Posts Tagged → filipino comedian
Comparing Comedians
After a mediocre gig the other night, I started thinking if I could’ve done a better job as a comedian. I got some laughs and was still able to pull off a decent closer but the comedian before me got a bigger response. That got me thinking if you can actually compare comedians and say that one is better than the other.
Of course, there are such things as experience, stage presence, good writing, timing, control of the crowd, and so on. But can you really say that a certain stand up comedian is better than the other? Is it like saying that Picasso is better than Van Gogh? Is it all a matter of personal preference, like choosing between apples and oranges? If so, then how do you measure a comic’s success?
If you go by laughs per minute, then even a hack could make it as the best one. Is a laugh elicited by an easy dick joke weighed more than a chuckle from a carefully crafted insightful observation that changes one’s point of view? Is a rapid fire panderer considered funnier than a performer with integrity that sticks to his/her guns?
If your criteria is originality, then would you consider a Mitch Hedgeberg type of comic that only gets giggles better than a high energy Dane Cook wannabe who steals jokes from others? I would. But the unsophisticated comedy audience won’t. I’ve seen it happen.
But then again, I might be a comedy snob because I have been exposed to a lot of stand up. And after all, isn’t comedy part of show business and isn’t the customer the ultimate judge on who is funnier? Is a joke still a joke if only the teller finds it funny?
What do you think?
Jon Santos Shows
Jon Santos
Jon Santos, the closest comedian I’ve seen to pure stand up, is one hilarious impressionist. He wears costumes but actually has his own point of view in his material. He’s very original and multi-talented. I’ve seen him several times and he is a very skilled performer and knows how to deliver a great performance. For the people in Angeles City, he has a show at Holy Angel University on May 8, 2010 @7PM.
Take Out Comedy in Hong Kong
take out comedy
There’s a comedy club in Hong Kong called Take Out Comedy in the Soho district that is run by comedian Jami Gong, who moved from New York to Hong Kong to start out this club. This room is a very intimate room with just a small stage and chairs arranged in a way that people have no choice but to pay attention to the comics. In fact, the place doesn’t even sell drinks or food. It just sells pure comedy. The comedians are of different races and they have English nights and Cantonese nights (and I think even Mandarin but you’ll have to check). The comics range from experienced headliners to newbies just starting out.
The owner and host Jami claims it’s the first comedy club in Asia, but there was actually another club in Manila called The Comfort Room, which opened in 2002 and closed after a couple of years that was actually the first real comedy club in Asia, if you don’t count the gay comedy clubs in Malate and Quezon City. The audience is usually composed of expats from different countries and some local Chinese people. They are very receptive and are hungry for laughs, which is always good for comedians with good material and a bag of chips. Some Filipino comedians that have performed there include Kevin Camia, Tim Tayag, Chris Musni, Noel Gascon and Marlon Olivan. If you’re an experienced comedian passing through town, just contact Jami and ask for a guest set. If you suck and are not that funny yet, then it might be better to just pay the entrance and just watch. Either way, you’ll have fun. Afterwards you can eat and drink in the Soho area.
The State of Philippine Comedy
Here’s the way I see it: Dolphy, the supposedly king of Philippine comedy, is ancient. No disrespect to the man but his gags are old. I think he should retire and spend his remaining years with his loved ones. I acknowledge his contributions to the comedy scene but he is from a different era. Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon, while still in their productive years, are not really offering anything new besides the old and tired “acheche!” punch line. Willie Revillame, if you can even call him a comedian, has a style that is irritating to the educated but for some strange reason appeals to the masses who don’t know any better. Same goes to Ai-ai. How many times can you play with the title “Tanging Ina Mo”? The horse has been dead for years and she still beats it. Speaking of horses, Vice Ganda’s horse jokes and condescending comments to dance contestants might be funny to an audience that doesn’t think much but it really doesn’t enlighten anyone.
So what is the future of Philippine comedy?
It’s definitely not Jojo A, who tries so pathetically hard to copy Conan O’Brien but has no idea what a punch line is if it bit him in the ass. He just thinks that mimicking Conan’s moves and corky face is about what it takes to get a laugh. Although I must admit, he is funny in a not funny way, if you know what I mean.
The future of Pinoy comedy is actually already here and starting to blow up. It’s point-of-view comedy and it’s being pioneered by a group called the Comedy Cartel. It’s pretty much still an underground movement if you compare it to the mainstream comedy that we’ve been forced fed. But it won’t stay that way for long. With regular gigs on Wednesdays at Votre Bar in Quezon City in the ABS-CBN area and shows at Spicy Fingers in Greenbelt 2 every other Mondays, the group’s following is growing by the hundreds. What they offer is insightful, funny, and revolutionary comic performances that is changing the way people appreciate comedy.
If you dont’ believe me, come check them out for yourself. But I’m willing to bet my Porsche Panamera that you will agree with me. Of course, I have yet to buy the Panamera.
Let me know what your thoughts, comments, violent reactions, etc. are.