Finding Laughs

By+Bai+Shi

Xi Jiangyue， （real name Mu Dequan）， is a man with big dreams—bringing Westernstyle stand-up comedy to the Chinese people who are stressed out from keeping the worlds fastest-growing economy running. And his dream is nearing fruition： The Beijing Talk Show Club he founded is currently the biggest stand-up comedy club in China.

Xi， 32， was born in northwest Chinas Gansu Province. He graduated from a local university with a degree in civil engineering. Afterwards， he started a business in house renovation and interior decoration. But when his company went bankrupt several years later， Xi took a new direction and founded a stand-up comedy club in 2010 in Beijing and became a comedian himself.

“Im actually more of a literature-andarts kind of person， and in university I started an amateur drama club，” Xi said to Beijing Review. “In 2004， I started following various U.S. television talk shows online. Eventually I decided to try to make a new life through the performance style.”

In 2006， Xi came to Beijing to put his ideas into action. He and a friend staged a few stand-up comedy performances at bars. In the beginning， few people showed up to watch. Before long， Xis partner left him.

To draw attention from the public， Xi spread his idea of starting a stand-up comedy club and his own performing experiences on the Internet. His story resonated with many other comedy fans， many of whom supported his plan.

Since last year， Xi recruited about 40 amateur stand-up comedians through social networks to join his organization， dubbed the Beijing Talk Show Club. They made Hot Cat Club one of their regular sites to perform stand-up shows for free as a part of their promotional efforts.

“The hardest time has passed，” Xi said.“Currently， we organize four to six gigs every week， which have attracted a lot of young professionals and college students.”

Laughing it up

Although stand-up comedy originated in the United States， Chinese white-collar workers in metropolises such as Beijing are particularly interested in it.

“Most of our performers and audience members are young professionals，” Xi said.

Yang Shaohua， 27， works in Beijing and is a member of Xis club， where he often shares funny stories at regular gigs.

Yang told Beijing Review that he joined the club in order to help deal with his own depression caused by overwork.endprint

“Personally， Im not really a big talker； and I dont usually tell others when Im upset，”Yang said.

Yang eventually went to a hospital for insomnia， where the doctor told him to be more social in order to help manage the stress. It was then that he made the move to enter the standup community.

Yang contacted Xi and became a member of the club. Even as a newcomer， Yang was soon asked to get on stage to perform.

“Talking to strangers is really a challenge for me， but I wanted to test myself，” Yang said. “I was so nervous when I did my first five-minute set that my hands were sweating.”

To prepare for his debut， Yang spent several days writing down his jokes， thoughts， and embarrassing moments that had happened to him.

“Generally， it was good. At least I did it， and I was able to stay relaxed，” Yang said.

Apart from jokes， Yang used his brief time on stage to address social issues， such as money and marriage matters and the worsening smog of Beijing. Yang said he felt energized after every show.

“I can make people laugh and get them to hear my opinions at the same time，” Yang said.“We are concerned about society and environment， but we prefer to discuss those topics in a funny way.”

Beyond entertainment

By 7 p.m. the Hot Cat Club had filled to capacity with people from across the city. The nights host stepped onto the stage and announced that the gig would begin with a surprise.

Joe Wong， a renowned Chinese-American comedian， emerged from the shadows to a cheering crowd and launched into a comedy routine that has made him world famous.

Afterwards， Wong told Beijing Review that he was happy to be invited by Xi to attend the gig. He added that the club has been effective in building a large following of stand-up comedy fans in China.

“I hope I can help promote Xis club and exchange my ideas with other members on how to improve their performances，” Wong said.

Born in 1970 in northeast Chinas Jilin Province， Wong moved to the United States to study chemistry at Rice University in Texas in 1994. He moved to Boston in 2001 and began performing comedy at Stashs Comedy Jam in All Asia Bar.

Despite his thick accent， Wong attracted nationwide attention in the United States after his appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman on April 17， 2009. His multiple appearances on TV boosted his reputation further.endprint

At present， Wong is now a regular host for a CCTV （China Central Television） program Is It True？ that airs at prime time every Saturday evening. In his spare time， Wong enthusiastically takes part in gigs promoting stand-up comedy across China.

In recent years， many Chinese TV channels have introduced talk show programs as their popularity grows. For example， the program Tonight Talk Show by Post 80s rose to fame since it was aired by Dragon Television on May 6， 2012. Wang Zijian， the host， used to be a professional performer of Chinese crosstalk. In fact， many Chinese talk show hosts have the background of being a traditional crosstalk performer， differing from Wongs style.

“Many Chinese may think that talk show is like another Chinese art such as crosstalk. But they are different. Traditional Chinese crosstalk emphasizes entertainment， while stand-up comedy and talk show focus on satirizing social and political events with humor，” Wong said.

“I want people to know that talk show is not limited to politics. Our topics cover a broad range that can appeal to all kinds of audiences，”Wong said.

As for Xis club， Wong said amateur stand-up comedy groups are still rare in China. “A good comedian needs not only funny jokes but also sharp observation. To become a professional， it takes time to grow，” Wong said.

Wongs road to fame offers a good example for Xi and his club members to learn from. “Wong realized his American dream， just as we pursue our Chinese dream，” Xi said.

“The huge market for performance in Beijing offers us a lot of opportunities，” Xi said. “I hope our club can become a national sensation.”

Xi has already organized several paid shows in Beijing. “Paid shows will definitely be a pillar for our club， but well never stop putting on free shows for the fans who love this kind of art，” Xi said.endprint