So a bunch of Asian-Americans and Mexicans walk into an online podcast....
Just Kidding News is an offshoot of the popular YouTube comedy channel Just Kidding Films. As its name implies, Just Kidding News discusses current events and bizarre stories with colorful commentary provided by the "Just Kidding" team. The channel updates daily, with around 2-4 videos per day and each video covering 1-2 news stories. With an easy-going, conversational style, the videos are often humorous in the inexplicable directions they take and their ability to connect anything back to McDonalds. This channel also hosts the short documentaries the JK team makes.
The regular Just Kidding News team members include:
- Bart Kwan: One of the co-founders of the "Just Kidding" brand. In contrast to his huge build, his personality is often very childlike, to great comedic effect. He's also notable for having a very bizarre imagination and trolling his wife Geo.
- Joe Jo (note: According to the trademark documents, his IRL last name is Jitsukawa): The other co-founder of "Just Kidding" films. He's knowledgeable about a variety of subjects and will usually be the first to provide context and analysis of the more serious current events. He's also the agreed upon pervert of the group.
- Julia Chow: Usually responsible for reading the articles and providing a summary for the rest of the group. Typically the quietest member of the group, she sometimes trips over her words.
- Geovanna Kwan, "Geo": The Butt-Monkey of the group, she's frequently teased by Bart and David So, particularly because she's the only JK member who doesn't love McDonald's. She's often the straight man to Bart's goofiness as well as the member who will try to view the story from the opposing side.
- Tiffany: Came in as "Casey's Girlfriend", but now a regular cast member.
Just Kidding members who appear frequently:
- Tommy: Julia's ex-boyfriend, who usually plays the other straight man of the group. Left in March 2016.
- Casey: JK's chief editor.
Non-JK members who regularly appear:
- David So: Practically an honorary member as he appears almost as often as the regulars. Tends to steal the show whenever he appears as he's also a comedian. Likes to play the Sitcom Arch-Nemesis to Geo, to whom he's often a deadpan snarker.
- Shannon Boodram (sexologist)
- Gina Darling
- Anthony Lee
- Nikki Limo
- Taryn Southern
Just Kidding News includes examples of:
- Ascended Extra: Tiff upgraded from having frequent appearances in JK News episodes to being a full on anchor, in order to take away some of the burden from Julia, who had to sift through hundreds of submissions sent in by viewers.
- Asian and Nerdy
- Asian Drivers: In "China's Worst Driver", the team shares their experiences with terrible driving in Asian countries.
- Asian Rudeness: Whenever anyone does an Asian FOB impression, it usually includes this.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Geo to Bart. David likes to bring up that as much as Geo plays tough, she once worried over Bart going snorkeling.
- Butt-Monkey
- Geo, especially when it comes to McDonald's.
- To an extent, China, as a lot of JKN's scandalous or bizarre new stories come from there.
- Catchphrase:
- Julia: "In Fucked Up Parenting News"
- Joe: "Dats da mudda booshit" and "In Joemalia..."
- Geo: "That's sooo stupid"
- Bart: "That's fucked up."
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Bart and occasionally Jo.
- Couch Gag
- Every segment opens with "IN [something related to the story] NEWS..."
- The end of every video has a different JK member (or David) telling you how to submit a story, JK's social media handles, and that particular member's social media handle.
- Digging Yourself Deeper: This has happened to various people, but if the story involves McDonalds, very easily happens to Geo.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Julia.
- Genius Ditz: Bart. He obtained a Psycho-Bio degree from UCLA, planned to become a doctor, and occasionally shows off his knowledge of biology. At the same time, he thought the urethra and vagina were the same until the rest of the JK team informed him otherwise.
- Hilariously Abusive Childhood: David So is this trope personified, although we definitely see instances of this with the other members as well.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Bart can be very childlike and goofy, but he also has a very disturbing imagination and enjoys the thought of getting into a fight.
- Running Gag: Everyone loves McDonalds except Geo and no one will let her forget it.
- Anthony Lee and Kinjaz lost America's Best Dance Crew.
- Statuesque Stunner: Geo is nearly six feet tall, and seems to be the tallest out of the whole group.
- That Came Out Wrong: Julia
- Vitriolic Best Buds: David and Geo. Geo and Bart are a romantic version of this.
