Why Netflix's Beef is now steeped in controversy

Trigger warning: The following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct.

Netflix's Beef has been gaining popularity since it first hit the streaming site in April.

The dark comedy about two strangers who become entangled in a tit-for-tat feud has been praised for its unique perspective on depression, the incredible acting (most notably from its leads Ali Wong and Steven Yeun) and its Asian American representation.

However, the Netflix hit has now found itself in the spotlight for less celebratory reasons that are centred around its supporting cast member David Choe.

Choe, who plays antagonist Issac, has come under fire for footage that has resurfaced from a 2014 podcast during which he admits to "rapey behaviour".

Since then, the actor has suggested the work was misinterpreted and claims the encounter was made up.

Here's a breakdown of the controversy.

What did Beef's David Choe say?

In 2014, Choe released an episode of his now-defunct podcast DVDASA dubbed 'Erection Quest'. During the episode, the Beef star retold a story describing his experience at a massage parlour and apparently admitting to having forced a masseuse to engage in oral sex.

In his own words (seen by Digital Spy), Choe said: "She's not into it but she's not stopping it either."

He then went on to say: "The thrill of possibly going to jail, that's what achieved the erection quest."

His co-host Asa Akira challenged his behaviour, responding: "Ew, you're basically telling us that you’re a rapist now, and that the only way to get your dick really hard is rape."

The Beef actor answered: "Yeah."

When the conversation drifted onto the sexual objectification of the masseuse, Akira pulled the focus back to Choe's conduct by reminding the guest of Choe's rape admission, to which he responded by calling himself a "successful rapist".

Choe eventually backtracked ever so slightly by saying: "I just want to make it clear that I admit that that's rapey behaviour, but I am not a rapist."

Following the backlash at the time of the episode's release, Choe released a statement in which he attempted to defend his indecent 'joke', by chalking the lewd retelling up to "bad storytelling".

"I am an artist and a storyteller," Choe explained. "I view my show DVDASA as a complete extension of my art. If I am guilty of anything, it's bad storytelling in the style of douche."

He went on to say that his "dark, tasteless, completely irreverent" show is often "misinterpreted", before concluding: "It's my version of reality, it's art that sometimes offends people. I'm sorry if anyone believed that the stories were fact. They were not!"

His work on Beef has now brought this episode screaming to attention. Choe has since attempted to bury the issue, claiming breach of copyright.

Why is Beef's David Choe filing for copyright infringement?

In mid-April, the clips from the 'Erection Quest' episode were posted on Twitter by writers Aura Bogado and Meecham Whitson Meriweather.

Bogado and Meriweather removed the shared material three days later following emails they'd received from Twitter notifying them of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices filed by Choe.

In the emails, someone alleging to be Choe, writing on behalf of the David Young Choe Foundation, informed the pair that the posts were "copyright infringing media". They were instructed to remove them "immediately" (as reported by Variety).

The online discourse has been urging Beef creator Lee Sung Jin, Netflix and executive producers Yeun and Wong to speak up regarding the matter with many taking to Twitter to voice their thoughts.

Following the revelation one journalist wrote:

"I'll also add that we reached out to Twitter, Netflix, A24, David Choe, Ali Wong, and Steven Yeun. So far, no responses from any of those parties."

"I love how Netflix social PR is just powering through like this David Choe convo isn't happening," one fan posted.

Another said: "We'll all need to keep speaking up about this and not let Netflix and Ali Wong or Steven Yeun sweep this under the rug.

"The hope will be because it's old, we will talk about it and forget and they Can silently drop him from season 2. But f**k that."

One person added: "Next semester I'll be teaching Asian American literature. I was going to assign #BEEFNetflix. Not anymore. Those responsible for hiring David Choe did a huge disservice to the community, to survivors, to themselves. We can do better. We must!"

Both Yeun and Wong have now broken their silence in a joint statement released to Vanity Fair in which they referred to Choe's story as "undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing."

The pair, however, also confirmed that since then Choe has "put in the work to get the mental health support he needed."

Lee Sung Jin has yet to comment on the matter.

Digital Spy has reached out to Netflix and A24 for comment.

We will keep you updated as the situation develops.

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, who work towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.

Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.

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