Tony Hinchcliffe: Cancelled for a Joke

Added: Oct 30, 2023

During Hinchcliffe's set, he noticed that another comedian, Pang Dang, was going on a rant about white people and praising Asian people. Hinchcliffe, known for his insult comedy, decided to take a few jabs at Dang. However, he did not know that Dang would later use this incident to accuse him of racial abuse. Hinchcliffe explains that he did not target Dang because of his race but rather because he wanted to establish his comedic style at the beginning of his set.

After the show, Hinchcliffe noticed that there was a video recording of his set, which he assumed Dang would post with a caption acknowledging the joke. However, he later discovered that Dang had accused him of racial abuse in a Chinese article and tweet. Hinchcliffe found it strange that the article mentioned the tweet before it had even been posted. He realized that this was a coordinated attack, possibly involving the Chinese media, as the accounts posting the hate messages had zero followers and zero posts.

As the news of the incident spread, Hinchcliffe received numerous hate messages and death threats. He reached out to Dang, but Dang refused to talk to him and instead went to various media outlets to publicize the incident. Hinchcliffe's agent and manager advised him to take a break from performing to let the situation cool down. However, the controversy continued to escalate, with news outlets reporting that Hinchcliffe had been removed from Joe Rogan's shows.

Hinchcliffe expresses his frustration with the media's focus on his joke, especially considering the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine at the time. He also criticizes the virtue signaling and lack of integrity in journalism. Despite the negative coverage, Hinchcliffe remains hopeful that the situation will blow over and that his career will not be permanently damaged.

The podcast episode continues with Hinchcliffe reflecting on the cancellation and the impact it had on him. He shares that he felt stressed and sick during the ordeal and even had difficulty enjoying activities like golf. Hinchcliffe describes the experience as waiting for the storm to pass and hoping for a moment of relief. He also mentions that his agents eventually informed him that they had to let him go due to the controversy, which was a significant blow to his career.

Hinchcliffe emphasizes the difference between being cancelled for a joke and being cancelled for serious offenses like sexual assault. He mentions the cases of Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein as examples of individuals who deserved to be cancelled. He questions why he was being held accountable for something he said on stage during a comedy show to another comedian, especially when other comedians faced consequences for things said on podcasts. Hinchcliffe acknowledges the media's thirst for clicks and their interest in his story, particularly because he was a Texan comedian making fun of an Asian comedian.

The comedian discusses the support he received from his friends and fellow comedians during this difficult time. He mentions that many of them reached out to offer advice or simply check on him. Hinchcliffe highlights the conflicting advice he received regarding how to handle the situation, with some suggesting he apologize and others advising against it. He mentions that only Shane Gillis and Ari Shaffir advised him not to apologize, while others had different opinions.

Hinchcliffe talks about the impact of the cancellation on his mental and physical well-being. He mentions that he lost his appetite and felt skinny and gaunt due to the stress. However, he also notes that the experience made him more determined to go after the laughs and prove himself on stage. He discusses the power of comedy as therapy and how it helped him cope with difficult situations in the past.

The comedian reflects on the media's role in his cancellation, suggesting that they were click hunting and saw an opportunity to attack him and Joe Rogan. He believes that they were capitalizing on the Asian hate narrative and trying to downplay the significance of stand-up comedy. Hinchcliffe also discusses the role of Pang Dang, the comedian he made the joke about, and speculates about his motivations and connections to Chinese media.

Hinchcliffe reveals that he had video evidence of both his and Pang Dang's sets from that night, which he released on Ari Shaffir's YouTube channel. He mentions that Pang Dang stopped all scheduled media appearances after the video was released, suggesting that he realized he had made a mistake. Hinchcliffe expresses his satisfaction with the outcome and the support he received from his fans. He mentions that his career has only grown stronger since the cancellation, with increased viewership for his podcast and stand-up shows.

The comedian concludes by discussing the impact of the cancellation on his relationship with his former agency, WME. He mentions that he has received calls from his old friends at the agency, expressing interest in working with him again. Hinchcliffe finds satisfaction in knowing that he is now represented by the head of comedy at the biggest comedy agency, while his former agents are left regretting their decision to drop him.