Atsuko Okatsuka Is the Joke Slinger America Needs

If you don’t know who Atsuko is, it’s time to change that.

Photo by Kim Newmoney

As Atsuko Okatsuka (pronounced ATS-KO OKATS-KA) and I sit down to chat, she warns me that she’s been in a weird headspace of emotional self-sabotage, binging episodes of The Witcher, and obsessing over the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum Instagram. As she confesses this, I feel a little less alone and mention I’ve also been feeling unlike myself lately. I blame it on Mercury being in retrograde, and we come to the conclusion that it’s a completely rational explanation for our behavior and any unsettling energy worldwide.

Atsuko is a half-Japanese and half-Taiwanese comedian, actress, and writer who was named a “Comedian To Watch” in Vulture's 2018 list and TimeOut LA's 2019 list. She hosted the 2018 IndieWire Honors, has written for The Eric Andre Show and Soft Focus with Jena Friedman, premiered an hour stand-up special on Hulu titled They Call Me Stacey, and is the host of Let’s Go Atsuko! A Woke Japanese Game Show that has featured guests including Lauren Lapkus, Cameron Esposito, Guy Branum, and Aparna Nancherla, to name a few. In a world inundated with bummer media, she preaches the power of silliness, something we all need right now. Her social media has random nuggets of gold like videos of her twerking in public, finding pistachio shells in her shoes, and planning to get wasted at a 1-year-old’s birthday.

Her new album But I Control Me is available to stream on Spotify and is a wildly fun smorgasbord of observations about her surroundings. Tracks include scenarios about her accidentally tongue-kissing a stranger’s dog, her marriage, and why pursuing a film career is crazier than being gay. Despite our planet being in apparent retrograde motion, it was a joy to talk with Atsuko about how clowns are infiltrating the comedy scene, what it was like doing stand-up during an earthquake, PC culture, why it’s too soon for coronavirus jokes, and then some.

- Xanthe Pajarillo, DJ

Xanthe Pajarillo: Do you relate to any of the [stand-up] comedy shows like Crashing?

Atsuko Okatsuka: Do I relate to a guy like Pete Holmes? It’s kind of your good American boy. I’m kidding, no, but I do relate to the comedy world. I didn’t really watch that much of it. I think they did an episode on NACA which is colleges, that was relatable. I think I just don’t relate to Pete Holmes as a person, but yes. What else? [The Marvelous] Mrs. Maisel. I really don’t relate to that. Mercury’s in retrograde so excuse me if nothing seems to connect with me. Have you seen Mrs. Maisel?

XP: Not the latest season.

AO: I just crave different stories. Maybe I’m judging it without having watched it. I know they meant well, but it’s another period piece with a message… there’s no nuance. “A woman can be funny too and independent.” I’m sure the show’s more than that. Every season isn’t an episode about how a woman can do stand-up. Kind of like Green Book: racism is bad. Look what it can do to a person. We have history books that can tell us that. When does Mrs. Maisel take place, the 60’s? So Mrs. Maisel does stand-up but it would still take another 70 years until a black woman can be on SNL. There’s just so many things we could explore now.

XP: How do you feel about Asian Americans in the state of the industry right now (Crazy Rich Asians, Fresh Off the Boat, etc.)?

AO: It’s exciting we had to be restaurant owners and rich people on TV first, to then be a woman applying for an art grant going home to see her dying grandmother in China… that’s The Farewell. There was an untitled pilot about another rich Asian family, and I was like, dang, the world’s gonna think we’re all Chinese… but they’ll think we’re all rich, so maybe that’s okay to start off.

XP: Basically it still needs some work.

AO: Yeah but we had to start somewhere. They’re not just gonna watch normal mediocre Asians. Mumblecore type. ‘Cause then they’ll be like, “We already did mumblecore, it was 2010.” The movement, at least. Was it a movement?

XP: I would say you could consider it a movement. A burst of those movies coming out.

AO: I wonder if Noah Baumbach is still trying to do that kinda thing. “This is a simple marriage story. Two people. One child. A break up.” I don’t know if we can necessarily do that yet and have it be on a bigger platform. They’ll say that’s been done before.

XP: I feel like your comedy comes from the frustration of the lack of diversity in Asian American representation.

AO: I talked more about it in the past. Right now I’m fishing, going through it. In the past I talked about it more because it has really changed. I’m trying to talk about things that make me happy, that I find silly, or ways that I try to cope with hard things.

XP: That was more with Dis/orient/ed Comedy and the Comedy Comedy Festival?

AO: Yeah, there was more visibly a lack of diversity, too. We didn’t have Crazy Rich Asians. We didn’t even have Black Panther. I mean “we” as in people of color. We didn’t have Transparent. Everyone did the good fight, now I can just finally be me… silly. In my album I talk about one diversity thing but that’s because I’m talking about the show Hey There Delilah. I’m not mad, it’s more like, “Hey remember that terrible song? They’re making a whole TV show about it.” It’s more of a joke about pontificating. How long can they milk that seven minute song? It’s not someone’s life story that they’re adapting. It’s a song where he repeats a lot of the lyrics. It’s him following this girl. I joke that the show’s going to be plain and white to a t, but that’s a play on words with the band’s name, the Plain White T’s. 

XP: I loved that song when it came out…

AO: It was in all of our heads. I’m mad now because it’s in my head again. It was a song that swept the nation and internationally, I would say. Who’s this guy that loves this girl so much? He wonders how she is. She does a lot to him… “oh, it’s what you do to me.” 

XP: It’s hard to take it seriously now.

AO: Because you realize she doesn’t respond. She might not even know that she’s this obsessed. How does he know that she looks really pretty? She’s in New York City but tonight she looks so pretty. Run, girl. I think he’s outside your window. I’m just breaking down this song that could potentially be a stalker situation. Isn’t that what You the show is about? 

XP: I actually binged that show. 

AO: Do you like it?

XP: I do. I don’t understand why!

AO: I don’t like the guy already from the first episode. I’ve never been into murder podcasts and stuff like that. I’m not a demographic that gets excited about that.

XP: I watched your Room 104 episode. It was very touching. It’s about closure right?

AO: Yeah, I didn’t write it.

XP: But your performance! It was convincing and great because you were supposed to be a ghost. How was that experience?

AO: It was great, we improvised it. A ghost, an ex, that actually appears. People always make me an upset woman about a breakup. I just did a music video where I was a woman upset about a breakup, I was in a feature film Wallflower where I was upset about a breakup. Always in a lesbian relationship too. I don’t know if it’s because of my haircut.

XP: Since people have type casted you as the upset lesbian, what would be your ideal role to try out?

AO: I like playing a nervous wreck. People wouldn’t know that about me looking at my face. Maybe I’m stern looking.

XP: You seem calm.

AO: Yeah. I would love to play a nervous wreck that has a hard time getting anything right. That’s actually more me. The words don’t come to my mouth fast enough, I talk slower, monotone. People wouldn’t know. Me on my own is... “Ahhh ahhh my car! Ahhh!”  just constantly in a monologue like “I’m gonna get there. I’m gonna get there. Oh my god a tree!” That would be fun because that’s really what’s happening on the inside. 

XP: How did you get started in stand-up?

AO: I started stand-up ten years ago, just dropped out of UC Riverside. I was never really good at school, but I always performed in some aspect throughout my life… whether it’s dancing, cheerleading, theatre. When I was in community college [in Valencia] I was like, I like making people laugh. How do I take that and make that into a thing I can start doing? At the time the only way I knew how to learn something was through the guidance of a class. I looked up stand-up comedy classes on Craigslist and found “Pretty Funny Women.” It’s an all women’s stand-up class. At the time I signed up for the class, they were filming a documentary for it. I didn’t have to start off just by going to open mics, which were pretty much dangerous if you were a woman. It still is now, but ten years ago, it was like walking into wolves. I still did it after the class was over, but I didn’t have to start off that way, which I feel lucky. The first time you can get discouraged, it’s not necessarily a supportive environment. You are outnumbered by dudes. You might never go back and do this thing you wanted to try.

XP: I feel like some comedians are afraid to admit they took a stand-up class, so it’s cool that you’re honest about it.

AO: Different processes work for different people. If you can work in chaos, control your fears, have enough self confidence, just go out and start doing mics, wait for hours and hours, drive really long, only get three minutes at a time, nobody gives you feedback, and it’s just you in your head. You might not even go up at some open mics, right? So you’ll have spent three hours just listening to people, your name never got pulled. If you want to do it that way, cool. I just know that at that time, I would not have been strong enough to continue. That way I was able to focus. Some people take SAT classes, some people can't afford one. I couldn’t afford SAT classes, but I did well. No I’m just kidding, I didn’t do well on the SATs. I couldn’t afford them and I didn’t do well. Stand-up classes are way cheaper than SAT classes. Maybe that’s the conclusion. I was gonna try and be, “But look at me now!” but it’s like no, I did really bad. UC Riverside was the only place that took me in, if that says anything.

XP: How was it doing stand-up at the same time going to CalArts?

AO: I didn’t do it as much because I was double majoring in film and critical studies. Valencia is far away from comedy shows. I was trying to put on shows at CalArts but it was hard to balance and figure out what they wanted. If I wanted to do straight stand-up, that’s not CalArtsy enough. I put on one variety show, but I called it a comedy show. I think people were not sure if they wanted to go. I’d have to call it “Notes From the Bathroom Line” or “While We Were.” That’s the way I should have done it. I’ve beaten myself up for feeling like I’m not experimental enough, especially having gone to a school like CalArts. Even in the LA comedy scene right now, clowning is coming up because of a space called The Lyric Hyperion Theatre. I forget the teacher’s name, but he’s kind of a renowned clown trained in France or something. He teaches clowning workshops, and a wave of clowns graduating from that school are trying to find their space in the stand-up comedy scene. I think it’s great but at the same time it’s like, “What are you doing here? What are you doing here in your wig and your props?” A few of them are my friends. You know how as an artist it’s easy to get inspired and you judge yourself and are like, “Oh I should be doing that”? But it’s important to take time to be like, “No, that’s not your thing, and that’s okay.” You can try it, but you don’t have to be so down on yourself if you’re not also good at juggling, unicycling. I don’t want to be a clown. It’s ‘cause I get paired up in shows with them. People group me with the weirdos so I get insecure. Ohh why am I showcasing with so-and-so? We’re both gonna have half hours together back-to-back, the same comedy club. He does characters. I’m just going to be doing stand-up.

XP: What’s the new thing [in the stand-up comedy scene] now?

AO: There’s so many younger comedians, even age-wise compared to the forefathers who are still around like Dave Chapelle and Bill Burr. All of their specials start with, “Young people and their vocabulary… the cancel culture… PC culture… I can’t even say this, what?” I’m seeing a clash and frustration with newer comedians because we’re not talking about that. We’re not necessarily wanting to be preachy. We’re just like, this happened at Trader Joe’s the other day. It’s not identity based. They’re mad at PC culture. They’re blaming it on the younger generation, but then there are comedians who are able to do comedy and still make it work. That’s a dialogue that’s resurfaced and I don’t know if it’s a product of technology or social media, ‘cause dinosaurs can’t keep up online. Bill Burr recently had a freak out on his podcast complaining about a friend of mine. It was something she tweeted. It wasn’t even at him, but he was just so flustered, “What’s up with this female comedian saying all headliners don’t try to sleep with your opener?” It wasn’t even supposed to be a funny tweet. She was just saying “Headliners, you have the power. Don’t sleep with your female openers. Don’t pressure them into trying to have sex with you.” Because it’s been happening. Then Bill Burr blew up, which was weird because now he’s outed himself. Anyhow, this kind of clash. We can bring it down to PC culture/new generation as too sensitive...  it makes comedy not funny more.

XP: What do you feel about that statement [that PC culture is ruining comedy]?

AO: I think it’s our job as comedians to pay attention to our audience. If the audience isn’t laughing… or even worse, they’re terrified of something you just said, you gotta go back to the drawing board and rework that joke. It’s our job. It’s a system that works. When I say audience, it’s not just the stage audience. It can be a podcast audience, a Twitter audience. Especially if they’re saying, “Hey, that really hurt for you to use that word.” It’s not the PC culture killing comedy. It’s like when Shane Gillis from SNL got fired because of the racial slurs he said on his podcast. If a live audience doesn’t laugh, it doesn’t mean you did poorly. You can still learn from the surroundings, was it because you didn’t enunciate the word, the punchline didn’t work, is it because there were only two people in the audience? There’s so many factors. We have to constantly be down to learn as comedians, change wordings, and change the way we think. ‘Cause that’s what you should chase: making people feel good and making people laugh. Times change so you have to update yourself as a comedian. You can’t still be like, “Well back in my day!” In the 80’s you could say that word. Our jobs as comedians is to comment on current events constantly. Filmmakers, TV makers… they can do period pieces. Unless it’s a character you’re doing as a comedian, you have to be updated with what’s going on in the world, and even how people feel and think. Again, it’s our job. 

photo by Kevin Riggins

XP: Tell us about the two year anniversary of your show, Let’s Go Atsuko: A Woke Japanese Game Show! What’s your goal for it?

AO: As time passes I want to take the “woke” out. It’s not just a regular Japanese game show. A lot of people love Japanese game shows ‘cause it’s chaotic, crazy, can’t believe human beings signed up for this. I wanted to create controlled chaos where it’s an homage. Let’s say it’s election season. We’ll play a game like the Campaign Trail Mix. Or we play a game called the Schmear Campaign where contestants have to smear the events that they know about each other, at the same time they’re smearing a perfect amount of cream cheese onto a bagel. Can you do that within a minute? That’s what I was trying to do. Blending the silliness of Japanese game shows with satirizing current events.

XP: You said your parents met on a Japanese game show?

AO: Yes, my parents met on a Japanese dating game show. I grew up watching them. It’s an homage to that too. It’s been fun. I have a rotating cast of improvisers and sketch actors who also are part of the team. During the game, the contestants are sometimes impeded or hindered by them, or have to interact with them during games. It’s like Whose Line Is It Anyway? But a game show.

XP: You also use a lot of your Mom and Grandma in your stuff. That’s really cool.

AO: Yeah, we’re the holy trinity. My family lives very close to me. They way I am, they’re a big influence on it, so I like to involve them. It’s more of an inside joke between me and my fans online. I don’t talk about them much in my stand-up. But the videos that we make, I like to share that.

XP: Did they encourage you in your comedy?

AO: They didn’t really care. They’re too tired to care or go to a show. It’s too late. 8pm. They go to sleep at like 6… 7. Neither here nor there. That’s how I feel about green peppers. I’ll eat it, but I don’t need to and I won’t go buy one. That’s how they are about me doing comedy. I’ll watch it, but I won’t go to a show. Which is a great way to just say no.

XP: What about the video during the earthquake? You handled it so well. I would be so terrified.

AO: It’s so my life that an earthquake would happen during my set. The unfortunate thing about an earthquake hitting during my set is that it put me in a leadership position that I’ve never been in. I had two hundred people looking to me for guidance. Instead of telling everyone to get under a chair... ‘cause I don’t know! I haven’t done an earthquake drill since I don’t know, high school? We didn’t do any at CalArts! We didn’t do any at art school. I don’t know why I screamed into the… [yells into recorder] CalArts never put us through any drills of natural disasters ever! We were taught to create chaos, not contain it! I was up there like, god, art school has failed me. Living 20 years in LA has failed me. All these people are like, “What do we do?” and I’m just like, “Calm down… here’s some jokes.” Like a psychopath. These people kept sitting. They didn’t get up. They had bad instincts too, not just me. Now that I know everyone’s safe and nobody got hurt during this, I watched the video and thought, “This is pretty funny. I think I should post it.” It’s always good to have a story of triumph. It’s two hundred people in a room who lived and still got to see a comedy show. And I lived and I still got to do jokes. And I was funny. Earthquake came and went. [Pauses] Sorry, my nose itches!

XP: It’s that season.

AO: It’s always that season. [Sniffles]

XP: How are the jokes about the coronavirus? I’m sure there has to be a lot.

AO: Online but not in person. It’s too soon, maybe? The only takes I’ve heard are on social media of people making sketch videos, and think pieces of “Asians are being racially profiled because of the coronavirus.” That’s not a joke though. That’s a statement that people are saying. Some people made a sketch video where they’re an Asian person, they cough and people are scared. They decide to use it to their advantage. There’s a long line, they cough. People run away. They get to the front of the line. I’ve seen things like that but not in stand-up yet. There are some things that are terrifying to explore. It has to be a well crafted joke with a lesson that’s beyond just talking about the virus. I’ve been wanting to write something about the Auschwitz memorial being on Instagram. I have to be careful because it’s always too soon. I’m also not Jewish. Of course I would acknowledge that it’s fucked up. The whole thing is fucked up that it ever ever happened and it should never ever ever happen again, of course not. But, you still want them likes! They have a lot of followers.

XP: I think it’s really funny though, the idea of Auschwitz having an Instagram. It’s bizarre. 

AO: If they do use hashtags, what’s Monday Motivation look like? What photo are you gonna use? Wednesday Wisdom? Just… Never Again? What else can you do? It’s fucked up. It’s very difficult to stay trendy when you run Auschwitz, okay? We have a gift shop, have you visited our gift shop lately? Get your magnets. I don’t know if I want to go, besides to pay respects and cry about what happened in the past. I don’t know if I need an Auschwitz calendar to bring home. They do post old photos for sure, when they were there. I don’t know if it’s New Year, New Me.

XP: What comics should people be aware of?

AO: So many. Danielle Perez, Robby Hoffman, Debra DiGiovanni, Daniel Webb, Maggie Maye.

XP: Great. Any last words to wrap up?

AO: Ahhhh, uhhh…..ummm…. Uhhh…..

Atsuko Okatsuka’s new album “But I Control Me” is now streaming online with a planned tour in April. Dates can be found on AtsukoOkatsuka.com. She is on Twitter and Instagram @AtsukoComedy. [Disclaimer: this interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.]