Some comedians are apparently taking the side of Tony Hinchcliffe, the stand-up comedian who reportedly lost gigs and was dropped by the talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) after spewing anti-Asian insults at Chinese comedian Peng Dang.
Insult “comedy”: During a show in Austin earlier this month, Hinchcliffe took racist jabs at Dang, calling him a “filthy little f*cking ch*nk” while the audience laughed and cheered him on, NextShark reported.
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- “Oh, we make gunpowder, oh, you want extra soy sauce,” Hinchcliffe said while putting on an accent. “Oh, you borrow money from us.”
- Dang shared a clip of the show, which went viral on social media.
- Following backlash from the Asian community, reports emerged that Hinchcliffe’s agency dropped him, and some of his shows, including gigs he headlined with Joe Rogan, was canceled.
Abuse is “his thing”: Fellow comedians Theo Von and Brendan Schaub defended Hinchcliffe while discussing the incident during their King and the Sting podcast episode.
- Von pointed out that Hinchcliffe’s “thing is saying abusive and messed up sh*t,” while Schaub noted that it’s not intended for the general audience.
- The comedians said the video was not meant to be shared online while agreeing that Hinchcliffe’s jokes “weren’t funny.”
- “I think if it would have been more funny, he’d get more backing online,” Schaub said, noting that the clip alone was “terrible.”
- Von also accused Dang of “clout chase-y,” adding that he should have taken the issues with Hinchcliffe instead of publishing the clip online.
- Dang previously told NY Daily News that he decided to speak out about the incident because he doesn’t think it’s “okay to use Asian racial slurs as a comedian.”
- The podcast producer, who happens to be Asian, agreed that the jokes weren’t funny but said he believes everyone should get a second chance.
Featured Image via Ari Shaffir
