appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Alice Yan

Zhang Jiaxin said he was “born with a short leg and a long leg” and, as a young child, pitied those poor people whose legs were of equal length.
Or so the joke goes from one of China’s rising stars in stand-up comedy, a 27-year-old man with cerebral palsy who lives in Shanghai.
“Please do not be nervous. It is not infectious,” he continued, tackling his disease head-on to chuckles from the audience.
Better known as Xiaojia (which means Little Jia) on stage, Zhang performs five stand-up shows every week in China’s most glamorous city, just 20 months after he made his debut, the Jiefang Daily reports.

Zhang said his interest in stand-up comedy started when he was a young boy, when he would watch art programmes on television. He dreamed of becoming a witty host on the shows.
The fact that he has made it this far is a remarkable achievement.
Zhang’s physical disability meant he could not speak until he was three years old, and he still does not speak clearly.
As a schoolboy, he was bullied because of his uneven legs and awkward body movements, he recalled. Zhang said he is grateful for these painful experiences, the report said.
“It is these experiences that have made me unique on the stage. The things that brought me harm, unhappiness and pain have all been written into my scripts,” said Zhang, adding that he is good at turning adversities into advantages.
Before becoming a full-time stand-up comedian, Zhang worked for a new media company in Xiamen, in southeast China’s Fujian province. At the beginning of last year, he wanted to perform at the company’s annual party, so he started training at a local stand-up comedy club.
At first, Zhang did not dare to perform, but the club’s owner encouraged him by referring to Drew Lynch, an American stand-up comedian who has a stutter he often jokes about on stage.
“If he can, why can’t you?” the coach said to Zhang.

Zhang said his first gig was at a pub in Xiamen in May 2020, and the audience responded much better than he had expected.
“I am thankful for that audience that day. If there had been an awkward silence, I might not have continued on this journey,” Zhang was quoted as saying.
Now a relatively experienced comedian, Zhang has won top medals in national stand-up comedian competitions and said he hoped his performances could help people heal.
“I imagine that there are probably some people in the audience with similar experiences as mine. I hope they laugh aloud when they hear what I say,” he said.
In one joke, he explains why he is glad his cerebral palsy is his only disability:
“Today, you are all laughing at me, but being unfunny is the biggest handicap for a stand-up comedian.”


Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express movie review – a riotous sci-fi anime ride

Meet Anna Wintour’s daughter, Bee Shaffer – who was just at the Met Gala

How K-pop boy band Naze’s multinational members found ‘natural chemistry’ for debut album

Meet the actor behind Emily’s ex-husband in The Devil Wears Prada 2, Wes McGee

Fame and celebrity

‘Being unfunny is the biggest handicap for a comedian’: Meet China’s rising stand-up star with cerebral palsy

Zhang performs his comedy in Shanghai five nights a week. Photo: Handout 

Zhang Jiaxin is a popular stand-up comedian in Shanghai who has cerebral palsy. Photo: Handout

Zhang says the worst handicap for a stand-up comedian would be not being funny. Photo: Handout

Why Chinese giants JD.com, Didi, Meituan are turning to stand-up comedy to reach Gen Z and millennials

Some of China’s biggest companies are targeting increasingly discerning millennial and Gen Z consumers with stand-up comedy. Photo: Handout

Some of China’s biggest companies are targeting increasingly discerning millennial and Gen Z consumers with stand-up comedy. Photo: SCMP

Chinese stand-up comedy gets a shot in the arm from women comedians who mine stereotypes about the sexes

Several mainland Chinese female stand-up comics have shot to fame this year, including factory worker Zhao Xiaohui. Photo: YouTube

Thousands of Chinese single people take part in a matchmaking fair for employees from China's state-owned companies, in Beijing on November 12, 2011. Comedian Yang Li discusses a common phenomenon on the mainland of women in their mid-20s being pushed by their parents to get married; if they do not, they will be labeled Òleft-over women.Ó ÒI guess there is a mysterious power draining from me. Their rationale is that my stock will fall if I donÕt marry soon,Ó Li said. ÒI want to ask them why I would definitely devalue once IÕm past 25.ÓCREDIT: Getty Images

Handout image of   standup comedian Yang Li ,  2020. CREDIT: WEIBO

Handout image of top female stand-ups include twin sisters Yan Yi and Yan Yue in China.CREDIT: YOUTUBE

Funny business: why Hong Kong’s stand-up comedy scene is no laughing matter

John Carney performs at The Riff. Photo: SCMP / Jonathan Wong

The audience at the The Riff, 8th Floor, California Tower, 30-32 D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong.Hong Kong on July 09, 2020. 09JUL20 [FOOD FEATURES] SCMP / Jonathan WONG

(From left) Comedians Benjamin Quinlan, Vivek Mahbubani, and Andy Curtain, at The Riff in Central. 09JUN20 , Hong Kong SCMP / Tory Ho

Comedian Mohammed Magdia at the The Riff, 8th Floor, California Tower, 30-32 D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong.Hong Kong on July 09, 2020. 09JUL20 [FOOD FEATURES] SCMP / Jonathan WONG

Why stand-up comedy classes at new Hong Kong club The Riff are the perfect antidote to 2020

Comedians Benjamin Quinlan (back, left), Vivek Mahbubani (back, right) and Andy Curtain will be teaching classes at The Riff in Central. Photo: SCMP / Tory Ho

News

People & Culture

China Personalities


Zhang Jiaxin said he always dreamed of being a performer, but his genetic disorder seemed like an insurmountable hurdle
But one coach pushed him to give it a shot, and now he is a stand-up star



Zhang Jiaxin is a stand-up comedian based in Shanghai who hopes his jokes can help people who have been through similar traumas.


China society

Disability

Comedians and comedy