Posts Tagged → filipino stand up comedian
Pinoy Comedian Raffy Taruc
One of the promising stars in the Pinoy comedy circuit is a young man by the name of Raffy Taruc. Nicknamed “the Huk”, not because his grandfather was part of the hukbalahap (a group of rebels that fought the Japanese occupiers) but rather because his penis is shaped like a hook, Raffy’s deadpan style and rhythm is bound to have you in stitches once you open your mind and throw away your judgement. Watch him regularly perform with the Comedy Cartel in Spicy Fingers, Greenbelt 2, Makati, Philippines every Monday night.
Kevin Camia
Kevin Camia is one of the fastest rising stars in the comedy scene. I’ve known this guy for quite a while and he’s the real deal. He’s good friends with Allan Manalo and Tim Tayag. He’s one of the best writers out there in the circuit and he can do Filipino audiences and mixed audiences as well. This video is just a snippet of this guy’s awesome skills on stage. I hope you enjoy him.
Filipino Stand Up Comedians and Black Comedians
Filipino audiences and black audiences are similar in one way, they care more about the performer than they do about the material. The second way is they both love chicken. So if you had a comedy show and served fried chicken or chicken adobo, you’d be making a killing (why haven’t I thought of that – chicken n comedy). So Filipino stand up comics and black stand up comics share the same challenge of winning over their crowd. I’ve performed in black rooms before. Some were nice and a couple were just downright dangerous and intimidating. In fact, in one show, the black host heckled me. In my introduction, she said, “This next comic… I love Jackie Chan…”. So I Karate chopped her boobs and left the stage. Then I heard the next week, somebody got shot right outside of that club. I hope it was that host.
Much like the Apollo crowd, Pinoy audiences will show you love if they really like you and you show them who you really are. If you’re just going to run through your lines like you’re just reading a script, they won’t give you much love. Your material is secondary. You can have really good punch lines, but if you don’t deliver it with that swagger, you won’t be getting the laughs. But if you have average jokes but give it attitude, then they will swallow it up, especially if there are Singaporeans in the house (because in Singapore it is illegal to spit). They like to see your personality and they like you to be animated. Facial expressions, classic funny face, and other tools your comedy coach taught you will work to your advantage. Don’t get me wrong, deadpan also works, but you have to pick your audience. Deadpan delivery mostly works on the younger hipper audience, the same kids who smoke pot and are familiar with Dimitri Martin.
I think this is reflective of the star-driven movie industry. In the Philippines, movie plots are almost unnecessary for a blockbuster. It’s the stars that drive the movie sale and not the brilliant writing. The parallelism exists in the comedy scene. Of course, this doesn’t mean that things won’t change, but for now I think that is the mindset of the people here. So if you’re planning on performing out here, keep those factors in mind. And remember to offer them chicken.
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?