Jocelyn Chia Grateful To Malaysia For “Improving” Her Comedy Career Abroad
Singapore-born comedian Jocelyn Chia drew criticism and backlash after making a joke about flight MH370 in 2023.
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Singapore-born comedian Jocelyn Chia who got into trouble for making an infamous joke about MH370 in 2023 is grateful to Malaysia for changing the trajectory of her career for the better.
READ MORE: [Watch] “Some Jokes Don’t Land” SG Comedian Criticised For Joking About Malaysia’s MH370
Now two years after the incident, Chia spoke to The Straits Times about what happened then and her future plans.
After her joke went viral, she received condemnation from Malaysia and Singapore. The Singaporean government distanced themselves from her, adding that she didn’t speak for all Singaporeans.
The viral TikTok clip featuring the infamous joke was also removed from the platform.
READ MORE: TikTok Removes Controversial Comedy Clip Of “No Longer Singaporean” Jocelyn Chia
Additionally, she lost some comedy gigs, including her role as a regular broadcast host for IBM, the American tech corporation. On top of that, the Malaysian police requested Interpol to track her down.
READ MORE: Cops To Get Interpol’s Help To “Determine Identity And Whereabouts” of Jocelyn Chia
Chia said she wasn’t trying to offend anyone and was just doing her job. She added she has no regrets and has no intention to apologize for the joke.
It is all about context, intent, and delivery.
Jocelyn Chia
However, she admitted in hindsight that she should have addressed the backlash immediately by clarifying the joke’s intent and explaining her New York-style comedy style that’s hard hitting with unapologetically bold punchlines.
Instead, she kept silent and prioritized her mental health. At the time, she was in Colorado doing a show and enjoying the mountains and didn’t want to worry about what’s going on.
READ MORE: No Apology In Sight, Jocelyn Chia Thanks Comedy Community
READ MORE: Comedian Jason Leong Likes Jocelyn Chia’s Comedy, Malaysians Not Happy
While she was criticised by some comedians from Malaysia and Singapore, she gained respect and new-found recognition from her American peers.
One of them praised her for being able to jiujitsu a cancellation attempt and turn things in her favour.
Despite losing gigs, other doors opened for her. She was invited as a panellist on a comedy segment on Fox News and appeared on American radio and podcast shows. She was also offered a six-week comedy residency in Japan in 2024.
Currently, she’s now on her Asia tour with booked shows in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan.
She would be relocating to Barcelona in September to embark on her international comedy career, with gigs in Switzerland, Poland, Germany, and Belgium.
Chia said it has been a long dream of hers to live in Europe and experience a beach lifestyle.
It’s ironic, but I’m grateful to Malaysia. This incident changed my life for the better.
Jocelyn Chia
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