The fact that he is able to be funny without being vulgar, swearing, or insulting another race, belief, personality, opinion, religion etc shows how much of a genius and a good comedian he is.
Mani, I don't see his first joke has offended anybody nor any race including his own. "Hu" is a very common family name in China and it is perfect normal that most western are not familiar with the pronunciation of it just like the other way round. Actually you need to get your psycho treated before insulting others by spurting shit from you mouth instead of the ass.
joe is actually currently hosting a myth busting talk show and doing stand up in china because it was too hard for him to make enough money off comedy in the us, so he only goes to the country when he's invited to events
As one of the comments even pointed out, he is funny and original without using curses or being vulgar. There is so much talent in that alone, there are no longer many.
Honestly my favorite standup routine of all time. The writing is so original and brilliant, and the deadpan delivery is perfect. I've returned to watch it again and again over many years. If anyone can think of any other routine that comes close, please share.
Yuanrun YAO bet you have never peed in snow. if you pee in snow, you would always try to draw something. But if at a dark night, how you tell your buddy you are doing something different 😂😂
*Transcript* because captions are so out of sync Good evening, everyone. My name is Joe Wong, but to most people, I'm known as "who?!" (laughter) which is actually my mother's maiden name, (laughter) and the answer to my credit card security question. (laughter) But joking aside, I just want to reassure everybody that I am invited here tonight. (laughter) I grew up in China, who didn't? (laughter) And my childhood memories are totally ruined by my childhood. (laughter) When I was in elementary school, as part of the curriculum, I had to work at a rice paddy right next to a quarry where they use explosives to break rocks, and that is where I learned that light travels faster than sound. (laughter) which is almost as slow as a flying rock. (laughter) My dad was a grumpy guy, but occasionally he would try to cheer me up with jokes, but he doesn't do it right. When I was seven, one day he said to me, "hey son, why is tofu better than centralized socialist economy?" (laughter) so five minutes later I said "why?" (laughter) He said "because I said so!" (laughter) I came to the United States when I was 24, to study at Rice University in Texas. (some applaud cheers and some laughter) that wasn't a joke (laughter) until now. (laughter) And I was driving this used car with a lot of bumper stickers that's impossible to peel off. And one of them said "If you don't speak English, go home". And I didn't notice it for two years. (laughter) Like many other immigrants, we want our son to become the president of this country and we try to make him bilingual, you know, Chinese at home and English in public, which is really tough to do, because many times I have to say to him in public "Hey listen, if you don't speak English, go home" (laughter) And he would say to me, "Hey dad, why do I have to learn two languages?" I said "son, once you become the president of the United States, you are going to have sign legislative bills in English, and talk to debt collectors in Chinese" (laughter) When I graduated from Rice, I decided to stay in the United States, because in China, I can't do the thing I do best here, being ethnic. (laughter) And in order for me to become a U.S. citizen, I have to take this American history lessons, where they ask us questions like "Who is Benjamin Franklin?", where I was like "ah, the reason our convenience store gets robbed?" (laughter) "What's the Second Amendament?", where I was like "ah, the reason our convenience store gets robbed?" (laughter) "What is roe vs. wade?", where I was like "ah, two ways of coming to the United States?" (laughter) Later on I read so much about the American history that I started to harbor white guilt. (laughter) In the America they say that all men are created equal, but after birth, it kind of depends on the parents' income, or early education and health care. (laughter) I read in the Max House Men's Health Magazine that President Obama every week has two cardio days and four weight lifting days. You see, I don't have to exercise, because I have health insurance. (laughter) I live in Massachusetts now, where we have universal health care; then we elected Scott Brown (laughter) - talk about mixed messages. (laughter) I think there was a movie about him - it's called "Kill Bill" (laughter) I'm honored to meet vice president Joe Biden here tonight, (Joe turned to face Biden) I actually read your autobiography, and today I see you. (Joe turned back to face audience) I think the book is much better. (laughter) They should've get guest cast Brad Pitt, or even Angelina Jolie. (laughter) So to be honest, I was really honored to be here tonight, and I prepared for months for tonight's show, and I showed the white house my jokes about President Obama, and that is when he decided not to come. (laughter) And he started to talk about immigration reforms, (laughter) Take that, Stephen Colbert (laughter) And president Obama has always been accused of being too soft, but he was conducting two wars. and they still gave him the Nobel Peace Prize, and he accepted it. (laughter) You can't be more bad ass than that. (laughter) where actually, I'm thinking the only way you can be more bad ass than that is if you take the Nobel Prize money and give it to the military. (laughter) We have many distinguished journalists here tonight, whom I consider as my peers. (laughter) because I used to write for campus newspaper. (laughter) I think journalism is the last refugee for puns. Only on the newspaper can you say things like "I was born in the year of horse and that is why I'm a naysayer" (laughter) my point exactly. And tonight is my first time on C-SPAN, which is a channel I obviously always watch, when I couldn't stand the sensationalism and demagoguery of PBS and QVC. (laughter) If I still couldn't fall asleep after watching C-SPAN, there's C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3. (laughter) Thank you very much. (laughter) So I became a U.S. citizen in 2008, which I'm really happy about. (applause) thank you very much. American is number one, (laughter) that's true, 'cause we won the world series every year. (laughter) After becoming the U.S. citizen, I immediately registered to vote for Obama and Biden. (Joe turned to face Biden) you're welcome. (laughter) You handed me a had me at "Yes We Can" (laughter) (Joe turned back to audience) that was the their slogan. (laughter) So after getting Obama and Biden elected, I felt this power trip. (laughter) And I start to think maybe I should run for president myself. Where, I have to take a step back and explain a little bit, you know, because I have always been a morose and pessimist guy. I felt that life is kind of like, pee into the snow in a dark winter night, you probably make a difference, but it's really hard to tell. (laughter) But now, we have a president who's half black half white, it just gives me a lot of hope, because I'm half not black half not white. (laughter) Two negatives make a positive. (laughter) You may be saying "Hey, what would be your campaign slogan?" You see, I spent ten years in the past decade (laughter) oh you too? okay. (laughter) So I understand that American people are suffering, so my campaign slogan would be "Who (Hu) Cares". (laughter) If elected, I would make same-sex marriage not only legal nor required, (laughter) that will get me the youth vote.(laughter) You see I'm married now, but I used to be really scared about marriage, I was like "wow, 50% of all marriages end up lasting forever" (laughter) And I will eliminate unemployment in this country, by reducing the productivity of the American workforce. (laughter) so two people will have to do the work of one, just like the President and the Vice President,(laughter) or the Olsen twins. (laughter) And despite heart disease and cancer, most Americans die of natural causes. So if elected, I will find a cure for natural causes. (laughter) You seem to like that one. (laughter) but you won't be covered by health insurance though, (laughter) because of pre-existing conditions. (laughter) And I have a quick solution for global warming. I will switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius, (laughter) It was 100 degrees, now it's 40. (laughter) You're very welcome. (laughter) And I'm great with foreign policy. Because I am from China, and I can see Russia from my backyard. (laughter) I believe that Unilateralism is too expensive, and open dialog is too slow. So if elected, I will go with text messaging. (laughter) I will text our allies just to say hi, (laughter) and text our enemies when they are driving. (laughter) "OMG you're building a nuclear weapon?" (laughter), "but you're doing it wrong LOL" (laughter) I just want to thank Video TV correspondence Association for having me here tonight. This is the first time I wish my son knew what I was doing. Thank you so much and have a very good night. Thank you Linda Scott.
10:50 *"Life is kinda like peeing into the snow on a dark winter night. You probably made a difference, but it's really hard to tell"* ---Joe Wong, 2010.
His jokes are so deep and smart that some of them took a pause/few seconds for the audience to get it. The awkwardness of the silence is what added to the uniqueness of his comedy.
@@PuroCyanHQ W Hu cares It's a really witty slogan that starts with his name but throws another meaning into who care...it seems to be sarcastic about the situation Obama Care is having a lot of trouble with...
"But joking aside, I just want to tell everybody that I am invited here tonight" in reference to the Salahi couple state dinner security breach in 2009.
The level of this humor is at a certain level of intelligence. It takes a person at a certain level of intelligence to understand this humor. This is brilliant.
unfortunately, by a "certain level of intelligence" you mean anything higher than a public high school intelligence, so not many Americans would understand it... :/
I agreed. I love my friends to death, but when I showed this to them hoping to get the same reaction I did when I first warched it but they were not laughing. I had to explain some jokes to them. I love comedy and this is comedy gold to me.
Brilliantly delivered and absolutely nailed it. I'm late getting to know this chinese American comedian. However his brand of humour transends time, so the appreciation and enjoyment isn't diluted at all here in 2018. Well done Mr. Wong.
@@bilbobaggins6223 You'd be shocked how far some ppl will go to remain ignorant. They fancy themselves woken up from the matrix, but they're really just tin foil hat wearing loonies.
I'm Chinese-American so my fascinated discovery tonight on RU-vid was Asian comedians, since it is rare for us to do stand-up. I saw some of them, they were cool, but they were also somewhat derivative of other comedians, especially ethnic ones. Even though he is more Chinese than Chinese-American in perspective and also has a stereotypical geeky Asian style unlike the other Asian comedians I saw, I think I like him best, especially on this night, because his cerebral humor impressed the hell out of me. It doesn't hit the funny bone as immediately as common denominator raunchy humor, but in the end, I just felt more impressed by what he came up with than I was by the other comedians.
Victor Ha I think because of his own experiences, compared to other Asian-Americans that were actually born and raised in the U.S. Joe wasn't and because he isn't a typical American, it gives him the advantage of seeing things in a different way. Not to mention, he has a freaking PHD. That's what makes him unique and vastly different in general based on his situations.
Well stated Victor. I like humor that makes you think. A lot of humor puts people on cruise control. Joe is very intelligent and funny. Best combo for comedians. Like the late George Carlin...Joe's humor sometimes takes a minute for people to get out of cruise control and use that thing between their ears.....
Hey, I remember this comment! (made it 2 years ago :-) ) Hope Joe has been doing well, and that I'd be just as impressed by his act if I were to watch it again. Carlin is a great one; I would also add Monty Python to the list of comedians who make your mind work a little harder to have a more profound laugh. Maybe Joe's deliver has a technique similar to Mitch Hedberg; it's deadpan and concise and makes you arrive at the punchline after a pause.
" I felt that life is kinda like.... peeing to the snow in the dark winter night, you probably made the difference but it is really hard to tell." that ladies and gentlemen what I call a Masterpiece punch line.
Beepthenose as we know VP is like an ambassador of the government, a foreign affair diplomat, the position is only one rank down but the power is way smaller than a president. He said this right after the jokes on Biden's auto, I guess he's trying to tease the VP again by saying: oh you might have dreams of making a difference but ur just like peeing in the dark winter night. You might change sth but no one will notice. Well it's just my take, or it might be just a small joke without accusation.
This man is wittier than half the audience could fathom. Very clever and funny. Dark sense of humour and no-holds-barred mockery of race, politics and everything.
"I read all your autobiography, and after meeting you, I think the book is much better". Wow, that's a compliment within a compliment while sounding like a diss. This guys got layers in his punchlines.
He is a former classmate of my husband's Ph.D. friend who is now a professor in Yale University. They were graduate school classmates in China and Ph.D. program classmates in Rice University. What a small world.
no way......he's actually my youtube subscribers video on youtube what a small world and my dog walker's cell phone providers second cousin in laws uncle from adoptive parents caretakers wives laundry attendants little brothers school friend 3rd grade teachers assistants friend from college
The truths spoken in this segment are brilliant! Blowing the lid off every topic.The audience is compelled to laugh or cring! Wongs brilliance tickles the mind as they fight to keep the old lids on ! Encore!
xiaoyi zhang hey now, some of my best friends are people! But seriously, you may need to lighten up, because most people do find him funny so maybe they're not as dumb as you think. He got a standing ovation and I didn't find a single negative comment in this thread.
Has anyone caught the last part of his speech, just before he thanks everyone? Paraphrase: If I were elected president I would text message our allies and enemies....I would text message our enemies while they are driving. "OMG You're building a nuclear weapon? But you're doing it wrong, LOL." I am guessing Trump saw this and got the idea of using Twitter. Joe Wong is hilarious. Keep it up!
I think texting your enemy will break the ice for more talk instead of official channels. It will allow our President to build trust with the enemy and hear their concerns.
He won the crowd with the joke about signing legislation bills in English and talking to debt collectors in Chinese. From there on I feel that people started to pay attention to what he was saying.
this is the best piece of comedy i have seen in a while. joe wong is totally classic and funny. what is most important and amazing to me is that he is smart and well educated. his jokes have meanings. it took me some time to totally understand him. but it is awesome!!
Great routine and comedian. One of the best things about Joe is his smart and witty humor. I couldn't believe the shots of people having difficulty understanding his jokes and how some didn't laugh at all. Gotta love the esteemed and intelligent audience!
Because Some jokes were more for democrats, and could be slightly disagreeable to republicans, for example jokes about income inequality, preexisting conditions, abortion, immigration could be perceived as wrong and slightly not funny to republicans, most people there are highly educated, they just disagreed with some of the political jokes
Very smart. Very funny. This guy is great. I experienced good consistent laughter throughout his routine. Clean comedy is back. I'll definitely see more of his work.
"Hu" Joe Wong aspires his son to be billingual in English and Chinese as to prep him up to become the President of the USA - English to sign legislative bill and Chinese to talk to debt collector (ie. China) as China is the biggest buyer of US debts.
