Joel Kim Booster Challenges Our Expectations on Psychosexual
Photo by Terence Patrick, courtesy of Netflix
Comedians mine their own lives for material; it’s a given at this stage. Even if their stories aren’t entirely rooted in fact, they are based on the performer’s perspective and past experiences. As an unintended consequence, though, comedians are often perceived as claiming to represent whatever demographics they fall into—especially when that comedian is not a straight cis white guy.
In the case of comedian Joel Kim Booster (known for Big Mouth, Shrill, and Fire Island), his jokes about taking drugs on a cruise ship and the differences between cats and dogs are sometimes superceded by the notion that he is meant to be a spokesperson for the gay and Asian communities. In his new Netflix special, Psychosexual, Kim Booster tackles this unsolicited burden head-on, structuring an entire bit around it and bringing laughs along with insight.
His deconstruction of representation and what we ask of minorities in entertainment is facilitated by Kim Booster’s expert crowd work. One man, Ben, is asked to speak for all straight white dudes—intimidating at any comedy show, but especially one you know is being taped for mass consumption. But imagine how Kim Booster feels, or any other tokenized individual in comedy, knowing that others demand they stand for people they’ve never met? As he says, he’s here to “be stupid and make people laugh”—the joy people feel from seeing someone like them on stage is a bonus.