Ali Wong had no idea Shane Gillis' referenced her on his podcast -- she offers her take on offensive comedy

The New York Times

Wong heard about Gillis' racial slur controversy that got him kicked off SNL, but she had no idea that he had referenced her in one of his podcasts until a New York Times interviewer brought it up while discussing the comedian's new book Dear Girls. On his podcast, Gillis said: "Ali Wong is making it so Asian chicks are funnier than white chicks.” Wong declined to offer a comment without hearing the quote's context, but she did say she was glad to see Bowen Yang make history as the first Asian cast member on SNL. Wong was also asked about being offensive in comedy. "People can get away with doing really offensive things as long as it’s funny," she said. "Because if it’s funny, then the laughter wins over the feelings of hurt and then you’re doing something right. It comes down to writing and instinct. Also, when you know different people from all different walks of life and you’re a compassionate person, then you’re probably more capable of writing something that’s really offensive that’s funny, because there’s truth in it and it’s something that you haven’t heard before. Come up with something that’s fresh and true and unexpected."