say, this is so not you. But, I mean, I don't know this woman. I only know the first four letters of her word, an abbreviated version of her name. I don't know who this woman is.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Right.

[Sujin Park]

I can't say to her, like, you don't understand. When I say, I've never really been in a gym. I'm not talking about. I've never been to a hiit class. You know, I'm not talking about, like, it's been a minute. I'm saying, literally, my body does not know how to move this way. So I see her brain calibrating.

[Culat Vilaisak]

If you think of me as sort of being. This gym is as if I'm going to the moon. This is an orbit I am not accustomed to. And I feel that my bones are breaking down as soon As I step in. And this isn't hyperbole. This is dem facts. You try that.

[Sujin Park]

I wish we could get there.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I know it's tough. It's like you have to build this sort of foundation before you can kind of. Yes.

[Sujin Park]

This trust. She doesn't trust me. I don't trust myself.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You're in this head of like, oh, no, I need to manage her.

[Sujin Park]

That's kind of where I am. Because it just. You know, as an auntie, you're never going to stop auntying. Even if you're in unchartered territory with an expert, you're still the auntie in that relationship. So I want to just sit her down and be like, you're doing good in life. You seem happy, you seem healthy. Do not let this take you down.

[Culat Vilaisak]

No, don't let me take you down.

[Sujin Park]

Do not. Yeah. Like, this is a singular experience. I am in a different orbit. And you don't have to be in that orbit.

[Culat Vilaisak]

This has nothing to do with you.

[Sujin Park]

Where I am, with your life choices. Correct. So, anywho, the other thing I find interesting about the gym is in this type of relationship. I hate that small talk.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Ku, you've been here with trainers now. I know you've worked with trainers, like,

[Culat Vilaisak]

and I work with a trainer now. Yeah. And I do believe I told you the tale of where I threw. Threw the weight. Right. We've come a long way, me and my trainer, Eamon. And twice I believe I. Not at him. Not at him.

[Sujin Park]

Wait, I remember you saying that. But why did you throw he that in frustration? Cause he was doing something that was pissing you off. Right.

[Culat Vilaisak]

He was trying to motivate me in a nagging way, and I do not respond well to that. And if I say we've of course turned so many corners, he's become a close friend. In fact, I have added to Cart A. He gave me one of his pictures of when he was a competitive kickboxer, and I added that to my wall of champions in my gym. Of course, I'll post that photo. He joined such amazing people as John Gabris and Kendra Smith and Eugene Cordero in my wall of champions. So he's somebody I put on high, but at the time, we were getting to know one another. And he. Certain people do like that nagging coaching style. But if I tell you that I can't do something or it's not working for me, you better listen. You better listen. It is not gonna change. I mean, I'm gonna grind my heels down further and I'M going to throw away. And so that's. And I took a dumbbell. And again, not at him, to the side. There's no missing the aggression though.

[Sujin Park]

And by the way, if I remember correctly, us, when we had this conversation. It has, it has. You're making him a better trainer because he needs to stop that behavior. And in that way, perhaps I too

[Culat Vilaisak]

need to train your trainer.

[Sujin Park]

And I'm training my trainer in a way that she will. It'll benefit her. Now she can take on clients like me should she ever choose to do this again. And raise her hand when her boss says, anyone want to take a 50 year old woman who's never been to the gym? And she thought, well, this will be an E bike ride into the sunset.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Turns out she's having to. I see her pull out a notebook and I'm like, she pulling out notebooks with all her clients. She's going back to school.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Trying to figure out what are the exercises that I can do with her that will work. And in some twisted way, it's a gift.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah. I never saw the procedural show house, but I guess that's kind of like she's having to become Dr. House for you instead of patients who you're like, we've tried everything. We've taken every test. We gotta think outside the box. She's gotta do that with you in regards to physical activity.

[Sujin Park]

Correct. There are medical mysteries, and then there are gym mysteries. And that is the procedural we haven't seen yet.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And that is the procedural that you're living.

[Sujin Park]

And that is the procedural I am calling forth to all my gym mysteries out there. Do it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah. You're like a gym cryptid. You know what a cryptid is, right, Sue?

[Sujin Park]

No.

[Culat Vilaisak]

What is that cryptid is like, it's Bigfoot. It's the Loch Ness monster.

[Sujin Park]

It's just right.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay. You're this mythical, mythical beast that she's come across that has paid her and has a session that is allotted every week. But. Cause you know how to train a cheetah.

[Sujin Park]

You don't know how to train a

[Culat Vilaisak]

Sutch and pock, you know, a Sasquatch.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Because you can say, oh, a Sasquatch will probably like an ape mixed with, you know, and you try to, you try to do the ape program. Nope.

[Lisa]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It's wrong cry. Where's your equipment crash? You know, try as you may.

[Sujin Park]

So try endangered species. Go back. Go back to the wolfhound of Edgar Allan Poe.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Try there. Start there. And start to put together the, the Genus and the homojus. Yes. This.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You're a different species. Okay. So she's having to really, really dig in, you know?

[Sujin Park]

Dig in? Yeah. Like, I think at her advanced career, she has it dialed in. She's coasting. She's not bringing out her little gym notebook from 1992.

[Culat Vilaisak]

For most clients, she's like, oh, I'm going, yeah, yeah, do the set. And then she's like, I gotta go to the grocery store. I gotta get this and this. This.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

She's like, multitasking right with you. She's got to focus up, she's got to breathe, and she's got to be so fucking present.

[Sujin Park]

She brought out a wooden block. I don't know, box. And she said, can you step up and down with alternate legs? And I was like, girl, I don't even understand that sentence. What do you mean? So she showed me, and I said, yeah, that seems I'm just going up and down on a box and. And switching my foot. I get up and down that box, and I'm like, this box is too small.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Oh, great.

[Sujin Park]

I feel wobbly. No, I'm talking about width. Oh, height was fine. And she was like, oh, should I put two boxes next to each other? I said, let's try that. I know that that's not the norm. I know that you're not doing that for your other clients, but let's put a bunch of boxes out so I got a lot of room when I get shaky up there.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay, okay.

[Sujin Park]

You know, things like that where she's like, huh? Okay, okay, okay. The normal isn't so. She is. She's retraining her mind.

[Lisa]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

And I'm sure there are times I see that look where she's like, is it worth it? And that's where I may get fired.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You may get fired.

[Sujin Park]

But I have to speak my truth.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I can't go up on a box

[Sujin Park]

like that if I feel like I'm gonna wobble and fall off of it. Even though she reassures me that there's enough room, could you give me a

[Culat Vilaisak]

sense of how big the box is?

[Sujin Park]

I mean, it's a big box.

[Culat Vilaisak]

What's it look like?

[Sujin Park]

It's a giant wooden box.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay. Like a crate.

[Sujin Park]

Giant wooden. Like a big crate. Like a big crate. Big, big crate.

[Culat Vilaisak]

So you believe that you need two crates side by side?

[Sujin Park]

I'm not saying that I need it now. I'm just saying I would like to rest my pointy brain, put her down. Because she's like, oh. You know, at every stepping down like doing that mess. Can I just put her to bed? Get me more room on this.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay.

[Sujin Park]

So that she doesn't have to sound the alarm. Because I'm not used to doing this alternating my feet going up, going down. Now hold this weight. You know what I mean? Like, these are new things. And so she really is going back to basics and she hasn't in her advanced career done this. And I applaud her. I applaud her for showing up.

[Culat Vilaisak]

She sounds very brave.

[Sujin Park]

Very brave. They book in four sessions at a time. And when it came to rebooking that first block, she did double check with me. Are we continuing? Is this the choice that we are making for another four sessions? And I never venmoed faster because you're like I said, ding. Yes.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Wow.

[Sujin Park]

Anyway, so. So maybe that's my journey is for her.

[Culat Vilaisak]

She's like, she needs the money. Okay. To. It's like, wow.

[Sujin Park]

Desperate.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I. Maybe she's somebody who is actually so ambitious and she's like, I want to see the after.

[Sujin Park]

Right.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Right. Because it's going to be. To go from solo.

[Sujin Park]

Right.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Just has to see progress is almost. It's almost enticing. Almost like a drug. You know what that after picture is going to look like.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah. And again, I'm trying to not get fired, but I don't want to say to her, much like the plastic surgery that I did on my lids.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah. Because you're going to have to explain so much, by the way. I mean, you'd have to listen to

[Sujin Park]

the podcast exactly the same. My before and after, if I know me, ain't gonna look one bit of difference.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

But I will feel 30% lighter.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, it's going to show up in your blood work.

[Sujin Park]

God, what a kick in the butt if it doesn't. And that's. That's really. I cannot wait. And I know that some of you, not many of you after this 30 minute conversation about something so mundane and ridiculous are on the edge of your seat when I take my next blood draw in six months.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

What that will look like if you stick with it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I think it will make a difference.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, no, I'm sticking with it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You have to, Sujo.

[Sujin Park]

Now is she sticking with it?

[Culat Vilaisak]

No, I don't think so, but. And I think you need to be looking for backups and, you know, just, just seeing, you know, what other Santa Barbara gyms are. No, I, I don't believe that she'll stick it. But I. You have to though. You. I mean, everybody's on the blow yes.

[Sujin Park]

That is gonna be a hard blow when I come to this mic a few weeks from now and saying, I. I got fired and I'm looking. I'm looking for my next Sasquatch wrangler.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I mean, knowing you, she'll send you a text and all you're right is. I know. I know. Yeah, I know. I know, I know.

[Sujin Park]

Say no more. Meet me. Meet me for an Asian chicken salad. Yeah. Let's start. Right.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Let's start. Right.

[Sujin Park]

Anyway, that is so far been my and her journey look.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I. Yeah, I'm gonna need constant updates in this next six months. It's absolutely delightful. Continue to text me. That's important as well. And we'll make sure to keep the listeners updated.

[Sujin Park]

Koo, I don't need to brag about this again, but I am a teacher's pet.

[Culat Vilaisak]

How so?

[Sujin Park]

My identity is a student. You know what I mean? I do the homework. So when Masterclass decided to come on board to help put this little show back on the tracks, I got my number two out and I started to really take note. I started the year with a mindfulness course from John Kabat Zinn. Highly recommend for a good reset. Now, the last thing, though, I watched was this incredible documentary on Patricia Fee about fashion. And Coo, this just sparked something in my brain, you know, it just. It's one of those delicious looks into fashion icon history. You have to watch it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Ooh, I didn't know that that was available to us on Masterclass. I mean, it makes sense because they're all about igniting curiosity. With plans Starting at just $10 a month, you can get unlimited access to over 200 classes taught by the best possible business leaders, writers, and creators in the world. Plus, with audio mode, you can now listen on the go.

[Sujin Park]

Right now, our listeners get an additional 15% off any annual [e-mail] Add to Cart.

[Culat Vilaisak]

That's 15% [e-mail] Add to cart. Masterclass.com Add to cart.

[Sujin Park]

Okay, so, COO, do you remember earlier in the year, I was looking for just a simple cotton pant? It was on my list. I know. It's like you realize that sometimes you just need the basics, you know, after you get through all the glitter and fluff. And so it hit me, where do I want to go for just simple, gorgeous basics that are super high quality without the sticker shock? It is quince baby. And I check that right off off my list last week. Wow.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I mean, results. I already ranted about all the BS companies that are not getting That v Lifestock money this year. And Quince makes it really easy to hold that line. Carter's. You know these aunties love to nag about a good deal for a steal and Quince does it ethically.

[Sujin Park]

Don't get me started on their cashmere. Don't do that. You already know I scarf it and that is ATC lore. But I also got this cutie I'm wearing today. Coo. It's a gorgeous ribbed chocolate cotton cashmere cardigan you can just throw in the wash.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I mean it actually was going to tell you that I really like that cardigan on you.

[Sujin Park]

I didn't realize this is so you. This is. This is your color.

[Culat Vilaisak]

These are my color.

[Sujin Park]

To get this. This is my color. You need to get this.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes, sue, you're an animal right now. Go to quints.com addtocart for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to Q U I n c e.com addtocart for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com addtocart both Ku and I are

[Sujin Park]

big advocates of therapy and Grow Therapy makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. Meaning you can search by what matters to you like insurance, specialty, identity or availability. Plus you can do sessions virtually or in person, even nights and weekends, which feels very realistic for actual adult schedules.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And you can get started in as little as two days. There's no subscription or long term commitment. You just pay per session and you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance if life happens. Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans. Sessions average about $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan.

[Sujin Park]

Visit growtherapy.com addtocart today to get started. That's growththerapy.com addtocart growtherapy.com Add to Cart Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

[Culat Vilaisak]

We are back on Add to cart Suk before we get into my cart. In your fitness journey, have you purchased new shoes? Any. Any leggings? Actually, now you're finally using what you got from our freebies from Lululemon, aren't you?

[Sujin Park]

I look like a Jim Mama. Little Jim Mummy. Yeah. And. But no, I. I don't. No, I'm not doing that. And also like I Am committed to it. But let's see, let's see, let's not, let's not go crazy.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, I mean, this is the toughest thing to hear, but this, it's not even just about the six months because even if it's does make a difference, you still have to keep doing it. This is like a complete lifestyle change.

[Sujin Park]

People say. Legend has it out there, you gym freaks.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It gives me more energy.

[Sujin Park]

I. I'm happier. I get depressed if I don't go to the gym. So I'm hoping all those things that I've heard my whole life about mood, about energy are also true. No. Well, you're here to tell me it's

[Culat Vilaisak]

a little bit like your plastic surgery again.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, it moves the needle by one inch.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, it's more that like you should have done it earlier and you would have gotten and known that feeling. Because now, now I'm just like trying to like keep it together. You know what I mean? Like the amount of effort I have to put out to get so, like so many, so much less results and now it's just literally about like I'm an old woman and I need to keep my bones dense. It's so much more about like survival than it is aesthetics. Sorry, Suchin.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, why am I even surprised sitting here?

[Culat Vilaisak]

I mean, you will feel better. But it's like I have, I just. I am astounded. Things have changed a lot for me at 45 guys. And I'm really sort of dealing with that and understanding it, giving myself grace. But like the fact of the matter is, is like I work out three days a week and I, I am strong and all that, but I just

[Sujin Park]

have to do way more just to get that baseline. Yes. Maintain it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

Damn.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Dead bodies are a dread. I mean, that's what we're doing. I'm just, that's. I feel like that at the gym. I'm like, I'm just carrying around a rotting carcass, trying to just slap her into some. It does feel like that. Where I'm like, wow. It's a different type of taking care of your body, but necessary. I mean, what's the alternative?

[Culat Vilaisak]

I wanna. But also I do think because you have been such a mind for half a century that of course you are like going to feel better to be more integrated into your body. That's a great and good thing for you is to be integrated in your body for sure.

[Sujin Park]

I. That is less mind, more booty. That's what I'm looking at the next 5050 years. I want my butt to be as big as my brain when I die. You can't lay me down flat.

[Culat Vilaisak]

You have to. We're gonna have to lay her on her stomach and it's gonna be such an interesting open casket. So different. But so. But what she wanted, everybody. This is what she wanted.

[Sujin Park]

Betwixt my cheeks, lay the rose. Lay the black rose betwixt my cheeks.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Everybody just sit down.

[Sujin Park]

I just want to be dumb.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Big bootied, 90 year old.

[Sujin Park]

Are there any of those out there? I mean, that's still Sasquatch. The essence of me will be the same. You've never seen it, You've never experienced it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, it's sort of perfect because what's in vogue right now is to remove your bbls. But such in that's when suchin's gonna go like, you know what I'm gonna build up my ass is when everybody is abandoned.

[Sujin Park]

That is my bbl. Yeah. Touch it. Touch it. Upon my death.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

You know, much like.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Bring your rose up to the coffin. Place it between your cheeks. Touch it. Touch the cheeks.

[Sujin Park]

Remember when Kim Kardashian did an X ray of her butt on national television?

[Culat Vilaisak]

That's right.

[Sujin Park]

You don't. You won't need to do that. Bring the rose up, Wait in line, come up to the carcass. Lay the rose betwixt my cheeks and touch it and you will know the truth.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Touch her, but touch your forehead. Touch your heart. Say goodbye.

[Sujin Park]

Wait, are we even recording where's happening? This is not even an episode. Oh my God. It's just. Title of up. Okay, all right, we got to get into your card.

[Culat Vilaisak]

This is such and honestly you talking about building up your ass and just ass talk. It's a perfect segue into my cart. Soochinpak. It will surprise you, I think, to know because it surprised me that I went to a club.

[Sujin Park]

Okay.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I went to a club a couple weeks ago and specifically such and Pak.

[Sujin Park]

Like a dancing club or like a Dungeons and Dragons club meeting.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Interesting. Interesting that you have to ask that. Yes, it was like a dancing club.

[Sujin Park]

Okay, got it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

A Thursday night dance club. And I've sent you some photos that it's gonna be sort of just to help illustrate it for you because where I went to was a heated rivalry rave.

[Sujin Park]

Oh my God. I saw this briefly in your Google Doc and I actually. You wrote Club 90s presents heated rivalry Night. I was like, is this a new show?

[Culat Vilaisak]

That's the official name of the event that I went to. This is a traveling show.

[Sujin Park]

I feel Like, I've seen it on Instagram.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes. My friend and manager Jenny was like, hey, I've got two extra tickets. Do you want to go? And I looked at it and I was like, 9pm Start time. That's tough for me. Like, 9pm Oh, I don't know. Like, that was like in LA.

[Sujin Park]

Like, things close at 10:30. It's like last call. Yeah, that's okay.

[Culat Vilaisak]

9pm oh, oh, I don't know. I don't know about that. But then I was like, our friend Shawna's going.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And then I was like, I'm gonna invite Olivia to go too. Because we. We are constantly talking about heated rivalry. No. Like, this is so. It's sold out.

[Sujin Park]

This is so cute.

[Lisa]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I want to participate in life. Let's go.

[Sujin Park]

Let's go. Okay, great.

[Culat Vilaisak]

So I was like, okay, I'm gonna go. All right. 9:00pm and in my head, it's like from the get, I'm like, we're gonna be there nine at the dot. And not only are we gonna be at nine at the dot, it's like, we need to get dinner before because I can't start my night at 9pm or it's not going to happen. Like, these are all these things that I'm like, thinking about. So if you hit the link, you can see what I mean.

[Sujin Park]

You guys, this. Can we put this poster on our Instagram?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Of course we can. Yeah. And I've got pictures and I'm credible.

[Sujin Park]

The Post, whoever is putting this on is their genius. Serious is genius, serious profession.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Could you read what the description of the night is?

[Sujin Park]

Absolutely. It says, join Club 90s in celebrating the instant cult classic show dance to HR edits on giant screens mixed with the best queer anthems all night theme drinks, photo booth and unforgettable night.

[Culat Vilaisak]

In my head, I'm just like, yeah, it's gonna be like a dance party. Like, it's just like a dance party.

[Lisa]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And so I'm like, okay, last minute outfit. Like, what am I gonna wear? At first I wasn't even like, like, oh, whatever, who cares? But then people are dressing up, It's

[Sujin Park]

a theme night, like in hockey gear or.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Or various. Just like.

[Sujin Park]

Or whatever.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Queer heated rivalries, like leather daddies. There's all, you know, like. So I was like, okay. So I'm like, okay, I need a last minute outfit. Hit the link. I ended up with an Abercrombie mesh hockey jersey. Cannot tell you the last time I've bought anything from Abercrombie, but.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, this is Very heated rivalry. Very cute.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It's so cute you'll wear this again. Honestly, I wore it the entire day. It was so comfortable. Soojin, I will wear it again. It's also specifically, it's my colors. It's got cream, it's got green. It's the number seven. Lucky number seven. I'm like, here we go.

[Sujin Park]

Perfect.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay, so who's going? It's myself, my friend and manager Jenny who got the tickets, my really good friend Shauna and my friend Olivia who works for us. Works for the show. She's the best. We all love the show. I'm like excited. I'm gonna be with a bunch of super fans. We get Thai food, meet at my house, and then I drive us to this place on Vermont that I've never been before. And it's a straight club and we get there a little bit like a little bit after 9pm, valet, the car, walk basically right in to a club. So I sent you a photo of the marquee.

[Sujin Park]

Amazing.

[Culat Vilaisak]

So I think, I think it was multiple nights that it was sold out.

[Sujin Park]

This, I mean, this is a professional operation. This, I mean it would be also fun if it wasn't a professional operation. And you showed up at someone's garage, you know, and they were serving, you know, wiener dogs. But this is like full on marquee. It looks like you're going to some event at like, you know, like a concert.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes. And so we walk in and I just sent you a photo. You see me in my outfit. I'm wearing tennis shoes. I'm wearing. I mean like basically this is the outfit I wore all day. It's super comfortable. And we walk in and I was shocked. Full lights on though. Suchin.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah. Why are the lights so bright? It's like a conference center.

[Culat Vilaisak]

So wild. Sue. I'm like, oh wow. Like, I was like, this is interesting. Okay. Like a lot of lights on. Okay. And then with those lights on, I'm really taking in who my fellow patrons are.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, no. And I'm seeing just the back of this. And these are children.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And what youth you're seeing, you're seeing youth, children.

[Sujin Park]

I'm seeing platform converse.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, it occurred to me at that point, even though of course before I had stepped in that they had checked my ID and gave me a wristband. But to really understand that it was an 18 and up situation is to see baby faced kids having two X's on their hands for their apple juice. Yeah, on their hands to show that they grape juice.

[Sujin Park]

Apple juice.

[Culat Vilaisak]

They are 18. They are not. They are. They're not 21 yet.

[Sujin Park]

And that's why the lights are up.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Is that why?

[Sujin Park]

I don't know. Because there's no reason why it's so bright in your photos other than they want to make sure these babies don't hurt themselves because there's a lawsuit.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I don't know.

[Sujin Park]

Okay, I'm just. I'm conjecturing here. The lights never went down.

[Culat Vilaisak]

They did. They did. But it was. This is a. I really want to preface. This is unlike any sort of club situation I've ever been. And as a youth, being 16, I snuck into 18 and up clubs.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And they were.

[Sujin Park]

These kids look. Yeah, These kids look 16.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah. They look quite young.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

So full lights on. And then I was like, oh, clearly to the four of us. And Olivia is like 10 years younger than I am. We're the chaperones. We're the chaperones, I guess. Let's get a drink. And I was joking, like, or I think my friend Jenny was like, oh, look at this mocktail. And as you know, I am not drinking until a certain person dies.

[Lisa]

And

[Culat Vilaisak]

wait, have we talked about this?

[Sujin Park]

No. I'm like, who's dying?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, I hope, because that sounds. As soon as he dies, I will take to the streets and crack open a bottle of champagne and walk aimlessly to, you know, my other true loves and celebrate. That's basically what has been decided.

[Sujin Park]

Titties out, titties out.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Titties out in flip flops. Got it.

[Sujin Park]

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[Lisa]

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[Culat Vilaisak]

So I'm still dry, dry, dry, dry, dry, dry.

[Sujin Park]

Also, you're with children. Doesn't seem right.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I mean, in some ways as I talk more about this maybe makes more sense. So I ordered the mocktail that was available that had blueberry Red Bull in it.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, so you did have a drink.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Blueberry Red Bull. And I'm like, was this a bad idea?

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, I mean it wasn't a, wasn't a bad, bad idea.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I just, I'm like, I gotta stay up, you know, Like I had, I had like a, like a full fat coke for dinner because I was like, gotta stay awake. Like, it's like this is tough. Like I may not be asleep at this time, but I'm in bed usually. So. Sujin sending you another this time of video. I'm like, it's still like, like it was so stupid to get there that early, but it's the only way it could ever have happened. But the Lights were on for almost like a full hour. It just as it was filling in and just full lights on. And then I. Five minutes till.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, five minutes till.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Till 10pm oh, no. There. A countdown shows up. So please hit play on this video I just sent you just to give you a sense.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, it is packed in here

[Culat Vilaisak]

and there's a woo. There's like a woo. And like a countdown again, full lights. Yeah, A countdown starts at like five minutes.

[Sujin Park]

Okay.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And we're like, okay, something new's happening prior to this.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, Full.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Coming in, mingling.

[Sujin Park]

Is your music playing?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Are people dancing?

[Culat Vilaisak]

No dancing, but just sort of like music from the show. Like, soundtracky music is playing, like. Okay, okay, okay. So then I'm gonna send you this video of a countdown and please, full sound so you can just get a sense of what the room's like when we're counting down 10 seconds.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, it's a concert. Okay. It's like a concert.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

This is.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay, Sue.

[Sujin Park]

This is.

[Culat Vilaisak]

This is unlike any club experience I've ever, ever had. Everybody is looking at three huge screens.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And you had said this in the description, but I just didn't know what I was stepping into. So huge screens. In the middle there is. The dj, phones are up, and everybody's focus is on those screens. Right. And it's clip edits. They're playing clip edits from TikTok, from promo shoots, and for basically the entire evening. And sometimes there's lights, and it's just. There's hardly any dancing. Suchon Park. Hardly any dancing.

[Sujin Park]

I actually have no frame of reference for something like that.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It is. You're. It's like you're collectively, you're with people, but you're not. Like, it's in a situation where I. And anyway was like, I'm gonna dance with my girlfriends.

[Sujin Park]

Well, in that last video you sent there, that's kind of more of what I thought it would be. Clips of the show. Music from the show that everybody dancing to these, like, big moments in the show. But also, no, because it's full lights on and the vibe isn't quite there. But that's kind of. The last video was sort of like closer to what I thought it would be, but it really is more like a. Like a watch party. But like, not even. But then even the episode, you're not playing it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Actually, if we were watching an episode, like, in some ways, for me, that would have made slightly more sense. But it's like the DJ plays a song, and you saw the most recent One I sent you, right?

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And you can hear the music. It's not from the show.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, okay.

[Culat Vilaisak]

These are just sort of like dance music songs. But then you can look and see how, like, it's almost like a listening party with, like, TikTok clips. So it's really.

[Sujin Park]

It is really weird because the thing about this is. That is not what I thought. And you thought it was going to be, is that everyone's watching the screens.

[Lisa]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

More than they are actually being in the room. Now, here is my anthropological question.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Okay, great.

[Sujin Park]

Is it because these young people, that's kind of how they entertain themselves.

[Culat Vilaisak]

That's what I came to. That's where I landed. Because I was really.

[Sujin Park]

There's no way trying to understand that from our point of view, going to clubs in the traditional and the dance parties and even themed weird nights, that there would be. It would be screen forward. Like you're going there to dance your ass off, to laugh your ass off, whatever it is. This is like almost like if you stepped into a IRL tick tock post.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

And that is.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes, it was.

[Sujin Park]

You were too old.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Oh. I mean, from the.

[Sujin Park]

That is why we are too old to. To participate in something so bizarre.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It's so bizarre because. And even, like. Because that's the case. Sue, I've come to understand that, like, dancing is not the goal at all. Because the DJ set. Which is such a shame.

[Sujin Park]

Which is such a shame because it's that that soundtrack is so danceable, that those time periods are so danceable.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, yes and no. Because it's like, for the DJ set, like, it was such a jagged sort of set. Well, yeah, because it flew. Because you're not like, nothing.

[Sujin Park]

You're watching the clips. Yeah, the clips were the. That were. That was the main thing.

[Culat Vilaisak]

But, like, they're fan clips. Like, first of all, whoever is behind this is so genius. Because they're just like, mining clips off of TikTok and the Internet, using that, throwing those up on the screen, doing a little bit of, like, personalization. They played like a Lady Gaga song. And like, instead of like the song where she's like, can I get a ride on your disco stick? Or something like that. They say hockey stick instead, like, the minimum and they're selling out. And like, the DJ is like, one song isn't, like, building energy into the next song. It seems like, oh, okay, and now it's a Lana Del Rey song and it's slow, like, so. But if the goal isn't dancing, it's just sort of like Standing there and watching these clips, watching these clips together and kind of, like, moving and, like, a little bit of movement. And sometimes the DJ would be like, hey, do some people want to get on stage? And there would be a little moment of, like, people doing stuff, but then

[Sujin Park]

we're all looking that way.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It was one of the most unusual things that I've ever experienced. Then there was this, like, section that's all about Scott Thompson or Francois Arnaud. You know, the character is that. I hope I'm saying the right name, because I keep messing up with the kip and the skip and the tip and whatever. So there's a section. Yeah, and you brought Usher up earlier, but so it's just clips of Francois Arnault in the show, but also him as an actor. Just press clips. Yeah, press clips. And what's playing is Usher's Daddy's Home. And mind you, I'm laughing so hard like, he's 40 years old. Okay?

[Sujin Park]

Like, he's not even that old nephew's home.

[Culat Vilaisak]

And it's. And it's just like they say, daddy's home, home, summer. And that goes straight into George Michael's father figure.

[Sujin Park]

Now. There's a personality and a sense of humor about it.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It's just that he's so young. Babies, they're 18. So that is your father's age.

[Sujin Park]

Totally.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It was.

[Sujin Park]

No. You had no right. You had no right. You had no right to be there. I'm glad you went to see what happens in the underworld.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I mean, we don't tell you about this. Like, we're still talking.

[Sujin Park]

I know, but I'm saying we're. We're. This whole experience is catered for someone who was born in the 2000s. Yes, easily.

[Culat Vilaisak]

So now you know who's in that room. You know, I'm in that room. You know that we're all just standing looking at screens. So when it's, like, a fan edit of just, like, sex scenes. How freaking weird that is to be, like. To be standing there essentially, like, within community, watching softcore porn like Red Shoe Diaries of just, like, again from the show, but then, like, Hudson, like, eating, you know, a banana from that, like, magazine shoot he did. It's, like, so weird. And the kids are, like, like, losing their minds. It was just, like, just standing there with, like, 500 people.

[Sujin Park]

You know, here's my question. When talking about this experience, and then you being at the experience, does it. Is there a sense of, like, okay, is it like, oh, my God, these kids are having the time of their lives? I Mean, I, you know, can't relate so much, but I can appreciate that. Or is it a little bit like, wow, this is kind of sad that this is what Community is. Is looking at a bunch of screens of TikTok videos recut in Community.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I don't know. I mean, I just. I think I more saw it. Yeah. I guess if I'm being honest, maybe I do feel I don't want to be in judgment of.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It became clear to me, like, this is how content is consumed. One part is like, nice to be with other people.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Culat Vilaisak]

But, yeah, I'm not without judgment of like, oh, wow.

[Sujin Park]

But like, we're just looking at screens.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Bigger screens instead of looking at our smaller screens together. Yeah. I mean, that's kind of what it feels like to me, not having been there and just seeing these videos. It's like when I see. See my kids having a quote unquote play date and they're just all on their phones together.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

You know, and you're like, wow, this is you guys hanging out is like being on your phones and then be like, oh, check this out. And they're looking on their friends phones and they're all laughing and then they're going back to their phones and I'm like, wow, you know, this is what it means to hang out sometimes.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I relate to one another.

[Sujin Park]

Judgment. It's not judgment. It just is a different. I mean, the. All these kids look like they're having

[Culat Vilaisak]

a blast, but they seem to be having a blast. They seem to be.

[Sujin Park]

But they're all looking at screens.

[Culat Vilaisak]

They're definitely looking forward. They were all looking forward.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah. Because it looks like from where you're standing in the back of the room, it looks like a concert.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Well, I'm.

[Sujin Park]

Everyone's facing one direction.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes, exactly. And I'm like, sort of like in the back of like the dance floor. Sort of. And then there was a drag performer that I was like, oh, okay, well, this is a show. This actually, in a way that made sense for me. Like, there was a drag to watch something.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah. Actual performance.

[Culat Vilaisak]

But then it got like, you know, it got too crowded and hot at like 11:30. And I was like, okay, this is when we start to exit. Because now it is like a concert. You're just standing there, so.

[Sujin Park]

And you've had a full fat Coke. Yeah. Plus a blueberry Red Bull.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Oh, wait, I do need to send. I think this clip is pretty, like, almost like a generational clip in front of. Clear of what you're speaking of. Yeah. There's this, like, TikTok meme. It's like a. I don't even know if Sue. I'm so, like. Like. Is that how you say it? Like, of this, like, Russian dancer and that got popped up, and everybody gets the show, and then.

[Sujin Park]

And everybody gets up and does the meme dance.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah, oh, boy. Yeah, oh, boy.

[Sujin Park]

Remember when I said I wasn't being judgmental?

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

I know that they might have taken you over the video you sent me that. I'm like, now you're having people dance on stage, everybody watching you dancing to a TikTok meme while the TikTok meme plays on a giant screen behind you. Yeah. We got no business there.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah. So as we were walking out, I sent you this last video. Sent you so you could get the scope of the whole space. Because this is at the very back when we were about to leave, and you can see how busy it was. So we leave around, like, 11:30. Ish. That was the first time we get one of the soundtrack songs. So in the subject of, like, okay, so this. You play that song after this song. Okay. Huh. What a jagged playlist. Like, it was like a playlist. It wasn't like a DJ set. It was like a playlist. And the first of the soundtrack song was My Moon, My man by Feist. And it's just not a song you'd hear at the club. Yes. Awesome. I love Feist. I love that song. But it's just. Just so odd. It just. It was odd.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah. Well, because you're trying to frame it as a dance club experience with dance.

[Culat Vilaisak]

It never was and it never meant to be.

[Sujin Park]

No. It's this kind of new version of a watch party.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

And that's. You had no business.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I had no business.

[Sujin Park]

You have no business.

[Culat Vilaisak]

No business.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, did Olivia even have business? Was she as confused as you were?

[Culat Vilaisak]

She was like, okay, okay.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah. That's what I mean. I mean, I don't know that. I mean, I think it's like, yeah, this is for, like, you have to be in some sort of schooling.

[Culat Vilaisak]

They were babies. They were little kiddos. It was such a interesting experience, and it really makes me. I think I. I'm gonna do. Not exactly this, but I've been talking to Kai once a week. Kai's 15, my Kai. And just kind of like, I'm aunting. I'm, like, trying to understand the youth and. And they are different. And they. What? Their motivations, what. They're taking in the content. They're taking in the coloning.

[Sujin Park]

Oh my goodness, even that. Remember that year? How long ago was that? We were like, what are they doing

[Culat Vilaisak]

Set Max, it's a different set.

[Sujin Park]

Maxing. Come on. I have a kai and and I have no idea what to do.

[Culat Vilaisak]

I will share with you all my findings.

[Sujin Park]

Please share with me all your findings.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Yeah, I'm just getting to know the youth. I'm just trying to understand, you know,

[Sujin Park]

I mean, that's the service we provide.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Thank you folks for listening to another episode of Add to Cart.

[Sujin Park]

Leave in the comments on our IG post about this episode at Add to Cart Pod. We want to hear what are your slime body journeys? What are your. What are you doing for fun? You know, comment on on our vast experiences that we are bringing to Add to Cart. Also make sure to go to Add to Cart World. Enter your email to get updates. Fun things that could or be popping up in the near future. You want to be the first to know.

[Culat Vilaisak]

Bye bye.

[Sujin Park]

Attic Art is an Auntie's Unlimited production executive. Producers are Culat Vilaisak and Sujin Pak. Tony Williams is our engineer. The music is by Wasabi and produced by LA Made it and oh so familiar with additional music by APM Music. Be sure to check out all the items mentioned today on our Instagram at attacartpod. Follow Add to Cart wherever you get your podcasts.