Apparently, I'm not funny.  But I qualify for half-off drinks!  

(Click to embiggen)

...and don't forget to love.

Fake it til' you make it. -Austin Kleon

From www.lifehacker.com:

"It's hard to have original ideas when you are surrounded by people who all have the same experiences as you." ~ Jonathan Harris

I've been to comedy shows where sitting in the back and blurring your vision you would swear the same comedian is going up to the stage ten times in a row.  Each comedian bears the same wardrobe, posture, cadence and even similar subject matter as the one before.  It was also no surprise they arrived and left in a synchronized pack, giving no attention nor offering any support to the other comedians still in the room.  

I've said it before, when I see these packs of clones walk in to a comedy room, then go up and basically repeat what their buddies just said in the same manner in which they said it, then yes, comedy is dead.  It's very hard to "be original," but TRY.  I purposely never sit by or next to my comedian friends at an open mic (unless there are no seats left).  My job as an audience member is to give attention to the stage and respect the comedy, not turn to my buddies and make snarky comments like a little bitch.  (There is no such thing as a "free" open mic; you always end up paying -- either your money, your time or your attention. Pick one.)  

Artist.

After reading about Einstein, I've become somewhat obsessed with the concept of a unified field theory (or theories) and applying it, obviously, to anything outside of physics.

Here is Lucy McRae making the connection between biology and technology.



I love this.

Bruce Lee… stand up comedian?  From his wikipedia page:

“All types of knowledge, ultimately leads to self knowledge”.
“Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it”.
“Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there”.
“I always learn something, and that is to always be yourself. And to express yourself, to have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate him”.
“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential”.

Long day shooting The Avengers.

I don't want to do "Asian" centric comedy, I really don't. If I could have it my way, I would never have to mention or bring up the fact that I'm Asian on stage. That would be a dream come true. But if its constantly thrown in my face, how could I not?

Here's an absolute true story. A few months ago, I was backstage in the green room of a comedy club waiting for the show to start. It was all white comedians and me and one other black comedian. The owner of the club pops his head in to wish us all good luck. He looks over at me, and in a joking manner, says, "Who let the chink in??" In a room full of comedians, no one laughed. A few of them actually Gasped. "What?? Don't be so fucking up tight!," He gestured over at the black comedian, "It's not like I said the 'N-Word'!" WHEW!! Thank god he's not racist!

Its the bane of other comedians (re: white comics) that show the most frustration at minority comedians who bring up the race card. "It's a cheap trick and unfair because we can't do the same." And I agree to an extent, but many times this comes hand in hand with a HUGE amount of hypocrisy. If I'm not allowed to "bring up my ethnicity" out of convenience onstage because its hackneyed, over done and cheap, then why do YOU get to do it offstage for your OWN convenience?

I am NEVER allowed to forget that I'm Asian. Time and time again, its these very comedian-critics themselves who will make an offhand comment, "joke" or analogy about me with something to do with being Asian. "Hey Brian, you're like the Asian Barry White," or the host of a show would say, "Keep it going for Brian Jian! Doesn't he sound like an Asian Sylvester Stallone?", or god forbid I ever take out a camera I'm met with the barage of "See? Asians love taking pictures!!" And these are from COMEDIANS! The so called biting, clever, witty satirists they all so desperately want to be and they resort to exactly the same hacky bullshit they're so quick to criticize others for. Ironic, huh?

Greg Giraldo

One of my favorite comedians of all time, the late Greg Giraldo, was hispanic. And he was always praised for never having to "resort" to his ethnic heritage as a source of his comedy. I loved the guy, don't get me wrong, but he never had to resort to "hispanic jokes" BECAUSE HE FUCKING LOOKED WHITE!!! When he went on stage and grabbed the mic, no one ever thought, "Look at this Mexican!" If HE never brought it up, no one ELSE would!

Just recently, I did a show where a comedian right before me did an impression of a Chinese take out restaurant lady. He did the accent and facial expressions and everything, as you can imagine. I wasn't offended. I go on right after him and make a quick joke, "That sounded like an impression of my mother." The audience laughed. Later on that same night, I'm at another show. A comedian who saw the first show, came up to me and said, "Good show earlier. When you did the Asian stuff, the crowd really loved it." I couldn't help but feel there was a subtext, like "You just got laughs because you were doing easy racial stuff." Then as that very comedian goes on stage and starts his act, he makes a joke about ME, "How about Brian Jian, huh? Wow, I never thought I'd see an Asian guy doing comedy and not doing kung fu." Again, I wasn't offended. But I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the blatant hypocrisy.

Ehh, I'll take it...

Street Art. NYC.

  

"[I'm asked] how I get people to open up to me, and the answer is that I'm legitimately curious about what those people are saying.  I honestly care about the stories they are telling.  That's a force that talks to the deepest part of us… They can tell by my questions that I’m really, really interested and really, really thinking about what they’re saying, in a way that only happens in nature when you’re falling in love with someone. When else does that experience happen?  If you’re falling in love with someone, you have conversations where you’re truly revealing yourself.”

-Ira Glass on interviewing

I’m in complete agreement with this philosophy and I feel it extends beyond journalism.  It’s a great attitude for whatever applicable art is in your life.  And no, I don’t mean just performance or the fine arts.  Whatever you do, do you CARE?  Do you really, truly care?  Does it show?  Or are you just “painting by numbers?”  Stand up comedy is a conversation.  The best comedians are also great listeners, not necessarily great talkers.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’m talking to people and they can’t maintain eye contact for more than 3 seconds or allow anyone else to speak for more than a sentence before cutting them off to add their own two cents.