In this episode of the National Committee’s PROFILES series, Program Officer Rosie Levine talks to Jesse Appell, a Beijing-based comedian. He describes his Fulbright research on the Chinese comedy style xiangsheng, explains the differences between the American and Chinese comedy landscapes, and predicts what the future of Chinese comedy looks like.
Jesse Appell, also known as 艾杰西, is a Fulbright Scholar Alumni whose research focuses on Chinese humor and performance. He is a disciple of master xiangsheng performer Ding Guangquan, and regularly performs xiangsheng, bilingual improv comedy, and Chinese stand-up live and on TV. Appell creates comedic online videos intended for the Chinese audience; one of these, “Laowai Style,” gathered 2 million hits across several media platforms. Appell’s performances, writing, and commentary on Chinese comedy, media, and culture have been seen and heard on CBS, TEDx, PBS, NPR, and PRI, as well as Chinese media such as CCTV, BTV, and CRI. He has performed Chinese comedy at several venues, including Yale, University of Washington, and Brandeis on his Great LOL of China North American tour. He was listed as one of the People of the Year by the Global Times in 2012. Jesse founded Laugh Beijing in order to use comedy to bridge cultural gaps. Find more information about his work at www.laughbeijing.com.
