By Lisa Boone

Feb. 14, 2025

At a Los Angeles comedy club recently, Jenny Yang was working through some new material, including calling out some surprising trends among Gen Z. Her humor was in full swing as she engaged the audience. “Why aren’t you having sex?” she asked an unsuspecting 22-year-old woman, prompting howls of laughter. “Will you do me a favor? Please, have sex!”

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

One comedian, Jenny Yang, wants to change all this, and she called for change in a very unsubtle, direct way.

In an August 2024 Instagram post, Yang shared a series of photos, holding the ever-popular letter board. Typically, when these kinds of photos come across a social media feed, the letter board bears a message about pregnancy or engagement or some other type of exciting milestone moment.

And Yang’s announcements took a very different spin on that notion.

“TW: miscarriage, ivf talk. SCROLL to see my ‘failures,’” she wrote in the caption on the post. “what if we shared fertility fails as a social ritual? the joys get to be public but not the pain?”

Since 2000, Variety has been naming its annual 10 Comics to Watch — and watching them go on to impressive careers. We decided to invite a few notable alumni who happen to be performing at the Netflix Is Joke Festival this year for a conversation over Zoom. We were joined by comics Hannah Berner, Zarna Garg, Jay Jurden, Matteo Lane, Brian Simpson and Jenny Yang. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity, space and to remove lots of random digressions.

Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, the leading film and television industry organization for Asian and Pacific Islanders, on Monday night presented its second annual Radiance Gala, celebrating the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Non-Binary artists, artisans, and leaders in entertainment, presenting honors to actress Sandra Oh, the teams behind Lionsgate‘s Joy Ride and Hulu’s Black Cake, and more.

Hosted by actor and comedian Jenny Yang, the ceremony also featured a special musical performance from artist, writer, producer, and social change artist MILCK.

The comedian tells all about her path to Netflix’s ‘The Brothers Sun.”

Four years ago, Jenny Yang reached a plateau in her career. She’d achieved many of her goals — she was a successful stand-up comedian, she’d launched her own comedy festival focused on platforming Asian American talent, she’d worked as a staff writer on Busy Tonight — so she sat down to chart something new. Yang decided that what she really wanted to do was become an action comedy star. She trained for a half-marathon and took up kickboxing training. But then a casting director for a new Netflix show about a Taiwanese crime family was scouring the internet during a late-in-the-game search and came across one of her viral stand-up videos. “All they told me was that it was a gang drama and I wouldn’t have to do any accents,” Yang says.

An elixir of crime drama and comedy, “The Brothers Sun” shakes up the formulaic way Hollywood has often portrayed Asian immigrant families. The genre-bending show aims to be a vehicle for fresh faces like Li and comedian Jenny Yang, a practice that doesn’t always feel like the norm when it comes to actors of Asian descent.

Mostly known for stand-up and sketch comedy, Yang is making her television acting debut as the assassin Xing.

“I had heard about the project before any casting notice was seen and I was jealous. ... Why am I not involved in this?” Yang recalls.

She credits casting director Jenny Jue with making “the extra effort to scour the internet and scour her networks to look for talent that might not have been previously seen.”

They say to never meet your heroes, but no one ever said anything about choking them onscreen, and Jenny Yang just got to check that off her bucket list. In Netflix’s The Brothers Sun (out now), Yang’s Xing, an assassin, goes up against Michelle Yeoh, who stars as Eileen “Mama” Sun, the matriarch of two brothers who have to reunite to beat a rival gang and keep the Sun family empire in place. “Fighting Michelle Yeoh was something I didn’t even think was a possibility for me to dream of,” Yang said at the show’s premiere in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Even with comedians who don’t identify as political, the existential pressure cooker of today bakes their politics into their material. Jenny Yang doesn’t want any label other than “comedian,” but because she comes from a background as a political organizer, you can expect jokes about racism, patriarchy, and capitalism to find their way into her sets. Ironically, she got out of politics and into comedy just so she could be more personal and vulnerable with what she wanted to talk about (i.e., anything other than politics). The police shooting murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., brought her activist roots back into the forefront in her daily life, which is when she decided to actually bring her politics into her comedy….

BY JAKE KROEGER, OCT. 4, 2023 5 AM PT

‘Self Help Me’

Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bell House, 149 Seventh Street, Brooklyn; thebellhouseny.com.

During the pandemic, Jenny Yang helped soothe thousands of anxious people by inviting them to join comedians at a virtual comedy club she created within the video game Animal Crossing.

Three years later, Yang continues to promote the healing, only now she has turned well-being into a competitive sport with her live game show, “Self Help Me.” On Saturday at the Bell House, competing comedians will not only be quizzed on how much they know about the latest trends and practices in self-care, but they will also be dared to reveal what they are doing to stay sane themselves. Amber Ruffin from Peacock’s “The Amber Ruffin Show,” Jo Firestone and Jay Jurden will show off their wellness wonkiness, while Alex Kumin will perform a stand-up set.

Tickets are $25 at Eventbrite. SEAN L. McCARTHY

The Swarthmore grad cracked jokes and raised awareness during her recent Underground Arts Show.

Los Angeles-based comedian Jenny Yang voiced support for the Save Chinatown Coalition protesting the proposed $1.3 billion 76ers arena during her show at Underground Arts on Aug. 3. Yang, who recently voice-acted in The Great North and will appear opposite Michelle Yeoh in the upcoming Netflix show The Brothers Sun, is a Swarthmore alum who studied urban planning and Chinatowns in graduate school at UCLA.

“Philadelphia Chinatown has been an incredible part of my development as a human. Not just as, like, a cool place to get dim sum,” Yang said in a phone call with The Inquirer. The area and the Asian Arts Initiative in particular were “the source of so much enrichment for me [in college], as a budding political activist, a budding poet.”

The Swarthmore grad, who was recently cast in a Michelle Yeoh movie, added her voice to Chinatown activists’ fight.

The white-and-red posters declaring “No Arena In Chinatown” fit right in amid the dimly lit graffiti art, sculptures, and mini murals adorning the staircase down to Underground Arts’ subterranean space in Callowhill, where comedian and actress Jenny Yang was preparing to perform in an Aug. 3 stop of her “Fiancé Energy” tour.

In some ways, the signs and large table staffed by Chinatown activists with petitions and T-shirts were the real opening act to Yang’s show, before the stage performances by three up-and-coming comics — and before Yang herself incorporated the anti-arena message into a nearly seven-minute portion of her set.

There was that time when a union member threatened to throw a chair at Jenny Yang. In hindsight, her transition from labor organizer to stand-up comedian has been a breeze.

“Not having people laugh at a joke,” she says, is much easier than ducking a flying chair.

What has not been so breezy is going on strike alongside her fellow screenwriters in their ongoing dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Yang spent the first few weeks of the strike in May walking the Writers Guild of America (WGA) picket line, protesting paltry residual checks, the looming specter of AI, and other workplace issues.

Comedian Jenny Yang is proving that laughter is food for the soul.

The former labor organizer-turned-standup comedian shared the aha moment that birthed the creation of shows like her upcoming “Self Help Me,” which she calls a “competitive self-care comedy show.”

Artificial intelligence is poised to transform entertainment as we know it, from blockbusters to pornography. But the power is still in the hands of humans. Jenny is quoted here for her hit Comedy Crossing standup comedy show inside of a Zoom and the Nintendo Switch video game Animal Crossing.

Jenny’s twitter mega-thread of great picket signs was featured on this New York Times piece about the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Writer’s Strike.

Hot dogs for Fourth of July. Ham at Christmas. We’ve long associated certain dishes with our favorite holidays, and no federal day off lends itself to that sentiment more than Thanksgiving. Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, and green beans. But for many Americans, the fourth Thursday of November isn’t always Turkey Day, just ask comedian Jenny Yang by Melissah Yang.

Yang's latest collaborative food education campaign, held in conjunction with MSG-producing company Ajinomoto, redefines "clean eating" and constructively calls Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow's wellness platform, to action. by Evan Nicole Brown

Comedian Jenny Yang says the ingredient has long been misunderstood—with no help from Goop.

Clean eating may have its benefits—like added vitamins and minerals, or an energy or mood boost—but who gets to decide which ingredients are “clean”? That’s the question activist and comedian Jenny Yang is tackling in her recently launched #DinnerWithGoop campaign By CAITLIN RAUX GUNTHER

The work of one of Jenny’s comedy mentors and inspirations, Lizz Winstead, was featured in The New York Times coverage of the recent abortion battles. Lizz was the co-creator of The Daily Show on Comedy Central and brings together comedians and abortion providers to provide fundraising, morale and support for the pro-choice movement.

“Abortion Access Front performances feature sketch comedy; music; standups like Sarah Silverman, Michelle Buteau, Jenny Yang, Aida Rodriguez and Negin Farsad and notables like the writer Dan Savage and filmmaker Mark Duplass; and on the road, conversations with local abortion providers, to highlight their needs. Even pro-abortion-rights crowds are often edified and galvanized, according to audience surveys collected by a researcher from the University of California, Los Angeles.”

Jenny Yang has been cast as “Xing” a loyal triad assassin in American Horror Story co-creator Brad Falchuk and Byron Wu’s Netflix dark comedy, The Brothers Sun. Michelle Yeoh and Justin Chien will lead the series which is set in the world of Taipei gangsters.

DEADLINE: Michelle Yeoh To Star In Netflix Series ‘The Brothers Sun’ With Justin Chien

VARIETY: Michelle Yeoh Among Main Cast Set for ‘Brothers Sun’ Gangster Drama Series at Netflix

NBC NEWS: Michelle Yeoh among main cast set for ‘Brothers Sun’ drama series at Netflix

THE WRAP: Michelle Yeoh to Star in Netflix Drama Series ‘The Brothers Sun’

NYLON: Michelle Yeoh To Lead The Brothers Sun, Netflix’s Gangster Drama Series

DEADLINE: HBO Acquires ’38 At The Garden,’ A Documentary About Jeremy Lin’s Historic New York Knicks Spree In 2012

DEADLINE: ‘38 At The Garden’ Short On Trailblazing NBA Player Jeremy Lin Gets New Trailer – Update

38 AT THE GARDEN TRAILER ON TWITTER

“Even as A-list comics sell out arenas, a full recovery is stalled by a fiercely competitive market for venues, international travel restrictions and the pandemic that won’t end: "The spectrum is so wild right now."“ BY KIRSTEN CHUBA

“The Good Ones is a new series from Mic about celebrities who are living their values through their art. These are the actors, artists, musicians, and creatives who let the world know exactly who they are, and are paving the way for the next generation.” BY ESTHER WANG

“Jane Fonda and Zazie Beetz will be honored Wednesday during Women in Film’s WIF Honors gala while Jenny Yang has also joined the program to host. Billed as “Trailblazers of the New Normal,” the event will be held at the newly opened Academy Museum.” BY CHRIS GARDNER

“On Thursday, CAA kicked off the month of April with the CAA Amplify Town Hall to address the surge of violence against Asians and Asian Americans. These acts of violence and harassment have been at the forefront in the past week with the Atlanta shootings and the most most recent attack in New York City, where a man brutally beat 65-year-old Vilma Kari while saying racist remarks. The graphic attack can be seen in video footage — but what’s even worse is that the footage shows people witnessing the attack and not doing anything to help her.” BY DINO-RAY RAMOS

“We’re highlighting 20 talented writers and performers for Vulture’s annual list “Comedians You Should and Will Know.” Our goal is to introduce a wider audience to the talent that has the comedy community and industry buzzing. This year, for the first time, we asked the comedians on this list to answer a series of questions about their work and comedy under quarantine. Last but not least is Jenny Yang.”

August 2020 — Variety has selected Jenny Yang as one of their “10 Comics to Watch” for 2020.

This year’s honorees will be profiled in the September 29 issue of Variety and take part in a live virtual panel at this year’s Just for Laughs Digital Festival. Traditionally held every year in Montreal, the festival will going digital this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and held Oct. 9-10.

Part of the “Comedy Queens of Quarantine” series, Jenny was interviewed by her good friend poet and writer Jenny Zhang and shot photos with Tyler Joe for Harper’s Bazaar.

Jenny is featured in New York Magazine Vulture’s “Good One Podcast” with Jesse Fox talking about making comedy during quarantine and creating Comedy Crossing, her popular online standup comedy show. August 2020.

New York Magazine’s Vulture team review Jenny’s pandemic-ready standup comedy show, Comedy Crossing. July 2020.

7 ASIAN-AMERICAN AND CANADIAN CREATIVES SPEAK OUT AGAINST COVID-19 RACISM

“We need to stand in solidarity with other marginalized communities.”

May 26, 2020.

The Hollywood Reporter interviews Jenny about her viral “man-on-the-street” video in response to former Presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s Washington Post Op-Ed calling for Asian Americans to be “more American” in the face of COVID-19 anti-Asian racism. March 2020.

READ: Here’s Why Late-Night TV Writer Jenny Yang Cried During Her Interview With Busy Philipps. November 2018.

Jenny’s viral twitter thread about the steps someone like Louis CK can do to atone for his sexual harassment / assault of women in comedy was featured in numerous press coverage of his “return” to the stage after a 10-month hiatus since his admission and public apology. August 2018.

New York Times: "Comedy Clubs Are Ready for Louis C.K.’s Return. Is Everybody Else?”
VOX: “Thank god my rapist wasn’t famous”
KCRW’s The Business Podcast: Comedian Laurie Kilmartin on Louis C.K. and her book ‘Dead People Suck’
COMPLEX: “Kathy Griffin Explains Why Men Want Louis C.K. Back in Business”
Scary Mommy: “Louis CK Made A Surprise Stand-Up Appearance, Proving He’s Learned Nothing”
Paste: “#MeToo Has Opened Our Eyes to Abuse, But Almost Nothing Has Changed”

(READ): Jenny was featured in this New York Times article about the movement of Asian American comedic talent organizing their own live shows and festivals. This includes Jenny’s Disoriented Comedy and The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival. Also featuring Asian AF and Y’all We Asian shows. July 2018.

(READ): Jenny’s digital satirical project “Bad Appetite” magazine gets a feature write-up. Bad Appetite skewers food, foodies, and food culture. July 2018.

Jenny’s tweet about the passing of chef and tv host Anthony Bourdain became one of the top viral tweets on the trending topic. June 2018.

New York Times (link)
Eater London (link)
New York Magazine’s Vulture (link)
Slate (link)
TV Guide (link)
Thought Catalog (link)
Colorlines (link)
L.A. Taco (link)

(READ): "We are excited to present a new interview series, PAY IT FORWARD, in partnership with the Lily. The Lily, published by The Washington Post, elevates issues critical to women by fostering important conversations and empowering stories. We spoke with women who we collectively admire to hear what mentorship means to them, the advice that has been most meaningful, and the importance of uplifting the women around you.

Jenny spoke on a panel on Asian American media representation fo NBC Comcast Universal panel soon after news of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault and rape allegations broke. Fellow panelists included Colleen McGuinness, Tess Paras and Geeta Patel. November 2017.

(READ/VIDEO): "Comedian Jenny Yang is disrupting cultural perceptions of Asian Americans by making you laugh"

(READ/LISTEN): Jokes aside, Asian-American comedians serious about visibility. Dec 2016.

Jenny started the viral hashtag #ThankYouMattDamon to speak out against the white savior storyline of the 2017 Chinese-U.S. co-production "The Great Wall." Here is a selection of the press coverage. Feb 2017.

Perez Hilton (link)
BBC (link)
Complex (link)
Mic.com (link)
Mashable (link)
Huffington Post (link)
Buzzfeed (link)
Refinery29 (link)
Uproxx (link)
Upworthy (link)
Colorlines (link)
Junkee (link)

Jenny self-produced, wrote, and starred in this viral video response to the controversial Bon Appetit magazine video "How To Eat Pho." Here is a selection of press coverage about Jenny's video and the issue of cultural appropriation in food culture. Oct 2016.

Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) KPCC 89.3 FM (link)
The Daily Dot (link)
Paste Magazine (link)
NextShark (link)
TimeOut (link)
Eater LA (link)

(READ): Disoriented Comedy was featured in the print and digital edition of the LA Times in August 2016 about their work and why Jenny started The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival.

(READ/VIDEO): If You Can’t Beat Them, Laugh at Them: How Asian America Responded to Hollywood in 2016

(READ): Jenny Yang and Ijeoma Oluo talk about Peter Liang and racial justice. Feb 2016.

(READ): As one of ten recipients of The White House Champions of Change for Art and Storytelling award, Jenny was featured in this conversation with LA Times' Dexter Thomas and two of the other Los Angeles-area "Champs." "Three Asian American leaders talk about what got them to the White House"

(READ): AAPI Heritage Month Recap: Champions for Art and Storytelling. May 2016.

(READ): Jenny was profiled on the UK news platform after the success of the first-annual The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival that she produced. Margaret Cho was a featured surprise performer at the festival.