Red, Pork & Blue (the politics of the "other white meat")

Seattle PI,
May 13, 2004

Not even violence is sacred to the Pork Filled Players. Nor are sex, political correctness, politics or religion. In the Asian American comedy troupe's new show, Red, Pork and Blue: The Politics of the Other White Meat, reverence is not to be found.

The company's two-dozen or so sketches last from 30 seconds to about three minutes each. They are mostly fizzy and funny. Hits outnumber misses by a ratio of three or four to one.

The company's seven writers and five performers consider being Asian or Asian American to be a great source of humor. Usually they prove themselves to be right.

To a degree, the actors, though versatile, specialize. Jia Doughman does fanaticism. Ed Tonai covers the geek territory. Christian Ver depicts dim but determined guys. Kiki Yeung works with exasperation. And Yvette Zaepfel (the token Caucasian) exemplifies perkiness.

Topics range from personal to national to international to cosmic.

Evil axis or no evil axis, North Korea in general and its dictator Kim Jong Il in particular come off as hilarious. What if they exported beer? What if they captured James Bond? These are the sorts of questions that the PFPs deal with resourcefully.

Sometimes the satire hits two targets at once. TV evangelists and Asian supremacists are lampooned in a sketch featuring the Rev. Billy Ray Bob Lee (played by a wild-eyed Ver). Telemarketers and annoying people in general are bagged in with gun nuts who promote the politics of Justifiable Homicide. God's omniscience, omnipotence and infallibility share satirical space with Asian male vanity and vulnerability.

Smugness -- political, military and sexual -- is a special target for ridicule. And some sketches are propelled by absurdity. What if politicians kissed not only babies, but also their mothers -- and their fathers? What if prisons were abolished and prisoners became the slaves of whomever they had injured?

Questions, questions. None of them would automatically occur to me on any given day. To frame these inquiries, and to discover ridiculous answers, one relies on the PFPs.

-Joe Adcock

Seattle Gay News
May 14, 2004
Pork Filled Players scores with timely comedy show

A right-on look at everything from mudslinging Presidential candidates to Catholic priest scandals

Pork Filled Players Red, Pork and Blue May 7-22 Odd Duck Studio

How does one take a serious and often touchy subject like priests molesting young boys and turn it into satire? One definitely has to be brave, but one has to be as talented as the cast of Pork Filled Players, the local AsianAmerican comedy group that premiered its latest sketch comedy show last weekend at the Odd Duck Studio. And not only were these cutting edge young actors able to make the sketch about pedophile priests bitingly funny, but also were able to include some pretty funny looks at the whole Gay marriage issue.

Moving from one sketch to another with rapid timing and some of the best satirical humor I've seen on a Seattle stage, PFP lampooned presidential candidates and their need to appeal to a jaded public with sketches that made me howl with laughter. They also presented a new version of the old Country Joe and The Fish Viet Nam war protest song, with the words changed to reflect the current Mideast situation's foolishness. In fact, several of the sketches took potshots at the Iraq conflict and how the nation has been lied to from the start about weapons of mass destruction.

I particularly loved the "GI Joe" sketches and the "hot wasabi" sketch, featuring actor Ed Tonai playing a "hot tomato" in a sexy, red dress, as well as the first sketch, using laundry soap commercials as a way to make a political commentary on how short is the public's memory of certain events. Definitely and evening of tongue-incheek satire that shamelessly and bravely goes where few comedy troupes (outside of Mad TV) are willing to go. Guaranteed to tickle your funny bone as well as make you think. For times and tickets call (206) 850-7882, or go online to www.porkfilled.com. Go! You won't be sorry. Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid Staff Writer

Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid Staff Writer