IN June 2023, Singapore-raised American comedian Jocelyn Chia stirred global outrage after she and Comedy Cellar posted an 89-second clip to TikTok and Instagram from her April 7 set, where she made light of the still-missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
A year later, she’s speaking out, claiming the uproar changed her life “for the better.”
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In a recent interview with The Straits Times, she expressed ‘gratitude’ to Malaysia, saying, “It’s ironic, but I’m grateful to Malaysia. This incident changed my life for the better,” she said.
Come September, she’ll relocate to Barcelona to chase her dream of an international comedy career, with shows lined up across Europe including Switzerland, Germany, Poland and Belgium.
“It’s been a long-held dream of mine to live in Europe, to experience a beach lifestyle,” she said.
The MH370 joke controversy sparked a wave of hate comments, saw the Comedy Cellar’s website hacked, and even led to calls from Malaysian authorities for an Interpol red notice.
The backlash escalated to diplomatic levels, with Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan apologising for Chia’s “horrendous comments” and stating that she “does not speak for Singaporeans.”
Chia, who had been hosting broadcasts for IBM for two years, was dropped following a complaint from the company’s Malaysian office.
A scheduled performance at another New York club was also cancelled.
“I wasn’t trying to offend anybody. I was just doing my job.
“It is all about context, intent and delivery,” she said.
The joke itself wasn’t new.
According to Chia, it had been part of a longer set on Singapore-Malaysia rivalry that she’d performed for over a year.
Known for her high-energy delivery and razor-sharp takes on cultural identity and migration, she insists the bit was misunderstood outside the context of New York’s unfiltered stand-up scene.
Though she now acknowledges that silence wasn’t the best response, she prioritised her well-being.
“I was in Colorado doing a show and enjoying the mountains. I didn’t want to worry about what’s going on,” she recalls. “I avoided reading online comments during that period.”
She found strength in motivational speaker Tony Robbins’ philosophy. “This is happening for me, not to me” became her personal mantra.
“In hindsight, I should have addressed the furore immediately by clarifying the joke’s intent and explaining my New York-style comedy standards,” she says.
Despite the criticism from comedians in Singapore and Malaysia, her profile rose in the United States.
“One comic even praised my ability to ‘jiu-jitsu’ a cancellation attempt and turn things to my favour,” she adds.
She landed appearances on Fox News, U.S. radio shows, and podcasts. She was even offered a six-week comedy residency in Japan and is currently on an Asia tour that includes stops in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan.
She performed in Singapore on May 21 and her journey is far from over.
