September 9, 2021 • 9 mins
Comedian Ali Wong discusses her book "Dear Girls," playing Keanu Reeves's love interest in "Always Be My Maybe" and the challenges that women in comedy face. Originally aired October 2019.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Comedy Central. Welcome to the day. Thanks Trevor.
It's my first time being it's your first time being here.
I feel like it's been it's been way too long,
because like I watch everything you do and I'm like
a giant fan, and then I see you everywhere else
and I'm like, God, you're like stalking me for real.
(00:22):
Congratulations on everything you've done. I mean, like we watched
you blow up and stand up, which everyone loves. And
then the thing that really brought me, Joe was just
seeing how you kick ass and movies as well. Thanks,
so you're a movie star now you realize that, right?
Who it was? It was really fun and I got
to mack on those three fine at dudes. You watched
the movie, right, I know? It was like who wrote
(00:45):
this thing? Like whose idea was this? Who was in charge? Um?
You have Keanu Reeves fighting over you? And then he
came to your show, didn't he? He came to my show,
which was amazing. He was so sweet. He was like
in such a good move right afterwards to who's really smiley? Um? Yeah,
I was confused though. If if like Keanu Reeves plays
(01:07):
your boyfriend in the movie and then they see him
at your show. Isn't someone like I think it's really
no one. No one. I mean like I'm cute or whatever,
but no one thinks that he really wants to date me.
They were like that movie was straight up fiction. Like
all my friends were like, Ali, you're you're cute, but
you ain't that cute. Um. You have fans of your
(01:28):
stand up, you have fans of your movies, but a
book is a very different medium for us to engage.
Allie Wong in your first book, and it's also an
interesting style of book. You've written this book Dear girls,
it's specifically written to your children. Letters to my my
two daughters. I have two girls who are under the
age of four, and the first one was in that
(01:48):
stripe dress when I filmed Baby Cobra, and the second
ones in the leopard dress. And um, they're very aware
of it too, like they know which which ones they were,
and uh, I wanted to My dad wrote me this
letter before he passed away, and my my real name
is Alexandra and it was started with dear Alexandra, and
he like reflected a lot in our relationship and how
(02:12):
I had affected his life and It was a short
letter and I love it so much, but I wish
that he had written me more because after he passed
it was too late to ask him all these questions
about who when he when I was born, like he
was already this successful and theseiologist and in the same
way like when my girls were born. They only know
(02:32):
me after I filmed those two specials, and they don't
know like what it took from me to get where
I am and how I forced grind before. And I
think that's so that's such an important life lesson they
and I want them to know that I wasn't you
know that I struggled a lot and then I had
to work really hard. So it really is an interesting
book because you know when when when I first got
(02:53):
the book, they're like, oh no, Alie wrote this for
her two daughters, and I was like, oh, it's gonna
be like a cute, little like kid's book. Oh no.
And then she writes about like a rectile this function
like that you experience all the New York Yeah. Yeah,
And then I was like this is this is like
it's very it's graphic and it's real. It's like it's real,
like I'm assuming it's not for them now, No, they're
like reading like they're watching Daniel Tiger. I hope they
(03:15):
watch like it's so there's so much like dirty content
in there that's even more dirty than my specials that
I hope that they watched the specials long before they
read the book. Right. But but I mean, as much
as it is for your daughters, it really is for
women in general. That's what That's what I love about
the book because you're telling your story and for instance,
you share stories about stand up comedy that I would
have never thought of and have never experienced because I'm
(03:37):
a man in stand up. So for instance, you just
talk about how much you have to love stand up
as a woman, when like you talk about like going
to like walking to your call, one of them by yourself.
I think the reason, I think a big reason why
there aren't more women who do stand up it's not
getting on stage is the easy part. That's the fun part,
and being funny is the fun part. But going on
(03:59):
you have to go on the road to be a
great stand up because you have to test out your
material and all these different cities in front of all
these different audiences, and that's it's a safety issue. I
think that's why more women don't do it, because when
you go on the road the first day you go out,
as you know, you get into a car with four
strangers from your from you, and it's crazy. You just
(04:20):
like into a car, I've never met this person before
kidnaps and you're very kidnapp but you can depend on
But no, this is I mean like because like when
we started was before Uber, before any of that. So
like what would be funny is you get like a
random town. This happened, Like every comedian has a story.
You get to random town, you're performing in a random
comedy club, and then they just tell you like Jim
is going to pick you up, and you're like, who's Jim.
(04:42):
They're like he works with the club. You like at
the club or with the club. There's no picture. I
don't know who gym is. Some guys coming and some
like nineteen Corolla that smells like the ghost of a
dead comics firm, and you're just like are you like
is this for every time you get in the car,
there's always there's always like you get in the car
(05:04):
and the person, oh, you can just throw that on
the back seat. There's always something on the back, that
old freedom. Yes, yeah, yeah, So I can imagine how
unnerving that must be a man that's like, oh this
is gross, but so it is my apartment, who whatever.
But for a woman, it's like, am I gonna get killed? You?
Like every time, you know, you think about that, and
(05:25):
it's a it was like, I think about the days
when I started. I would never want my daughters to
go through that. You also talk about like like just
the journey of of of your rise in comedy. You know,
you talk about your success, the grind that came behind it,
but then you talk about like just the experiences that
you've had with someone. You know. Many people, in fact,
try to reduce you to just you know, your your
(05:46):
your factors. So they went like, oh, you're getting your
successful just because there's just because even now there's just
because you're pregnant. There's so many. There was a guy
who I won't name names. He's not a very successful comedian,
so I don't even know if you would know who
he was, but he came up to you wouldn't know,
you're you're out of there now, but he like came
(06:06):
up to me while I was pregnant. The second time,
and he touched my belly with his like fat, sweaty hand,
which is so gross to begin with. It's like it's like,
why don't you finger me while you're at it? This
is so not okay, Like just because I'm pregnant doesn't
mean it's okay for you to touch my belly. And
he was like, oh, so this is your stick. This
is like your thing now, right, And I'm like, I
was like, getting pregnant is not rainbow suspenders. It's not
(06:29):
a stick. And then he was like, you're so lucky, Ali,
because you get all of this attention because you're both
a female and a minority. And I was like yeah,
because you know, historically that's always been the winning combo
for recognition and success. And he was like and he
(06:50):
was like, you know what I mean, Like me, I'm
just another white guy. And I was like, be a
better white guy. There's so many successful There's like there's
Jimmy Kimmel, There's Will Ferrell, there's Nick Crowle, there's John
Mulandy that I can name, Like I can go on
this whole show for like thirty five days comedians. Just
(07:11):
be a funnier white guy, Like that's it so, um,
the girls are gonna read the book. Girls out there
will read the book. Women can read the book. Men
can read the book to Trevor like that, Yeah, I did.
My husband wrote the afterword too. It's very sweet. He did.
He wrote a beautiful thing about how like you consult
(07:31):
with him about the jokes that you will tell about
him on stage, which is really nice. It was really
sweet and it was very sweet. And what it's like
to be married to me, you know, because people that's
the number one question people will ask him all the
time because they think I'm like standing up on a
couch with like a growing life form inside of me,
just like screaming these like very funny anecdotes at him
all the time, and He's like, that's not you know,
(07:53):
that's not our life. Ullie. Congratulations on another successful endeavor.
Thank you, Thank you for being with m The Daily
Show with Trevor Noah Ears Edition. Subscribe to The Daily
Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes
anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central
(08:17):
podcast
You're listening to Comedy Central. Welcome to the day. Thanks Trevor.
It's my first time being it's your first time being here.
I feel like it's been it's been way too long,
because like I watch everything you do and I'm like
a giant fan, and then I see you everywhere else
and I'm like, God, you're like stalking me for real.
(00:22):
Congratulations on everything you've done. I mean, like we watched
you blow up and stand up, which everyone loves. And
then the thing that really brought me, Joe was just
seeing how you kick ass and movies as well. Thanks,
so you're a movie star now you realize that, right?
Who it was? It was really fun and I got
to mack on those three fine at dudes. You watched
the movie, right, I know? It was like who wrote
(00:45):
this thing? Like whose idea was this? Who was in charge? Um?
You have Keanu Reeves fighting over you? And then he
came to your show, didn't he? He came to my show,
which was amazing. He was so sweet. He was like
in such a good move right afterwards to who's really smiley? Um? Yeah,
I was confused though. If if like Keanu Reeves plays
(01:07):
your boyfriend in the movie and then they see him
at your show. Isn't someone like I think it's really
no one. No one. I mean like I'm cute or whatever,
but no one thinks that he really wants to date me.
They were like that movie was straight up fiction. Like
all my friends were like, Ali, you're you're cute, but
you ain't that cute. Um. You have fans of your
(01:28):
stand up, you have fans of your movies, but a
book is a very different medium for us to engage.
Allie Wong in your first book, and it's also an
interesting style of book. You've written this book Dear girls,
it's specifically written to your children. Letters to my my
two daughters. I have two girls who are under the
age of four, and the first one was in that
(01:48):
stripe dress when I filmed Baby Cobra, and the second
ones in the leopard dress. And um, they're very aware
of it too, like they know which which ones they were,
and uh, I wanted to My dad wrote me this
letter before he passed away, and my my real name
is Alexandra and it was started with dear Alexandra, and
he like reflected a lot in our relationship and how
(02:12):
I had affected his life and It was a short
letter and I love it so much, but I wish
that he had written me more because after he passed
it was too late to ask him all these questions
about who when he when I was born, like he
was already this successful and theseiologist and in the same
way like when my girls were born. They only know
(02:32):
me after I filmed those two specials, and they don't
know like what it took from me to get where
I am and how I forced grind before. And I
think that's so that's such an important life lesson they
and I want them to know that I wasn't you
know that I struggled a lot and then I had
to work really hard. So it really is an interesting
book because you know when when when I first got
(02:53):
the book, they're like, oh no, Alie wrote this for
her two daughters, and I was like, oh, it's gonna
be like a cute, little like kid's book. Oh no.
And then she writes about like a rectile this function
like that you experience all the New York Yeah. Yeah,
And then I was like this is this is like
it's very it's graphic and it's real. It's like it's real,
like I'm assuming it's not for them now, No, they're
like reading like they're watching Daniel Tiger. I hope they
(03:15):
watch like it's so there's so much like dirty content
in there that's even more dirty than my specials that
I hope that they watched the specials long before they
read the book. Right. But but I mean, as much
as it is for your daughters, it really is for
women in general. That's what That's what I love about
the book because you're telling your story and for instance,
you share stories about stand up comedy that I would
have never thought of and have never experienced because I'm
(03:37):
a man in stand up. So for instance, you just
talk about how much you have to love stand up
as a woman, when like you talk about like going
to like walking to your call, one of them by yourself.
I think the reason, I think a big reason why
there aren't more women who do stand up it's not
getting on stage is the easy part. That's the fun part,
and being funny is the fun part. But going on
(03:59):
you have to go on the road to be a
great stand up because you have to test out your
material and all these different cities in front of all
these different audiences, and that's it's a safety issue. I
think that's why more women don't do it, because when
you go on the road the first day you go out,
as you know, you get into a car with four
strangers from your from you, and it's crazy. You just
(04:20):
like into a car, I've never met this person before
kidnaps and you're very kidnapp but you can depend on
But no, this is I mean like because like when
we started was before Uber, before any of that. So
like what would be funny is you get like a
random town. This happened, Like every comedian has a story.
You get to random town, you're performing in a random
comedy club, and then they just tell you like Jim
is going to pick you up, and you're like, who's Jim.
(04:42):
They're like he works with the club. You like at
the club or with the club. There's no picture. I
don't know who gym is. Some guys coming and some
like nineteen Corolla that smells like the ghost of a
dead comics firm, and you're just like are you like
is this for every time you get in the car,
there's always there's always like you get in the car
(05:04):
and the person, oh, you can just throw that on
the back seat. There's always something on the back, that
old freedom. Yes, yeah, yeah, So I can imagine how
unnerving that must be a man that's like, oh this
is gross, but so it is my apartment, who whatever.
But for a woman, it's like, am I gonna get killed? You?
Like every time, you know, you think about that, and
(05:25):
it's a it was like, I think about the days
when I started. I would never want my daughters to
go through that. You also talk about like like just
the journey of of of your rise in comedy. You know,
you talk about your success, the grind that came behind it,
but then you talk about like just the experiences that
you've had with someone. You know. Many people, in fact,
try to reduce you to just you know, your your
(05:46):
your factors. So they went like, oh, you're getting your
successful just because there's just because even now there's just
because you're pregnant. There's so many. There was a guy
who I won't name names. He's not a very successful comedian,
so I don't even know if you would know who
he was, but he came up to you wouldn't know,
you're you're out of there now, but he like came
(06:06):
up to me while I was pregnant. The second time,
and he touched my belly with his like fat, sweaty hand,
which is so gross to begin with. It's like it's like,
why don't you finger me while you're at it? This
is so not okay, Like just because I'm pregnant doesn't
mean it's okay for you to touch my belly. And
he was like, oh, so this is your stick. This
is like your thing now, right, And I'm like, I
was like, getting pregnant is not rainbow suspenders. It's not
(06:29):
a stick. And then he was like, you're so lucky, Ali,
because you get all of this attention because you're both
a female and a minority. And I was like yeah,
because you know, historically that's always been the winning combo
for recognition and success. And he was like and he
(06:50):
was like, you know what I mean, Like me, I'm
just another white guy. And I was like, be a
better white guy. There's so many successful There's like there's
Jimmy Kimmel, There's Will Ferrell, there's Nick Crowle, there's John
Mulandy that I can name, Like I can go on
this whole show for like thirty five days comedians. Just
(07:11):
be a funnier white guy, Like that's it so, um,
the girls are gonna read the book. Girls out there
will read the book. Women can read the book. Men
can read the book to Trevor like that, Yeah, I did.
My husband wrote the afterword too. It's very sweet. He did.
He wrote a beautiful thing about how like you consult
(07:31):
with him about the jokes that you will tell about
him on stage, which is really nice. It was really
sweet and it was very sweet. And what it's like
to be married to me, you know, because people that's
the number one question people will ask him all the
time because they think I'm like standing up on a
couch with like a growing life form inside of me,
just like screaming these like very funny anecdotes at him
all the time, and He's like, that's not you know,
(07:53):
that's not our life. Ullie. Congratulations on another successful endeavor.
Thank you, Thank you for being with m The Daily
Show with Trevor Noah Ears Edition. Subscribe to The Daily
Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes
anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central
(08:17):
podcast
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.