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The San Francisco homegrown comedienne talks about what type of Asian Americans she thinks are dope, and why we may call her ‘Professor Wong’ one day.
By Nalea J. Ko, Reporter
Published January 6, 2010
Comedienne Ali Wong knows firsthand that choosing stand-up comedy as a post-college career is no laughing matter. It has been tough, she said, to succeed in a male-dominated industry.
The 27-year-old got her bachelor’s degree in Asian American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles with an aim to become a professor. But, her comic wit would lead her down a different path.
“I learned kind of early on that I wanted to pursue Asian [American] Studies and that will always be in my background,” Wong explained over the phone from San Francisco. “But this other guy who was in my class … was like, ‘Do you want to study or be studied?’”
Wong, who is of Vietnamese and Chinese descent, passed up an offer to pursue a master’s degree at UCLA and decided to help reinvent “what it means to be Asian American in America.” To do that she took to the stage cracking jokes over four years ago in San Francisco. She soon found more opportunities in New York.
Wong has just filmed the MTV show “Nick Cannon Presents Hatin’ on ’09,” which first aired Jan 1. She hopes 2010 will continue to bring more adventures.
“Um, no. I have no desire for success or exposure [laughs]. Yeah, of course that’s the goal,” Wong said jokingly about her future. “That’s not the ultimate goal, but I mean the ultimate goal is to keep going and hopefully do a bunch of different things.”
Taking to the Stage
The youngest of four children, Wong grew up in San Francisco. Her mother is Vietnamese and her father Chinese. Sexually explicit stories shared by Wong on stage do not deter her parents from supporting her dreams, she said.
“My parents have always been really open about that stuff, so that doesn’t really bother them at all,” Wong said.
Viral videos like “American Apparel,” showing Wong dancing with her friend Chris Garcia in leotards and sweatbands have garnered thousands of hits. But on stage Wong has had her share of ups and downs.
“I didn’t get booed until I went to Atlanta. That was my first booing experience and that was horrendous,” Wong explained. “Getting booed off is like knowing people really don’t like you and people as a collective have decided that they don’t like you.”
These days the seasoned comedienne rarely gets nervous on stage. Moving to New York allowed her to strengthen her craft by getting more stage time. Stage fright is only a problem now when Wong performs for other comics.
“I would say if Eddie Murphy were watching me I’d be really nervous. I love Eddie Murphy,” Wong said. “Pee-wee Herman is not necessarily a comedian, but he’s one of my big inspirations. And if he were watching me too I would feel really nervous.”
Back to the Bay
Although she does not make New Year’s resolutions, Wong is clear about what she does not want in 2010.
“It’s funny because I don’t want to date any more slackers. I’m attracted to life-of-the-party type of dudes. But life-of-the-party equals mess at home,” Wong said. “Like they know how to entertain everybody else at the party. And then when you get back home they’re going to ask you to borrow money and wet the bed. It is horrendous.”
Her past and present relationships are often fodder for Wong’s comedy routine. She touches on real-life relationship stories, secrets and pet peeves about ex-boyfriends. Wong said she does not shy away from sharing personal stories about boyfriends and ex-boyfriends.
“It’s not really that big of a deal. And if they do get upset it’s like what are they going to do about it?” she said.
Returning to her hometown of San Francisco for the holidays this year was a welcomed break from hanging with the guys in New York. Since most of her comic friends are men, Wong finds herself missing her Bay Area friends.
“I get really sick of hanging out with men all the time,” she said. “I love hanging out with Asian American women. It’s my favorite. Asian American women, especially the ones from the Bay Area, are dope.”
Surrounding herself with people from similar backgrounds is important for Wong. And a future career as an Asian American Studies professor is still not out of the question. It is something Wong is continually passionate about even as she continues to make a name for herself in comedy.
“Asian American Studies was my major in college and that will always be with me,” Wong said. “And I care about my people just because I do.”
On the Web
www.aliwong.com
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