He Huang: From 'China's Got Talent' to Australia's Comedy Scene

Good afternoon, good morning, good evening, Screen Rats, and welcome to another episode of Television Times.

Now, I'm very tired today, and the reason I'm tired is because I've been up all night.

And the reason I've been up all night is because I was watching the US election.

I really am into politics and stuff these days.

Like, when I get a sort of thing that pops up on my podcast feed, you know, it all started with comedy, but now when I get a political one, I'm like, ooh, let's see what this is.

And, you know, because of that, I've been following the polls, listening to all the pundits and all the stuff, and it sounds like it's all bollocks.

Nobody knew what was going to happen.

It wasn't tight.

It wasn't tight at all.

You know who absolutely annihilated his opponent, and there we are.

You know, it is what it is.

There's nothing I can do about it.

I don't live there.

Hopefully, it won't affect me in a negative way or my family.

And, you know, let's hope everybody's wrong.

But talking of places that have unfair elections, my guest today comes from China, He Huang.

She's a comedian, and she's on the Australian comedy circuit, and she's really, really funny.

And I urge you to check her out online, watch her videos and whatnot.

I met her in Edinburgh during the Fringe, and we had a nice little chat, which is what you're about to hear.

There was some boring Fringe stuff at the beginning, we had just cut it out.

It's enough with the Fringe already, it's fucking nearly Christmas.

But yeah, we still have a good chat, and a lot of it wasn't about Telly anyway.

A lot of stuff about China, kind of my fault, but, you know, I was fascinated by a few of the subjects.

And, you know, we talk about lots of other things, and we do get around to some television questions at the end.

This is very much a free-form chat with a funny person.

I should mention, those of you who are not fans of ASMR or have problems with the sort of, you know, smacking of mouths and people eating the misophonia people, I would advise you just to jump ahead a couple of minutes, because at the beginning, there's going to be some noises that you're not going to enjoy.

So, let's get on with it.

This is me talking to the brilliant, very funny He Huang.

I'm with her.

Roll up, roll up, and welcome to another edition of Television Times with your host, me, Steve Otis Gunn, where I'll be talking to someone you do know or someone you don't.

It might be funny, but it might not be, but it's always worth tuning in for.

So here we go with another episode of Television Times.

Do you want to have a piece of sushi?

I'm okay for sushi right now, but thank you, it's very kind of you.

You had a misophonia?

People that don't like to hear, and it makes them angry.

You know those people?

No, the most hate Chinese.

Well, you know that place I went this morning, I told you about?

Noodles and dumplings.

And there was a guy next to me who was making this noise.

And I was like, it's fine.

Now she's on the phone checking the weather.

I'm wondering, did you send me a message?

I just said I'm outside.

Yeah, I just want to know if I missed your message or not.

No, no, no, no, no.

We're good, we're good, we're good.

Okay, that's good.

We're good.

So how's your day been?

My day is been great because I get up late.

Yesterday was really hectic.

I did, I think, four gigs and then canceled two.

So, but physically, I can't fly.

So...

All right.

And you can't get between them?

Traffic is really bad.

Traffic mostly.

Yesterday was bad.

Yeah, I waited for one hour and 15 minutes.

Wow.

I had to wait for a bus in a T-shirt, and it was fucking freezing.

Yeah, it's not so cold.

Yeah, I was surprised yesterday.

I was like, what is this?

Winter?

I know Scotland, it rains in, you know, in some of the time.

I mean, this is kind of a bit ridiculous the last few days.

It's been very hard to deal with.

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

But yesterday was really fun because I planned, I know, because those four gigs I booked a while ago, so I know that I'm coming, so I rested well.

And I got good rest after the show.

And I sleep and feel so good.

I get up, have my breakfast, a really big breakfast I made for myself.

I went to see a panel discussion, What Makes Us Happy as a Comedian is ironic.

Since I started the comedy, I feel less happy.

And especially if you have a difficult audience, like you were telling me earlier.

Oh, she's just one of the old people in my audience.

Most of them are very nice.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.

Do you think, you know how people call me a deadpan comedian?

Should we call them deadpan audience?

Yeah, they are deadpan audience.

It's just a similar situation for all the comedians, because I feel a lot of comedian friends sharing like how the audience seems like very stoic, and very like nothing expressive on their face.

And afterwards, they're like, I enjoyed the show.

And I just wonder why.

Do you think they're like...

Do we laugh when we go to gigs?

Do I laugh when I go?

I don't laugh that much.

Yeah, I mean, I do laugh if I really like...

I don't really go to someone if I don't like them.

I'm not that kind of fake comedian to support each other because you want to, you know...

Sometimes you do because people specifically ask you to go.

And I'm like, okay, so you have to go.

But normally, I would go to the show I enjoy.

And then when I enjoy, I'm really laughing.

I'm actually a very good laughter because my laugh have rhythm.

What's your laugh?

Like this.

But I would sit in the back, my laughter which is like this.

The only thing I'll say is one show that I laughed all the way through, Steve Bujaya.

His show, I laughed like continually all the way through.

And that was like, oh, this is like a proper funny show.

Stand up?

Stand up, yeah.

Proper stand up.

Just like only stand up.

But his is just funny, like proper funny.

And I was like, oh, finally, I'm watching like, I'm actually laughing properly.

You're just making me laugh a little bit.

It was like laughing.

And that is nice.

So, I came to see your show the other day.

You came the day I shortened the version.

Because it's such an intimate space.

It's not really for...

So like, I think like, as a performer, right?

Like you realize that when you go into a space, and then the audience, because I'm doing the show normally at the accentuated stage.

Yeah.

So the audience give you more like, you are the pack leader, you are the performer.

They expect you to be more performative.

And then when I entered my space, it's walking like flat, so intimate.

Yeah, there's very close and very bright.

I cut a lot of like more, I think, performative bits of it.

You need some distance between me and the audience.

I think it's good if you have really good show, you want to debut here, make it into the UK market.

Because I'm not based here, so it doesn't make any sense for me to come here.

And my goal is to come here to watch shows, to get inspired.

Not to, because I don't think I'm at the level of like, I'm really comfortable with my acting skill or stand up skills that I can confidently enter in a more competitive market.

So I think I'm still waiting for a couple of years to, you know, hone those skills.

For me, it's really like more enjoyable than last time I came here.

Last time, I almost wanted to give up on comedy.

Really?

Because it was burning out.

I came to UK to stay for five weeks.

And then it's just like a whole thing of us staying in a hostel.

And then you have to like talk to people, like try to sell yourself.

And then you have to do the show.

And also you have to socialize with other comedians.

And then you go back to your sad hostel.

And then, right, like my friends come last week and have to entertain my friends as well.

And the whole trip was just so burning.

Yes, at the end of the day, I was like, Oh my God, I don't think I want to do comedy anymore.

Yeah, because I didn't think comedy could be so hard.

In my head, I was just like, Okay, just make one joke work and then that would be it.

And then when you get deeper into this industry, it's like, Oh my God, it's not enough.

Like, the experience nowadays, I think you have to be such a well-rounded person to make it, right, to be your own manager, content creator and then marketing PR.

It's exhausting, all fucking Instagram shit.

Yeah, like a flyer too.

I've been to China many, many times.

Oh, nice, why?

Traveling?

Both.

I used to, whenever I had...

I just burped.

I used to work in theater and I'd have time off and I would travel, I'd go traveling.

And I always did that.

And I don't know, first time I was in China was probably about 2004.

Wow, good time.

It was all right.

For what?

Traveling?

Yeah, I think I was just fucking about.

Yeah.

2004, that's why.

Yeah, I think I did Hanoi to Hong Kong, so I would have gone a similar route as I have done before.

I was in Shanghai that year as well.

I was still in middle school.

Oh, really?

There you go.

You're so young.

But I was there.

I was also there in 2014 with a show in Beijing.

Okay.

Yes.

I graduated from uni.

Oh, there you go.

So I was doing How to Train Your Dragon live in Beijing.

And I was living there.

I say living there on a show, a long contract.

And that was a lot of fun.

I was not there actually.

I was already in the US.

And that thing you said about chicken feet, if you don't mind talking about it.

It's so funny because when I got there, I'm vegetarian.

Well, I eat fish.

In China, I'm vegetarian.

Because I can't fucking say.

No, in China, you're weirdo.

I know I'm weirdo.

You're not.

But my friends, you invented vegetarianism.

He comes from China.

He's the one who is like, you're so picky.

You want people?

Why wouldn't you eat it if you can?

You know, I understand.

Chinese was so rude sometimes.

No, I always had a great time, but it was just all my friends were just nibbling on those chicken feet.

Every night, we go to this bar and drink like, you know, beer and they eat chicken feet.

And I'd get some noodles or something.

But like, yeah, I mean, I remember just everyone just sucking on those things every single night.

Just, yeah, yeah, there you go.

You make that noise as well.

There you go.

It's AFMR episode this one.

But no, I found it pretty easy to get veggie food in China, actually.

It is, because people forgot about Chinese cooking because you always focus on the weird part.

We eat a lot of vegetables, too.

Chinese food is very carb-heavy food.

Rice, noodles and fried dough.

That's why I always say, like, carb-heavy, like the breakfast started with the rice.

Yeah, I have.

I love the omelet on rice.

It's my favorite breakfast.

I mean, I eat rice as much as I can.

Yeah.

But I always say that when people are like, oh, you shouldn't eat rice.

It's really bloating.

And I'm like, look at Japan.

They eat rice every fucking day.

They're tiny.

Don't be stupid.

So it's actually Chinese people, the way, because I don't know why Chinese people like eating everything become a thing, because my mom told me when they were like starving during the famine, great famine, they don't even think about getting those eels or like crabs from the river to eat.

They're literally living next to a river.

Yeah.

But back then, they didn't even think about doing that.

Something changed in China as a society.

It shifted to eat something exotic, they think, right?

Because China, as a civilization based on farming, it's a lot of…

Because meat is like a scarcity.

So, lots of food were invented based on the carbs, the rice, the noodles, all the potatoes, sweet potatoes.

Even the mock meat as well, the vegetarian mock meat stuff.

Yeah.

And also, Buddhism was very big in China.

So, a lot of Buddhists, they don't eat meat.

So, meat is actually was never been a big part of China since like recent 20 or 30 years.

So, like eating everything was just such a thing.

I start to rethink about it, right?

Like exotic Chinese eating, because my mom was like, oh, I don't even think about eating those eels when we're younger or starving.

Yeah.

It's so funny because like now everybody eating eels.

Well, it's just, I mean, for me, the only, I can only go by my own experience.

I'm not going by some, you know, what people say about China, but I just remember being on the market in Nanning.

And a very modern city, very modern, right?

And that's what it looks like England to me.

He's the same kind of high street with the paved, with the HMD.

Yeah, yeah.

Edinburgh, like my hometown.

Just looks the same.

Up, down, up, down, down.

It's all the same.

I think people have a different idea.

They think of like American movies, but like Big Trouble in Little China or something.

And they think that's what it looks like.

Everybody wear a hat.

Yeah, everyone's hat.

It's so fucking racist, isn't it?

With a sword.

They still do it though.

They still do it all the time.

And it's more modern than where you live.

I know.

We are very modern, actually, guys.

We're too modern.

We forgot we're an ancient civilization.

That's how modern we are.

Just take me around any shopping area in any city in China.

And you, I mean, if America had malls like that, the good luck.

They go, oh, isn't it communist?

Yeah, I don't know, man.

It doesn't seem to be very so.

I wouldn't worry about that.

But I remember in Nanning, there was this market.

That's just a funny story for me.

It was like I was trying to find something vegetarian.

And it was just one of those markets.

It was very clean, but it was a street.

And everything in my mind was a bit mad.

It was like a cage with like doves or birds in.

Yeah, wet market.

Yeah, it wasn't in a wet market.

It was outside.

And then they had like a crocodile or alligator.

And on the first day, it was like this long.

And then every day, it just got smaller and smaller.

Because they just get the meat at the middle, right?

And this thing just got smaller.

And my wife said, they've got sweet corn.

Why don't you get sweet corn there?

And I said, I can't get sweet corn.

He's got an alligator.

It might be cooked in the same thing.

And I was like, everywhere I went just had like to me.

And I know it's just what we, obviously every country has looks French eat horses, right?

That's weird.

But it isn't weird.

Everything as a vegetarian, I just think, we're all disgusting.

Nothing is off limits.

What's the difference between eating a spider in Cambodia or eating a horse in France or eating a snail in France too?

Snails, disgusting.

The food they eat in France is fucking disgusting.

Oysters looks like snot and it's horrible what they eat.

Yeah.

I mean, every country has got its thing.

Look what they eat here.

Fried pizza and fucking...

Fries, Mars.

Mars bar, yeah.

Oh my God.

Jenny did a thing about it.

Jenny love it.

Does she like it?

She loves sweet.

She has a sweet tooth.

I can't.

I'm a very savory person.

Yeah, me too.

Mars bars are too sweet anyway.

No.

Anything she loves, I hate.

So we're opposite, like food-wise.

I was like, oh, she was raving about the deep fried Mars bar.

And you're after something salty?

Yeah.

I'm like, it's never going to be my thing.

I never understand fried ice cream, fried banana.

Tempura ice cream.

There's a fried Mars bar.

In America, they do fried donuts or fried what?

But it's very disgusting too.

Somewhere, they've got a battered croissant.

Have you seen this?

I can't remember where that is.

I mean, you try to die, I think you're trying to die.

Why they do that?

Every time I eat a croissant, I think I'm going to have a heart attack because there's so much fat in that thing.

And imagine frying it.

It's fucking crazy.

Or the burgers that they have in America, the bun is a glazed donut.

Have you seen that?

Yeah, it's just...

Yeah, American is another level.

So that's it.

I think we're all committing things, right?

Like if we're all thinking about that.

And then whenever I think about Chinese people eating food, I just like...

I think it's like eating everything is really a capitalism.

Like it's that kind of when Chinese people have more money and they start to think about like when you...

My theory is like...

Because Chinese, after you know the communism comes, destroy every belief for like all the religions.

And also like all those like more primitive beliefs, like in my hometown, we're more village, so we believe in Taoism or like the Totanism like that.

It's all destroyed by communism.

And then I don't think people believe in anything.

So when you have money, they just think they want it to be more like to show off the power so they get more exotic stuff.

Oh, I see.

I thought it was just like being at the top of the food chain, and you just go, well, I can just eat everything because it's all here for me.

It is like they're hunting for like exotic stuff, like wild animals too.

But recently, the attitude started to shift, like more young people love pets.

And then the attitude towards wild animals is more like preserving rather than eating them.

Yeah.

So before at this time, I think when I was younger, it was like growing trend of eating wild animals.

I do remember hearing stories about stuff like that.

One time I went back home, I saw this bathtub has a salamander.

Like a big lizard?

No, not salamander.

Like salamander Chinese one.

It's only belongs to Chinese, unique to Chinese.

It's like, what is it called?

They can also live on the land or in the water.

Amphibious?

Yes.

It's the only one who live in China.

It's like second, it's like very precious animals in China, second level.

And then I just want to go, what?

Why is in the bathtub or in the bucket?

Was it alive?

It is alive.

I was keep alive.

And I'm almost like, oh yeah, keep it for someone like some important people.

Oh, right, right.

Yes, because I remember that in Vietnam, in Northern Vietnam, they had restaurants where Hong Kongese businessmen would come and they would have the exotic animals for them.

It wasn't for the Vietnamese people.

It was for the rich businessmen from Hong Kong.

I remember, yes, it's for those like leaders, government officials, rich people.

Yeah, they have a farm to run to raise all those like beer.

I don't know what is English, a turtle's cousin.

What do I call them?

Turtle's cousin, like soft shell.

Terrapin?

Yeah, maybe like that.

The terrapins.

But then they will have saying like, if you eat that, it gives you lots of energy.

It's complement to your health.

The erections.

Your dick.

The dick stuff is really annoying to me.

Also, not really dick.

It's mostly for health.

Like, whenever I heard like they're talking about, right, like the adults, I was a kid, I heard like, oh, you know, so and so someone's mom and dad was like having cancer, were like recovering from some cancer, and they will ask to get some wild animal, cooked and then transport it to the city.

Like literally, someone will bring it to the city, to that leader's mom or dad.

And yeah, that's like that, oh, eat this and drink that.

That's the way like you can bribe or like foster relationship with those leaders.

Like yeah, a lot of like, I heard a lot of story.

I was just there sitting and they were chatting.

So I was hearing, okay.

Yeah, I'm not sure a lot of those things happen and...

Yeah, it's a lot.

The one thing I do, what do you think about the Chinese herbal medicine shops all over the UK?

Because I used to, whenever I got a headache for years and years and years, you probably call it something else, but white flour oil, you know, white flour oil?

Yeah, for your gene.

Yeah, I used to only use that for headaches for 20 years or something.

I never take tablets because it just works.

There are certain things that just work.

Some things don't work, obviously, but that one definitely worked for me.

And you just rub it in the temples.

Yeah, you just feel way better straight away.

It burns a lot.

I think it's working.

I mean, definitely you have to trust the modern science.

Robossum, I think the sub health issues, like human can't regulate by yourself.

At some certain levels, I think it just like speed up the work.

Yeah, sometimes I just have...

If I feel like shit, I'll have to Barocca and then I have some wine or something, it tends to go away.

Yeah, I think if you have a serious disease, you probably have to go to see an agrodot.

But sometimes I think people just...

Modern days, just like lots of stress, lots of don't take care of yourself.

Not sleeping enough, not eating properly.

Yeah, that kind of health issues, I think Chinese herbal medicine can help.

Yeah, it's all stomach-based.

But you need to see the right doctor, though.

Like what I found out in the West is like, a lot of the Chinese herbal medicine or like the doctors are charging a lot.

Yeah.

It's so expensive because I was one of my best friends, she lives in Switzerland.

She was giving me the prescription and it cost her 400 euros to get that shitty herbal.

So I was like, what?

Wow.

What for that?

And also it's so general too.

Yeah.

Yeah.

In China, we have very specific, like if you have headache, you go see this kind of Chinese doctor.

And then they have practice and training.

There are the like a Western doctor, the same system.

So it's very specific and also not expensive.

Yeah.

One thing I used to have all the time, because I used to work in San Francisco, my arms were always like this.

And I used to go in Beijing and I'd have at least two or three times a week, I'd have a deep tissue shoulder massage, and it would cost about nine pounds in English money.

And now here, if I want to do that, I mean, it's like 60 pounds, 70 pounds.

I mean, I can't, I can't, I hate that I can't afford to do that ever here.

Me neither.

I can't afford it.

It's so expensive.

In China, it's good.

Even in Thailand, it's different.

I went to this Thai massage.

When I finished my...

Which one do you go to?

Mine is really good because I look at Google review and then I finished my Edinburgh two years ago.

I was like, I need relax.

So I bought this five hours Thai massage.

Five hours?

It's great.

How is that possible?

Did you fall asleep?

Oh my God.

I think I'm so, some part of my soul left there.

Because like it could be a feed, facial, back, and then scrubs and then massage and then cold herbs, hot herbs and the whole thing, five hours.

Five hours?

I've done two, but five?

Wow, that's crazy.

It's only 150 Australian dollars.

That would be probably less than 100 pounds.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

For five hours.

I miss all that.

I miss that a lot.

It's so great.

I'm like, oh my God, because I went inside broad daylight, I came outside dark.

I could really do with like a foot massage here.

That would be so good at least.

Yeah, it's so costly here though.

You can't do it.

It's impossible.

And also the skills may be not that good.

Yeah, exactly.

It's when they get that little pen thing out, that little stick and they start doing your foot.

And I'm like, no, I want the hard, strong hands.

You know what I mean?

Oh, you like the hard one.

I'm actually very soft.

I can't.

People, if you squeeze me, I will scream like...

When you go Cambodia, they use their elbows?

Yeah, I can't.

I feel like one time I went to this Chinese Gua Sha and then they used the machine and then they went out.

Now they have a machine now.

And then they went...

It's cheating.

It's cheating, but it's also more effective.

But when I finished the Gua Sha, it looked like I literally pushed by someone from the stairs and I fell on the stairs because my whole my back is bruised.

Oh, right.

And I feel hurt on my back.

My ex, I was like...

He was like...

Did you someone push you?

Oh, yeah.

The bruises.

Well, in Korea, they do the cups, don't they?

You had the cups?

Yeah, Chinese from China.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Someone did that on my feet, actually, in Beijing.

Every time I went, it was completely different.

One day, this guy got these hammers, they started smashing my feet.

I was like, perfect.

Next time, someone did the flame things.

Smashing your feet.

He was really hitting them quite hard.

I like it.

I like it.

You can fucking hammer my feet.

It's fine.

Go for it.

Those Chinese men are very, very, very sturdy.

They're very strong.

They do not fuck about.

They don't.

They were like...

And they was like...

You want it weak or strong?

Like go strong and you bang.

Whoa.

Yeah.

I normally ask them to go super light.

Yeah.

I can't do too much.

I had one in Singapore.

I remember Chinese deep tissue and it felt like...

This should be a deep tissue.

This is a television podcast apparently.

They put their hand...

It felt like they put their hand inside my body and the hand was in here somewhere.

She pulled out as if I was like made out of dough.

I don't know how she did it.

She is like she entered there and just was...

It hurt so much.

But then when they let go, the relaxing begins.

It's almost like a headache.

Like you get like this instant sort of pain and it just it's not nice that bit.

But the bit that follows is really, really glorious.

Oh, I miss that.

Yeah, me too.

I can't wait for my break.

Oh, I can't afford a massage.

Yes, Steve, don't think about it.

Don't even think about it.

Don't think about it.

It's gonna be hard.

I don't think about that either here.

I've got a little favor to ask you.

Could you please follow us on social media?

And if you've got time, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get them.

It all helps drive traffic back to the podcast.

But for now, let's get back to the current episode of Television Times podcast.

So you've been on television, you've been on that TV show.

What's it called again?

The Australian one that English people don't know exists, but all Aussies go on.

Oh, yeah.

Thank God you're here.

Yeah.

Oh, I think they were like in Australia in general, they're very nice to me.

Yeah.

Because I think they're just surprised to see some Chinese women speak English in a very fluent sense and also funny for them, right?

It's for them is like a novelty.

So I've been really, really giving a lot of opportunities.

Normally in my year, people wouldn't get.

So when I got the opportunities, I was really like flattered because they have Chinese version as well.

So yeah, it was like 10, more than 10 years ago.

Is it Australian idea?

Yeah, Australian invented and then they sell the copyrights to different countries.

I think China bought one because one of the director actually went to China to teach them how to do this.

And then when I watching growing up, watch the Chinese one, the guests are all professional actor and actress.

So when they invited me, I was like, oh my God, what?

I'm just a slam comedian.

That's kind of the point though, right?

But no, the people they invited the best are the actors and actress, right?

And for me, I'm like, oh, I'm a comedian.

I don't know how to perform.

They were like, oh, it's OK.

So I was very nervous about it.

And then, yeah, I was not really myself on the stage, even though they think I'm myself, but I was not.

I was like very nervous.

I don't know what to do.

They didn't tell us anything.

So we just literally go into an improvise.

Just go in blind.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then they gave us, they asked us for the body measurement.

That's it.

They would give you, I'll fail with change in the green room.

That's it.

I was very nerve wracking.

I did all right.

I didn't really, I know, because when you perform well as a performer, I know, I think I know when I did really well.

And I think I was doing all right.

Yeah.

On that show.

But it was a really, really awesome experience.

Everybody just so nice.

Did you just do it once or do you do it a few times?

Or is it just one go?

That's it.

Yeah.

Wow.

Yeah.

But they will edit into like three or four minutes.

But we actually use the whole night to shoot it.

Yeah.

I guess I've never thought of this.

And that's probably bad that I haven't.

But the idea, because I know obviously TV shows from the UK and America, they get changed into the English speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, America, or have the same show like The Apprentice, Traitors, fucking Taskmaster.

You know what I mean?

So is there quite a lot of shows that have been imported into China as well?

Yeah.

Like that, like America's Got Talent, that kind of thing.

Have you got one of those?

Yeah, China's Got Talent.

China's Got Talent, there you go.

Of course they have.

Yeah, yeah.

Australia's Got Talent, China's Got Talent, everybody's Got Talent.

No one's Got Talent.

Yeah, everybody's Got Talent.

Who else?

Vietnamese Got Talent, Thailand's Got Talent, yeah.

Really?

It's a lot.

A lot of Got Talent series, I think, yeah.

So was that, what was the case when you were growing up?

Was there these kinds of reality TV shows on Chinese TV or?

No, I think because we're a communist country, I think they don't want to promote too much entertainment.

I think they call it as a corruption from the West.

Yeah.

So it's been nowadays, so it's tighter control.

I think when I grew up, it's a reality show is a very new idea.

So that's probably that's why we don't have a lot.

But I think when I was in uni, it was my first time watching Britain Got Talent.

I got hooked with this whole show.

I was watching on Chinese YouTube and it was so good.

Yeah, that's where my first time seeing this kind of talent show.

And then after, you know, that, I think people start to get the idea about reality TV show.

Now it's more like game show.

When you were growing up then, what kind of TV, was TV a big deal or did you look at Boring?

It's such a big deal.

Yeah, because like.

So what did you watch?

Did they have like TV shows aimed at children after school and stuff like that?

Not sure.

They don't have TV ratings.

There's no like rating, R rated like they have in the States.

I don't know how the UK do it.

PG and US.

Yeah, we don't have that.

So you just have TV?

Yeah, everything.

They just maybe have prime time, but that's it.

Yeah, because I remember when I was a kid, I watched a lot of TV because my mom and dad, they're both working.

So I know also they love gambling, as you can tell from my show.

They always go gamble after work.

So I was staying at home by myself.

I watched TV a lot and I don't have siblings.

So I watched TV and I have one stage, like seven years old, I think maybe around that time, I think, oh, I want to be an actress.

And then I get fatter and fatter and give up.

I'm the dream of being an actress.

I was like, I don't think I'm going to be an actress.

It's just like, it's not realistic.

Because body shaming is a big issue, like all the actors on the TV are so slim.

It's ridiculous.

In China, in Asian culture.

I think in America as well, look at the, everyone's so skinny, like, I don't want to say it the wrong way because it's not my place to say, but that pressure to lose weight, I mean, how thin do they have to be on television?

It's ridiculous.

You don't need to be.

Especially for Asians, I think.

It's not realistic.

It's not.

In the West, I think you guys have a more progressive idea now.

I think it's because the idea is changing, the feminism, the people's perceptions changing, tolerance to...

Nobody looks like that.

Even the film stars don't look like that when they're not filming.

Yeah, in China, especially East Asia is still a thing.

I think in Asia in general, you have to be thin, white, fair skin.

Oh, that thing.

Yeah, the skin bleaching thing.

Yeah, it's so weird.

Like the feminism, I think has gone backwards in China somehow.

It's like now you look at all the Chinese actress, they're so skinny, you can see the bones, and they're so like fair, and then they exactly look like an object, a guy wants, you know, like submissive, cute, childish.

I'm like, what kind of adult woman should be look like that?

You know, can you?

I don't, I don't know.

Maybe it's off stage, they're not like that, but on the screen, they're all portrayed like that.

It's a true representation.

Yeah, they talk like a child.

And then, I'm like, oh, fucking bitch.

So do guys really want women to sound like children?

That's what I've always found confusing.

I think Asian men do.

That's why you have a lot of Japanese weirdos, right?

Yeah, with the fucking schoolgirls panties machines.

I'm like, oh, fucking gross.

It is really, really strange, that whole thing.

Yeah, yeah, it's gross.

It's like, oh, okay.

I think it's weird nowadays.

It's like on the screen, on the TV, you don't see people's real life anymore.

But when I grow up, I think a lot of TV shows really portray the average people's life really good, like comedy-wise, drama-wise, or reality or documentary-wise.

So, oh, so many good work.

Yeah, people just don't do that anymore.

What do you think will be the top TV show in the year 2050?

In about 26 years?

Yeah.

I'll be dead, probably.

No, I won't be.

You'll be really healthy.

I don't know.

It's so hard to predict.

What do you think, though?

Where do you think it's all heading?

I think it's still going to be the same thing we're watching right now.

You think so?

Yeah.

It's just like possibly, because like you think about the 20 years ago, the TV we're watching is the same.

The genre is the same.

Maybe sitcoms will come back.

Yeah, maybe sitcom will come back.

But now it's like a dramedy, right?

I just think it will be like Big Brother, but it will be on Mars.

Oh my God.

If you think about like, we're thinking about when we're writing an essay when I was a kid, I think about 2004, we already have flying cars.

Yeah, I was supposed to have them when I was a kid, but they never came, did they?

Yeah, they don't even have proper scheduled bus.

So that's true.

Exactly.

Flying car.

I couldn't even get a bus last night.

I don't think we will have be Mars.

I still think there's a cycle of the shows.

People like, you know, become a fad for 10 years, whatever.

Maybe we'll create a new genre.

We'll have dramedy now.

Have true, like, crime show.

Are you sick of dramedy, though?

Sick of it.

It's not funny, a lot of it.

Hmm, some of them are good.

I think now, like, they're expanding to this show, to ethnic shows, right?

Yeah, especially in America, giving different voices a chance.

I think in the UK, watching a lot of BBC comedy, they're having a lot of stuff.

What do you think about comedy?

Like, do you think comedy...

I think...

I feel like there's a repetitive comedy special idea.

Anyway, I feel like there's a reoccurring, like, themes.

I feel possible people are tired of some of the mainstream comedy.

I'm already tired of everything they talk about most of the time.

Yeah, maybe they're gonna make, like, you know, robot jokes.

Or AI.

AI will be writing the jokes, and the robot can perform the joke.

Yeah, if we have robot, maybe, but I don't think we will be.

But I'm gonna end with this question, okay?

What's the funniest thing you've ever seen on TV?

Oh, I think I watched the TV show Dairy Girls.

Dairy Girls?

Yeah, I was laughing really loud.

It's a very good show because...

I think the writing is so including.

That's how...

I think that's how good show it is.

Even though I'm not Irish, but even though in my show, I was taken as Irish, but I'm not Irish, I'm Chinese.

But when I was watching the show, I was like, oh my God, it's so funny.

The context, the jokes are brilliant.

I was laughing really loud.

Yeah, it's a good show.

That's a good way to end it.

Thank you so much for coming on to Television Times podcast.

We're both very tired.

You've eaten your sushi and now you're getting sleepy.

Thank you for having me, guys.

Enjoy my crunching.

There we go.

Bye.

Well, what do we think of that?

That was a good chat, right?

That was fun.

Couldn't talk about Sally a lot, I know.

But there we are.

That was me talking to He Huang in Edinburgh this summer.

If you like what you heard, follow her online.

All the social links are at the bottom of this podcast episode.

And be sure to check out her videos online.

There's lots and lots of funny stuff on there.

But right now, it's time for today's outro track.

Right, today's track is called The Golden Age.

This was a song I wrote in the early 2000s, 2001 probably.

And it was recorded in the same batch of songs that I've been putting out lately.

I'm not massively sure what it was completely about, but I really, really like it.

It's a nice one.

So yeah, I don't want to talk too much about it.

You make of it what you will.

So this is me.

This is my song.

The Golden Age.

So, that was The Golden Age from 2001, a song I wrote back in the day.

I hope you like that, and I hope you like my interview with He Huang.

Please come back soon for another one.

Until then, see you next time.

Thanks for listening.

Look into my eyes.

Tell all your friends about this podcast.