‘Beef’ star David Choe cites copyright as he issues takedown notices for 2014 podcast
Beef star and graffiti artist David Choe is citing copyright law to have clips of a disturbing nine-year-old podcast discussion pulled from social media after they resurfaced.
Following his appearance on the new hit Netflix show, a controversial retelling of an alleged sexual encounter with a massage therapist, revealed during a March 2014 episode of his now-cancelled podcast DVDASA, went viral Monday.
Choe, who hosted the episode, bullishly claimed that she had intimately touched the female masseuse without her consent before demanding she perform a sexual act on him.
Aura Bogado, a writer who tweeted the clip, wrote Monday afternoon: “David Choe wrote to Twitter to remove for copyright reasons the video I posted of him talking about the woman he says he raped. He claims his *non-profit organization* owns the copyright to the video in which he talks about the alleged rape.’
Choe’s nonprofit organization, The David Young Choe Foundation, is named as the owner of the clip in the claim.
Beef star and graffiti artist David Choe (pictured right) cites copyright law to have clips of lurid nine-year-old podcast discussions removed from social media after they resurfaced
Writer Meecham Whitson Meriweather said his account was temporarily locked by the social media app after posting the clip, using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
That law allows copyright owners to enforce the removal of media if they violate their copyright.
Choe has yet to respond, but Merriweather told Vice he believes the artist went after him because they were making the most noise about the video.
“Maybe because we talked about it the most and we’re the ones who get the most traffic?” said Meriweather. “I’m not sure, but the video isn’t being monetized and his reason for getting it removed was pathetic.”
In the clip, Choe gave a vivid description of forcing the woman who massaged him to give him oral sex as well she had “given no signs that she loves me or that this is appropriate behavior.”
Choe added that the “excitement of possibly going to jail is what the quest for an erection has achieved.”
When his co-hosts pointed out that his behavior was rape-related, the performer joked that “she said yes with her eyes.”
Resurfaced: The viral clip has since spread again across various online forums following his performance as protagonist Steven Yeun’s criminally inclined cousin in Beef
During the episode, the actor also claimed to be sexually aroused while talking about the allegedly sordid encounter at a Los Angeles spa.
But after angry reactions and allegations of rape, he later admitted that he had fabricated the story.
The viral clip has since re-circulated across various online forums following his appearance as the criminally inclined cousin of lead actor Steven Yeun in Beef.
Choe has released a statement in response to allegations of rape Gawker saying he made up the story as an extension of his edgy art.
“I never thought I’d wake up late one afternoon and hear myself called a rapist. It sucks. Especially since I’m not. I’m not a rapist. I hate rapists, I think rapists should be raped and killed.’ he said.
Awkward: But Choe’s appearance on the show follows his narration of a sexual encounter with a massage therapist, revealed during a 2014 episode of his now-cancelled podcast, DVDASA
Boast: Choe, who hosted the episode, bullishly claimed that she had intimately touched the female masseuse without her consent before demanding she perform a sex act on him
“If I’m guilty of anything, it’s shower-style bad stories. Just as many of my paintings are often misinterpreted, so is my show.’
The statement added, “The main purpose of all my podcasts is to challenge and provoke my friends and the co-stars on the show… It’s a dark, tacky, utterly irreverent show.”
The artist had been harassed online for his story, with some concerned listeners even reaching out to Vice magazine, to which he had contributed.
One of them, Darn Small, posted on Vice’s Facebook page, “Out of curiosity, what do you think of this David Choe story… does he admit to raping a girl?” I feel quite uncomfortable after hearing this.’