A question that’s often posed to me is “What’s the biggest difference between comedy in America and China?” Since this pressing issue has come up again and again, I will briefly try to address and resolve it head on.

There’s no need to rehash the specifics of American standup comedy. Suffice to say, it has evolved over the past few decades and is continuing to evolve as a younger generation takes it in bold and important new directions. And while there are still some of the old guard in comedy, close-minded ultraconservatives who believe it to be “an activity in which one makes a group of people laugh at stories or written jokes”, thankfully an increasing number of these artistic dinosaurs go extinct every year.

Western comedy has entered a golden age, where performances are not merely (or even) jokes, they are rather a lengthy and enlightened discussion. Comedians are modern day philosophers, and we are fortunate to sit at the feet of Socrates, Plato, and Hippocrates - while enjoying half-off Tuesday tacos.

Comedy is deeply healing because laughter is the best medicine. And while standup is not yet a front line treatment for urinary tract infection or pancreatic cancer, it has emerged as a strong alternative to psychotherapy for the chronically unemployed and irresponsibly uninsured.

Simply put, Western comedy has emerged as a psychosocial-spiritual force in a our society that brings with it the promise of transformation for both speaker and listener alike. The moment in time we currently occupy, with the proliferation of standup comedy, is akin to other important turning points in world history like the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, and humanity’s formation of general ethics.

And yet, for the all the power and prestige of Western comedy, it is often inferior to its more ancient cousin in the East. Whereas, Western comedy can slip into crassness and superficial self absorption, Eastern comedy is all about commitment to a long artistic tradition that reaches back over six thousand years.

Comedians in the East are also philosophers, thinkers, and venerable masters. For instance, at a local 1pm comedy matinee, which is shockingly sold-out, one may hear the wise musings of a modern Confucius, Lao Tze, or Zhu Ge Liang.

Comedy in China is about more than just making people laugh after they’ve paid money for tickets. It is about achieving a harmonious balance through the application of comedic Feng Shui. Therefore, the concept of Yin and Yang applies in all areas of a performance.

For every moment of darkness, there is light, for every moment of enjoyment there is pain. Hilarity and thinking “that was well worth the 280rmb, plus 38rmb for the can of chilled herbal tea I drank”, can only be reached through moments of intense consternation, awkwardly painful silence, and regrettably untalented performances.

It can’t just be ninety straight minutes of uproarious and unbroken laughter, no no no!

In all things, Chinese comedy attempts to bring harmony to the dissonant parts of an up and down lineup that wasn’t properly vetted.

Comedy in China is the best medicine, but it is Eastern medicine. It will require many follow up visits and a heavy financial investment in your health. There will be a painful kneading of pressure points and Chakra energy centers. There will be metaphorically electrified acupuncture needles in your scalp, and herbal supplements derived from boiled horse genitalia.

It will require a complete overhaul of your unbalanced qi. And when you return home you’ll have to continue to put in the work on your own time. A whole bag full of bitter pills will be there for you to swallow and there’ll be foul concoctions for you to drink in between meals. You’ll have to avoid consuming mint and cilantro, as well as anything pan-fried or tie-dyed, and stay away from strawberries every other Tuesday or if you’re currently nursing.

And when your problems finally disappear, you may be tempted to think “Is this in ANY way related to the brutal regiment of comedy I’ve been on these past few months or did everything just resolve on its own?" But don’t lose hope or give in to doubting despair. Friend, have faith in the power of standup comedy.

And so, as you can see both comedy worlds are universes unto themselves.

The brash upstart in America, the time-worn tradition in China. Both have their specialties and vulnerabilities.

Yet a chasm so great divides these worlds in terms of comedy that the two can almost not be considered one.

And that is the Great paradox of Yin and Yang - a mystery unknowable by us mere mortals.