Asians are famous for taking themselves way too seriously!

Well, Asian American Jami Gong, founder of TakeOut Comedy is on a mission to get Asians to tickle their funny bones, unearth new talent and to just get people to have a good old whole-hearted giggle! In our exclusive interview, Jami gives us the low down on the inspiration for his jokes, and whether or not Chinese people have a sense of humour!

TakeOut Comedy Hong Kong - Jami Gong
iCUBED.us - Chris Lau

iCUBED.us: So how did a guy born and raised in Chinatown, New York end up as one of the best stand-ups in the Asia pacific?

Jami Gong: A little of luck, hard work and fate. Things happen for a reason, so since my mom grew up in Hong Kong, I feel like I have come full circle to bring more laughter to Hong Kong and beyond.

iCUBED.us: What did your family think when you told them of your ambitions? I bet you have a business degree to fall back upon right?

Jami Gong: They still think I'm a lawyer. Hope they don't read this!

iCUBED.us: How nervous were you when you first stood up to perform? Was it before a crowd of ten?!

Jami Gong: VERY nervous as I forgot my lines and was shaking a lot. My first time was at my university in 1989 in front of 200 people!

iCUBED.us: Where do you get inspiration for your jokes?

Jami Gong: Life!

iCUBED.us: How did Takeout Comedy (TOC) come about? What is the make-up of the audience? Any highlights coming up?

Jami Gong: TOC initially was created to help out NYC's Chinatown which was devastated after Sept 11, 2001. So we were bringing back entertainment to revitalize the nightlife. Since then, we grew nationally and now internationally. Our Hong Kong audiences are the MOST diverse comedy audience in any comedy club in the world! Yes, we have PAUL OGATA (2007 San Francisco International Comedy Competition Winner, Comedy Central) back by popular demand Nov 12-14.

iCUBED.us: In your opinion, who is / was the funniest person you have ever seen?

Jami Gong: Comedy is so subjective. I think everyone is funny and can be funny. My favorites are Bob Hope, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, and Paul Ogata.

iCUBED.us: Can someone be taught to be funny? How does someone become a stand up comic? Any good advice for a potential Chris Rock, Margaret Cho or Russell Peters….!

Jami Gong: Yes, everyone can be taught how to be funny if you take classes, be patient, have an open mind, and stay positive! This is the hardest job in the world, but it's the GREATEST job in the world! My advice for anyone who wants to try standup comedy is JUST DO IT! If not, you will regret it later in life. Life is too short, so have fun, and make people LAUGH!

iCUBED.us: What is worse for a comedian; being heckled or a joke being met with total silence?

Jami Gong: Hecklers are idiots.

iCUBED.us: Are Chinese people naturally funny? In Japan, all the best comedians supposedly come from Osaka! Which Chinese people have the best sense of humour?

Jami Gong: Its harder for the Chinese people to be funny because they are way too serious. From birth, they are culturally taught to obey rules and to follow orders. This makes them not risk-takers, which is not good for comedy. We hope to change this as comedians are regarded as some of the smartest people in the world because we see the world different. We debuted last weekend (Oct 24) in China with TakeOut Comedy Shenzhen. We hope to one day venture more to China with TOC to find out which people are the funniest!

iCUBED.us: The economy is bad, unemployment is up, depression is rife and wars are on-going; IS there anything to really laugh about? Is laughter really the best medicine?

Jami Gong: That more material for us! Times like this is when people NEED to laugh! We help people relieve stress which is why our attendance is up!

YES, LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE!

iCUBED.us: Some comedians like Lenny Bruce, John Belushi, Chris Farley and others were somewhat tortured souls whose laughter hid their sensitivity; are all comedians on the edge and have a dark side?

Jami Gong: Not all, just some. It's the crazy fans that really make us cross to the dark side. But we love them and would not have it any other way!

iCUBED.us: So why did the chicken cross the road?

Jami Gong: To get away from the Chinese butcher!:)

Thank you!

Please visit our "i3's LISTINGS PAGE" where you can send us your youth-relevant announcements or information, check it out ...

iCUBED.us & TakeOut Comedy Club's "KNOCK KNOCK JOKE OF THE MONTH COMPETITION" WIN MONTHLY TICKETS for COMEDY CLUB: "Is Laughter, really, the Best Medicine?"

Takeout Comedy Official Website