“Hello everyone, my name is He. It’s spelled as H-E. Yes, it is my name, not my pronoun.”
Last month, Sydney-based comedian He Huang went viral with her 4-minute Australia’s Got Talent audition. She joked about xenophobia, racism, and the pressure from family to settle down and get married. While these aren’t unusual topics in the stand-up world, He’s dead pan delivery and charisma won over viewers from just about every social media platform. On YouTube alone, her audition garnered over 2 million views.
We had the chance to talk to He about her career as a stand-up comic, her former life as a grad student in America studying public policy, and navigating sexism in the industry. He also discussed how she pokes at racial stereotypes with her work, clapping back at critics, performing in Western countries, and what her parents think about her stand-up. This episode was hosted by Megan Cattel.
Show notes:
21:30 Super Sketch Show 一年一度喜剧大赛
He Huang’s Linktree
He Huang’s AGT audition (YouTube)
“A Chinese Immigrant’s Fearless Comedy Set Went Viral. Then Came the Backlash” (Slate)