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May 11, 2016 The Skanner Page 7 Arts & Entertainment All’s Right with Wong! The “Ali Wong: Baby Cobra” Interview By Kam Williams For The Skanner News Ali Wong is a stand-up co- median living between Los Angeles and New York. After SF Weekly selected her as “The Best Comedian of 2009″ and the SF Bay Guardian awarded her “Best of the Bay,” she de- cided that it was finally time to depart her hometown. In 2010, Comedy Central listed Ali Wong as one of 7 “Comic’s to Watch.” In 2011, Variety Magazine named her as one of the “10 Comics to Watch” and Ali ap- peared in the 2011 and 2012 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Since then, she has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, appeared in Oliver Stone’s “Savages” and was a series regular on NBC’s “Are You There, Chelsea?” In 2012, Ali hosted the Gold- en Globes live coverage on E! and in 2013 she joined the re- boot of VH1′s “Best Week Ever,” MTV’s new show “Hey Girl” and performed on the new sea- son of “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show.” Here, she talks about her comedy special, “Ali Wong: Baby Cobra,” which is set to premiere on Netflix on Friday, May 6th. Kam Williams: Hi Ali, thanks for the interview. Con- gratulations on the baby! Ali Wong: Thanks, Kam. KW: How do you think moth- Ali Wong performed in her comedy special while pregnant with her first daughter. erhood might affect your ca- reer? AW: I can’t go on the road to perform stand-up as much, and I also have to say “no” to a lot more projects. But, ulti- mately, it cuts the fat out, and I had a problem saying “yes” to everything before I had the baby. I look to women like Jes- sica Alba, who turned mother- hood into a weapon by found- ing the Honest Company. I’m hoping to do the same thing in some regard with my stand-up. KW: What inspired you to shoot it while you were seven months pregnant? AW: I’ve been doing stand- up for 10+ years now, and I had been wanting to film a one-hour special. When I got pregnant, I knew that if I didn’t shoot it before having the baby, it would never happen. So, it was hard, preparing for it while I was so tired and nau- seous, but it was worth it. And I’m excited to show the special to my daughter one day, and tell her that both of us were on stage together in that special. KW: What’s the theme of the show? AW: The life of a stand-up comedian is extremely uncon- ventional. So, outside of that, all I wanted was a traditional life: love, marriage and the baby carriage. And I got it all, but the way it all happened did not go exactly as I had planned. The special is all about that twisted journey. KW: What is your favorite dish to cook? AW: Chicken noodle soup! My husband and I eat a bas- tardized version of chicken phở, probably 10 times per week. It’s so easy, fast and healthy. KW: Ling-Ju Yen asks: What is your earliest childhood memory? AW: I had a nightmare in my crib when I was a baby. I was at the bottom of a hill in a stroll- er and my parents just kept on walking up the hill and forgot about me. Maybe that’s why I do stand-up, because I always have the urge to shout: “Hey! Listen to me! I’m HERE!” important life lesson you’ve learned so far? AW: If you’re a woman who wants to have a career and a family, choosing the right life partner is the most important decision you’ll ever make. KW: Who loved you uncon- ditionally during your forma- tive years? AW: I have three siblings who are all 10-plus years old- er than me. I was an accident, or as I prefer to call myself, a KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for? AW: Asian Mary Poppins to live in my house, take care of my child, and cook yummy Asian food all the time. “ KW: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? AW: I’ve eaten a still-beating cobra heart. I’m excited to show the special to my daughter one day, and tell her that both of us were on stage together in that special. “blessing.” My two sisters and my brother were so loving and attentive to me. They spoiled me with attention, brought me on dates when they were in high school, introduced me to great art and music, and taught me how to have confidence. KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? AW: A tired, lucky, 34-year old mom that’s just trying to get through the day. KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure? AW: Chris Brown’s music. KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Do you have a favorite movie monster? AW: Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. His name also cracks me up so hard. KW: Judyth Piazza asks: What key quality do you be- lieve all successful people KW: Sherry Gillam would like to know what is the most See WONG on page 11 Wake of Vanport Series Workshop Join the Wake of Vanport 2016 Series production team and learn video production for FREE! On Memorial Day 1948, a dike broke on the Columbia River starting a flood that would leave 18,000 people homeless and altering race relations in Portland forever. This class is designed to tell the stories through oral history video production of these individuals. You will interview Vanport flood survivors as they talk about their lives in Vanport be- fore and after the flood that displaced many Portlanders and left over 18,000 homeless. Ten producers are trained on equipment, taught interview techniques, conduct interviews with Vanport survivors, and edit their productions using Final Cut Pro X. Equipment is loaned to producers throughout the workshop at no charge. Topics covered in this workshop include the fundamentals of HD camera operation (Canon C100 Mk2), audio, shot composition, interviewing, lighting techniques and ed- iting. These completed videos will be aired on the PCM channels and during special events throughout Portland. FIELD PRODUCTION CLASSES 5/24 (Tues.) 5/26 (Thurs.) 5/30 (Mon.) and 6/2 (Thurs.) • 6 – 9 p.m. You will learn the necessary video fundamentals to produce a short film to tell their story. Topics covered include the fundamentals of HD camera operation (Canon C100 Mk2), audio, shot composition, interviewing, and lighting techniques. EDITING CLASSES 6/20 (Mon.), 6/21 (Tues.) • 6 – 9 p.m. Final Cut Pro X training and editing raw Vanport footage to a 5 -8 minute production. Classes held at PORTLAND COMMUNITY MEDIA Register at: https://community.pcmtv.org/education/workshops/camera-editing-introduc- tory-specialty/wake-vanport-2016-series-registration This is a project sponsored by The Skanner Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts, Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission and Portland Community Media.
