Comedian Joel Kim Booster has been making a name for himself with appearances on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Conan, Netflix, Comedy Central and more, as well as with his brutally honest, absolutely hilarious observations about gay culture, which he regularly shares with his 60K followers on Twitter:
I hope Pete Buttigieg’s campaign slogan is written like a Grindr bio. “? to be President but would settle for VP if it gets there ?? I’m only human ?. Face pic to chat ????”
— Joel Kim Booster (@ihatejoelkim) March 14, 2019
The way I see it, I could either masturbate now, luxuriously, at my own pace, like a prince OR stare at Grindr for the next four hours, half heartedly send out a few nudes, forget to eat, accomplish nothing and jerk off hastily, in anger.
— Joel Kim Booster (@ihatejoelkim) March 13, 2019
A lot of people love to say things on the apps like “just living life” as though there is any other option oh my god is there another option?
— Joel Kim Booster (@ihatejoelkim) March 12, 2019
I’ve been sexually rejected by both the managers at my Equinox at two separate warehouse sex parties and that’s the kind of motivational trauma I simply cannot find at a Crunch or Gold’s!
— Joel Kim Booster (@ihatejoelkim) March 8, 2019
Now, he’s sharing more of that brutal honesty on the Advocate’s podcast LGBTQ&A, where he recently sat down to talk about a wide array of topics, ranging from his race to his penis, two things that are often conflated.
“The inherent assumption in ‘I’m not attracted to Asian men’ is that we all look the same or there’s an innate quality about Asian men that you cannot separate,” Booster says.
“Let’s be real, that’s the thing behind ‘No Asians’. Saying ‘I like a guy with a big dick who’s masculine, who’s muscular, who’s XYZ.'”
He continues, “All of the things that are not associated with Asian men typically in terms of the stereotypes we see in the media and elsewhere. But there are Asian men that exist who would check those boxes.”
Then there’s his penis, and the stereotype that Asian men aren’t as well-endowed as men of other races. Booster says “it’s a real weight” he’s carried for years.
“I feel this weird relationship to my dick,” he explains. “I love my penis. It is great and gorgeous, but there is this moment every time before I whip it out that I think, ‘Am I the first Asian penis that this person is going to see in a hookup? Am I gonna measure up? Is this going to meet expectations? Fall below expectations?'”
Having that sort of pressure, Booster says, “will truly drive you nuts.”
One of Booster’s biggest frustrations with the gay community is feeling excluded because of the stereotypes attached to his race.
“Sometimes you interact with someone whose entire view of your self-worth is wrapped up in f*ckability,” he says.
“No matter how I force my body into a shape that’s more in the zeitgeist of gay male desire, I will always be a little bit apart from that world because of my race and because of perceptions about my race.”
He continues, “I’ve accepted it, but it is tough sometimes to be introduced to somebody and just have them look through you and you know exactly why.”
“I’m not attracted to everybody that I meet,” he concludes, “but I still am able to treat people I’m not attracted to with respect and humanity.”
Scroll down for more pics from Booster’s Instagram page…
Josh447
I want that swimming raft…
Daggerman
..Crikey he looks like and concerning his comments about gay men sound terribly stereotypical.
iamru2
Wow he needs to get out of his own head! He sounds hypercritical of people and seems to have the ability to read their thoughts. I’d be willing to bet he’s just a little bit racist himself!
spacecadet
When a guy has a lot going for him including being attractive and having a great body, to be continuously rejected by gay guys, that is a pattern and nothing wrong with him assuming it has to be his race. Having that thought doesn’t make him racist. And know what “racism” actually means which is the belief that your race is superior to another’s.
sydboy007
@spacecadet most racism is more just simple prejudice. Treat a person as an individual rather than asign them a group identity that allows you to take the negative actions of the group and treat the individual as if they had done those actions.
iamru2
@ spacecadet I don’t find him the least bit attractive and I think he has an average body, has ZERO to do with his race. Its easier to say “oh he isn’t into me because of my race rather than the truth which for some is (especially a narcissist like him) much harder to deal with, IE not everyone finds you attractive!!!!
tdh1980
iamru2, but there definitely exist those who don’t find men of color attractive for the sole reason that they are not white. They are unable to point to a specific physical quality other than race or ethnicity which they find undesirable.
Coruna2018
That’s right, Iamru2,
Do some deflecting of someone’s point, as a way of discrediting what that person says because you don’t agree with him and it strikes a nerve in you. Booster has his experiences, built on what you’re not: an Asian-American man. How smug of you to discredit what he says when you, yourself, are not like him. If you “wore his shoes”, you would get what he says. You wouldn’t like what you’d experience but it would break open the cocoon of racial superiority and cluelessness and let you experience what he and countless Asian-American men experience daily because of prejudices and stereotypes.
Creamsicle
An overthinking, hypercritical comedian? Who would have thunk it!
broadshoulder
Sorry but I love Asians
If you fancy a trip to London????
kamirX
I find it ironic, to say the least, that gay men of color (black, asian, latino) are allowed to express a preference for white men, as they often do, yet white men are vilified for doing the exact same thing.
spacecadet
There is nothing wrong with stating a preference. It’s when you state “no this or that” which makes you douchey.
tdh1980
kamirX, I assure you that gay men of color who “prefer” white men to the exclusion of everyone else most certainly have issues with internalized racism.
kamirX
So you believe someone expressing their preference as “whites only” (saying what they want) as opposed to “no asians” (saying what they don’t want) would not invite criticism?
okiloki
You just answered your own question. Anyone including gay men of color who say “whites only” will invite criticism. You can say “whites+” or I have a preference for so and so but to say “whites only” or “no (insert race)” just reeks of exclusionism and a few forms of racism.
spacecadet
I actually like it when they post “no Asians, or no blacks, or no Hispanics” because even though I’m in the group they’re looking for, I know they’re complete douchebags who I should avoid engaging with. They can easily post what kinds of guys they are into as opposed to who they aren’t. Besides, speaking for myself, I’ve found guys of every race attractive so I would never exclude an entire race of people when trying to make some sort of connection.
I’m actually mixed and when a guy who had in his profile “not into Asians” hit me up, I promptly told him I was Asian and that shut him up probably out of embarrassment. I guess he should have put in his profile “into guys that look close enough to white”.
YasherL
heh, i need to learn once and for all that reading comments on any (however slightly or indirectly) race-related article on queerty will probably suck the joy out of the rest of my day.
mz.sam
There will always be racism…always. But whether Hetero of ‘Mo many people have preference types. It will JK better if he hooks up with ‘rice queens’ no matter the race. Best of luck.
QueerTruth
Here’s my issue with the never ending discussion.
Doctor heal thy self.
Nearly all Asian Americans and Canadians who I know, are not attracted to other Asians. Asian society across the world does everything within their power to look less Asian. And here is the true problem. (Self hatred)
So I would ask Joel- how many Asian men have you dated? Interesting all the above pics show you with one white guy after another. Work on yourself and my your own business with other people’s interests.
Coruna2018
QueerTruth,
Your comments do not wipe out the reality or racism in physical and sexual attraction. It’s as there as you or I exist. NO ONE likes to admit racism in any way, NO ONE. Therefore, racists of most stripes, except the KKK/alt-right types, will deflect the person’s statement who called out racism in order to discredit what that person says and to make the racist feel better. Anyone who fetishizes a person because of their race, such as whites saying, “No Asians nor Latinos” as well as an Asian-American man who posts “Whites Only!” is a racist, either seeing an ENTIRE group of men as either, categorically, unattractive or objectified for certain attributes considered sexy, rather than being attracted to another man, who happens to be of color or non-color (white) :-).
Creamsicle
Anyone who wants to learn more about Joel Kim Booster should check out his story telling on the RISK! Podcast. He’s funny, sincere, and talks about his very unique experiences as an adopted child to a white evangelical Christian family.
And yeah he’s really easy on the eyes too.
bowlingbutch
I am totally in love with this man. Wonder if my being over 60 is a problem????
Larry McD
Spacecadet nailed it.
iamru2
@ spacecadet
I too find guys attractive from every race but its not racist for those who do not and post it in their profiles. It is snarky though to say it, as it is to say no fems, fats etc. But to go online and expect civility from people is delusional to say the least.
thisiswhatithunk
Ugh. Absolutely nothing going on here. Okay body, incredibly average face. Way hotter guys out there, Asian or not. Bitch needs to get over himself ?
Bubbleandsqueal
I wouldn’t date him because of what he wears when he’s in Cinque Terre.
Walker
No real need to joke about how insecure you are when it’s an invisible tag on every Instagram post.
Sorry, dude, you don’t get to bitch about people being shallow when you are incredibly shallow.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
I am a White guy and an incredibly attracted to Asian guys.
Stating your preference as to what a guy looks like who you are seeking to have sex with is certainly not racism. Spewing hatred by proclaiming “I hate Blacks, Asians, Whites et all is racism defined. Everyone is so quick to pounce on each other, our community is tearing itself apart from the inside out.
Everyone wants to race to whip out the victim card.
Everyone is entitled to state the type of guys they are attracted to without having to explain, nor be accused of hating on another race. If someone is not attracted to you put your big boy pants on and move on to the next profile.
And the myth that all Asian guys are hung tiny is absolute bullthit, some of the biggest dciks I ever saw were attached to Asian guys….. :-p
jorgecruz
Ironic much? He posts shirtless photos of himself all the time. He goes to gay parties regularly in little underwear, costumes and bikinis. He openly comments about his frequent cruising on phone apps and his random tricks and yet somehow he is disappointed in the superficiality of the gay community? Guys normally don’t start conversations with “I’m not in to asians” when they are picking teammates for a sports league or volunteering for a charity. He might want to look beyond the sex parties and the apps to meet people.