Jacob Shao
What makes you Hapa? Do you identify with the word?
I think there’s a lot of beauty and a lot of confusion in being Hapa. Being raised in two cultures is such an amazing, unique experience, and a lot of the time, it comes with a feeling of not belonging. That’s always made it feel really comforting for me to be around other Hapas who share that experience. And I definitely identify with the word — it takes a lot less time to say than “mixed-race Asian or Pacific Islander.”
What made you decide to pursue comedy? Did any particular comedian influence you?
I did speech and debate in high school, and eventually I realized there was probably a reason why I cared more about making the audience laugh than winning rounds. I don’t think I would’ve decided to pursue comedy as a career if it wasn’t for all my super funny friends though — I honestly think they influence and inspire me more than any established comedian has.
Do you think your mixed perspective influences your approach to comedy?
I grew up living with both my white and Chinese grandmas at the same time, so I think the likelihood of me emerging from that with some jokes was pretty high. Not all my comedy is about my culture, but being mixed is such a fundamental part of who I am that I imagine everything I make would be very different without it.
It has been said that comedy is the last frontier when it comes to the First Amendment, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think it is important to keep pushing the boundaries of this?
Definitely, but it’s always a two-way street. It’s every entertainer’s right to say exactly what they want to say, and it’s also every audience member’s right to draw their own boundaries with what they’re comfortable listening to.
What’s your methodology and psychology when it comes to your sets?
One thing that comes to mind is that I’ve found I can never treat any material like a speech. No matter how much you rehearse a set, it’s always going to take a different form once you’re actually in front of an audience. You can never predict what energy they’ll give you, and that affects your delivery every time.
Is anything off-limits? And if so, what and why?
I’ve never aimed to offend anyone just for the sake of offending them, so I’m not usually in the mindset to test limits like that unless I have some sort of point to make. When that’s the case, it’s typically something really important to me that I wouldn’t want to limit.
In your opinion do you think Louis CK deserves a second chance?
Oh man. I haven’t accumulated the wisdom necessary to decide that, but I’ll just say I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable going to one of his shows.
How have you been spending your time during this pandemic?
Stressing out! Worrying, also. And watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time! When I tell you I broke down at that one Iroh scene :(
What’s next for you?
I wish I knew! I had a lot of plans at the start of the year, but Miss Rona had her own ideas. For now, making sketches on YouTube is really helping to scratch my creative itch. But who knows! It’s sort of a cool feeling that we’re all collectively in the dark about our futures and anything could happen. Terrifying, but kinda cool too.
