62 Thoughts We Had While Watching Jo Koy’s Netflix Special, “Comin’ In Hot”

And you’ll want to hear his made-up falsetto songs, or just watch him walk in slippers.

August 1, 2019

Katie Kenny, Stacey Makiya, Christi Young,

Photo: Courtesy of Jo Koy / Netflix

Hawai‘i audiences and Jo Koy are having a moment. It might be a romance, a bromance or a Filipinomance, but the Seattle comedian known for his riffs on his Filipino heritage is coming back for what will likely be more sold-out shows.

Koy will perform two shows at the Blaisdell Arena Thanksgiving weekend. Right now, only single seats are left in the Blaisdell’s biggest venue for his “Just Kidding” tour. He broke box office records there by selling out 11 shows in 2017. Last year, he took the stage four times, one night was filmed in Honolulu for Netflix and released in June.

To warm us up for his return this fall, we sat to watch his one-hour “Comin’ In Hot” show on Netflix. Here are our thoughts.

The lettering in the background needs a bigger space in his name. Right now it looks like his name is Jokoy.
We are CARE BEARS, shooting aloha out of our ‘ōpu!
I’ve never even used the word cherry in that way. (Goes to check the dictionary)
There are no ‘okina in his made-up street names in closed captioning. Wait! There’s one! Bravo to the sound guy!
Every local firehouse has more than one Toyota Tacoma in its parking lot.
I’ve never been in a lifted Tacoma, I would need a step stool.
Why is he looking at the camera?
Oh, slipper jokes are coming. I can feel it.
Oh no, he’s attempting to say slippah.
Did he say braddah? No, he said brother. Thank goodness.
He got the braddah-wearing-slippahs strut down pat!
I don’t realize how funny (and hard to pronounce) our street names are until they’re in EVERY comedian’s act.
His falsetto and two-step hula are the BIG reasons to watch this. Right. Now.
His made-up Hawaiian song is actually really good and catchy.
He just proved how unsexy Asian languages are.
(When he does the Korean voice) Is that how Korean speakers sound?
(When he does the Vietnamese voice) That’s so true when I order pho!
I’m crying and dying. His Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese voices deserve a HANA HOU!
OMG, this is so much better than Ali Wong’s show.
Wait, where’s the Chinese accent?
My husband gets called Mexican too and he’s Okinawan. I swear!
I’m spending a lot of time looking in the audience for someone I know.
That woman with the rhinestone necklace is way too dressed up for a comedy show.
It still bothers me that there’s not enough room between the “o” and “k” in his name.
What’s debut? I don’t think I know enough about Filipino culture. [That’s short for debutante ball.]
A Filipino reference. I don’t get it. Where’s Katie [our digital editorial specialist who’s half Filipino]?
Katie: I have actually used the “Filipinos are the Mexicans of Asia” so many times!
Everyone has that embarrassing relative who attracts the wrong kind of attention at the mall food court.
“Sucking up black balls.” HA! I’ll never drink boba tea the same way again.
Mini Snickers and Doritos in a Louis Vuitton bag? Yes, there is a god.
Stacey [Makiya, our senior fashion editor] just spit out her water.
Oh, they’re talking about frugal mom stuff. Christi’s [Young, editorial director and Chinese] laughing. And nodding. And laughing.
Christi: What’s wrong with that? Is that funny? I’ve given my daughter snack mix from an airplane in her lunch before.
But wait, who hasn’t gotten extra napkins at McDonalds?
All the napkins in my car are from fast food places.
That’s true too. My friend brings me back bags of my “Tupperware” and it’s like sushi, sour cream and soup containers.
Parents of millennials will LOVE this part. [Koy is talking about how millennials have it easier than he did as a kid.]
What’s munggo? I thought he was going to say pinakbet?
One to two shrimp? That’s a lot! Shrimp ain’t cheap!
A bag of fish sauce with your lunch? That’s one way to clear the cafeteria table and your child’s playdate schedule.

Every local Asian kid’s first household chore is cooking rice. And, believe us, they never get the water crystal clear.
Haven’t you always wondered how that water measurement thing works? (Two people put their fingers next to each other.) See! Even our fingers are different! Do you count your nail?
Ooooo, he had to get the 50-pound bag of rice!
I bet everyone else in the office is wondering what we’re doing and why we’re laughing.
Yup. Taking away your child’s phone is the best punishment. They hate it.
Head and Shoulders smells minty?
Ugh, “blame the mom” game. Nothing new.
Ooo, this guy Malcolm [in the audience] is about to get roasted!
Don’t you kind of want to do 23 and Me too? I kind of think I’m not 100% Asian.
One way to make sure your son doesn’t get a girl pregnant? Share his tiny weenie problem to the rest of the world.
He’s still talking to Malcolm!
So glad my parents weren’t stand-up comedians.
Soo many tiny penis jokes. Over it.
Malcolm is having a good time. He’s sitting next to two very white people.
Wow, 10 more minutes. I hope it’s not all sex jokes.
Oh, he’s making sex noises. And we’re lowering the volume. Are the intern’s headphones on?
Malcolm’s back!
OK, I’m done, move on.
I want to see that older couple next to Malcolm again. Are they uncomfortable?
We’re going to end this way? No! Bring it back to Hawai‘i!
That’s it? That’s how it actually ends?
Ending with a vibrator. Sounds about right.