Kevin Lim
“I had to do this gig, for St Patrick’s day and
I got asked to dress up as a leprechaun”,
starts Michael Hing, explaining the
inspiration for his 2013 comedy festival
show ‘Occupy White People’, and setting
the scene for an interesting discussion on
ethnicity and its role in comedy. “This was
for charity and they wanted me to pretend
to be Irish and do Irish jokes and it was
such a confusing thing. I’m not Irish. I don’t
do an Irish accent. It’s so bizarre. But it was
a charity, so you can’t say ‘no I don’t want
Michae
to do that’, because then you’re the guy
who’s turning down a charity”.
So I turn up, and then I find that they’re
inducting this guy into this hall of fame,
with a lifetime achievement award, and
everyone’s teary-eyed and he gives this
amazing speech, and then it was time for
the comedy. And I come on stage, dressed
in this offensive stereotype outfit and it was
so awful.”
“And I wondered how I got into this situation.