"Casting an Asian American into a bad role where they're shoehorned into these stereotypes is worse than not having cast them at all"
Ali Wong has discussed her Netflix special Hard Knock Wife.
Released on 13 May 2018, Ali Wong’s Netflix special Hard Knock Wife is the highly anticipated stand-up that follows her 2016 breakthrough show Baby Cobra.
Once again, Wong returns to the stage and once again, Wong performs pregnant. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wong said she did not intend to be pregnant again for her second stand-up special, but she was appreciative of it.
“No, it wasn’t on purpose at all,” she said. “But one reason I’m really glad that I did tape it pregnant is that I feel like it would be so unfair to the second daughter to not get to be onstage with me for a special when the first one got to be. Dave Chappelle said to me, “It’s so cool, now they each have one.””
Discussing her comedy this time round, Wong said she is open to talk about anything except politics. “Nothing is off-limits,” Wong said. “There’s just some things I cannot crack. Politics I can’t do. When I start to talk about it, I just get really angry and super sincere.”
“I have never found a way to craft all of that absurdity into funny. I just give money to the ACLU, and that’s my contribution. (Laughs.)”
Wong said that she is still shocked that abuse towards women still continues but yet men seem to be having a difficult time about it. “With #MeToo and Time’s Up, I’m shocked that treating women like garbage still persists,” she said. “But they think, “Oh, well, I didn’t rape you, so I’m one of the good guys.” I’m actually doing [material] all about #MeToo right now.”
“Men have been confessing to me their true feelings about it and this whole idea of how it’s such a scary time to be a man, which is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. So there’s a lot to cover.”
Wong also discussed representation for Asians in Hollywood. “There’s more Asian Americans creating opportunities for other Asian Americans and that’s a really great thing,” she said. “People obsess about casting and representation, but really all the real work is behind the camera. Casting an Asian American into a bad role where they’re shoehorned into these stereotypes is worse than not having cast them at all.”