Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate It

After watching Ronny on SNL, eventually in his first Netflix special and even a stand up show, I thought that he would really continue cooking. Unfortunately I was wrong.

He really thrives on story telling, sharing personal experiences as someone who is relatively fresh to the American Dream lifestyle.

I quite enjoyed his perspective on American life, what it's like to be a part of a tradition heavy family and even mundane tasks like using public transit and the qualms that came with it. All provided very relatable humour.

Unfortunately, the second Netflix special was highlighted by his opinion on vaccines (a tired topic already) and how if you didn't take it you were dumb followed up by this special which flip-flops politically to illustrate how MAGA isn't that bad. I enjoy laughs at the expense of politics and politicians alike but when it comes down to opinions and a comedian telling a viewer how they should feel, the material comes across as more of a lecture...ultimately leaving me feel like I just sat through a class for patriotism.

People say talk show is an art of offending people, but there has to be a prerequisite, which is it has to be about offending people of a privileged position. If you choose to offend people of a inferior position, or the group that has always been overlooked, that is bullying, that's not art of any kind.

So many Asian so-called "comedians" choose to make jokes about their parents, about how much they hate their identifies, and how they successfully "blend" into the "main-stream". That's not comedy, not art, that's sad! Senior Asians are the ones who get systematically overlooked and even bullied everyday and everywhere in American, Asian males are the people that get systematically suppressed. And "Chinese-born" has become more and more as a crime to a lot of MAGAs. Ronny Chieng, as an Asian American, finally get the gut to express his take towards some of these problems. I respect him, I solute to him.

This show is a small step, but a COURAGEOUS one!

Not funny at all, I liked Ronny Chieng first stand up on Netflix. The second Netflix special was not funny, I decided to give him another chance. First 10 minutes of the Netflix special was mildly funny I thought maybe this time around will get some laughs . But I was mistaken, after first 10 minutes it turned into annoying rant that started giving me a headache. There was nothing funny about it, just what Ronny Cheing thinks about life events, politics and how things should be. Advice to Ronny, comedy is about making people laugh not annoy them with a senseless rant of what you think. Had to stop the show midway.

Some people didn't find it funny but I laughed several times throughout, and nothing he said politics wise offended me. This is definitely not his best work but I would watch another netflix special by him.

Honestly I think this show suffered a bit from being rather impersonal. Like I got to the end and realised I hadn't learnt much more about his life and the people in it, which is weird for a comedian known for telling jokes (stories) about his life. There were only a few personal jokes, but on the whole there were not many, and he definitely overdid the IVF jokes.

The shows biggest downfall is that half the jokes (stories) were based on his own philosophical and political musings about america and the world in general, and even though I wasn't offended by it, I can see why other people didn't find that funny.

I think his performance would have been stronger if he framed each joke in relation to his own lived experiences, or the experiences of the people he shares his life with. Even more jokes about the people he randomly encounters/observes while going about his life, or jokes about (non-political) stuff he sees on the news would have brought some amusement.

Worth a watch! Broke out in laughter a few times, which I find happens less and less the more you watch stand-up comedy over the years, so definitely appreciate it when it happens.

Quite witty content and thus enjoyed the themes, which though not brand new in comedy, such as political events, family and asian culture, were approached in a smart and sharp satirical manner that splashed a wave of freshness.

Found the more sympathetic and less of a mockery gaze in current male struggles an innovative approach.

Also a very strong performer with a wide repertoire, which made the execution of the jokes stand out.