Were We Right? OZY’s Comedian Predictions

The Filipino American comic was always the class clown in high school, but it was Eddie Murphy’s ”Delirious” that made Koy decide on stand-up comedy as a career. It hasn’t been easy as a half-Asian, half-white kid in an industry grappling with inadequate diversity, but he found inspiration in the success of Tiger Woods. The surprising institution Koy credits — only half-jokingly — for his existence? The U.S. military and its role in the birth of mixed-race babies like Koy.

The son of a Pakistani British mother from London and a father from Pakistan, Ali Malik grew up practicing comedy while in the shower. As a first-generation American, his story has resonated with others whose parents spent much of their time working to create a secure future for their children. Now approaching age 30 and based in Los Angeles, Malik’s upbringing not only features in his material but also contributed to how he discovered his love for comedy in the first place.

Sklar is a Renaissance man of comedy: He does stand-up and has a sitcom in the works, but he also podcasts and dabbles in weird meta comedy projects, like a faux startup that makes startup T-shirts for people who work at startups. Dubbed by some as the “anti-stand-up comedian,” Sklar’s work is deeply odd and sometimes uncomfortable, but undeniably hilarious.

What’s the “Karen syndrome”? It’s the phenomenon of white women relentlessly heckling comedians, explains Aida Rodriguez, who is more than happy to dish it back and take on big targets like Taylor Swift. From a gritty background that included a period of homelessness, Rodriguez has emerged as a comic star with a style that’s both insulting and uniting at the same time.

In the wake of 9/11, many comedians from minority backgrounds took to the stage to relay stories of discrimination. Several shied away from politics entirely. But not Maz Jobrani. The Tehran-born comic instead sought to use humor to educate others about his culture. In 2005, Jobrani joined the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour — a name derived from then-President George W. Bush’s infamous 2002 speech — and embarked on a mission to create levity using a colorful gamut of cultural and political experiences.

Hannah Gadsby redefined the Netflix comedy special with her raw and unapologetic “Nanette,” but she’s far from the only person refusing to go for the easy laugh. In fact, a whole new wave of comedians who don’t fit the straight white male prototype is pioneering a new comedic paradigm and drawing added attention to prejudice and hatred.

Whether you’re in the mood for “heavy” jokes or light laughs, this Mexican American son of a Mariachi singer will leave you rolling on the floor ... or on your sofa at home. Not that it’s been easy. When Iglesias started out in comedy he struggled financially, got evicted and nearly lost his car. Today, he’s not just a master jokester but also a marketing marvel. What comes up if you Google “fluffy”? Thanks to ingenious branding, it’s probably Iglesias.

While many mispronounce her “French-sounding” first name, Joyelle Nicole Johnson is rapidly rising in the comedy charts. She also stars on the fifth season of HBO Max’s “Search Party.” Johnson’s greatest strength lies in her ability to use humor to address thorny topics like female reproductive rights and vaccine skepticism, especially among Black Americans.

By the time he had two-dozen videos on his YouTube channel, Indian comic Kunal Kamra had already amassed more than 1 million subscribers. Part of this large viewership resulted from him being among the most vocal critics of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kamra, age 33, directs biting humor at Modi, the Modi-packed Supreme Court and conservative journalists who've hastened the BJP’s rise. Kamra's work in India has drawn comparisons to Jon Stewart's brand of politically astute comedy.

on The Carlos Watson Show, season 4!

South African comic Trevor Noah had not yet been picked as Jon Stewart’s replacement when OZY first profiled him in 2015. Noah also told OZY Co-Founder and CEO Carlos Watson on the PBS television series “Breaking Big” that when he started working the stand-up scene, his mother thought he was selling drugs. Noah is now one of the world’s most famous comedians and sells out shows across five continents.

In 2015, Atlanta-bred comedian Dulcé Sloan was fixing a tire beside the highway after a gig in Nashville when she got the call announcing she’d won NBC’s Stand-Up For Diversity comedy showcase. The following year, she won the Big Sky Comedy Festival. Then she got an even bigger break — a coveted spot as a correspondent on “The Daily Show.” Writing what she knows, Sloan maintains a style of comedy about her place in space as a Black woman in America.

Ronny Chieng was a law student in 2009 when he first tried stand-up — against the advice of his classmates. Since then, he has appeared in the hit film “Crazy Rich Asians” and has honed his arrogant on-air persona on “The Daily Show.” Of Chinese descent, Chieng was born in Malaysia and raised in New Hampshire and Singapore. He went to college and launched his comedy career in Australia. Now, he’s a cigar bar-loving New Yorker.

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