Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Hinchcliffe did not approach him after the show or reach out to apologize.
Vulture sat down with Dang to talk about the experience, anti-Asian racism, and comedy in Texas.
But I think this is crossing the line.
I am, after all, an Asian, a Chinese person, way before I was a comedian.
I dont deserve to do that kind of material onstage if I cant be that person offstage.
I think thats what eventually pushed me to come out with that video.
Your caption didnt have a very direct call to action.
Why did you decide to just let the clip speak for itself?I was trying to raise awareness.
Also, I edited the video; I cut it down.
I was thinking from the social-media perspective.
Last week in Austin, I got to bring up Tony Hinchcliffe.
This is what he said.
How do you feel about that?That wasnt my intention, to attempt to cancel another comedian.
I think I made a decision, and it has consequences.
I am also going to continue to face the consequences from my own decision.
I have to live with the consequences too, so I think thats something he has to deal with.
But I do not regret that I made the decision.
I didnt reply to any of them, actually.
And thats just not true.
I was on the roster, and the club owner booked me.
Tony didnt request me.
Also, after that, we didnt speak to each other.
Jeremiah was [Kill Tonys] former band player, and were good friends.
I havent gotten any apology from Tony Hinchcliffe himself.
What would you want to hear from him?I think it really doesnt matter.
I dont expect an apology.
Hes known as an insult comic.
If he apologized, his fans will be upset.
I wont be any more upset if he doesnt reach out to me.
I dont think I would want to run into him anytime soon.
I dont like confrontation.
The shooting happened on a Tuesday.
Sunday night, I went to Dallas for the protest.
And then the following Wednesday, I did that set and recorded it.
Tony called the audience race traitors for laughing at your act.
Some of your jokes told to audiences that werent predominantly Asian involve comparing Asian people with white people.
Do you view that material as social commentary?
Whats your goal?I mean, I take a stab at be funny first.
I wasnt there trying to be right, trying to be correct.
I would poke fun at, talk about all the different ethnicities and races.
But I would never be racist; I would never be vicious with my material.
I want to break that kind of stereotype.
I want to connect with the audience, even though we have completely different cultural backgrounds.
You say, You think I wont do it?
Fuck you Target, show some respect!
Youre getting at this view of Asians as safer, less likely to rock the boat.
Do you see any parallel there with what happened with Tony?Yeah, thats interesting.
They think we wont push back.
It is so crazy, you know?
I think thats real life putting me in a test to see how I would handle that situation.
I definitely enjoy the freedom, or the less rigid political correctness.
This isnt me talking about Hinchcliffe.
You should not take that freedom for granted.
I lived in Georgia, Alabama, and Texas.
I think the South is not what the general public makes it out to be.
Nobody has ever called me that word.
In the 11 years I lived in the South, nobody has ever called me that.
And all of a sudden, somebody from Hollywood called me that.
Thats southern hospitality: They might not like you, but they still venture to be nice to you.
Youvepreviously describedcomedy as a great equalizer, that who you are doesnt matter if youre funny.
After this experience, have your feelings on that changed at all?I still love comedy.
I still think it is a great equalizer.
The audience loved me when I performed in Austin.
They were there to watch some big names, not me, but they still loved me.
So I think thats good.
That definitely showed me a darker side of comedy as an industry.
Most comedians, even if youre really successful, youre at best a C-level, B-level celebrity.
So our fame is actually very, very limited.
Our fame stays within the 200-yard radius of the comedy club.
Only comedy die-hard fans and these aspiring comedians respect and idolize you.
I think thats the least you might do: Respect your fellow comedian.
Doesnt matter if youre a bigger comedian treat them well, treat them better.
It made me rethink the fame and money in this industry, and how it changes people.
Have you talked to any family or friends in China about this?
How did they react?It was getting media attention in China, too.
My parents called me because they saw, and they were worried for me.
They were just worried for my safety.
They said, We dont need you to be famous.
We just want you to be safe.
Im not suspecting Tony Hinchcliffe would do anything to me, but his fans are angry.
I saw one tweet saying, Oh, hes not going to have any meaningful performance in Austin anymore.
So whys there a double standard when it comes to Asian racial slurs?
It should be off limits.
I hope everybody sees that theres real-world consequences when you do that kind of thing.
Youve got to push back.
But also, do it in a smart way.
And I would never get the recording.
I chose not to do it physically, but fight him in a better way.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
