Psychosexual

Joel Kim Booster steps onto the stage determined to dismantle the expectation that he should act as a spokesperson for every demographic he belongs to. Instead of carrying the weight of representing gay and Asian-American communities, he flips the script through a running bit of crowd work. Singling out a straight, white man named Ben in the front row, Booster repeatedly checks in with him after his jokes to make sure the material is translating to “the largest demographic in the world,” humorously forcing a single audience member to carry the burden of representation.

Filmed at Catch One in Los Angeles, Psychosexual arrived during a major breakout summer for Booster in 2022. He was already enjoying a wave of mainstream attention after writing and starring in the Hulu romantic comedy Fire Island and co-starring in the Apple TV+ series Loot. On stage, he channels that momentum into a highly structured, three-act set designed to establish his identity and then immediately move past it.

The first act addresses his experience as a gay Asian man adopted by white evangelical parents. Having satisfied those introductory expectations, Booster spends the rest of the hour talking about topics any comic might tackle, from the mechanics of threesomes and masturbation to his hatred of koalas and a drug-fueled experience on a cruise ship. Critics praised his easy command of the room, particularly his fourth-wall-breaking interactions where he yells directions at the venue’s camerawoman.