Review – Michael Hing: Occupy White People

As a comedian Michael Hing will learn, with time and experience, not to apologise. For himself… for his comedy… eventually even for being late probably, it’s all part of the job. He will also learn to stand by what he has to say and to be bold, as he is a genuinely funny guy.

At the moment unfortunately the apologising only serves to undermine him and his material… which is, for the most part, very good. On this note I felt that his show Occupy White People was a bit too safe and a bit apologetic. Doing a show about race relations can be a bit of a touchy issue, and that’s how Michael treats it, with care and almost a bit of fear. Bugger that. I want to know a bit more about what it’s like to grow up as a second generation Chinese Australian.

There’s far too much politeness and diplomacy surrounding this issue as there is; it’s the jobs of comedians (and all artists) to give us a different perspective, their unique point of view. At present the show is a mixture of white people jokes and then some unrelated material.

The shame is that the vast majority of material is very good; but it’s the structure of the show that lets it down. He was also a bit nervous and rushed, another aspect that will improve with experience. At one point in the show someone actually asked him to perform a certain bit they’d seen before (a hilarious anecdote about his father the kung-fu fighting eye doctor that I highly recommend you request), he was taken aback at this suggestion and it was then, when he was talking to his audience directly that he was at his most relaxed, best. One to keep your eye on.