So I’ve never written a post about myself before, but here’s my first one…
I met Wong Fu Productions!!!
I still can’t believe this happened. I’ve been watching their videos since elementary school, and their videos have made me laugh and cry and think for hours and hours.
(Left: with Philip Wang; Right: with Wesley Chan)
Wong Fu is not only legendary among Asian viewers, but they are among the most famous Youtubers. Their career has lasted over 15 years, starting in 2003 when Youtube didn’t even exist! They make everything from short skits/sketches to full-length feature films, and their Youtube channel has gathered more than 3 million subscribers. Their works have been featured on CNN, NPR, the White House, and the Cannes Film Festival. Wow.
How did I meet them? My school, Deerfield Academy, hosted an annual event for New England boarding schools called the Asian American Footsteps Conference. The conference is designed to bring together Asian, Asian American, and mixed-heritage students with an Asian background to participate in a “daylong series of empowering workshops, activities and networking opportunities.”
Wong Fu Productions was our keynote speaker, thanks to our genius Asian Student Alliance at Deerfield. We actually had a 1.5 hour meet-and-greet with them the night before, but I was off-campus and dying inside because I thought I blew away the perfect chance to meet them. Thankfully, with the help of friends, I could talk to Wes over Facetime for a bit!
On Sunday morning, they appeared onstage, and EVERYONE in the auditorium went wild. People were screaming and taking pictures of their every move. Two Deerfield students engaged in an informal interview with them, and Philip and Wes gave really thoughtful, genuine, and funny answers.
As expected, one of the Deerfield students asked about the meaning of success given their relatively unusual career path for an Asian. One quote that really stuck out to me was when Wes said, “Success is like a language; it can be translated.” The room went like “Ohhhhhh,” clearly impressed. Haha. He emphasized that hard work will lead to success in any area, no matter what shape or form they take.
Honestly, to be one of the first people (not even Asians, but PEOPLE) to take on such a daring and unconventional career at the time, they clearly had a lot of guts to even try that, and they are still thriving because of their hard work. Kudos to them, and I will be cheering them on.
My favorite videos by Wong Fu:
Asian Bachelorette: hilarious take on Asian stereotypes, taking on the format of The Bachelorette. I’ve never watched The Bachelorette; I still loved this video. Featuring familiar Youtubers like Bart Kwan, Timothy DeLaGhetto, and Ki Hong Lee from The Maze Runner!
Strangers, Again: a bittersweet narrative of the stages of an unsuccessful relationship. A must-watch.
My best friend is hot: funny, maybe (probably?) relatable.
This is how we never met: featuring Ki Hong Lee again.
Nadia Jo 