Stand Up Comedy is Now in China, and They May Have Emo Phillips to Thank
New York Times journalist Christopher Beam checked out the comedy scene in China, a place not necessarily known for its stand up scene. And that’s because there really isn’t one, yet, but they’re on there way thanks to comedian Joe Wong. “[T]he form is still in its infancy” Beam writes. Wong is China’s most successful stand up comic, and he has a tough job. Most of his audience is not only seeing him perform for the first time, it’s also their first time seeing stand up comedy. “They’re not always sure how to react,” says Beam.
If the scene takes off in China, the nation may have Emo Phillips to thank. “Wong first encountered stand-up in 2001 in Houston, where he had moved from Beijing to get his Ph.D. in biochemistry at Rice University. One day, a friend took him to see the comedian Emo Philips. Wong didn’t get a lot of the jokes, but he relished the atmosphere; he loved the fact that no one knew what Philips might say next.”
Beam writes about Wong’s journey through comedy which included lots of open mics, comedy classes and plenty of bombing. But he worked hard and was even booked on Letterman. And he killed! Three more appearances, a manager, and a stint at the Washington Correspondents dinner later he’s now back in China helping to build the art form. The real challenge is getting the audience to ‘get’ it. Now there’s a comedy boom of sorts taking place, at least on the performance side. Audiences are a little behind. Read the full story at New York Times where Beam takes you through the progression of comedy in China, and how Wong, and many of the other aspiring performers, are trailblazers building a scene where one didn’t exist just a few years ago.
