S6E55 The Two Kens on Rental Family, the MAGA California Gubernatorial Candidate, and Wicked

Ken Fong and I sit down for one of our richest, most thought-provoking conversations yet.

We begin with the quietly powerful new film Rental Family, where Brendan Fraser’s lonely American actor in Tokyo becomes the “token white guy” in Japan’s unusual rental family industry. What begins as performance becomes something far deeper — and it opens the door for us to discuss honestly intercultural relationships, identity, belonging, and the longing for genuine connection in an era of isolation.

From there, we take a turn into the world of (now Candidate for Governor of California) Pastor Ché Ahn, the New Apostolic Reformation, and the legacy of C. Peter Wagner — a professor both of us once studied under. We revisit Wagner’s vision of ethnically centered churches, Ahn’s rise as an apostolic figure, and his influential role in the Seven Mountain Mandate and the MAGA movement. This isn’t a hit piece — it’s a candid, personal reckoning with the theological, cultural, and political forces reshaping evangelicalism.

We also dive into Jon M. Chu’s reflections on Wicked, A.I., and Asian representation; the latest Tuesday election results; the troubling Tucker Carlson–Nick Fuentes pipeline; And yes — we talk about the shutdown, the blame game, and why today’s GOP seems allergic to health care, border solutions, and the social safety net.

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