SINGAPORE – Dubbed “comedy’s bad girl” by American TV news channel Fox News, she made headlines in international news outlets such as The New York Times, CNN and BBC after her stand-up joke about the ill-fated MH370 flight went viral in 2023.
Two years on, Singapore-raised American comic Jocelyn Chia is still trying to shake off the “Malaysia Airlines joker” label.
The former lawyer, who is in her 40s, tells The Straits Times that the tasteless gag she made at New York’s popular comedy club Comedy Cellar was not even new.
It was part of a routine about the nuanced rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia that she had included in her live sets for more than a year, says Chia, whose parents and younger siblings reside in Singapore.
Known for her sharp wit and high-energy routines, the New York-based comedienne’s stand-up content typically revolves around her personal migration experiences, social observations and Singapore-United States cultural comparisons.
When Comedy Cellar and Chia posted a clip of an April 7, 2023 set – which included her making light of the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines’ MH370 airplane – to TikTok and Instagram on June 5 that year, the 89-second video prompted an international backlash.
Chia received hate comments, Comedy Cellar’s website was hacked, protesters demanded an apology, and she was threatened with an Interpol red notice by the Malaysian government. Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan weighed in and apologised for her “horrendous comments” in a tweet, stressing that Chia “does not speak for Singaporeans”.
The fallout saw Chia getting “cancelled” by IBM. She had been a regular broadcast host for the American tech corporation for two years, but a complaint from its Malaysian office saw her contract terminated.
A show she was scheduled to perform at another New York comedy club was also axed.
But Chia – who is in town as the headline act for comedy show Gelato & Giggles at local restaurant-club Rasa on May 21 – says she has no regrets. She has not apologised for the joke and has no intention of doing so.
“I wasn’t trying to offend anybody. I was just doing my job,” says the Boston-born bachelorette who attended St Nicholas Girls’ School and National Junior College. “It is all about context, intent and delivery.”
However, she concedes that in hindsight, she should have addressed the furore immediately by clarifying the joke’s intent and explaining her New York-style comedy standards – that deliver hard-hitting, unapologetically bold punchlines –to clear up any misunderstandings.
Instead, she chose to keep silent and prioritised her mental health.
“I was in Colorado doing a show and enjoying the mountains. I didn’t want to worry about what’s going on,” says Chia, adding that she avoided reading online comments during that period.
Drawing inspiration from American self-help guru and best-selling author Tony Robbins, she viewed the controversy as an opportunity rather than a setback.
“This is happening for me, not to me” became her mantra.
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While she was called out by some comedians from Singapore and Malaysia, she received new-found recognition and respect from her American peers.
She adds: “One comic even praised my ability to ‘jiu-jitsu’ a cancellation attempt and turn things to my favour.”
Chia was invited to be a panellist on a comedy segment on Fox News and went on American radio and podcast shows. She was also offered a six-week comedy residency in Japan in 2024 and is now on her Asia tour, where she is booked for shows in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan.
She will be relocating to Barcelona in September to embark on her international comedy career, as Europe beckons with gigs in Switzerland, Poland, Germany and Belgium.
“It’s been a long-held dream of mine to live in Europe, to experience a beach lifestyle,” says Chia.
“It’s ironic, but I’m grateful to Malaysia. This incident changed my life for the better.”
Book It/Gelato & Giggles
Where: Rasa, 02-01/02 Republic Plaza Tower 1, 9 Raffles Place
When: May 21, 8pm
Admission: $35 (with one standard drink), $40 (with one standard drink and a scoop of gelato)
Info: Go to yourtessera.com/e/gelatoandgiggles
- Joanne Soh is a lifestyle correspondent at The Straits Times, with a special interest in entertainment and pop culture.
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