Vince Chang
What makes you Hapa? Do you identify with the word?
My mother (Rose Marie Chang) was born in Jamaica but her father was Chinese. I never got to meet him but I was named after him. Vincent Chang.
My mother tried her best to infuse her Caribbean background with the little Asian culture we had in our everyday lives. However, it was me who started to do research on our family and dive in the Chinese culture that I am a part of.
What made you decide to pursue comedy? Did any particular comedian influence you?
To be honest, it was an ex-girlfriend in college. She said I was "corny like Nick Cannon." And I saw Nick Cannon was doing pretty well in the business plus at the time was married to Mariah Carey, so I thought, "Hey, being corny must not be that bad."
Comedians that influenced me were the titans like Eddie Murphy, Bernie Mac, and Dave Chappelle. But the one that pushed me over the edge was with his special "Live on Broadway," the one and only Robin Williams. This then opened the door for me to watch all types of comedy not just "Black" or "urban.” So I started following comics like Ron White and Jo Koy.
Do you think your mixed perspective influences your approach to comedy?
Yes, I usually started my set by saying I am Jamaican Chinese and it allowed me to have a little uniqueness when I got on stage, then started to expand and talk about life experiences or funny stories that I personally was a part of.
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?
It is basically it, I am paraphrasing but Dave Chappelle did say "everyone has the First Amendment right, and we have the Second Amendment, just in case the first one doesn't work out." When I did research on comedy, especially Black comedy, comedians were storytellers but also the news. Before the internet and Facebook, most small towns would go to comedy clubs to get the information on what was going on in the country from comics who came back from long tours. These poor cities couldn't leave their area code most of the time, so it was the comics that came back with the info but in a way people could laugh at but at the same time understand and relate. A comic has a very unique power in the world, we are able to tell the truth and with laughter has a sweet icing to the cake, and people don't need to feel bad about laughing at something that is real. It's said the jester had the most power in the kingdom cause he was the only one who could be true and make fun of the king as long as he got a laugh, the double edge sword is if he didn't, he could be killed. Talk about a tough crowd. The issue is humor is losing its foundation and people are more sensitive and politically correct, so jokes are being taken too seriously and offensive. Laughter can be the cure to so many things in the world when done right but by limiting comedians in what they can say and do, it gets tough. You wouldn't tell a soldier, OK we are going to war but oh yea, no grenades or guns, just knives, when the enemy has everything even nukes. Now there are some things I wouldn't joke about but funny is funny.
What’s your methodology and psychology when it comes to your sets?
Relatability I guess. I just like entertaining. If doing a funny face or saying a funny line gets a laugh I am in.
Is anything off-limits? And if so, what and why?
That's an interesting question. I stopped joking about rape and sometimes killing people because personally I was too immature to understand the funny in something like that. Jo Koy has a great joke about roofies and his mom implies he gets raped the next morning. But that's just me, as I said funny is funny but there are some things that are just not. However, comedians always try to push the limit and cross that line, but most of us don't know where that line is until we cross it.
In your opinion do you think Louis CK deserves a second chance?
Yes I do. Everyone messes up, NO ONE is perfect however “you do the crime, you do the time.” What is his punishment? If it's two years, convict, do his time and let him go. Now I was not there and what he did was wrong for sure, but are we going to hang this over his head for the rest of life? He literally did a bit about it and so many people laughed. I think we should move on, and if he does it again then boom, throw him in jail, and we continue life.
How have you been spending your time during this pandemic?
I actually was working. I work for a hospital and most of us were relocated to work on site. The stories are real and I just want everyone to be safe and well. Other than that, writing and virtually hosting a few events.
What’s next for you?
To become one of the top hosts around. I still have a few shows and international weddings booked for 2021 for me to MC and perform. Entertaining is something I strive to do, so if it’s with a mic, in a suit, or in front of the camera, you will see Chang Dynasty there.
