The comedy event “All Serious I Am Not” featured four comedians from across the U.S. and was organized by Christian Cabiguen with the help of the Kapwa Club and the APIDA group. it was hosted at Los Medanos College Thursday, April 4 in the Student Union.
Cabiguen explained how he got into comedy. “Oftentimes I was forced to do things like studying, and would rely on comedy to lift me up,” he said.
The first comedian to perform during the show was Helen Rong Chu, @helenchucomedy on Instagram. She joked with the audience about divorce, relationships and having a child. She has been doing comedy for about seven years and shared some awkward moments navigating the sometimes ‘blue’ comedy performed at clubs.
Chu revealed that she was a tech CEO for 15 years before quitting to do comedy tours with her 10-year-old son Evan Ho, who was also a performer that evening.
Afterward, Ho performed a 10-minute set for the audience. He told the crowd about life as a 10-year-old.
“The reason I don’t have time for a wife right now is because I’m busy playing with my Pokemon cards,” he joked.
Next to the stage was comedian K. Cheng, @kchenglol on Instagram. Cheng cited comedy as a coping mechanism for a bad breakup, serving as a patch for a rift in his life.
“A combination of those two things, and I was trying to make myself happy by getting on stage, and it worked,” he said.
Cheng currently does shows with Crazy Funny Asians, and cosplays in his spare time. He mentioned going to the upcoming Fanime Convention and is also an avid fan of K-pop group BTS.
“I served in the army, uh… the BTS Army,” he joked.
Cheng cited Mitch Hedberg as being his all-time most inspiring comedian.
Finally, Soo Ra, @hoora4soora on Instagram, took the stage. Soo Ra has done work at the New York Comedy Fest and is currently touring with fellow comedian Nate Jackson. She also works as a flight attendant when she isn’t doing comedy.
“I just fell into it, you know? Comedy kind of found me. I would always joke around with my friends at work, lowkey roasting the people who would come in at the restaurant that I worked at. They were like, ‘Girl, you should try standup,’” Soo Ra said. “That first time was like doing heroin. It was the biggest adrenaline rush of my life, I’ve been chasing that high ever since.”
Soo Ra mentioned a couple of her favorite comics — Ali Wong and Michelle Buteau, two women of color in the comedy scene who inspire her.
Cabiguen revealed that he was satisfied with the event’s success, and how comedian and “Community” star Ken Jeong served as a source of inspiration for him.
“I’m very happy it came up so perfectly,” he said, noting he had hoped to represent Asian and Pacific Islander roots and culture by organizing this event.
