Joey De Leon Agrees with Comedian Michael: Making People Laugh Has Become More Challenging
Popular E.A.T. host Joey De Leon recently expressed his agreement with fellow comedian Michael, who stated that it is not as easy as it used to be to make people laugh or deliver a punchline.
On October 1, De Leon took to Twitter to share his thoughts, saying, “Mahirap na ngayon magpatawa. Marami na ngayong namumuna. Tingin nila mas magaling sila. Sila ang dapat narito pala. Eh ano ang tawag sa kanila? Kung sa lugar mo ay ang tagal mo na? Mas kwela sila palagay nila. Ayun…inggitero at inggitera.” (It’s difficult to be funny nowadays. There are more critics today who think they are better. They should be the ones doing it. What do you call them? If you’ve been in the industry for so long in your place? They think they’re cool. Well, there you have it…envious.)
Michael V, who was recently honored at the 3rd Philippine Film Industry Month of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in Muntinlupa City on September 26, made a similar statement.
“Every year, every generation, mas nagiging mahirap magpatawa. We get more and more restrictions when making jokes and punchlines.” (Every year, every generation, it becomes harder to make people laugh. We get more and more restrictions when making jokes and punchlines.)
“Nowadays hindi ka na pwedeng mag joke sa superhero na African-American, na bading, na suicidal na pulis, na may kapansanan.” (Nowadays, you can’t joke about an African-American superhero who is gay, who is a suicidal cop, who is disabled.)
“Kahit na ang punchline mo ay walang kinalaman sa race, sa gender, sa mental at sa physical health ng isang tao, yun at yun ang pupunahin ng mga netizens na mga dalubhasa na ngayon.” (Even if your punchline has nothing to do with a person’s race, gender, or mental and physical health, netizens who claim to be experts will criticize it.)
“It takes a certain level of intelligence to come up with a very entertaining punchline but a very shallow level of opinionated ignorance to destroy.”
“It turns out comedy is less universal than before. What’s funny to some may not be funny to others anymore.”
“Pero ang totoong komedyante at hindi magpapapigil. We learn, we adopt, we persevere.” (But the real comedian will not hold back. We learn, we adapt, we persevere.)
Joey De Leon and Michael V’s words shed light on the challenges faced by comedians in the current social climate where sensitivity and political correctness have become more pronounced. Despite the difficulties, these comedians remain resilient, determined, and committed to making audiences laugh.
