Summary
Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang is series of thoughts and reflections by a 31-year-old man who stands on the stage of the London Palladium in a light and quick way!
Netflix stand-up comedy special Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang was released on the streaming service on August 10, 2021.
It’s Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang in the London Palladium, folks! I always find people who can joke about themselves to be some of the most courageous people. And here I am, discovering other courageous people on the planet. Wang gives us lessons from one of the biggest palladiums in the UK. But the difference is the curriculum is comedy. To be honest It’s my first time watching his stand-ups shows and I find him very relatable. Phil Wang takes us to dive into the tragic comedy from races, food, gender, politics, to a hyperrealism relationship!
Directed by Barbara Wiltshire, Netflix’s Comedy Special Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang was supposed to be filmed in 2020, but a “surfaces” happens… and boom, here we are! “I hope it’s all still relevant,” Wang said. It’s 60 minutes full of witty and quirky humor, exposing the issues that live close to our daily lives. Even at the beginning, we are already welcomed by quirky hip-hop music that enchants your ears.
Philly Wangs pivot with a very strong point. Racism and Covid. As a British-Malaysian heritage living in the UK, Phil Wang jokes about his identities as being the most powerful race in the world. He later takes us to explore the culinary spectrum of Asia and bluntly brings up the Covid racism that’s circulated amongst the Westerners. He categorizes himself as being eats-weird-shit Asian, rather than cricket Asian. From crucified lizard on the stick, bugs, roasted critters, roasted tarantula, even snakes curled up like sausages. Well, cheers to the cultural difference!
Phil Wang gets relatable when he starts to calculate his humor while sharing about the everyday terror he lives in due to the invisible virus, Corona, which he also jokes around and calls a “Surfaces.” Judging from the period of time that we’re facing, Philly did a great job of bringing up the topic in the giddiest way.
“Threat and danger have become more abstract as the 21st century’s progressed. With its threats have become more and more dangerous.” Wang just speaks the truth. I enjoy how he reflects in a light and humorous way. Back in the day, threats are more tangible, now it’s just abstract. To be honest, in Indonesia, the Covid situation is probably one of the worst things that are ever happening to us. Probably one of the worst cases in the world, too. And everything just seems.. abstract, it is like fighting an invisible yet deadly villain.
Everything gets deeper when Philly dives deep into how he feels about aging. A moment where he realizes how different life is as a 31-year-old man. From the changes in the body, mind, soul… to the smell of farts that are revolting. It’s a very reflective section. Wang reflects how his political persuasion also changes as he ages. He used to think that he’s a Socialist before he jokes around how after he managed to gain his own pounds, he finally understand the feeling of being capitalist when you suddenly go to “capital.” Lol.
We later transition where Wang brought up the topic of gender, or should I say sexism, in a witty way. Heads-up for Philly Wang to openly discussing social prejudices between men and women on everything from the contraception pill to sudden pregnancy. It’s true, men can easily go off with anything yet women have to bear it all. Wang also discusses as an Asian, that society does not openly perceive their sexual orientation. Well, it’s true! As a person who lives in the Southern East Asia, not until a couple years back most of people are only commonly open and aware with men and women but other than that, well, it’s still a long fight to go. Anyway, I have lost count of how many times Philly emphasized the idea of “a cork in my balls!” on men’s conception. That seems to become one of his favorite puns.
Philly Wang has a great mimic and expression. His punchlines are effective and quirky. Though sometimes the flow appears static at some point, it still managed to maintain giving us good laughs. His most valuable assets are on the issues that he crafts based on your preferences. During this hard time, a good laugh, no matter how small, brings a great deal of comfort. Comedy is an art, a fun medium, that helps you understand humanity in a most distinctive way. So if you’re looking for something to ease your mind during this whole Covid pandemic situation, then give Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang a try now!
