Lin Sun aka Lintorious: Breaking Barriers and Taking the Mic as The Cambodian Comedy Queen

0:00 Hey everyone, so welcome to the Banh Mi Kronikos Podcast. So this is a first for me, and I'll tell you why. So I'm bringing on Lin Sun. Lin Sun is the first Cambodian comedian to have a one-hour comedy special on a major streaming platform. She's currently the first Cambodian comedian to to have a 30-minute special on Peacock with comedy Invasion. She is a rising star stand-up comic, a single mother, actor, and writer. Lynn's mom passed away in 2011. Her last promise to her mom was to live her dreams for both of them and leave a legacy for their family name, Son. Linh's comedy is like watching the friendly devil make hair chick outside of the speakeasy, waving you in to break the law.

0:42 She is irreverently lovable with a dash of dark humor. In her special Cambodian Renegade, Linh shares topics about her immigrant family, how she became a badass single mom, her past life as an erotic massage girl, which landed her some jail time. That'll be very interesting to hear that. And the cherry on top is her raw emotions about relationships. you know and your your motto is you are your own big break and on your spare time you can find her absolutely doing nothing we love that um Lynn's wildest dream is to marry Eminem um a couple years ago I would say a couple years ago at the Super Bowl he was looking real fine but he's also fine but he's also a grandpa now so I'm just kind of like I can't I can't I can't get that out of my head you know But you know I want to say that this is the first time I've ever had a comedian on my show after like I don't know I've been on the podcast since 2019 and I've been And also, let alone a first Cambodian-American comedian on my show.

1:44 So this is an honor. And I somehow ran into you through the algorithms, you know, and it connected me with other Cambodian content creators. And I was like, oh, who is this? I mean, and who's doing the stand up? And And I thought this was very fascinating because in the community, as in the Cambodian community, it is very common for a lot of folks to use comedy as part of the healing and the part of just navigating the day to day. I'm curious, like, where are you currently based in and how have you been doing so far this month and combined New Year's?

2:24 Thank you so much for having me. That's so cool that you found me and you just reached out. I love it when people do that. I love doing podcasts. It's one of my favorite things to do ever. Let's see. The bio you read, I was like, wow, where did you get that bio? I forgot it was on my old website. It's been a while. I'm married now. I'm no longer a single mom. That's a new thing. I only got married last year though. I'm a newlywed. I'm married on July 4th. 2025 we eloped in Las Vegas so I got married how am I doing this month this month you know what like I didn't even know that the Cambodian content was something that was missing you know in on social media like I didn't know that I didn't even know I could speak so many Cambodian words and so I started doing this these reels that you know that are about stereotypical Asian I mean stereotypical Cambodian moms you know Um, so that's what I started doing.

3:25 I just posted, I posted a video of my standup, Cambodian standup, a bit about being Cambodian on social media. And somehow that got some traction for the Cambodian New Year show. So I just did one of those at Roxanne's in Long Beach. Um, and I'm based out of Los Angeles. Oh, wow. And, and were you, um, were you first, um, what did your family like first immigrated to the LA area? Mm-hmm. So my parents landed in Long Beach in 1980, June 1980. So they landed in Long Beach. And then this was when I was little. I only know because I saw pictures of my mom and dad told me. And then we moved to Houston, Texas.

4:08 So we were in Houston, Texas till I was in about third grade. And then we moved back to Long Beach in fourth grade. And then since then, I've just been in California ever since in L.A., L.A. County. Yeah. Yeah, and what were you told about the Khmer Rouge genocide growing up? Because I think for a lot of younger kids, especially when we were growing up, it was very interesting to see how our lives were different than our non-Kambodian peers in school. So I'm very curious about your own upbringing, but also what were you learning about that history? What brought your family to the States?

4:52 My parents were sponsored over by white people obviously but I hear them talking about it but just in memory they didn't complain a lot about it to me they didn't play the victim story a lot to me my parents when they brought me here they just said we brought you to America so you can live the American life so we don't want to dwell on You know being Cambodian in our past and we didn't want to play victim you know so you're here now you have new opportunities so take advantage of that and that's why my parents started making Cambodian music videos and stuff like that you know because they just my dad just took advantage of having all the stuff out here in America that he couldn't do in Cambodia.

5:39 But you know the only the things that I've heard are just the regular stuff that I guess every other Cambodian kid hears about right like we had to eat bugs we had to run we had to hide we had to learn how to make rice when we were two years old you know my grandma my aunt always said that like how come we don't know how to do anything we learned how to do everything when we were like two years old you know what I mean but they didn't make it they my parents never made it a sad story to me you know How old were you when you arrived or were you born in the U.S.? No, I arrived, I was only six months old. Oh, wow. Yeah, so I was basically raised here, you know, I don't know.

6:20 I wasn't from, I'm not from, I don't remember anything in Cambodia. Yeah. And you talk about your father, like, you know, with the Cambodian music business, like a lot of... A lot of Cambodian artists were killed during the genocide. When we think of Sinsi Sumot and Rosso Re Soti and Pan Ron, I'm curious what that was like because I know that my dad early on liked buying Cambodian music in the late 80s, early 90s. I'm very curious about what that must have been like to try to find any Cambodian artists in America. I don't remember my dad I just remember when I was little and they were going through it I remember they had a lot of cassette tapes of Cambodian music right and then they would listen to it and whichever music they wanted to use in our music videos I remember them just calling the artists or the producers that are on the tape and asked if we can use the music videos I mean the music for the videos and they would just pay them some money for it or some artists were like well we don't want any money you can just go ahead and use it You know, so we were able to do that.

7:26 And that's all I remember because I was so young. Yeah. And what was your mom doing at the time? My mom was she was an actress in the music videos. So my dad was the director, creator and editor. And my mom was the actor. And they did that together. Yeah. But, you know, in terms of in terms of regular jobs, my mom worked for 911. She was an operator She spoke great English My dad worked at Graveyard Shift at the Bread Factory That must have been quite an interesting life to grow up with I can only imagine what she's like in the 911 as a Cambodian mom in my own head You also grew up with siblings I have a younger brother who's 7 years younger We grew up in Long Beach just I was lucky enough to grow up in a very like my parents like were very civilite if you know what that means like they're very modern you know and they tried their best to teach me how to live an American life which I really appreciate if that makes sense does that make sense to you what I'm saying It does, because I also, because I know, like, you know, from my parents, I mean, coming from Cambodian Vietnam, my dad especially really wanted me to be assimilated.

8:54 I mean, I have feelings on that later on but like but he wanted me to be successful he wanted me and my birds to be successful to get away from the gang so we lived in a fairly you know suburban neighborhood so that was the kind of dream that he wanted and also my dad like your mom spoke very good English and so he was trying to navigate he was in a lot of Cambodian spaces um how What was the interaction like with other Cambodian community that you were growing up with? What was it like for you to connect with other peers? Did you feel like the difference between you and them in some ways? You know what?

9:35 When I was living in Houston, I was the only Cambodian kid in the whole school. I didn't know any other Cambodians. And then when I moved to Long Beach, of course, there's a bunch of Cambodians. in Long Beach and when I went to elementary school in fourth grade all of a sudden there was a lot of Cambodians I'm like oh cool and you know what I didn't even know a Cambodian cuss word until I went to school in Long Beach and the other kids started cussing in Cambodian and I was like oh because my parents never cussed around me like that you know and then I didn't know like I was like kids can say that you know like which is interesting because I do these reels about Cambodian moms and it's very stereotypical but my mom was actually very gentle she was never the loud she wasn't the loud Cambodian and she never said bad words and she wasn't vulgar you know but I just know because I've heard I hear my mom's friends my aunts and stuff Yeah, I imagine her being an actress that there's like a formality, there's more of an elegance in some ways that she needed to perform.

10:36 Yeah, she had an elegance to her. Yeah, was she wanting to be an actor since growing up? Was she performing in Cambodia at that time before the Khmer Rouge? No, no, no, no. My mom didn't do any of that until they moved here and my dad started music videos and then I think that's when he discovered that she could act and she could do all that stuff. What got to live her dream so I'm really proud of that you know that she got to do what she loves and um yeah no but you know what a lot of it is but my dad was a very mean dad like he just like like I didn't he was a mean dad and honestly like in the third world country home Or a home with a family that's from a third world country, you know, he was abusive and I didn't know he was abusive, right?

11:23 Because then you grow up like that, right? You grow up like that? Yeah, you're like, oh, okay, well, I guess all men hit, you know? But then like, but then my dad, once I grew up, and it's not till I started stand-up comedy, was when I was able to admit out loud that my dad was abusive, you know? And I'm not making excuses for him. I just think like when you were in a third world country or you grew up Asian or Cambodian, you don't know what mental health is. You don't go to the therapy. You don't get diagnosed, right? So that's what happened. And I think my mom, a lot of her elegance was from, because my dad was very strict and mean with all of us and he didn't want us to act some type of way, you know?

12:05 But when my dad and my mom divorced, my mom was so much more loose. Okay. She was so much more loose and she was able to be herself and she was able to, you know, just, you know, have some freedom, which I like that for her. Yeah. And around that time, I know that when your mom was doing the videos, I actually had a conversation the other day with a Cambodian friend of mine and she said, oh yeah, I know her mom. I used to watch her videos back in the day. Do you find yourself getting asked about your mom because of her appearances in those movies?

12:48 When I got older, I moved over to Monterey Park area, San Gabriel Valley, which is not a lot of Cambodians. It's more Chinese-Vinomese. So I wasn't around a lot of Cambodians and I didn't grow up with Cambodians so nobody really asked me anything Not until somebody posted it on social media and I was like what? On Instagram like they posted my old video or something like that and I was like I didn't even know this was on YouTube or whatever you know and then when people started commenting and telling me how much my mom meant to them or how much you know how much they looked up to her or how much they admired her or listened to the music videos and stuff that's when I knew I was like oh man because we didn't have internet back then I don't know how old you are but when I was 10 there was no internet you know it was just cassette VHS's you know yeah I mean I'm going to be 43 in June so I definitely remember yeah I'm in that age group now too you know but like yeah I know that when you talk about your mom's passing out love and like Yeah Was she ill for a long time or was it very sudden?

13:55 You know what my mom had high blood pressure but never said anything she never told me and I traveled a lot and I left I was out of the state for work and such and then she had a stroke in 2011 so she had a stroke and the crazy part is that I was in Dallas at the time staying with my friend and it was around Christmas time in 2010 and I had a dream that she passed I dreamt that she was passing away but I just thought that meant and then I looked it up and it said it could mean someone's sick or it can mean just a rebirth of you your relationship with that person who's passing so I thought okay maybe we're just having a you know a rebirth and then like the next week I got a call from her friend it's like oh we're going to the hospital your mom had a stroke I was like oh shit so I had to I had to fly back the next night the next day you know yeah Yeah.

14:48 And how old were you at the time when you found out about her when she passed? I want to say I was 34. No, no, I wasn't 31 or 32. 32. Well, I'm 40. What is it's 2026? Yeah, 46. That'll be 15 years ago. 15 years ago. Damn. It's been that long. Holy crap. I was 31. Yeah. And You know, when I, it was, and you wanted to talk about the passing and how to deal with that and grieving and stuff like that, right? Sure, absolutely, because I know that, you know, I think at the time, you were a mom at that point?

15:29 No, I was still young and rebellious at that time, but I wasn't a mom yet. And the thing is, though, with, for me, I was very at peace with it. And the reason why is because our parents, I don't know about your parents, but mine believed in reincarnation. because they're Buddhist so I knew that it was her time to go so I was I was sad but I was at peace with it because she lived such a she lived a great life but also a very hard one you know she lived a very hard life and I knew she paid her dues and it was time for her to move on to her next life and come back as a princess you know and like you know that she wanted to read and I know she's probably reincarnated as some Rich person somewhere because this her her recent her past life with me she lived a very hard she she had a lot of struggles so I knew and I just you know and they say when you're passing the last thing to go is you're hearing right and she was unconscious the whole time but I did the nurses and doctor kept telling me that she can hear me so I had to reassure her the whole time like you know we're gonna be okay you know you can leave and my my younger brother is actually bipolar schizophrenic So she I think she had a hard time really letting go spiritually because she wasn't sure if my brother was gonna be okay you know so I had to like tell her you know while she was in the hospital she couldn't say anything back but I just reassured her like you know he's gonna be fine I'm gonna put him in a

16:59 home he's gonna be taken care of and all that stuff and just to like ease her pain and let her know like if you go you know go and be free And when you talk about your younger brother, what was your relationship like with him, especially when he was dealing with, especially given what we know now about mental health back in the day, obviously it was very foreign and your parents would never be able to understand what bipolar schizophrenia is. What was his upbringing like and in a way how did that affect your relationship with him, what he was dealing with?

17:40 So my brother, when my dad left, I was 15, which means my brother was like eight, you know? So my dad left pretty, when he was pretty young, right? And there's that trauma. And then he, my mom raised him by herself and I was a very good kid. So she felt like she could give him the same amount of freedom, but then she gave him the freedom and he ended up hanging out with the wrong crowd and et cetera. Right. So then He was diagnosed bipolar when he was 15 and my mom didn't know what that was right and then why was he was hearing voices why etc why he was like having good days and bad days and then finally they took him to the hospital and they told her that she's bipolar and I even had to look that up because I was like what you know I had to look up bipolar and I was like oh man So my brother's, me and my brother's relationship, when we were younger, we always like bickered, right?

18:33 Because you're, you know, it's like, get out of my room, you know, I'm on the phone. But then as we got older, we were, we were close. Yeah, we had good conversations. And I hung out with him a lot. And I chatted with him a lot on AIM when I was away, you know, so I've always had that kind of relationship with my brother, we didn't have like a bad relationship at all. And how's he doing now over the years? Right now he's good because he's taken care of by professionals which I prefer that because a lot of people my mom included is like no keep him with family keep him blah blah blah but we're not equipped to handle all of that we're just not as much as it's painful and we love them but we want them to have the best care so I want him to be in the hands of people who can handle him 24-7 Yeah, it kind of reminds me of what happened with Rob Reiner and what happened to his son.

19:30 That was really awful. And I thought about that too. And when you talk about your own upbringing, going into high school and learning more about your own identity, but also what you were exposed to. Because at that time, we think of how the Cambodian community was... was struggling there was gang issues you know there was trying to like figure out what to do the idea of going to college seemed far-fetched you know for a lot of kids of our age so I'm curious about what you were trying to deal with and especially for your dad, too, because, you know, you talk about growing up in such a very difficult household and how we because I think when you're a teenager, you start to rebel, right?

20:17 You start to fight back and start to see, well, this is not right. And now I need to reclaim my space. But what was it like for you as you were growing up around that time? You know, my dad left when I was 15, so I didn't really rebel. in high school I definitely didn't rebel when my dad was around because I was scared of him but even I just wasn't a rebellious kid in high school I was in high school plays I was in student government you know I did all the I did all the cool things in high school I was a nerd I wasn't like I was the nerd popular it's like people knew me because I was in plays they didn't know me because I was cool you know what I mean um so so that with that my I was an easy kid when it when it was uh when I was a kid I've always been the A student you know uh up until high school because I discovered boys and I just didn't care anymore and I discovered extracurricular activities um but um yeah so that for me my upbringing was like that and My parents moved me out of Long Beach to Sanguero Valley because they kept saying like you know go to school with the Chinese kids you know they're good kids and they get straight A's you know you know and they knew and but I did have really good friends who one specific good friend who did still stay in Long Beach and was had friends like that who were in gangs and who you know etc that lifestyle but my

21:48 parents fortunately for me they kind of just she kind of how do you say it like she shielded me from it mm-hmm so I didn't grow up around that with the gangs and stuff were you were you able to think about what college you wanted to go to or was it into this idea like yeah well I'm doing well in school now I think I'm ready to take that next step what was what was that conversation like I only went to college because I wanted to be an actor mm-hmm I wanted to be an actor like if it was up to me I would have come right out of high school and went to art theater school and just been an actor you know but my mom you know Cambodian parents are they don't actors don't make money you know I was trying to convince her to go into acting especially when she is herself an actor telling you like no this is not worth it you know but you're watching her and it seems like in a way you kind of idolized her in that sense of course very much yeah and for her to tell you no you can't this is not the right road I mean it's got to be very confusing to you and you're like what are you trying to say But you know what?

22:58 In all honesty, my mom was so sweet and kind that if I really did just say, I'm just going to be an actor, she would have said, okay. But I didn't. And I pretended to go to college. I didn't really go to college, but I enrolled. And I tried to do cosmetology school because I was still going to college, you know? Technically, yeah. Technically, I was going to college. It's a trade school. It's a trade school, you know? No, but I actually went to Citrus College out here, which is also a community college. Plus, you could take cosmetology. So I tried to do that to make my mom happy because she was a single mom at the time and et cetera, you know? So I tried to do that for her. But it never worked out because it's not my calling. It's not my thing.

23:40 Everybody isn't made for college and that doesn't mean you're stupid. It doesn't mean anything. It just means it's not for you. That was my upbringing in high school. I didn't rebel until I was in my 20s. I relate to that in some ways because I felt like I was doing a lot of that A lot of what? Like trying to rebel against you know my dad specifically like I wanted to be a writer you know my dad said there's no Cambodian there's no Vietnamese people that are writers you know so I had to like I tried to prove him wrong, but some of the fights I've had with him were just very loud.

24:24 I'm a tall dude myself, so I think once I got taller than him, then the power dynamic just changed. And I look back on it. My dad was obsessed with school, with college. When you were going into acting, what were you taking? What places were you able to try to maybe get a class to or try to do an audition for? What worlds were you going for? You know what I didn't get into I didn't really, really start taking headshots and classes and go in this whatever until my 20s.

25:05 No until 30s. I was 30 because you know what I was a massage girl first. So when I was 29, I became the massage erotic massage girl. I did that and I was making money. So I was like, Why the fuck does anybody want to do anything else? So easy. How much money were you making? You know, yeah, like 200 a hand job. Like it's not it's like it's not a lot. Like it was so easy. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I'm like, why is anybody? Because here, our parents always, our parents were kind of narrow-minded in a way where they're like, okay, college is a prestigious thing. It's a respectable thing, right? Like, that's what they want you to do. But really, I think every parent just wants their kid to be financially successful.

25:46 Of course. That's really why they want you to go to college because they think college is the way that's going to get you financially successful. But if you came home and said, I have a popular podcast. I make a million dollars a month. What are they going to say? Quit your podcast and go to college? They're not going to say that. Exactly. Just be sinking in debt, you know? You know, they're not going to say that. They're going to say, oh, great. You know, let's teach everybody. How do you, you know, they're going to show off my son has a popular podcast. You know what I mean? Like, anyway, they just want you to be financially successful. Anyway, I went off track. But I was the erotic massage girl first. And then when I stopped doing, during that time was when I was like, oh, I'll just start taking acting classes. Mm-hmm. And then after that, I made it to a play, the Joy of the Luck Club You know the play?

26:27 You know the movie Joy of the Luck Club? I was in the play, and that's how I got the ball rolling And I was like, oh, I can actually audition and do all these things And acting was one of the things where I am most confident in, in myself I knew I was really good at it And I doubt myself a lot I have a lot of, you know, I need to learn how to have more self-belief But the acting part, I'm like, that I can do Yeah, and to kind of rewind back to the erotic massage experience, like, And how did you fall into that? And how long were you doing it for? Did you feel like it was very unsafe at times too? Because I know when people do sex work or massage work, there's a level of chaos that goes on.

27:12 Because I read Kyla Yu's Fetishize. I don't know if you've read it, but it's a really good book. She was an import model back in the early 2000s. Uh huh. And so and that's just a journalist and I'm curious about like how that kind of how you fell into that into your late 20s. Oh that's interesting because she sent me that book I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet but okay it's a good book. Yeah so I'm a firm believer in law of attraction you know and how you handle things because two people can have this exact same situation circumstances and have totally different results right mm-hmm so I have the joke version of how I got started but then I also have the honest version like the really gritty version but the gritty part is that I was working at TGI Fridays I got fired my mom that same night I think my mom asked me for $20 because she didn't have money okay to like buy my brother food or something like that and then that's when I was like I you know and I didn't almost didn't have the $20 to give her But I felt really bad.

28:16 And I got fired. So now I'm looking for a job. I'm on Craigslist looking for a job. And then I think, you know what? I should be an escort. Because like escorts, what? I'm sleeping with people anyway. So I might as well do it for $500,000, you know? Yeah. Like, what am I? Why? You know, I'm cute. You know what I mean? Yeah, exactly. So then I tried to do that. But then I saw an ad on Craigslist for it said massage girls wanted no sex and a bunch of dollar signs. so I was like no sex you know I'll do that I know how to give massages so then when I called the guy he was over the phone he couldn't really say all the words because I could be a cop right yeah so he's like it's a massage it's full body full body he's like it's a sensual massage you know and I was like okay and he goes and there's a there's like a hand release hand release and I was like like a hand job you know like he's like yeah he's like and then he's like yeah you know and then I said do I have to give him a blowjob and he's like no and I was like score you know and I'm like I don't even have to sleep with him and he's like no I was like then let's do it yeah I missed the boat on that because it was a it was a boom at that time oh yeah so it was a boom it was like that Craigslist you know erotic massage boom anyway so I hopped on during that boom and then He came and picked me up that night to take pictures of me in some lingerie whatever and then he posted me the next day and I got a call

29:47 from a client that next morning and that was it and I went to my first client he gave me the cash I gave the guy because he took a portion of my earnings right because he was my pimp at the time or whatever so then like a few months later I was like why am I giving you part of my money when I can just do it by myself and keep everything So I left him and just did my own thing and kept all the money. And I just made it a business. I just made it an entrepreneurship. I didn't make it. Was it dangerous? Sure. But I was very careful about who I took the call from, which clients I would see. You know, I was not on drugs. I didn't drink. So I was always clear headed when I did it.

30:31 I wasn't so desperate because I wanted drugs that I would take any client, you know. I kept it classy I know it sounds like a oxymoron because you're a classy handjob artist but we're a sex positive show here so yeah yeah so I kept it classy and I kept I ran it like a business at some point I had girls doing massages and I posted ads for them and stuff I was like a madam for a little bit you know yeah and but you just gotta know and again I just in my head I don't attract anything like that you know mm-hmm I just create this like mental bubble around me for safety and I go and I do it yeah and you mentioned that you had to spend time in jail yeah about that I sure did so I get busted I got busted three times doing massages wow so I got busted yeah but I never had sex with a client so they couldn't really bust me for like prostitution you know so they would drop down to loitering or massage without a without a license you know Yeah.

31:35 But what happened was when I got busted, I had to see the judge. The judge told me to do community service, blah, blah, blah. And I didn't do any of it. So I had a bench warrant. And then five years later, I got pulled over and they took me in for the stupid bench warrant. And that's how I ended up doing 12 days in county, LA County. Wow. How was that in those 12 days? It was okay because I was in like the good girl pod where it's like the pod the pod where it was like people just had DUIs you know it wasn't like a big thing so and I had really good bunkies I got lucky with good cellmates that you know they gave me paper and pencil and I was still able to write and we told each other stories and I read books and you know what to be honest of course I cried a few times because you're in jail so I cried but then I was like after about a week I was all Damn, this is easy.

32:28 I get fed three times a day. I don't have to do anything. I don't have to do anything. I was like, I don't have to go to a job. I don't have to pay a bill. How did your mom feel at that time when she heard? No, she was already passed. Oh, she was already passed at that point. Yeah. And how were you able to get bail? There was no bail, dude. I just waited until they released me until they sent the papers to The court I got to get out Yeah and when did you decide to now okay okay maybe this is not the long term goal for me but like I want to go into acting what did you experience like when you started to dive into that world?

33:15 How I quit massages when I had a stalker and then I was like you know that's enough I don't want to do it anymore so then I went and went back to just waitressing and just doing regular stuff and then I became a restaurant manager sorry about the noise I became a restaurant manager which allowed me to travel etc and then I got pregnant in 2015 so once I got pregnant I had my child I was a restaurant manager had a baby I was a single mom so I needed to get my mojo back because I was losing myself in parenting because when you're a parent and you're a first timer and you're single you're like that's all you can do right because you don't know what you're doing so I wanted to get my mojo back so I was like okay I'm gonna go back to acting and I should try stand up I'm gonna take a stand up class so then I took a stand up class just to see if I would like it and I ended up finding out that I was pretty good at it and I was like oh wow that's interesting because my whole life I loved stand up and I always watched comics and I was like you know how are they that is so hard I was like how do they just go up there and just talk without knowing that it's a skill you know um yeah so that's how I started who were the comedians that really that you were really drawn to was it like Eddie Murphy Richard Pryor the SNL folks I was really I my favorite my favorite stand up that I liked before I saw anyone else was Chris Rock bigger and blacker it was so hilarious and but my

34:52 all-time favorite stand up comic is Wanda Sykes Yes Yeah so when I was in you know when I saw Wanda Sykes it's interesting because I saw her stand up when I was in one of my hotel rooms when I was doing massages and they had HBO so one day I just turned it on and Wanda Sykes was on I watched her whole special I was like damn that's so good and then but I never thought that I could be someone who could do it like I never thought that in my head I thought being a stand up comic was like so much harder than even being a doctor you know Because you gotta come out with the material yourself There's no anything I just thought there was no class word or anything But then when I did it I'm like oh I just needed to learn how to write jokes And when you were When you were doing comedy Like Were you observing other Cambodians Because I know that in the Cambodian community spaces You hear a lot of Cambodians love to roast each other Especially at family parties Like You're a pig, you gain too much weight But we do a lot of roasting to each other I'm curious about what that experience was like when you were in Cambodian spaces Did it in a way kind of like, wow, I think I am kind of funny too I mean, our folks are pretty funny And I know that there were Cambodian men that wanted to be comedians So I'm curious to see what you might have observed from being in those Cambodian spaces on the comedy level

36:23 You know, I wasn't around a lot of Cambodian spaces The only time I was was when we lived in Long Beach And my dad had a lot of his actors and actresses and stuff Actors, my uncles would come and they'd play cards You know, they'd sit around and play cards all night and stuff and have coffee But because they were around, the circle just wasn't like that They weren't roasty, they didn't make fun of each other, they weren't crass, you know and they had a lot of respect for my dad so maybe they just didn't act like that around my dad if that makes sense so no I didn't get a lot of Cambodian influences for my stand up you know I didn't and I like I was saying in one of my reels like only recently I was connected back to my Cambodian roots you know from remembering how from doing these reels about the stereotypical Cambodian mom it's actually reminded me of all this because I wasn't around a lot of Cambodians you know so to do that I was like oh like I said it was really healing for me you know to remember oh man thanks for you guys like reminding me how fun we are and just laughing at it and making it ridiculous you know even though some people take it too seriously and they're like we don't all talk like that like no shit we don't all talk like that it's a satire you know satire yeah No shit, yeah.

37:49 But there's a lot of truth to some of these things that you've done, you know? Of course. And I was like, man, I mean, my mom didn't act that way because she's Vietnamese, but I've seen Cambodian aunties. I've definitely experienced plenty, you know? And when you were like, do you remember the very first time you actually had to stand up in front of a live audience? Yeah. What was going through your own head? Because I, like, I have done, you know, storytelling before I, you know, would get up in front of people and I do get nervous. But I can still pull it up. But for comedy, stand up, I would be terrified because it's not just...

38:34 The joke itself, but also your timing, being able to read the audience, being able to be quick on your response. It's a whole science to it. It's hard to teach that. You have to be able to be very observant and you have to have good instincts. Yeah you know what I really appreciate you saying all that I really appreciate you saying all that and actually acknowledging that stand-up comedy is a very hard skill like uh because a lot of people might not think that because everybody who's funny thinks they should be a comedian you know like everybody who's funny at a party thinks that they should do stand-up but the what I had what really helped me was that I took a class mm-hmm So yes you can't teach all the natural things like you can't teach the timing you can't teach the personality right you can't teach the charisma you can't teach those things but the stand-up class that I took luckily taught me how to structure a joke and how to do the basics of stand-up mechanics you know so then when I did my first open mic I was scared shitless because I have no material But because I took classes, my teachers taught me how to write jokes and how to write punchlines and how to structure my set.

39:47 So then when I went on stage, I was hella nervous and I had to do jumping jacks and shit before going up there. But when I did it, it was fine. It was great. I got a good response from it. Were other people in front of you like like ahead of you or were you like where were you where was your placement because I know like when you're watching other people you're kind of like getting either terrified you're like oh okay this they they really hate this comedian or they really think this is funny I don't know how how am I gonna follow up to this person no they um I was up second so there was a host there was like one comic and then me And I think it's because I told my teacher, like, can you put me up earlier?

40:28 Because, you know, if I wait any longer, I'll be really nervous. So she put me up second. And the thing is, I used to do plays. So performing in front of a live audience doesn't scare me like that. So the fact that, and again, because I learned the structure and the mechanics of stand-up, I was able to do it. Because my first show was in front of, like, 200 people. So, but I was nervous every show. It's only like recently where I'm like, okay, I still get nervous, but I don't need to do jumping jacks anymore, you know? Yeah. Do you find yourself interact? Do you find it hard to perform in front of your own friends, you know, or family? You know, do you find it?

41:09 Do you find them to be like your toughest critic in a sense? Yeah. No, because you can't really see the audience, first of all. So if they're not sitting in front of you, you just can't see them. So you don't know if they're laughing or not or whatever. But I always had a comfort with them there. For me, it was more like I was happy that they were in the crowd. Yeah. What was... What were some of your favorite Cambodian jokes, like your stories that you really, that people really felt more drawn to? I know we talk about the Cambodian moms, but you know, I know we talk about the typical flip flops, you know, how the little flip flops were used as weapons from our parents. But what other jokes do you make that Cambodian people get pretty quickly but other Asians or non-Asian people are like oh I never knew this this is what y'all have to deal with the whole thing well the Cambodian thing that people resonate well you know I have that joke that I really like about how I'm the first Cambodian to have a special on Prime Video and the third to have a job other than farming or sewing so that one I really like You know, and then when people get that joke, I was like, oh, you guys are smart.

42:24 Like, you know, you did your research, you know. That I like. The secret ones, I just like it when, because I always remember my mom always talking about what kind of men to date and what ethnicity and always date white guys. She's always like, you okay, aren't you? Yowasa Sounds sad yeah she's always talking about the white people because she's like the white people got money that's who you gotta date you know you know what I mean I don't know if like other other Asians do that but I know Cambodians do that a lot and the secret the the inside joke about how I know you're part Vietnamese but like they're always like a Yuan don't have I hear that I hear that word I hear that too you know But it's funny because we love Banh M�� and we love Banh M�� J��n That's for sure I know you guys are like the neighbors that we just have to find a way to get along somehow I don't know how you feel about the ties at the moment Do you also sometimes make light of the more serious stuff that's been going on with Cambodian Thailand for example or the more serious like do you try to find ways to like really poke uh the irony of it too because I do think that there is beauty in it but it's also like but it's also a very tough line to cross yeah for a lot of comedians yeah I don't I'm not really a political or a worldly kind of comic you know

43:59 I'm just more like a personal stories and personal experience kind of comic and I know this is a very unpopular opinion but like I like to stay ignorant and I don't really watch the news just because I get really I get too empathic about it and then I get too it'll paralyze me in a lot of ways Yeah, I hear you. Because I feel it too much. So for me, I guess in a selfish way to protect myself and my energy, like I try not to involve myself too much in it. I'm sorry, I know that sounds really selfish. No. I don't think it is.

44:39 I mean, you're a mom, but you're also, I mean, you're a single mom, but you're also a working comedian. And, you know, part of it is like you have to still have your sense of humor, you know? Yeah, of course. I have a lot of very serious episodes but lately I'm also like I kind of want to add some more fun to that because there's so many times when I get so annoyed and very irritable when I get on my show and then I just kind of want to just have fun and just nerd out on like top 40 hits you know so like not to say that I won't ever like that I'm completely ignoring it I won't but it's like I need breaks I need things that will keep me sane and my listeners sane you know because the world is tough as it is and I think you know comedy especially good storytelling is very much needed and yeah what would you say has been the one where the crowd was very or maybe from the community they're like oh wow I can't believe you went there you know I mean I'm pretty sure you have plenty of those but like it's like I really can't believe you went there or if someone had told you like god this is not funny you know you're representing us very wrong you know oh you know a lot of dark jokes go there like I used to I write dark jokes before a lot more before than now um and the dark jokes are always like that they're always hit or miss like the joke about um the joke about my my dream man is Eminem because his lyrics they really hit me like my dad did you know what I mean so yeah yeah so that those

46:14 jokes like that are very like oh some people they feel bad for you some like oh you know because they're dark and then the joke goes more um my dad my dad was a smacker you know he smacked me he smacked my mom he smacked the mailman you because he was a smacker so now every time I see a Cambodian man I duck right so those jokes so jokes like that you see how it's like you get a it's a very up and down reaction and as a comic you just have to know when you say jokes like that you're gonna get a groan and a groan ooh you know that's equivalent to a laugh because they're they're feeling something you know they're feeling emotions they're reacting they're listening right mm-hmm so those are mainly the ones like I don't um I and and usually around Cambodians though I don't have I've never experienced like when I do shows with Cambodians or Southeast Asians they usually like jokes like that because they relate you know oh yeah yeah it doesn't hurt their feelings you know I mean we roast each other you know that's like I mean sometimes I do that too and I but unfortunately but some friends like I would get a talking to is like we need to talk like and I'm a Gemini so when I have to hear it We need to talk.

47:32 I have to talk to you about what just happened. And I'm like, shit. Like, you know, I'm just like, damn. Oh, you hurt their feelings? Damn. Yes. I have had those situations. And it's like, damn. Damn I mean because I'm also I'm also very empathic so I feel I feel horrible when I really do hurt a friend if it's someone that I really dislike then I have no problems I mean I'm gonna keep it real on the 101 but when it's people that I really care about that I'm not trying to hurt then yeah I feel really awful and I feel like I have to apologize like profusely like hey I'm sorry that's not where I was trying to go but yeah but what we say has been I would say what do you think has been the biggest surprise in your own current comedy career so far?

48:25 In terms of have you met with a comedian an established comedian that just came to show out of nowhere or have you had some really rude interactions with an audience or I'm curious about like your own exchanges your own experiences being a comedian there yeah well my biggest my biggest moment was when I met Dave Chappelle in person wow so I saw Dave Chappelle I didn't perform with him but I saw him and then it was before he went on stage at a comedy club I was working at and I wanted to go back there to take pictures and then his bodyguard was like oh no he's not doing pictures right now I was like dang but then he went on stage and you know Dave I thought he was going to go really long because sometimes when he does sets he just goes a long time and my son had school the next day so I left but then I found out later that he went outside and he was like taking pictures with all the fans and stuff and I was like man I miss taking a picture with him but just to see him in person I was like oh my god because I love Dave Chappelle love him he was that was a big moment and then Jay Leno Jay Leno in person is such a so charismatic and you can see he's such a star like you can't miss Jay Leno and he was humble professional you know he didn't go over his time he just he stayed very humble But my biggest, biggest surprise, honestly, is I didn't know how much love and support I was going to get

49:55 from the Cambodian community on Instagram. Like, I was like, oh my god. Like, I just didn't know. I didn't even know there's that many Cambodians on Instagram. Yeah, you'd be surprised. I think we kind of live on there. Really? Yeah. I mean, the last couple of years, like since I started my podcast, I'm like, wow, I'm getting like, I think the algorithms, it just keeps pulling me with more campaigns, more Vietnamese people. I'm like, oh, okay. Well, and then I have people like following me. It's like, it's kind of this weird kind of exchange of energies, I guess. It's like, oh, wow. It's a kind of like, I live near Chicago so our Cambodian community is not that big but if I run into a Cambodian person around my age at a party that's not Cambodian it's like that Spiderman meme pointing to each other there's a weird excitement if it's me being Vietnamese I'll say I'm Vietnamese I'm like okay no one's going to Who cares?

50:58 There's a lot of us. But if it's Cambodian, it's a whole other... Sibling feelings like finding a lost sibling basically so I kind of see so I'm not surprised that you would get this kind of reaction because I do think that we have so many funny people but a lot of our community members I think it's a struggle to get to that next level how do you think that you've been able to take your work to the next level especially when you are a mom of a 10 year old I do it because I think for me it's because I was a single mom that I was able to do it because I didn't have any other opinions or anybody else that I had to cater to and because I had more to I couldn't not do it because I wanted to be a good example for my son right so then I just made it happen I was like there's no other way and then I think because I grew up in entertainment with watching my mom and my dad do it That it helped give me the understanding of how to do it, if that makes sense.

52:04 Like it wasn't a new thing for me, you know, to navigate. So I had that advantage a little bit. And you know, it's funny that you said that I'm able to accomplish more because I feel like I'm behind. I feel like I'm behind. I'm just like, where are... Because my friend Danny Plom is a Cambodian comedian. He's more... He's a social media... He's also a Cambodian comedian I always think about my kid When he grows up I want him to be attracted to ambitious women And I want him to understand what a hard working woman looks like And a mom who follows her dreams Like so that's why I do it And how does Yeah how does your son How does your son like react to your comedy Or like when he sees you like what's his reaction To it Cause I know kids are the most honest at this age They can be very brutal Yeah Well he when he was little he didn't understand everything So he just knew that mom was Funny and people laughed like that's all he knew And now he's starting to understand it more But you know what's funny is that I asked him who the class clown is in his class And he's so proud to say He's like, I am Because he thinks being funny is cool But one time, because my son, he likes to roast He's a good roaster

53:34 So my son rose and then he likes to say something funny and then one time he said something funny and I laughed and then he said the same thing again to get another laugh and I said you know the rule of comedy is once you get a laugh don't repeat the same joke okay once you get a laugh just stop right he goes well then how come you've been repeating the same jokes for like two years that's a good one that's a good one I like that it is a good one it's so smart Yeah and yeah it's gotta it's gotta feel like you know pretty cool to see him you know like really be very honest with you but also be able to observe what you've been doing what observe what you've been doing trying to understand like this is what Miami does yeah and I'm there to entertain people um yeah One thing I usually do on my off time to decompress from the craziness of the world is watching roast battles in Chicago.

54:35 Comedy roast battles. And sometimes my mouth just drops open. Damn. I mean, I will plug my brain out because I'm like, okay, this is a roast battle. Everything is fair game. Anything goes. Have you participated in those specific roast battles and what was that like to have to like make very racist, ableist, sexist I mean I'm just kind of like wow like it's pretty wild I did a roast with I did do a roast battle but at that time it was with one of my really good friends so it was like it was just for fun you know I don't do a lot of roast battles but she wrote a roast for me that fucking killed me and I was like can I use that in my stand up and now it's one of the best jokes I have but she goes Lynn doesn't like giving blowjobs because she doesn't have a neck And then she goes, she's tired of getting stabbed in the heart.

55:36 Oh dear. Wow, that's a good one. It is a good one. It's a good one. I was like, I'm going to use that. So that was my opener for a very long time. Wow. Like I just went, I don't like giving blowjobs because I don't have a neck, you know? Yeah. And then I say, I'm tired of getting stabbed in the heart. And most people, the thing is, and I didn't, for the longest time, Randy, honestly, like I didn't know what made me funny. Like I didn't know why people are laughing like what are they laughing at you know what I mean are they just being nice like because of my because of my daddy issues and my lack of self belief right um I just wasn't aware of like why people think I'm funny because I'm not really a funny person offstage I'm only performing you know I'm funny onstage offstage I'm actually pretty serious but um But I think with that, a joke like that, right?

56:25 Like, I don't like giving blowjobs or whatever. They don't expect that to come out of my mouth, you know? Mm-hmm, yeah. Especially an Asian woman, too. You know, like, when they think of, like, an older Asian woman. Yeah, yeah. They think of more petite or more, like, sophisticated and pure. But no, like, I mean, like, But I think that there's some shock values. Like, no, this is not who we all are. Yeah. There are women that just love crepes, you know, harsh sucks, you know? And, like, I think that sometimes... That does shock people, but it's also like, look, you know, let's have a conversation about this.

57:05 Let's not think that this is, oh, like, that's normal. I think in a way comedy is like a way to make dialogue normal. Like, let's have a real conversation on things that we're kind of scared to bring up. Like, yeah, when we talk about the abuses from our parents, yeah, it's hard to relive it. But at the same time, it's also like, I think it's an important dialogue to like really open up and find space for it. For your relationship with your dad, when your dad left you, were you reaching out to him? What was your relationship like over the years? You know what, honestly, I was relieved that my dad was leaving. Like it sucked, but I was just like, you know, because he just was bottlenecking us so much and he was so strict and I just wasn't, there was no freedom and I felt for my mom because he was abusive, you know?

57:57 So I felt I just was like I'm so glad he's gone because now my mom can finally like be free and live you know so when he left it didn't it bothered me but not like that if that makes sense not where I missed him you know it wasn't like I missed him where's daddy it was like I'm fine with never talking to him again you know what I mean you know and you know what here's the thing though like I've forgiven my dad and I know that he's a very brilliant intelligent man and you know I got a lot of my like boss nature from him um and so I don't hate him like that you know I'm grateful for the things that he has given me and I also know that he has his issues has he have you talked with him or have you seen him yeah I saw him when my mom passed away and he was actually a changed man like he was really like kinder and softer and asking me for forgiveness and crying you know and then I saw him and then he reached he found me on Facebook or his new wife found me on Facebook because she's young and he like messaged me on Facebook sometimes and you know and he's apologized profusely about how he's behaved you know and I was able to tell him like you know I forgive you it's fine you know but that doesn't mean I need a relationship with you you know I don't need it Unless you're gonna give Oh, yeah, what were you gonna say?

59:22 Unless you're gonna Say, unless you're gonna give me a lot of money Other than that, like, yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, I was Wondering, like Like, it's so It feels so rare to get an apology from our parents, especially as they get older. But it's also like, wow, it makes you pause because there are apologies that you deserve. Like, yeah, I want you to acknowledge the hurt that you caused me and our family over the years. So that's got to feel pretty jolting to hear those words. I mean, you know, and to see how time has changed or evolved your dad.

1:00:04 Does your son talk about his grandparents or trying to understand his family? My friend actually made a documentary, a short documentary, and it's about myself and my family and our background and how they were the first to create Cambodian music videos and whatever. It's not out yet, but of course I could see it first, right? I played it for my son. and he's watching the whole thing he's like wow he's like my grandpa's famous you know and I make it a point to not bad mouth anybody to my son in that way not even his not his dad not my dad not anybody right I will say grandpa was strict I'll say grandpa was mean but I'll never say grandpa was abusive like I won't say that do you know what I mean because why there's no point you know I don't want him to I don't want to taint anything so um yeah he just watches it and he's actually really proud like oh my god my family I have a famous family like famous is a strong word you know how about just like known you know what I mean or whatever yeah as far as like trying to get booked and you know getting on not just with venues but also on TV because I know like these days streaming is everywhere but it's also like it's such a complicated field right now I mean with the writer's strike that's happened with AI and all that it's just kind of like weird the entertainment industry is in a really weird

1:01:34 place right now I don't know if it's necessary for the better for like working artists but I'm curious like how are you you know navigating through all of that I'm really big because again my dad was good at creating things So I think I have it in my blood But I'm all about creating your own thing So if you're not getting booked If you're submitting, submitting, submitting You're not getting booked Then learn how to produce your own comedy show So then you can have your own stage And then you can practice your own stuff And you can book the comics you want to book So make your own show You can create Nowadays you can create your own web series You can create your own anything Anything So create your own That's how I see it because I'm like and I don't say this out of like pity party for myself but I'm not the young new little starlet right so it's like they don't maybe they don't know where to put me they don't know where my lane is so I'm just gonna have to show them what it is you know what I mean then you just have to show it and you just have to be your own big break you know and you create your lane and make it happen that's how I see it Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that it also gets a lot of the attention from producers or scouts in a way.

1:02:54 Where are you hoping to see yourself in the next five, ten years in terms of your creativity? Yeah, so I'm finally working on my late night set, right? So I want to submit to late night TV to do a five minute clean set. So my set's not really dirty, it's just that I cuss, you know? So I just have to not cuss and it'll be okay. I'm working on late night TV but in 5-10 years I'm going to need to be touring I'm not going to ever stop doing stand up I'd like my own sitcom or series whichever one we need a Cambodian American sitcom we need a Cambodian American sitcom long overdue I cannot tell you we are long overdue from one like in Cambodian but like spoken in Cambodian Or just have a Cambodian character A diaspora Like a Cambodian American family Growing up in Long Beach I feel like that would be perfect Because I feel like we have The makings of a good sitcom So I'm waiting for that I hope that happens for you I think that would be great As far as As far as cities go in terms of you know doing your tour what was your favorite city and what do you think about Chicago because Chicago is like known as like second known for Second City the Improv Olympics and it's like a big center for comedians comedy I'm curious about like the other cities you've

1:04:25 toured it but also like more importantly Chicago I don't really do improv but when I was in Chicago Chicago felt like the husband I never knew that I needed you know It was so much love and I love the city. I love downtown. I love the vintage buildings. I love the architecture of it. I just love Chicago so much. I'm supposed to be going back in May, but we'll see. So I really like Chicago. Chicago is welcoming, you know, but I didn't do comedy in front of a lot of Southeast Asians. It was more like, you know, regular audience. Tacoma was really really Tacoma's always fun Tacoma's great Tacoma's awesome yeah Tacoma's fun I'm going I'm going to be in Tacoma this coming April 25th to do a Southeast Asian New Year show wow so I'm going to be in Tacoma that's if I do another special or if when I do another special like when I shoot like a real special for let's say Hulu Netflix whatever I want to do it in Tacoma that's where I want to do it because their people are just so it was inspiring for me to see all the Cambodians together and just supporting each other and laughing and having a great time and being one you know that meant a lot to me the first year I did it I was like wow they were just all partying together and it was clean good innocent fun it wasn't nobody was fighting you know what I mean like there was no nothing like that everyone was successful you know everyone loved each other um those are my yeah I like Chicago and I like Tacoma I mean I like other

1:05:58 cities too but you're asking me to pick And as far as other Asian comedians because there's a lot of Asian comedians these days you got Rani Cheng, Sheng Wang, Ellie Wong you know, Hasan Minhaj I'm fumbling on names here but yeah like How does it feel to see the crop of other Asian-Americans starting to get their start in comedy and making it big? Do you feel more hopeful because of that? Yeah, and I love it. My favorite Asian comedian is actually Margaret Cho.

1:06:40 She's great. Oh my God, I love Margaret Cho. I have a joke about being bootleg Margaret Cho. I love Margaret Cho. I like Margaret Cho a lot so that's my favorite Asian stand up I love it I love seeing I'm a lot more critical of Asians just because I'm Asian so to see them actually be of course A plus what else are we going to be you know I liked it a lot although I didn't really watch Fresh Off the Boat it wasn't really my thing but Ali Wong is hilarious Hilarious She's so funny Yeah and as we start to wrap up what would you say to your 30 year old self if you had to go back in time Wow 30 year old self Yes My 30 year old self I would tell her that she's fucking sexy and she needs to know that and like fucking own it you know like and start being a comedian now like what are you waiting for And where can people find or follow you?

1:07:55 On Instagram at lintorius L-I-N-T-O-R-I-O-U-S I'm also on TikTok and Facebook but I can't figure out all of it at the same time so we're going to go with Instagram right now Yeah, I hear you I mean, you know, even though we're like the first generation to experience technology we're also like the most tired of it at this point Oh my god, it's a lot I can't Somebody was like, you should market yourself on Snapchat I'm like, another thing? I can't do it It's just a lot I need someone to do it for me It's a lot of work I was trying to do YouTube shorts And I'm like, okay, I don't really want to do And I also have to do the captioning And all that fun stuff It's like, great Yeah, it's a full-time job It's a full-time job Absolutely And I hope that people get to follow you on Lentorius Please do And I really hope nothing but the best of success for you for this current year And seeing where this is going to lead you This has been such an honor And I'm so glad that I finally have a comedian on my show Yay!

1:08:59 Thank you Thank you for this This was great I enjoyed it You're a great interviewer Thank you so much Thank you