Thanks to social media, everyone nowadays can get noticed in a heartbeat.
All it takes is for a video to go viral, and suddenly one is the talk of the town, resulting in instant fame.
For Alex Calleja and his fellow stand-up comedians, social media is a dual-edged sword with positive and negative consequences that affect them individually and collectively.
Stand-up comedy events in the Philippines permit audience members to record performances using mobile phones.
Attendees are free to capture videos whether specific segments or the entirety of the performance.
What follows is that audience members upload the videos online, making them widely accessible to viewers across all demographics.
Having videos of the performances on the Internet exposes stand-up comedians to a broad audience, including those who may be unaware of the existence of such shows.
Certainly, exposure can open doors of opportunities for stand-up acts, ranging from securing more gigs and brand partnerships to potentially breaking into mainstream show business.
Sounds like a win-win situation, right?
Well, it's far more complicated than that.
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THE DOWNSIDE OF GOING VIRAL
According to Alex, navigating the relationship between social media and live comedy performances is like walking a tightrope. It's a delicate balance that they continually struggle to come to terms with.
"We're in a dilemma, to be honest," Alex said at a press conference promoting an upcoming comedy show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on April 13, 2024, at the Dubai Opera.
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Alex will make history as the first Filipino stand-up comedian to grace the stage at the said venue.
The veteran stand-up comedian and writer will be joined by fellow funnymen Israel Buenaobra, Jeps Gallon, and Mark Navares, who are members of The Comedy Crew founded by Alex.
Read: Alex Calleja makes history as the first Filipino stand-up comic to perform at the Dubai Opera
Elaborated Alex, "Para sumikat ka magpapa-viral ka sa social media at para vumiral ka kelangan mo ilabas yung nakakatawa mong jokes — mauubos yun.
"Pero para panoorin ka, kailangan makita kang nakakatawa sa online. So ang ginagawa namin, we do open mics para magsulat kami nang magsulat [ng jokes and spiels]."
Alex understands these challenges well. Despite being already a performer, his fame reached new heights following his stint and runner-up finish in Laugh Factory's "Funniest Person in the World" in 2016.
Read: Pinoy comedian Alex Calleja aspiring to be Funniest Person in the World
However, it wasn't until the height of the pandemic when videos of his performances were consumed online by the public that his popularity soared even further.
Writing spiels with punchlines is not easy, and comedians invest countless hours and days refining and perfecting their dialogues to ensure they sound natural and funny on stage.
Even worse, many audience members who upload these videos online profit from the content without obtaining permission from the performers.
Said Alex, "Hindi sila nanunood para mag-enjoy. Nanunood sila para kumuha ng materyal and upload it, ikalat sa TikTok.
"Wala akong TikTok account pero nagkalat ako sa TikTok.
"So ginagawa na lang namin yung paraan namin na makapagsulat ng marami.
"Kasi sa sobrang laki naman ng populasyon [ng Pilipinas] masu-surprise ka marami pang hindi nakakapanood [ng live stand-up comedy shows]."
STEP-BY-STEP PROGRESS
Alex, who regularly performs outside the country, knows first-hand the huge discrepancy in the maturity of the stand-up comedy scene in the Philippines and abroad, particularly in America.
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"I do yearly show sa U.S. and I went to Discovery Bar dun sa Austin, Texas, [and] Comedy Mothership owned by Joe Rogan," shared Alex.
He continued, "Talagang yung sa U.S. bawal ang cellphone. Yung cellphone mo, when you enter, iiwan sa pouch bag, ise-seal. Dala mo pero naka-seal.
"Dito sa Pilipinas, talagang sine-cellphone ka. Kaya minsan delikado [baka] out of context yung video. Ika-cut pa dun sa akala na offensive, yun pala naka-cut para lumabas na offensive."
Despite these hurdles, Alex has also observed several positive signs in the behavior of the Pinoy audience watching stand-up comedy shows today.
"Dati ang audience namin pag dumarating kami sa venue nasa likod lahat kasi natakot sila dun sa insultuhan," smiled Alex, alluding to the "okray" style of humor popularized in comedy bars.
Read: Comedian Alex Calleja, gustong ipaayos ang "cobra cut" na tuli sa kanya
Comedy shows featuring comedians like Alex typically steer clear of directly poking fun at the audience. Instead, they often focus on self-deprecating humor and finding comedy in everyday life experiences.
Added Alex, "Pangalawa, kinukuha kami sa event kumakain [yung audience], bawal yun. Hindi naman dapat kumakain, paano makakatawa? Pangatlo, nagkukuwentuhan.
"Pero ngayon, people are much more educated and someday sana mag-create din ng [culture na] just watch and huwag mag-record."
Alex said that staging more stand-up comedy shows with the support of both small and large venues across the country can foster a positive relationship built on mutual respect between performers and the audience.
"It's our responsibility to adjust [to the needs of the audience]. Pag ito yung audience, ito yung joke na gagawin, hindi yung, 'Ay ito yung joke ko, pag hindi ka tumawa, kasalanan mo.' That's a wrong mentality.
He added, "So nandun ka to perform, binayaran ka, pag lumabas yun na hindi tumawa, kasalanan mo yun."
Alex and his team, The Comedy Crew, also enforce specific house rules during their performances.
These rules include asking the audience to silence their phones, refrain from engaging in conversations or speaking loudly during the show, and encouraging the audience to communicate with the performers if they find any material offensive.
"We're also educating the audience and kami rin natututo... lucky rin naman [kami] dahil may nakikita kaming mga improvement," stressed Alex.