Comedian Joe Wong:
Cut from a Different Kind of Mold

In the state of Massachusetts, which is known for its smart comedians, Joe Wong stands out from the pack.  6 time winner of the Lizard Lounge weekly comedy contest in Cambridge, MA, finalist in the Boston International Comedy and Film Festival, and winner of the Third Annual Great American Comedy Festival are among Joe’s many achievements.

Joe Wong is a Chinese immigrant who hails from Jilin, China.  He immigrated to America in 1994 to attend Rice University in Texas.  Since moving to Boston in 2001, Joe has attracted nationwide attention and has become a favorite on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Late Show with David Letterman, and has headlined for the annual dinner hosted by the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association, performing for the Vice President, Joe Biden, and receiving a standing ovation for his comedy. 

Wong’s unconventional, original, and inspired humor reaches out to audiences of all different age groups and cultural persuasions.  His work includes his personal experiences, ethnic and cultural differences, and social and political observations.  Joe is able to tell his jokes from the standpoint of both an insider as well as an outsider, having immigrated to America in his adult life.  Joe Wong currently performs in sold out shows at major comedy clubs and colleges throughout the country, along with benefits and corporate events.


YC: Who are you?

MR. WONG: Very existential question. I can answer that by the use of a Venn Diagram with 2 circles: 1. Guy whose name is Joe Wong 2. Professional standup comedian.

YC: What do you identify yourself as?

MR. WONG: An Asian-American comedian with a wife and a 3 year old son.

YC: When did you start learning English?

MR. WONG: In middle school as part of the curriculum.

YC: How old were you when you first came to the U.S.?

MR. WONG: I was 24.

YC: What did you come to the U.S. for?

MR. WONG: To study Biochemistry and become a professor.

YC: Aside from college, what were your interests for living in America? Did you plan on staying here long term?

MR. WONG: I loved the advanced science and technology, vibrant and diverse culture, and the freedom in this country. I came with the hope of staying in the U.S.

YC: What was your impression of Americans when you first arrived in the U.S.?

MR. WONG: It was a country of realized dreams. Great roads, cars, 24 hour hot running water and laboratories that have the money to buy reagents and equipment. I came to Texas so I felt that there were so fewer people in America.

YC: What aspects of your life back in China did you miss the most?

MR. WONG: I missed my childhood. China is rapidly changing, I may never be able to see those thatched huts, muddy roads and horse or cow drawn wagons again. And it will be weird to have to go to Bangladesh to reminisce on my childhood.

YC: What opportunities were offered to you in America did you appreciate the most that were not offered back in China?

MR. WONG: I would say the opportunity to think and act on my own instead of worrying about what my peers do or think. When I was in China I tended to want the same things others do, including studying abroad. Here in the US I was away from my old friends and family and after graduation, I really tried to look for my own identity and interest. The caveat here is I also got older more mature which could be another reason why I cared less about what others think of me.

YC: Did you have many friends in college? What were they like? Where they white? Chinese? Asian? What did they do with their free time? Were they studious? Were they into sports or extracurriculars? Did they like to party a lot (as many Americans in college do)?

MR. WONG: I had my fair share of friends at college. They were a mix of whites, foreigners and yes Asians. They mostly do the college stuff like ultimate freezbie, computer games, board games, travel and dating. Like most people. I loved partying and always felt that I didn't get to go to enough of them. I also worked hard too, especially in the first two years. I was one of the most hardworking students.

YC: What was your social life like in college?

MR. WONG: I hang out with my college friends from the same year and/or my lab mates. We play board games, we have poker nights, we go to bars to play pool and bowl. I also bar tended at the campus bar. I also had a brief stint as a columnist for the campus newspaper. My major is in science but I always am interested in people and society.

YC: Did you ever get homesick? Under what conditions?

MR. WONG: Every once in a while, I would say to myself, "I bet my dad would find this practice/custom interesting or impressive here in America."

YC: Was there ever a time when you regretted your decision in coming to America? When?

MR. WONG: I never regretted. I have moments of doubts when my son was born and I was a little concerned about him feeling comfortable in America as an Asian boy.

YC: How did you get into comedy? When did your interest in comedy start?

MR. WONG: I have always been interested in humor and comedy. In China my friends would come to me to ask why a joke they read on Readers' Digest is funny. After I graduated from College in America, for a while I kept a journal. When I read it a year or 2 later, the only interesting part is where I joke about something. I thought that is what I should focus on: the humorous part of life instead of the depressing and boring.

I saw a standup comedy in 2001 in Houston Texas with some coworkers and really liked it. After moving to Boston late 2001, I took a standup comedy class in an Adult Education program and learned the basics of set up and punchline and where the comedy clubs are in town. From that point on I just keep writing and practicing standup comedy.

YC: Where do you get your inspiration for your material?

MR. WONG: Everywhere and nowhere. Humor is my Tao. It is a path for me to understand life.

YC: What do you read or research in preparation for your comedy shows?

MR. WONG: For certain shows like the Radio and TV Correspondents' Dinner, I did some research on politics. But in general, I don't do much research on my writing.

YC: Who were some of your "test audiences" when you first got started in comedy?

MR. WONG: People at comedy clubs and bars. I used to practice with other comedians at a friend's barber shop. But the best way to learn is just to do it in front of a live audience.

YC: Do you ever feel like your humor gets lost on specific demographics of audiences? In what situations? Why do you think these people might not understand or appreciate your jokes?

MR. WONG: My rule of thumb is that never judge an audience by their demographics. Generalization of a group of people is not only politically incorrect but may cost you in terms of proper communication and having a good show. That said, when I perform in some rural areas in certain states where people rarely witness ethnic diversity, racial material may not go well because they do not know what is appropriate to for a performer to say or for them to laugh at. In a sense, the audience is the best teacher.

YC: Who are some of your target audiences?

MR. WONG: Whoever wants to laugh.

YC: What message(s) do you hope to send out to the public with your work? Are these messages all based on your own experiences?

MR. WONG: My message is "Life is funny" Most of the messages are based on either my experience or my observation and reflection on life.

YC: You have been seen on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Letterman, and CSPAN, among other venues. Please tell us about your most memorable show.

MR. WONG: There are so many memorable shows. The Letterman show was at the historical Ed Sullivan theater where people from the Beatles to Mitch Hedberg performed. They let you choose the music you come to the stage to. The first time I picked MIA's Paper Plane, a rap song about immigrants. The second time I picked Lucy in the Sky with the Diamonds because my wife's name is Lucy. When I did the Ellen special, it was at the Chicago theater featured in the movie Chicago and houses 3000 people. That was one of the most festive and cheering crowds I had ever seen. At the RTCA dinner for CSPAN, the audience were more serious and somber. The event started with marines carrying American flags with national anthem playing. I sat at the head table facing the crowd of 2000 people including a lot of familiar faces from CNN, PBS, Fox News, the Supreme Court and Congress. I really felt like a star when I finished my performance and people gave me a standing ovation.

YC: Much of your humor involves differences in the Chinese lifestyle vs. the American lifestyle. What "traditional" Chinese cultural values (that differ drastically from American values) do you live by while you continue to reside in the U.S.?

MR. WONG: I believe that humility is the most important value that is almost absent from the American culture. It is important to be proud and assertive in America, but humility makes you try to improve yourself and learn and earn support from others. President Obama and Lincoln exhibited humility in my opinion.

YC: Would you advise second-generation Chinese American youth to continue to uphold these same Chinese values despite being born of U.S. soil?

MR. WONG: Yes.

YC: Do you believe that it is possible to lead a harmonious lifestyle that is completely American while simultaneously being completely Chinese?

MR. WONG: Yes. America is a diverse and free country. Every culture has a place here. Your life, our lives are American.

YC: If not, what potential conflicts do you see arising between the two cultures in an ABC (American Born Chinese)'s upbringing?

MR. WONG: The only advice I'd like to give ABCs is to be more outspoken. You don't have to say it well, you just have to say what you want and how you feel. If you don't have a voice in America, you don't exist.

YC: What is one pressing issue affecting our young generation (Chinese American or otherwise) that you believe needs to be addressed or changed? Can you suggest any possible solutions to this issue? (i.e. apathy, violence in the media, drunk driving, teen pregnancy, text messaging, etc.)

MR. WONG: I would say apathy. And this is not just a problem with younger generation. America suffered and will continue to suffer from lack of interest in what goes on in the rest of the world. There are always things we can learn from other cultures and benefit ourselves. Also I feel that students don't study as hard as they used to and they rely on their parents more. As long as young people are driven to excel and succeed, other problems tend to disappear.

YC: Being a father to an ABC yourself, how will you raise your own son in light of this cultural phenomenon that will ensure a successful upbringing?

MR. WONG: The most important thing when it comes to raising my child is to have good morals. After good morals, he should have a positive attitude toward failures. If you repeatedly fail something and still want to do it, you have found your calling. Confidence, patience and practice will win out in the end.

YC: Which Chinese traditions will you preserve for your son's life? Which American traditions will you incorporate?

MR. WONG: Chinese traditions: humility and respect.
American traditions: risk taking and being outspoken.

YC: What other advice would you life to offer to second-generation Chinese Americans concerning family, school, friends, etc. that you think would help them to reconcile their identity and the fact that they are growing up in two seemingly bipolar cultures?

MR. WONG: Find your passion and dreams and pursue them. Live your own life and make your own decision as to what cultural values fit you better. It is your life and people will respect your decisions.

YC: What is your son's name? How did you choose it?

MR. WONG: My son's name is Jake. We wanted a nice sounding name that is not too popular. Jake sounded nice and it was ranked as 60 or 70th in terms of popularity 2005. However, after he was born in 2007, it turned out that it was the most popular baby name of 2007.

YC: If you were stuck on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you and why?

MR. WONG: A portable oil refinery, a dune buggy and a camera. I can refine the tar balls from BP oil spill, fuel my dune buggy to drive around the island and tell my story to whoever wants to listen.

YC: If you could switch places with any one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

MR. WONG: Woody Allen. I want to have his comedic genius and the freedom to recreate his vision on film.

YC: If you had an elephant, where would you hide it?

MR. WONG: Behind Kanye West's ego.

YC: Please tell us about the worst boss you've ever had.

MR. WONG: I had a boss who would call me to his office and had me sit there and wait for 10 minutes while he was checking his emails.

YC: How do you like your eggs cooked?

MR. WONG: Hard boiled.

YC: What could we find in your refrigerator right now?

MR. WONG: Hard boiled eggs.