Korean-American comedian Bobby Lee gets a fun review in SFGate, which says among other things that it’s “Lee’s Koreanness” that “powers some of his most brilliant sketches.” The Korean soap parody the article refers to is on Youtube.
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17 Comments
Thanks for the YouTube link. I think I’ve seen another episode of the same “drama.” I also saw one skit of him playing KJI (I gather it’s a recurring theme), and Condi was a superhero who discovered him hiding out in the middle of Harlem (the whole thing was done like 70s blaxploitation). That was pretty funny, too. I haven’t watched Saturday Night Live in years; thanks to Bobby Lee, I sometimes catch up on MadTV, though.
That was a pretty interesting interview, too. Man, if he’s been doing non-trivial characters (i.e., not Jackie Chan or William Hung impersonations) on MADtv for the last 3 years, then I’ve missed a heck of a lot. Wow. And good on him for the kind of stuff he’s allowed to do on that show—a far cry from the token African American characters (and not an Asian or Hispanic in sight) that one sees on a certain other late-night sketch comedy show.
I had never heard of Bobby Lee until I read this post, but I when I saw his face in the video, I realized that he was in the movie, “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle,” which is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. He played a nerdy Korean student who knew how to party.
I do not watch enough Korean soap operas to understand all of the comedy in the video, but it is good to see that Korean-Americans can also see the comedy in them. It made me realize that I do not know much about Korean-American society. I have only met a few Korean-Americans here in Korea, and all of them have been pretty cool people.
Korean Americans comedians are increasingly popular. Have you ever heard of ‘Dr. Ken’?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKzioKL4k_s
dr. ken is one funny dude.
Bobby Lee is not funny. Easily the most annoying and anger-inducing member of MadTV. His skits more often than not include:
1) Dressing in drags
2) Making stupid faces
3) Speaking in stupid accents.
4) Getting half-naked and revealing his fat gut.
The very few times I laugh at him, I feel bad because it’s like laughing at someone pretending to be retarded.
The article says that he’s not afraid to embrass himself. Good for him, because he’s an embrassment.
“1) Dressing in drags
2) Making stupid faces
3) Speaking in stupid accents.
4) Getting half-naked and revealing his fat gut.”
Right, so it’s stupid when a Korean does that, but it’s brilliant when a Brit does it?
No, it’s stupid when a Brit does it too.
However, when a Canuck does it, it’s pure genius.
Bobby Lee rocks.
I cannot think of a single comedian of any nationality who would make me laugh by:
1) Dressing in drags (sic)
or
4) Getting half-naked and revealing his fat gut.
Either would repulse me, in fact. The two combined would send me rushing for the bathroom.
I agree…that stuff makes me want to change the channel. But I was thinking in particular of his characters like the translator and the soap opera character, who are somewhat more interesting than just stock parodies. At least he isn’t just the “token Asian” doing, say, stereotypical martial arts stuff, although he says in the interview that he did indeed start out that way—over time, though, the show’s producers gave him more room to move. It’s a step forward, although one could argue that as long as he’s doing characters that are in any way distinctive because of their Koreanness, then he’s not truly functioning there as an equal among equals.
I should say, not being allowed to function there as an equal among equals.
“However, when a Canuck does it, it’s pure genius.”
No because he’s copying the Brit.
h.kom@9, someguyinkorea@14…
Now THAT’s good comedy!
not funny. the laugh track was a nice touch, because if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have even known what they wanted me to find funny.
I find Bobby Lee incredibly irritating to watch. I just want to smack his rolly-polly face.