Can you introduce yourselves?
Hey! I’m Aidan Park and this is my indefatiguable partner in podcasting and occasional shenanigans, Jamie Roddy.
Jamie : Yeah! What he said! We do a fun comedy podcast called the What To Do Show and we’ve partnered with the world famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood!
How/why did you both get into the entertainment industry?
A: haha! Have you met me? Or both of us? Well it actually started in High School when I did a musical… Which was a natural fit because We’re both so Loud (ok…maybe I’m the loud one here, but we’re both so OUT there that entertaining was what we’re both born to do) I started in the arts because I was severly depressed in High School as a barely english speaking in closet little gay boy with only Designing Women and Golden Girls as his pseudo gay role models.. (I mean in the 90s YIKES). I was happy to find theatre and the arts where more people like me were accepted. And did I mention that I was LOUD?
J. He is so loud..it’s true! Haha. But I’m proud of the work we’re doing to spread the message that anything other than perfect tolerance for all gender identities and proclivities is absolutely gauche. And Aidan is a great gay goodwill ambassador.
What has it been like being an out LGBTQ+ in the Entertainment Industry?
A. You know.. when I used to do musical theatre and looking for roles I tried to be… umm.. butcher.. but honestly I am one of those people who can’t fake anything… I mean… i guess I passed well enough to kiss girls on stage but… Like it makes me crazy to be somehting Im not! Personally I came out at 15 and never looked back. I love my LGBTQ+ community because we are some of the most compassionate and progressive thinkers on the planet. We’re incredibly welcoming, and I am so proud to see how we’ve managed to become mainstream in these last few decades. Still work today, but I’m proud to do my part to further the movement.
J. I’m a mostly straight woman who stands for love in all forms. I’m what an advocate looks like, and I’m grateful to my core for the messages we’ve been moved to share with the public who is open minded. Every step closer to pansexuality and omnisexuality is one step further from shame, hate, and bigotry.
Why start a podcast? What was the inspiration?
A: The podcast idea came from my advice column. I’ve lived through alot of trauma in my few years on this planet, and I’ve been moved to share the knowledge I’ve had to learn to cope with these issues. I was an undocumented gay korean immigrant raised by single grandma in govt housing and Im a recent widow… so.. umm.. lots of drama! But Ive always been into self development! I’m gone through neurolinguistic programming training as one of these modalities, for instance, among others. Then Jamie came along with essentially the same idea, and the stars were aligned and we started recording within a week of meeting eachother.
J: Yeah…the stars were really aligned with our meeting. Between his gay male perspective, and my mostly straight single mother perspective, we’re able to help almost every advice seeker by calling them on their blind spots so they can rectify their own point of view on any situation. We call people on their BS so they can be their best selves! And we’re finding that the problems that people have, whether gay, straight, bi, post or pre op transgender, pansexual (and everything fluidly in between) are universal. We end up telling people a lot of times that for instance: their egos are blinding them to a situation, or we show them that they’re not living their own truths. Universal advice that anyone can put to use.
A: And alot of humor. If you can’t take a joke, don’t call us!
J: Yeah…we’re probably going to gently make fun of your foibles.
A: Gently???!! Ha right girl! Didn’t you tell that one caller that you hoped she was pretty because she sounded so dumb?
J: Well she was sending money to a person she met on Words with Friends who lived on an “oil rig” who she never met in real life. So….yeah…I really really do hope she’s pretty (laughs)
What is the podcast about?
A: Our show “The What To Do Show” is a comedy advice podcast. It champions open mindedness and because of my exposure as a gay comic, a lot of our callers are in the LGBTQ+ community.
J: We give great advice and have a lot of fun doing it. But I’m especially proud of the education we’re able to bring the general population about the LGBTQ+ community. We’re really showing that these interpersonal problems people have are the same no matter what’s going on in the sheets, or kitchen, or burger shack bathroom! No judgement here…just jokes. and GOOD ADVICE
Where do you draw inspiration for each episode?
A: We never know who is going to call or what random stories they’re going to have for us. We can go from a straight girl talking about a tinder date who brought over a well used DIY dildo made from a repurposed chainsaw (yes! that really happened) to a former meth addict with in-law issues to a freshly out gender fluid young person wondering how to meet more people in their LGBTQ+ community.
When does it launch? How can people find it?
J: We launch this month! Everywhere podcasts are heard. The Laugh Factory is plugged in to at least 10 different podcast networks, so good luck escaping us! haha
A: Yeah! You’re all going to love listening as much as we love making it. What To Do with Aidan Park and Jamie Roddy!
Follow us
@Whattodoradio
Whattodoshow.com
Follow Aidan
@Aidanparkshow
