Jesse Appell will discuss his new book, This Was Funnier in China, which explores his comedy career in China and his transition to building a tea business. The talk is part of Dornsife's Language and Career Week. Free lunch will be provided for registered guests, please note that lunch will be first come, first served.
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Jesse Appell is a bilingual comedian, author, social media creator and entrepreneur followed by over 3 million people in both China and the West. His appearances on Chinese TV shows such as “Huan Le Xiju Ren” 欢乐喜剧人, and his comedy fundraisers during COVID, have led to over 500 million total views of his comedy videos around the world.
In 2012, Jesse won a Fulbright Fellowship to move to Beijing and research Chinese traditional “Xiangsheng” comedy, apprenticing to Master Ding Guangquan, one of the top comedians in China and the only traditional comedy master to take foreign disciples. Over the following decade, he played a role in the rise of the modern comedy scene in China, a story chronicled in his new book, This Was Funnier in China. Jesse is also the founder of Jesse’s Teahouse, an online tea culture video channel and e-commerce website, and is a leader in bringing Chinese tea culture to the West.