By Juan Calvillo
Ali Wong continues her hot streak of funny and engaging Netflix stand-up specials with her newest show “Ali Wong: Don Wong.” Wong’s special starts off with guns blazing and zips along at her signature methodical pace that doesn’t stop until the house lights go out.
Wong breaks down the differences between married and single life. She focuses a good part of her special going over how things have changed for her since becoming famous and the disparity for the sexes when it comes to fame.
Wong shoots from the hip when it comes to her comparisons. While the observations she makes aren’t anything new, it’s the way she cobbles together her explanations that is hilarious and entertaining. They also skew from a more feminist perspective. Wong makes sure to not only explain her position, but she manages to bury opposing views by exposing the ridiculousness of these opposing views.
During her special, she very dryly explains to the audience that the reason she says the things she says, the way she says them is deliberate. It’s all part of the joke, but it also allows for a bit of reflection on and of herself.
She said her reason to say the things she does is to make sure that the audience knows who she really is deep down.
The humor for much of Wong’s set stems from her saying exactly what most people are thinking about things like marriage, kids, men, women and of course, everything sexual. Her view on kids is not new in the slightest, but it’s her ability to infuse her specific take that makes her views so much more interesting. Wong also jokes about her sexual exploits in most of her specials and the tradition continues in “Ali Wong: Don Wong.” She even makes an observation about how differently men and women are judged when it comes to cheating.
Wong is so straight-forward when it comes to dissecting the judgments people make that it can be jarring for first-time-viewers. This is where Wong shines the most. Her acerbic take is refreshing and leaves little to the imagination.
Comedy is very hard to critique. Every person has a different sense of humor and Wong’s style makes her performances pointed and raunchy. The greatest comedians find ways to joke about everything and still make their jokes funny for everyone. The master of this will always be George Carlin. His sharp tongue and intellectual mind made him hard to emulate. It’s fun to watch Wong show why she can be mentioned alongside someone like Carlin.
Wong is one of the very best comedians today. She allows herself to be straight and uses her rationale to make the truth funnier than it should be. While there is debate among comedy fans about whether women are funny, it’s a silly discussion to have. Both men and women can be funny. Wong is proof positive comedy does not see gender, race or creed.
“Ali Wong: Don Wong” is rated TV-MA and is streaming on Netflix now. A forewarning to viewers who may find frank talk about relationships, how sex directly relates to the sexes and some funny takes on children should be careful while watching. Wong’s jokes will make viewers laugh, and that’s good comedy.