Born and raised in New York City’s Chinatown, Chinese American Jameson (“Jami”) Gong moved to Hong Kong in 2006 to care for his aging mother. The very next year, he founded TakeOut Comedy, Asia’s first full-time stand-up comedy club. As TakeOut Comedy celebrates its milestone 19th anniversary in Hong Kong, CHOPSO sits down with Gong to discuss his enduring comedic legacy bridging America and China.
Since you’re such a stand-up OG… how and when did you decide to be a comedian and how and when you did your first stand-up show?
JG: I believe in destiny as standup comedy chose me!
As a kid, I always wanted to laugh, be the first to tell my friends jokes and growing up watching Johnny Carson was when I discovered “standup comedy”.
My first gig was in 1989 entering the national Doritos standup comedy competition at Syracuse University on a dare and I made a total fool but I was hooked.
I did it again in 1990 and did better.
Then I incredibly placed 3rd out of 16 in 1991 and was on a high like no other!
When did you come to Hong Kong to start the first full-time comedy club Takeout Comedy in Hong Kong and how long have you been running it? How’s it going?
JG: I moved here in 2006 to prepare and we officially opened in Feb 2007 as we are in our 20th year.
It been very challenging since COVID and I’m not sure if we will last another 20 years sadly.
How have you evolved as a comic from the day you started until today?
JG: We’ve adapted to the HK audiences as…
1. Many don’t speak English primarily so we have to slow down
2. Many of them have never experienced a live standup comedy show before so sometimes they laugh at our setup and not the punchlines, and especially the locals are not used to laughing out loud in public
3. Simplify and localize out material to connect with them ie: no driving bits as many people here don’t drive
How do you see stand-up comedy has evolved over the years?
JG: Honestly here, COVID set back the local scenes in many Asia cities as comedians relocated and venues closed. We have more shows as many businesses need to do something to draw guests but not bigger crowds all the time. In other words, before we had low supply and high demand but now high supply and low demand because it’s the same local acts with same material in all these shows.
And now, venues are looking to book mediocre acts with huge social media followers more instead of actually funny acts with low social media followers. Many young comedians now are looking for the viral video instead of learning to get better at standup comedy.
Tell us about the Hong Kong International Comedy Festival that you started. When does it happen and what can we look forward this year?
JG: It’s every fall and our 17th HKICF this year is Aug 18-Sept 19 as four top international acts are here with top local Maitreyi Karanth, top Indian Sorabh Pant, top Australian Monty Franklin and top Iranian-Canadian Neema Naz headlining!
We are all looking forward to Neema (above photo) performing ironically on Sept 11 😯
All details are : https://www.takeoutcomedy.net/shows-what-s-happening
Can you talk about a few local comics that you champion that we should look out for?
JG: Maitreyi Karanth (above photo)
Ben Quinlan
Ryan Hynek
Garron Chiu
What kind of challenge and competition do you face running TakeOut Comedy and doing English stand-up in Hong Kong now?
And because local acts are not drawing people as much anymore, more international acts are coming to Hong Kong for sure!
As you’re also a teacher of stand-up comedy, what is one advice you’d give to every aspiring stand-up comic?
JG: JUST DO IT, be a risk taker, don’t be afraid to fail and stay humble 👍
Visit Jami Gong and TakeOut Comedy in Hong Kong!
