Every stand-up comedian has his own approach. Some hop on stage and just wing it. Others fumble through their thoughts to obtain that one joke. For comedians like me, however, each routine is a balancing act. We must gauge our audience and adapt at the drop of a hat. Our job is to make sure everyone in the room has a laugh no matter what.

But what if you find yourself standing in front of a crowd that has potentially zero sense of humor based on stereotypes? Singaporeans, I’m talking to you guys.

I was 18 when I performed my first comedy act. It was perhaps the most nerve-wracking 10 minutes of my life — the beaming stage lights, the silence and the hundreds of eyes fixated on me. Never had I spoken into a microphone. Never had I tested my jokes on a friend. Never had I felt so out of place. Everything about that experience was terrifying and amazing.

That was 30 shows ago. With practice, feedback and thick skin, I have become rather fluent in insult comedy. My parents ask me when I “joined the Navy.” My best friends refer to me as their “foul-mouthed buddy.” Warm-up comedians have even introduced me as their “favorite trash-talker.” I guess you could say vulgarity is a strength of mine. Regardless, I enjoy being that controversial character when I’m on stage. As long as people laugh at my jokes, I will continue to perform.

But there I stood at the Blujaz Café during open mic night as frightened as I was during my first show. While stand-up in Singapore is certainly becoming more popular, especially with the younger crowd, it is still an activity many locals are afraid to try for themselves. Luckily, my audience appeared split: many Europeans littered the mass of 50 patrons or so.

Things we are used to hearing jokes about in the U.S. on television, such as religion and race, are entirely off the table in Singapore. Making jests about spirituality can land you right in the slammer for sedition. For this show, I had to literally rewrite a brand spanking new set. Quite frankly, my material would have been deemed complete trash. I would have been kicked to the curb immediately. Few would have found me funny or even relevant in the slightest. Therefore, I had every right to be nervous.

“Singaporeans don’t like to make others feel uncomfortable, so they don’t often to do this. But people our age are beginning to embrace it,” said Priya Chettiar, a graduate engineering student at the National University of Singapore. “That’s why foreigners seem to think (Singaporeans) have no sense of humor. And some of us are funny in our own way. It just may not be a way that people in say, America or England, find funny. Things are much different here. You have to be careful.”

And she’s right: every person who stepped up to the mic was non-Singaporean except for Priya, who has only performed for a year after being pushed on stage by a classmate. The other performers say running across Singaporean performers is uncommon.

This led me to ask: what exactly do Singaporeans find funny? For insight, I asked several students at my exchange university a week prior to my performance. The most common responses were the weather, school and work. Unfortunately, I don’t know a single joke about humidity. I’m not that good. School and work? Sounds like a snooze-fest if I ever heard one. I kept digging and finally found some vital information.

This was difficult for me. For once, I had to be mindful of others in my act and refrain from making derogatory remarks. Nonetheless, the advice was much appreciated; my set totally killed.

“I’m embarrassed to admit I’m the owner of a selfie stick,” I said. The crowd was in stitches. I went on to joke about Singapore’s obsession with plastic bags and men who wear Daisy Duke short shorts. No scoffs, no hecklers, no problems.

Performing stand-up here involved stepping out of my comfort zone on so many levels. I realized that humor can be interpreted in numerous ways. For Singapore, comedy may not be at its forefront as of yet. However, I do believe this place will one day make room for some fantastic clubs.

Zachary Gipson is a senior majoring in economics and linguistics. He is striving to fit in with the fast-paced locals of Singapore. To chat about life abroad, shoot him an email at ztgipson@syr.edu.

Published on March 23, 2015 at 9:24 pm