Enjoying your own performance

Went to watch the performance by US-based standup comic artist Ronny Chieng at the Esplanade with my daughter. Perhaps 90% of the audience were young people. Ronny made fun of stereotypes in various cities, of different culture, political orientation and generation. He draws rolling laughter from his enactment of typical familiar behaviour. The everyday situations acted out, the tone and language used is so authentically funny.

When he made fun of Asian parents and baby boomers, I felt the whole audience laughing at me because I was surrounded by millennials. His joke on baby boomers' obsession with WhatsApp was hilarious though. He lamented baby boomers' general inability to decipher fake versus true news and how annoyed he was with an uncle who constantly whatsapps fake news in the family chat group. He mocked the Chinese's love for money and Asian parents' stereotype expectation of their children. Needless to say his imitation of Trump and digs at white supremacy were equally entertaining.

However Ronny's show was really a lot of ranting and mocked frustrations accompanied by some slapstick kicks. It makes me wonder whether he himself is tickled or amused when he is performing. I asked this question because earlier on the same day when I watched the show I conducted a story telling session at the library. I told a very funny story. It could be the pictures in the book were really cute and funny or maybe the children's hearty laughter was so infectious, I found myself spontaneously laughing along with them as I told the story. It was really enjoyable for both the story teller and the audience.

According to the psychologist Peter McGraw comedy is  "equal parts darkness and light" and the best jokes "take something awful and make it silly". I think the standup comedians are very good at this. They have to master the art of playful ridicule without making people feel uncomfortable.

As for me as long as I laugh loudly while reviewing a book for story telling purpose, I know I will enjoy my own performance.