For anyone who hasn't seen Ali Wong's stand-up comedy show Baby Cobra, you should watch it (available on Netflix). For everyone who has, she needs no further introduction.
I think Ali Wong has left such a lasting impression on so many of us for a number of reasons. For starters, obviously her performance was solid -- the material was hilarious, the delivery was on point, and her facial expressions (and graphic mimes) were the perfect complement to every joke. But a good, funny show is just the prerequisite; I've certainly watched and laughed my way through a number of comedy shows (both live and recorded), yet unfortunately I can't name most of those comedians, nor can I remember what they said that was so funny at the time. Ali was (is) different though. Whether it's "right" or not, her identity alone was (is) a statement in and of itself. She's Asian, female, and at the time of Baby Cobra, pregnant. Asian comic? Rare. Female comic? Also relatively rare. Pregnant? Even rarer. Asian, female, and pregnant? Ali Wong.
Now, having a unique identity can be a double-edged sword. Had she delivered a less than stellar show, it's quite likely the story would have been "Asians aren't that funny," or "she was trying too hard." Thankfully, that's not the case though, and she came out with pretty powerful (and also sensitive) content that was raw and real, touching on everything from cultural stereotypes (e.g., fancy Asian vs. jungle Asian) to women in the workplace (e.g., "lean in" vs. lie down) to poop (c'mon, just admit it...poop is funny...why else would there be a poop emoji?). As a result, what I hear is "Ali Wong (Baby Cobra) is amazing! I hope she comes out with more stuff. I hope she's not a one hit wonder." But why the last comment if we all agree with the first two? Is it because we lack faith in her because she's Asian, female, and a new mother? Or is it because we want her to succeed so badly that we're nervous for her, the way we might be anxious when rooting for a favorite sports team?
Regardless, I'm thrilled our wish has come true -- she's going on tour and is getting such a great reception. And yes, of course I got my New York tickets already. Originally there was only one NY show, and all tickets sold out during the presale, then she added a second show and sold out again, and now she's added a third. Good for her! Go buy tickets soon before the third show sells out too!
I think Ali Wong has left such a lasting impression on so many of us for a number of reasons. For starters, obviously her performance was solid -- the material was hilarious, the delivery was on point, and her facial expressions (and graphic mimes) were the perfect complement to every joke. But a good, funny show is just the prerequisite; I've certainly watched and laughed my way through a number of comedy shows (both live and recorded), yet unfortunately I can't name most of those comedians, nor can I remember what they said that was so funny at the time. Ali was (is) different though. Whether it's "right" or not, her identity alone was (is) a statement in and of itself. She's Asian, female, and at the time of Baby Cobra, pregnant. Asian comic? Rare. Female comic? Also relatively rare. Pregnant? Even rarer. Asian, female, and pregnant? Ali Wong.
Now, having a unique identity can be a double-edged sword. Had she delivered a less than stellar show, it's quite likely the story would have been "Asians aren't that funny," or "she was trying too hard." Thankfully, that's not the case though, and she came out with pretty powerful (and also sensitive) content that was raw and real, touching on everything from cultural stereotypes (e.g., fancy Asian vs. jungle Asian) to women in the workplace (e.g., "lean in" vs. lie down) to poop (c'mon, just admit it...poop is funny...why else would there be a poop emoji?). As a result, what I hear is "Ali Wong (Baby Cobra) is amazing! I hope she comes out with more stuff. I hope she's not a one hit wonder." But why the last comment if we all agree with the first two? Is it because we lack faith in her because she's Asian, female, and a new mother? Or is it because we want her to succeed so badly that we're nervous for her, the way we might be anxious when rooting for a favorite sports team?
Regardless, I'm thrilled our wish has come true -- she's going on tour and is getting such a great reception. And yes, of course I got my New York tickets already. Originally there was only one NY show, and all tickets sold out during the presale, then she added a second show and sold out again, and now she's added a third. Good for her! Go buy tickets soon before the third show sells out too!
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