Trump's Iran War Plan Was Dumber Than You Thought & U.S. Indicts 94-Year-Old Castro | Jonnie Park aka Dumbfoundead

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump's Iran War Plan Was Dumber Than You Thought & U.S. Indicts 94-Year-Old Castro | Jonnie Park aka Dumbfoundead
Date: May 21, 2026
Host: Ronnie Chieng
Guest: Johnny Park (Dumbfoundead)

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, hosted by Ronnie Chieng, blends signature Daily Show satire with hard-hitting headlines and an extended interview with battle rap legend Johnny Park aka Dumbfoundead. Topics range from the absurdities of recent U.S. foreign policy under Donald Trump to generational trends in “maxing,” as well as Dumbfoundead’s journey as an immigrant, rapper, and writer. The tone is sharp, irreverent, and unafraid to poke at the U.S. political circus and social obsessions alike.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Headlines: Trump’s Iran War Plan and U.S. Foreign Policy Misadventures

Trump’s Plan for Iran:

• Trump’s supposed regime change plan in Iran was to reinstate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—a controversial former president known for his nuclear ambitions.
  • “So the plan to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons was to install a leader who wanted to get nuclear weapons.” —Ronnie Chieng [03:43]
  • Comic incredulity about freeing Ahmadinejad from house arrest via an Israeli missile strike:
    “You can’t be under house arrest if you don’t have a house.” —Ronnie Chieng [04:14]

Greenland Strategy:

• After failed Iran policies, Trump targets Greenland for diplomatic overtures—and sends Louisiana’s governor as special envoy, whose “chocolate chip cookies” diplomacy gets roasted.
  • “Any country who has the little circles over the letters is always friendly, right? Denmark, Sweden. The country in Frozen.” —Ronnie Chieng [05:43]

U.S. Indicts 94-Year-Old Raul Castro:

• DOJ charges Raul Castro for crimes from 1996.
• Ridicule abounds at the idea of prosecuting a nonagenarian.
  • “Everywhere that guy sits is death row.” —Ronnie Chieng [07:47]
  • Mocking America’s fixation on going after aged autocrats, with Jordan Klepper lampooning:
    “Trump’s as dangerous to the elderly as uneven floors.” —Jordan Klepper [09:27]

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2. Generational Obsessions: “Maxing” Culture Segment (Back in Black)

The Looks Maxing Phenomenon:

• Lewis Black and the team take aim at Gen Z “maxing” trends—from looks maxing to “bone smashing.”
  • “They’ve done it. They’ve invented an unlikable personality.” —Ronnie Chieng on influencer “Clavicular” [14:17]
  • “Smashing your face with a hammer and hoping it heals correctly? What kind of shit brain plan is that?” —Ronnie Chieng [15:34]

Lifestyle Maxing Fads:

• Satirical deep-dive into various trends: sleep maxing, fiber maxing, friction maxing, and even “nothing maxing.”
• Highlights the absurd need to label compulsive routines as self-optimization.
  • “How the fuck is yogurt a lifestyle?” —Ronnie Chieng [16:53]
  • “Good news everyone. I’m just nothing maxing. I don’t need a prescription for clinical depression.” —Ronnie Chieng [17:48]

China Maxing: Faux Cultural Appropriation

• Mocks the online micro-trend of non-Chinese people “China maxing” by adopting hackneyed lifestyle habits.
  • “Boiling a goji berry doesn’t make you Chinese. You know what does make you Chinese? Being Chinese.” —Ronnie Chieng [19:13]

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3. In-Depth Interview: Johnny Park aka Dumbfoundead

Early Life & Battle Rap Origins

• Johnny Park recounts growing up in LA’s Koreatown, discovering battle rap as a teenager, and the evolution of his alter ego “Dumbfounded.”
  • “I was 14 years old. That’s when I got the name Dumbfounded, which hasn’t aged too well as I turned 40 recently.” —Johnny Park [22:54]
  • “It felt like when Spider-Man bit Peter Parker... I turned into Dumbfounded.” —Johnny Park [23:04]

Navigating Race in Battle Rap

• Reflections on being a rare Asian face in competitive rap circles, handling racist jabs, and using humor for resilience.
  • “Everybody has something. You know, the overweight kid gets the overweight jokes... obviously I got the Asian jokes…‘Damn, Jackie Chan can spit.’” —Johnny Park [24:23 / 24:55]
  • “There’s something about that arena you appreciate…even if you get hit with some racist bars, you’re like, that was a clever racist bar.” —Johnny Park [31:58]

Evolution of Battle Rap

• Discusses the shift from freestyle battles to meticulously researched, pre-written showdowns.
  • “Now...it’s, prepared, written, and they pair up two opponents, like almost a boxing card…way more brutal than freestyling.” —Johnny Park [26:29]

Mental Health & Stepping Away

• Johnny Park on why he distanced himself from battle rap: mental strain of prepping for intense, personal showdowns.
  • “Thinking about another man for a whole month… it’s tough, you know; it’s not good for my mental health.” —Johnny Park [33:04]

Community, Mentorship & Legacy

• Relationship with other Asian-American battle rappers like MC Jin, and on serving as an “OG uncle” to the younger generation.
  • “I feel like sometimes being 40 feels like being 60 in rap years…But I embrace all new genres, new forms, new types of rappers...” —Johnny Park [28:03]
  • On diversity in the scene & mentorship from/with Anderson Paak. [28:43]

Writing, Acting & Recent Work

• Transition into writing for “Beef” season two, starring in Netflix’s “Nemesis,” and authorship of new memoir, Spit: A Life in Battles.
  • “They gave this young Asian kid from LA so much confidence to step into these rooms, like the writers room of Beef Season two...I’m in there like I’m a high school dropout.” —Johnny Park [34:47]

Immigration Story

• Moving from Argentina to the U.S. as a child through the Mexican border with his mother.
  • “My mom, she carried me when I was 3 years old and my sister…through the Mexican border illegally with coyotes...” —Johnny Park [38:11]

Closing—Live Rap & Book Plug

• Dumbfoundead improvises a light-hearted rhyme about Ronnie Chieng and representation:
  • “Ronny Chieng, I love to see you shine like a diamond ring from Johnny Dang…Glad you’re on the Daily Show / Cause without you, we wouldn’t have any Asian folk.” —Johnny Park [38:59]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “So the plan to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons was to install a leader who wanted to get nuclear weapons.” —Ronnie Chieng [03:43]
• “You can’t be under house arrest if you don’t have a house.” —Ronnie Chieng [04:14]
• “Everywhere that guy sits is death row.” —Ronnie Chieng [07:47]
• “You know what does make you Chinese? Being Chinese.” —Ronnie Chieng [19:13]
• “It felt like when Spider-Man bit Peter Parker… I turned into Dumbfounded.” —Johnny Park [23:04]
• “That was a clever racist bar, you know, we leave that arena shaking hands and it’s a sport…that’s how I took it.” —Johnny Park [31:58]
• “They gave this young Asian kid from LA so much confidence to step into these rooms, like the writers room of Beef Season two...I’m in there like I’m a high school dropout.” —Johnny Park [34:47]

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Key Timestamps

• [01:24] – Show intro; Trump dominates congressional primaries
• [03:19] – Trump’s Iran war plan revealed as absurdly misguided
• [05:16] – Greenland “diplomacy” via cookies
• [07:37] – DOJ charges Raul Castro, age 94
• [09:27] – Jordan Klepper on America’s gerontocracy and militarism
• [13:22] – “Back in Black” with Lewis Black: Looks maxing
• [16:34] – Coverage of sleep maxing, fiber maxing, and “nothing maxing”
• [18:40] – China maxing, yogurt maxing, and the satire of illusory identity fads
• [21:54] – Interview with Johnny Park aka Dumbfoundead begins
• [24:55] – Handling racism and stereotypes in battle rap
• [26:29] – Battle rap evolution (freestyle to written)
• [28:03] – Being an OG amidst the young generation
• [31:58] – On thick skin and the art of clever insult
• [34:47] – Music, new projects, and transition to acting/writing
• [38:11] – Immigration story: crossing into America as a child
• [38:59] – Dumbfoundead freestyle for Ronnie Chieng
• [39:54] – Moment of Z: satirical Trump audio

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode skewers current events with outrageous, deadpan humor while giving space for meaningful conversation about race, resiliency, creative evolution, and the value of carving out one’s voice as a minority in America. Johnny Park’s story stands out as a journey from outsider to cultural folk hero, mapping onto the broader absurdities of contemporary American life dissected by The Daily Show’s incisive news team.

Transcript

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[Ronnie Chieng]

You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Ronnie Chang.

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Roy Chang. We got so much to talk tonight. America's newest diplomat is the Keebler Elf. The Iran war somehow got even more embarrassing. And Lewis Black finds out what a clavicular is and he's not happy about it. But first, let's get into the Latest on indecision 2026. There were six important congressional primaries yesterday. So you know what that means. If you live in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon or Pennsylvania, you forgot to vote. And once again, the big story is Donald Trump absolutely stomping on disloyal Republicans like Godzilla with slightly thicker ankles.

[News Correspondent]

Another round of retaliation for President Trump. He has helped unseat one of his most prominent Republican critics on the Hill, Congressman Thomas Massie, who spearheaded the law forcing the release of the Epstein files.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah, that'll teach you to try to expose pedophiles. What is going on here? Releasing the Epstein files didn't put anyone in prison. The guy who got the Epstein files released got voted out. And meanwhile, the Michael Jackson movie made $300 million. Is Is America pro pedophile now? Jeffrey, you killed yourself. The tides were turning. But let's move on from Trump meddling in primaries to him meddling all over the world, starting with his war in Iran. And I know people that think that Donald Trump didn't have a plan for the war. But guess what? Libtards and military generals. Turns out he did Have a plan. It was just very stupid.

[News Correspondent]

New reporting reveals an early objective of the war with Iran involved a regime change strategy that would reinstate former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the country's leader. Yes, that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran from 2005 to 2013, the man who strongly supported Iran's nuclear program and more.

[Ronnie Chieng]

So the plan to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons was to install a leader who wanted to get nuclear weapons.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I love it.

[Ronnie Chieng]

No notes. If you hate this plan, don't worry. That wasn't the part that didn't work.

[News Correspondent]

Ahmadinejad was injured on the war's first day by an Israeli strike at his home in Tehran that had been designed to free him from house arrest.

[Ronnie Chieng]

So you're telling me that two entire countries thought the smartest way to free someone from house arrest was to blow up his house? Nobody suggested, I don't know, calling a locksmith, uh, maybe sneaking him out in a laundry bin. What was the thinking here? You can't be under house arrest if you don't have a house.

So

that, obviously that plan didn't work. Uh, in fact, everything in the war of Iran has been a lot harder than we thought. But this is America. And what do we do when things get hard? Say it with me. We lose interest and move on to other things. For example, Greenland. Yeah, remember this shit? It was Trump's original takeover target and now he's got a new strategy for doing it. Seduce them with kindness.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry was in Greenland this week, his first trip as President Trump's new special envoy to the Danish territory.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Do you have a message from President Trump with you?

Actually, I do. I talked to him late last night. He said, go over there and make

a bunch of friends.

As many friends as we can.

Damn, this male loneliness epidemic is really getting out of control.

I mean,

American middle aged men are such losers that we need to take over Greenland just to make friends. Yes, Greenland has just been visited by America's spirit special envoy, which for some reason is the governor of Louisiana. And it shouldn't be hard to make friends because any country who has the little circles over the letters is always friendly, right? Denmark, Sweden. The country in frozen. So I'm sure it went fine. He wanted to know if you were famous. I said, well, I don't know if he's famous, but he's the governor of Louisiana.

Y' all want to get the picture?

No, This, this Greenland kid is like, oh, sorry, you said that you're the governor of which state? Nah, I'm good, I'm good. Is Kathy Hochul around? Or someone else like. Come on, kid. You're not impressed by Jeff Landry? This man is the governor of America's second most illiterate skill. Does that mean anything to you? But sure, I get it. I mean, phones nowadays can only hold like what, 60,000 photos? You gotta make them count. I mean, Jeff, you're embarrassing us in front of our future colony. Step up your game, okay? Turn on that Southern charm.

Greenland news outlets reported that Landry was seen handing out chocolate cookies. You come to the governor's mansion, all the chocolate chip cookies you can eat,

stranger. Stranger. Danger stranger. Great idea for winning over the people of Greenland. Talk to them like the neighborhood pedophile. I'm telling you, Epstein, you went too soon. All right, Everything. It would have been okay. So Greenland isn't working out either. But don't worry, there are lots of countries we can still pick a fight with.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Breaking news. The Department of Justice filing criminal charges against former Cuban president Raul Castro.

[Ronnie Chieng]

The 94 year old Castro?

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

The brother of Fidel Castro?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Holy shit. We're gonna send a 94 year old man to jail? Like, what's the point? Everywhere that guy sits is death row. I mean, I mean, look at this guy. He's so old, he needs help walking from another old guy. Where are you gonna find a jury of his peers with a. With a Ouija board? I mean, on the plus side, I guess you don't need to handcuff him. You can just tie his hands together with his long droopy balls. At least this shows that no one is above the law. Even if your pants are above your nipples.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's.

[Ronnie Chieng]

I know, I know. It's funny, right? Yeah. It's a good thing none of us are ever getting old. Anyway. Let's hear the charges.

[News Correspondent]

The 94 year old faces criminal charges

[Ronnie Chieng]

in his alleged role in ordering two

[News Correspondent]

aircrafts to be shot down back when

[Ronnie Chieng]

he was the defense minister in 1996. Oh, man. The charges are from 1996. That was 30 years ago. He was only, what, 64 at the time? I mean, we all do crazy shit when we're young. On America's military efforts in Cuba, we go live to Havana with our very own Jordan Klepper. Jordan, the people love you. Why is America going after a 94 year old leader?

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, oh, so now you like old people in charge, huh? Everyone complains about a gerontocracy, but Trump's the only one willing to do something about it. Taking out Aging leaders with health conditions is what he does best. Raul Castro, Ayatollah Khamenei, Joe Biden. You know, Trump's as dangerous to the elderly as uneven floors.

[Ronnie Chieng]

So what, we're gonna go kidnap Castro and bring him to court like we did with Nicolas Maduro? Is that really the best use of America's military?

[Jordan Klepper]

Turns out, yes. We're not exactly spreading democracy or winning wars. The only war our defense secretary has won is the one against dry January. But what the enormous combined forces of the American military can do is beat up an old man. I'm talking targeted, methodical elder abuse. So here our message. If your dictator is on a mostly soup diet and says things like, in my day, computers used to take up a whole room, then American justice is on the way. And they are not even going to see us coming. And not just because of their nickel sized cataracts.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay, okay, but aren't we worried about the repercussions? I mean, these old leaders are gonna be furious.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, what are they gonna do? Threaten not to send us a birthday card with a whole $5 in it? In this economy, that's an insult. No, you old tyrants better get your affairs in order because America will be sending you to a slightly early grave. You hear that, autocrats? No, really, can you hear that?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Turn the volume up.

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm trying to threaten you.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay, okay. Do we need to spend tens of billions of dollars to take out people who are gonna be naturally replaced soon anyway?

[Jordan Klepper]

Uh, yes, Ronnie. We will show no mercy. Wherever you are, we're going to find you. Whether it's in a bingo hall, a model train convention, the penny slots in Atlantic City, and an aquarobics class, a shuffleboard court, a lemon party, a Rascal scooter store, one of those seats that takes you up the stairs, any room that has a TV playing Bonanza.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

We get.

[Ronnie Chieng]

We get it, we get it.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's just the beginning, Ronnie. Old autocrats everywhere will be living in fear that at any moment, naval seals will repel down into their bedrooms, gently wake them up, hand them their glasses, find their walker, retrieve their slippers, know their other good slippers, then get their pill box, tell them that grandkids are not really an option right now. I know you want them, but I'm just not in a good financial place right now. It's just a different world from the

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

one you grew up in.

[Jordan Klepper]

Goddammit. The point is, nobody over the age of 70 is safe from us. And I mean nobody.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Oh,

[Ronnie Chieng]

nobody. Nobody.

Okay, okay. Well, what about Vladimir?

[Jordan Klepper]

Put.

[Ronnie Chieng]

No, he's safe. All right, Jordan Klepper, everybody. When we come back, Lewis Black finds out if he's look maxing. So don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. When a news story falls through a cracks, Lewis Black catches it for a segment we call Back In Black.

If you're a young, hip, Gen Zing tiktoker like me, you probably know we're obsessed with our looks. I've got a full beat and I'm low key serving now for the oldies who don't know what I'm talking about. Neither do I. But what I do know is the Gen Z has decided to pull the vape out of their ass and take obsessing over their appearance to the next level.

[Lewis Black]

Looks maxing. It's an effort to maximize your looks. Often taken to the extreme. The goal to achieve what looks maxers call ascension, or what they consider the optimal measure of beauty. Controversial looks Maxer. Clavicular says he went to extreme measures to achieve his desired looks.

[Ronnie Chieng]

I've done, like, a lot of things, like fat dissolvers. Like, I've injected lipolysis agents into my face.

Wow, they've done it. They've invented an unable personality. What kind of dipshit name is Clavicular? Sounds like he's planning an attack on the Ninja Turtles. Whoa. Clavicular is releasing gas into the sewers. Cowabunga, dude. But take it from me, looks maxers, it's a lot more fun to destroy your body than preserve it. The only thing you should be injecting is heroin into your dick. It makes me feel like Grace Kelly. I may not be the Princess of Monaco, but I am king of this Starbucks bathroom. But if you think these carved and plump douchebags are idiots, wait until you see these literal numbskulls.

[Lewis Black]

Bone smashing has become increasingly popular.

[Jordan Klepper]

Do you guys know about bone smashing?

[Lewis Black]

People taking massage guns or even hammers to the face.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Smash the bones, baby.

[Lewis Black]

All to cause minor damage to the bone underneath in hopes that it will heal in a more pronounced way.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Jesus Christ. What the is happening? Don't get me wrong. It's nice to see kids doing some manual labor for once. But smashing your face with a hammer and hoping it heals correctly. What kind of shit brain plan is that? I hope I come out of this looking like George Clooney and not like I just gave oral to a Mack truck. And back in my day, you didn't break your face to improve your appearance. You broke your legs to get those Sweet handicap spots. Enjoy the long walk to Costco Polio, Paul. But of course, since there is no God, maxing doesn't stop with just looks. It now applies to everything.

[News Correspondent]

Sleep maxing. Millions of young adults now prioritizing their sleep routine.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

The trend is called fiber maxing. And it's shorthand for getting a ton of fiber.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Non a maxing. A slower, more domestic lifestyle.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Friction maxing, designed to put time and space between your phone and your wallet. Even yogurt maxing.

[News Correspondent]

Yogurt is not a phase, it's a lifestyle.

[Ronnie Chieng]

How the is yogurt a lifestyle? You can't come out to your parents as Oikos. Jesus Christ. Why does everything have to be labeled maxing? Just call it what it is. Compulsively doing something to fill the sad, empty void that is your life. Pretty catchy, if you ask me. Still, it turns out these morons can do anything to the max, including jack shit.

It's called nothing maxing.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Content creators making the deliberate decision to unplug, giving their brain time to do absolutely nothing.

[Ronnie Chieng]

20, 30 minutes in, and you kind of feel a lot of your muscles let go. Your thoughts are clear. You're leaving space to have that clarity.

Good news, everyone. I'm just nothing maxing. I don't need a prescription for clinical depression, and soon I'll be bedsore maxing. And to be clear, this video doesn't even count as doing nothing. Okay, still recorded it and posted it. My neighbor Cheryl, now she knows how to nothing max. Last week, they found her body being eaten by her 12 indoor cats. Ah, ha ha. Yeah, that's what I said. And she didn't move a muscle. Now that's what I call chillax. But the more I learn about these maxing trends, it only gets worse.

[News Correspondent]

China maxing features people from across the globe claiming to be Chinese while sharing lifestyle habits like only drinking warm water, wearing house slippers indoors, and making boiled apple tea with goji berries. My hot water with my goji berries. Some lemon, some apple. These days, if you ask the Internet, no matter where you were born, you too can be Chinese. I've been Chinese for about eight years,

[Ronnie Chieng]

For the love of God. China already has a billion people. I don't think their leaders are like, hey, guys, we could really use an extra Caitlyn with a Y. I can't believe I need to say this, but boiling a goji berry doesn't make you Chinese. You know what does make you Chinese? Being Chinese. I can't just wake up and go, ooh, I'm Feeling a little Mexican today. Maybe I'll treat myself to a nice quinceanera. Ah, ah, ah, ah. That chica is muy Kelly.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah,

[Ronnie Chieng]

but it's time to step aside, you pseudo Beijing bimbos. There's a hot new trend on the dock called Lewis maxing. Let me show you how. Sup, Louis, Max and Easters. First, brew a nice cup of tea. Second, tattoo, do not resuscitate across your chest. And third, hit your heroin dick with a hammer until it's yogurt. See if the kids get out of fam. Ronnie.

Look back, everyone. When we come back, Joni Pollack will be joining me on the show. So don't go away.

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[Ronnie Chieng]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. Our guest tonight is a Grammy nominated hip hop artist, actor, writer, whose new memoir is called Spit A Life in Battles. Please welcome my good friend, the one and only Johnny Park, AKA Dumbfounded. Everybody stood up. Everybody stood up. Even the old white people stood up. Everyone.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

The American dream. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Thanks for coming on the show, man.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Thanks for having me, bro.

[Ronnie Chieng]

I've known you a long time. First time we've been able to get you on the program. Yeah, I would say so. You don't have to. You are a legendary battle rapper.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Wow.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Folk hero among many Asian Americans and even black people.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Like I said, the American dream. The American dream.

[Ronnie Chieng]

So how did you get into battle rapping?

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I was 14 years old. That's when I got the name Dumbfounded, which hasn't aged too well as I turned 40 recently.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But it's like all first email addresses.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

But, you know, I was a scrawny, you know, kid from Koreatown, Los Angeles. And I feel like, you know, I was good at roasting kids in high school, in middle school and high school, and, you know, in rhyme form, I was even better. And it felt like when Spider man bit Peter Parker and he turned into Spider Man, I turned into dumbfounded, you know what I mean? And I kept going with it. I just loved the craft. I loved hip hop, you know, so.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Right. And you are obviously entering. People don't know, but you're 40 now.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Now they know

[Ronnie Chieng]

I'm 40 now. I guess my point is that you came out here and it's like battle rapping. But this was. I'm talking. This was like back in the day, you know, people think you just did it yesterday. This is like you were doing this. 30.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah. I mean, it wasn't like Kurtis blow in Furious 5, but it was quite a while ago. I mean, literally when I was 14 and I started making my. A name for myself in battle rap when I was like 7, 17, 18, and into my 20s, you know, was doing rap tours and all of that. Now I'm doing book tours. That's the age that I'm in. Yeah, yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You went from soju and rapping to hot tea and.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Hot tea and books. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But yeah, you aged gracefully, man. Thank you. But what was that like entering those kind of environments? Cause this was back before the Internet.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And this was. You were probably a minority among minorities as well.

Sure.

I'm guessing that you're not black.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And there were a lot of black people rapping.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I mean, clearly I got the Asian jokes. Obviously in this arena where nothing is off limits, you know, but what I realized in rap battles, everybody has something. You know, the overweight kid gets the overweight jokes, the Latino kid gets that. And obviously I got the Asian jokes. But I remember the first compliment I got in this open mic, which was, damn, Jackie Chan can spit. And I was like, I cherished every moment of that line. You know, I was like, I looked around, I was like, oh, he's talking about me.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But what was cool was that, I mean, battle rapping isn't just self expression, it's a battle. So you're saying awful things about other people. They're saying Awful things about you. Sure. One thing I loved in the book was that you were saying how, because, correct me if I'm wrong, but because there weren't a lot of Asian battle rappers at the time. When you showed up, people would just come at you with some very generic Asian shit. And it was almost like 8 mile. You're like, oh, yeah, this is. You knew what was coming and you managed to overcome it.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Well, I feel like that's when you get to know the general knowledge of what people think about Asians. You know, you hear the typical stereotypes and you get called the only three Asians they know, which is usually like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The fourth one is like a wild card. It's like Lucy Liu, maybe, I don't know. Yeah, yeah. In 2026, it'd be Ronny Chan. You know what I. Or like Simu. Or like Simu. They would call me like a teemu Simu or something, you know, like.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah, no, I'm always happy to be anyone's slur, so feel free to use me as a slur.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

What slur are you talking about right now?

[Ronnie Chieng]

But like, so you are going in there. What do you mean? No, I'm saying if you say. If you call an Asian guy, hey, Ronny Chieng, I'd be like, that's awesome.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it would happen in 2026 for sure. Would happen.

[Ronnie Chieng]

All right. Well, yeah, I might have for that happened. Let's get that slur started. Yeah. So you will go in and can you tell us a little bit of the mechanics of battle rap?

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah, I mean, you know, when I started, it was all freestyle, off the dome. And now I think in the modern area, modern era of battle rap, it's, you know, prepared, written, and they pair up two opponents, like almost a boxing card, you know, you know who you're gonna battle like a month ahead. You prepare for each other, and a lot of people think that's like cheating almost. From the original, we would come off the top, but actually people come with way more thought out rhymes against each other. And it's a lot more brutal than freestyling. And you're talking about someone else's shoes that they're wearing on the spot, you know what I mean?

[Ronnie Chieng]

So back in the day, it was very much impromptu.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

You sign up and you don't know who you're gonna get paired up with and they call you on stage. Like, you know, similar to 8 mile, which you've seen on. Sure, yeah, yeah, sure, yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But, and, but now you're saying people kind of. They research. They looked on LinkedIn.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

They're pulling IMDb. Carf.

[Jordan Klepper]

Ford Focus.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I see you. Yeah, yeah. No, they're pulling up the Zillow.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Look at your house.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

It's undervalued, fam. No, but they are, you know, police records. Like, I've seen it all. I've seen it all. Your hospital records. Yeah. You had chlamydia three months ago. It's crazy.

[Ronnie Chieng]

All right. Okay.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

That's not me, by the way. Another opponent. Yes. Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You fixed that. Yeah, but, like. So you're one of the old, like, you know, in the book, you say how you're kind of the uncle now. When you started, you were the young kid. Now your uncle. Sure. And you're one of the rare kind of OG uncles who you're actually not shitting on the modern game, it sounds like.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

No, I love it. You know, I feel like sometimes being 40 feels like being 60 in rap years, you know what I mean? And I started so young, and I think now there's plenty more rappers at an older age, you know? Cause I feel like lyricism is. That era had a lot of lyricism that people still want now. So there are a lot of rappers past their 40s. And that's amazing to see, you know, But I embrace all, you know, new genres and new forms, new types of rappers that are delivering new styles as well. So I love it. I'm a fan, so.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Right. And why, you know, you're someone who, like Drake and Anderson Paak, has called out as. They've called you out as, like, they've credited you as this kind of legendary

[Jordan Klepper]

figure in metal rapping.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Anderson Paak, who wrote the forward in my book, you know, he's a good friend of mine, brother. We came up in the music game together, sleeping on couches and all of that. And, you know, just learned a lot from that guy. He learned a lot from me. And we just came up together. And you wrote a nice blurb for the book.

[Ronnie Chieng]

For his book, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

It's in Chinese. I can't understand it, but it's. No, no, no.

[Ronnie Chieng]

It says Koreans. People can be cool, too. That's what it says.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah, yeah. We've had a little beef, you know, a little Chinese and Korean beef.

[Ronnie Chieng]

There's no beef. Yeah, there's no beef. You know what's cool about you is when I first came to America in 2016, I first went to LA. Cause our mutual friend is Awkwafina.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yes.

[Ronnie Chieng]

She introduced me to you and she and you were always cool to me in la.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You were always very nice to me, and I didn't understand why.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I feel like you. You have a battle rapper energy to you.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Do I? I can't fucking. I can't. Dude, come on camera. Wait, I have a. I have a battle rap energy. Wearing a suit and tie.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

No, these are the theatrics people will have in battle rap now.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Suit and tie.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I got police records here and. No, but you're on a tour right now that's almost like a rap battle.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Oh, yeah, you versus Hasan. Yeah, that's the tour. I'm shitting on. Hasan Minaj. Yeah, but we're not. You know, it's so much harder. You guys are like. You have to, like, make it rhyme. I just have to be racist. Like, it's way easier for me.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Definitely a lot of racism in battle rap, for sure.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And so. And that's the other thing that happened to you in battle rapping is like you have all these people saying the most awful things about you. But your energy from. Ever since I've known you is. You're a very positive guy. And I don't know whether you.

Someone is.

Yeah, someone is applauding.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

They're like, down with battle rap. Let's keep it positive.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Good thing you didn't succumb to racism.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

No, there's different styles in battle rap. There's the aggressive energy, but I'm a little bit more witty and funny. And it's hard to be gangster when your name is dumbfounded, you know what I mean?

[Ronnie Chieng]

But you were kind of using humor to deflect, I guess, right?

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

It is, it is. And that's how comedians do as well, you know what I'm saying? People get roasted. You have thick skin, and I got a lot of thick skin growing up in the neighborhood that I did, and also being like the only Asian in this kind of arena.

[Ronnie Chieng]

For sure. Yeah. And so I guess my question is, how did you kind of take. I feel like a lesson for everybody, especially all these people on the. No, no, no, no, not you guys. All these people on the Internet watching right now. Yeah, these people go yourselves. Can't stand you guys. Stop. Get off your phone or taking a shit on the toilet. Anyway, so, like, the lesson, I feel like, is this idea that you're able to take all this abuse and not. And not take it personally for some reason in battle rapping. Or maybe you did. I don't know. I mean.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

No, I mean, there's things that hurt me still. You know, there will be a comment under this clip that'll hurt me for sure.

[Ronnie Chieng]

These comments. Comments. No, I'm saying, I'm saying, I'm talking. I'm saying, like, when you're battle rapping in that community, because you're still kind of like, you're one of those guys who. You love the art form and you love that community.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yes.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Despite what I assume was horrible things said about you. So how did you kind of.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I think there's something about that arena you appreciate in the actual craft itself of rhyming. So even if you get hit with some racist bars, you're like, that was a clever racist bar, you know, you could appreciate. You know what I mean? We leave that arena shaking hands and it's a sport, you know, and that's how I took it.

[Ronnie Chieng]

I mean, did everyone else take it like that?

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Well, there was like a bit a comedian did where they said that when they heard like some dude say something racist on stage, that's when he realized it was 80% comedian and 20% of whatever race he was.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Oh, yeah, yeah. This was the Michael Richards.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah, Michael Richards and Dave Chappelle. Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And I think.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

And that's how I felt. I feel like I'm 80% battle rapper, 20% Asian sometimes in that arena.

[Ronnie Chieng]

That's you. But other people.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Oh, yeah, yeah, sure.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Shouldn't take it that way. And I cry on the inside.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

You know what I mean? Never show it. Never show your tears. That is. To the Internet.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. And your videos are kind of like. Again, you're kind of like this folk hero on the Internet. Like, people have been passing your videos around of you battle rapping. And I guess the question is, like, why did you, you know, you kind of stepped away from it. Like, I know you said it's. Cause you. In your book, you talk about how you kind of feel like you were getting older and it was time to.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

No, I still love battle rap. And I'm sure I. I can still do it. But going in that arena and thinking about another man for a whole month, preparing for this, it's tough, you know, it's not good for my mental health. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But, yeah, I mean, that's the thing. I mean, I always. I've been. Cause I know. Mr. Mc Jin.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Who's the. Whoever's the East Coast. Sorry, Mc Jin. I've been trying to get you guys to fight each other for a while now. Because what's interesting was that he was always on the east coast. And you Mentioned him in your book as someone you kind of was looking up to at the time. And you were always on the west coast. And you guys built these careers, battle rapping and making music. But you guys never met in the middle in Chicago and shout out.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

We never met before. He had kids. Now he has a family. He's a good Christian man. I just don't want to step in that arena with him, you know what I mean?

[Ronnie Chieng]

No. He told me he can't dig deep enough to do it because he's a nice guy. Now he unfortunately found Jesus or something, you know, and then he. And then now he says no, but he's saying that he can't dig deep to be mean anymore. Whereas you still can.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I still can. I'll give him some Jesus bars. You know what I mean? I will.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You know, MC Jin is. He's a great rapper. He came to my birthday and he made fun of my birthday cake. A legend. Yeah, but no, he was rapping about. He's like a genius freestyler. He's always wanted you guys to meet up.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

That's still a little soft if he's rapping about your birthday cake, you know?

[Ronnie Chieng]

No. Cause he's a nice guy.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Now that's a double layer. That's weak as hell, dog.

[Ronnie Chieng]

That's what he said. He made fun of my sugar free cake. I'm gonna mess up the bar. But yeah, but, yeah, so. And you stopped battle rapping. You kind of moved into other projects. Like you were a writer on Beef season two.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yeah, I only dabble in beefs. Rap beefs the show. Beef. Yeah, but it's, you know what it's. Is, is like I. I've always wanted to, you know, dabble in different mediums. Writing, acting, all of that. So it's. I'm never gonna leave rap battles alone. That's a subculture that I love. And I always, you know, my origin story will always be that. You know what I mean? And it taught me so much, gave me. They gave this young Asian kid from LA so much confidence to step into these rooms, like the writers room of Beef Season two, feeling confident with these writers from Severance and Game of Thrones. And I'm in there like I'm a high school dropout. You know what I mean? So. Yeah, no, don't.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Don't encourage that. Don't encourage that.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

It's all dropouts. It's all dropouts here.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah, yeah, don't do that. Stay in school.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And so I guess I don't know what. Because you were also making music, and now you're acting in Nemesis. Nemesis on Netflix. So you kind of transitioned into. I don't know, the way rappers transition into becoming. But I want, you know, let's get the music. Where's the music, man?

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Well, you know, I'm always pitching projects that are mixed with, you know, music and music heavy, so that's in the works. But, you know, I'm grateful for all these opportunities to jump into these other, you know, realms. Like, writing is great. This new Netflix show, Nemesis. It's like action crime dramas. Number one on Netflix right now, by the way. I just want to say it. I haven't got number one in anything in a while. Ronnie, please, let me just. Let me just have this moment real quick.

[Ronnie Chieng]

It's been a while, and we're on a rival network, but okay. Nothing matters if you bleep me. You don't believe in free speech?

We're not bleeping anything.

Someone said in the second act. Did you see that?

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

I did.

[Ronnie Chieng]

We don't bleep anything. Yeah. So I guess, like, this book. I did read it. It's very well written.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Thank you.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Super easy to read. I don't mean that in a bad way. No, it's.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

There's pictures in there.

[Ronnie Chieng]

There's pictures in it. There's pictures. There's pictures in it. There's, like, comics that you draw of your rap lyrics. But I just meant it's easier to read in that. It's like it's your story, but it's written in sections. Yeah. You know, you kind of divide it up. It's almost like for.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

That's how books are written. Ronnie, come on, man. No, no, no. But it's called Spit A Life in Battles, grinds.

[Ronnie Chieng]

It's like Dr. Seuss.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

It's different battles I've had in my life. Like, there's a battle between me and my father.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Oh, that's a battle between you and your father in the first two pages, that's for sure.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yes, yes. You know, I think a lot of Asian men have certain issues with their fathers. They could be very cold in the household. I wasn't encouraged to kind of have this free speech that I have now, I guess, in the house. You know, I didn't feel seen there. So I found a second family in hip hop in south la. Project blowed where I come from. And this open mic, you know, like a rap version of CBGB or, you know, Comedy Store. So it was that for me. Hip hop was that for Me.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Right. And you know, this is crazy because I don't want to get too into this because we could talk about your book for hours, but it's just like you also came across the border as a, as a illegal. I don't know, I don't know.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

What can we say? Illegal? I don't know.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Legal. Yeah. I don't want to get you in trouble here, but let's just say you came across the border

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

without a passion.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Passport, let's put it that way. Cuz you were born in Argentina.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

We had a trump gold card, I swear we had one. No, no, no, no. Yeah, I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You were born in Argentina.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

No, I was born in Argentina. My mom, she carried me when I was 3 years old and my sister was 1 years old through the Mexican border illegally with coyotes through the Mexican border. And, and imagine this Korean woman at that age, age, you know, for 10 days with two Korean kids through the Mexican border and we ended up in la. And that's where I've been since.

[Jordan Klepper]

Right.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And so.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Yeah, you. Yeah, for my mom. Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

So, you know, you'll rise from that into the kind of well respected battle rappers.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Nah. Thank you.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Super interesting story that everyone should check out in this. And I hope one day, you know, I'm hoping that. I'm just trying to get into one of your rap lyrics. One day. Oh yeah, if you. I've always tried to feature in.

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

Okay, let me, let me, let me see if I can spit something for you real quick. All right. You said you wouldn't make me dance like this. Come on, man. Ronny Cheng, I love to see you shine like a diamond ring from Johnny Dang. And I wasn't gonna spit any crazy flows, but maybe pros. But I'm glad you're on the Daily Show. Cause without you, we wouldn't have any Asian folk.

[Ronnie Chieng]

All right,

[Johnny Park (Dumbfounded)]

it.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Our life in battles is available now. Johnny park, everybody. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. Did you like that? Hey, that's our show for tonight. Now here it is, your moment of Z.

You have a really rigged vote in California. You have all the mail in ballast. Everything else very hard to win because the elections are very dishonest. If we had Jesus Christ come down and count the votes, I would have won California because I do great with Hispanics. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. Plus was. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.