In June 2023, Comedian Jocelyn Chia made the front page of The New York Times. The Singaporean got into hot water when she told a series of jokes at the Comedy Cellar in NY that the country of Malaysia didn't appreciate. Yes, not just a few Malaysians. A country. I DMd Jocelyn on IG because I admired her willingness to stand her ground and not apologize for a joke. She graced me with her presence, and I'm not using "grace" simply because it's a common Asian name. I was honored she sat down with me over Zoom to deep-dive into what happened, how she dealt with it, how the levels of trust about the media among Asian and American comedians differ, and how Jocelyn's mental health preparation enabled her to not only weather the storm but also to capitalize on the moment.

BIO: Jocelyn Chia is a New York-based lawyer-turned-comedian. She is a regular at the Comedy Cellar and Gotham Comedy Club, and  has been featured in Vulture, Vice, CNN, BBC, and (if you read above), The New York Times.  She has been on the Howard Stern Channel of Sirius XM, MTV, Gutfeld! on Fox News, TMZ, Vice TV, and Comedy Central.  Follow her on at instagram.com/chiacomedy.