Ali Wong is proof that the Netflix studio star system can work

The Ringer

With two acclaimed stand-up specials, Tuca & Bertie and her new romcom movie Always Be My Maybe, Wong has become a national star thanks to the power of Netflix. "Wong earned the capital required to make this dream a reality by becoming Netflix’s first homemade headliner," says Alison Herman. "The Baby Cobra phenomenon is as inextricable from the rise of streaming as it is from Wong’s considerable talents, though the symbiosis is mutual: Netflix now has a vested interest in Wong’s continued success, and her career now serves as a walking advertisement for what comedians stand to gain by working with Netflix in lieu of its competitors. Last year, the Australian performer Hannah Gadsby achieved something similar with her polemic Nanette; once they were just a click away, Gadsby’s provocative ideas about comedy and trauma built a stateside following from scratch. But in the contrast between where she stood before joining forces with Netflix and where she stands after, Wong’s upward trajectory remains unmatched." ALSO: Will "I Punched Keanu Reeves" turn Randall Park into a rap star?