Laugh out Loud

On a cloudy Thursday afternoon, three sexy starlets emerge from Starbucks outside the abs-cbn studios and spot Ate Glow nearby. They begin peppering him with those familiar and irritating showbiz beso-besos.

As the prettiest girl brushes her pale cheeks on the gay comedian, Ate Glow’s eyes light up and quips: "Itong mga nagagandahang mga ito, talaga! Mga nagmana sa akin!" Everyone has a hearty laugh as the group engage in some cheerful small talk. It was like a scene from a movie premiere.

But later, when the starlets had gone, Ate Glow was heard to have muttered: "Alam mo, ngayon ko pa lang yata nakita yung mga babae na yon."

Curiously, the surprise comes not so much from the three pretentious ladies than from Ate Glow’s matter-of-fact reaction. As showbiz goes, it is not uncommon for every bit actor in town to suck up and kiss your wealthy ass once you’ve made it big. And Ate Glow’s bony bottom is definitely something that kibitzers wouldn’t mind pecking.

Currently, the 23-year-old is part of the regular cast of two weekly sitcoms. And typically, she does her famous President Arroyo bit on both shows. Ate Glow also guests in the network’s variety specials and Breakfast, a daily morning program which bestows an understandably adored hosting job, which frees him (at least for a moment) from the redundant Arroyo caricature.

"I got discovered while doing a stage presentation in UP," he shares. "I never really had any professional training in acting; it‘s just something that I really love. And I think that’s what is more important. The audience liked my performance and that’s where it all began."

Almost immediately, the hardly-precocious amateur was hired to perform in corporate shows and other private functions. Word soon spread of Ate Glow’s natural ability for comedy, but the big break came when talent scout Noel Ferrer invited him to join abs-cbn.

Ironically, it was neither Ferrer (now his manager) nor Ate Glow himself who thought of impersonating the president–a role that would ultimately give him both success and boredom over time.

"It was a TV writer who invented the character of ‘Ate Glow’," he reveals. "And I had to work real hard to play it right because I never really thought of becoming an impersonator in the first place. Mahirap kasi, eh."

It was true, although another great irony was the fact that Ate Glow (Reneboy Facunla in real life) had actually "spoofed" such stars as Jolina Magdangal, Ces Drilon, Maui Taylor and Nora Aunor before diving into her now famous Gloria routines. It was only later when Joseph Estrada stepped down from the presidency did he "get to play Ate Glow full time."

"Nakakatuwa kasi napakadali nalang sa akin ngayon maging Ate Glow," he says. "I mean, in five minutes, I can fix myself to look like the president. ...You know, I’ve actually met the President several times now, and sabi niya mas-maganda daw ako sa kanya. And it’s a fact!"

"But truthfully, I still wouldn’t want to impersonate her for the rest of my life," he grins. "I want to re-position my character din naman. Nakakasawa rin kasi, eh. Talagang bibigay ang energy mo once na-typecast ka na ng tuluyan. And it won’t be creative anymore."

Fortunately, fellow comic and co-UP alumni Tuesday Vargas doesn’t have the same worry.
After a successful guest stint in The Sharon Cuneta Show two years ago, Vargas is now a per-
manent fixture on two TV sitcoms as well. And though still behind Ate Glow in terms of popularity, her acting has been regarded by some critics as "fresh" and "energetic".

She seems to be a bit under the weather, and following a warm hug from Ate Glow, Vargas sheepishly makes a snide comment about her constant sniffing. "I’m really quite sick today," she says almost apologetically. "You know, doing comedy wasn’t really my first target. It wasn’t my ambition, although I did a little bit of acting in school sa mga theater groups.

"Nagkataon lang siguro na makulit akong tao. Hanggang sa everyday I found myself geared towards that field. Pero honestly, hindi ko ito talagang plano o pinagaralan."

This statement makes it interesting to point out that while the characteristic differences between her and Ate Glow are as significant as milk and tomato juice, the two are still very similar in many ways. Aside from coming from the same school (where Ate Glow is majoring in film and literature) and their apparent surprise in finding themselves starring in sitcoms, both rely more on their quick wit to make people laugh rather than getting hit in the face with a cream pie. And like her former schoolmate, Vargas also started out guesting in numerous TV shows before becoming a regular.

"Olive de Jesus, my manager, pulled some strings for me to get on the show Klasmeyts," she says. "After that, several sitcoms began asking me to appear in their episodes. Step by step lang. It all started with frequent guestings, until I eventually became a regular. So you see, talagang hindi ko pinlano lahat ito. It just happened."

Another (and more obvious) likeness between the two is their venture into the local music industry. Cashing in on the latest craze of novelty tunes, the comics came out with their own respective solo albums; Ate Glow with Ang Saya-Saya, Noh! and Vargas with Babae Po Ako.

The affimity ends there, however, since Tuesday Vargas isn’t really a stranger in making records. "Some people are actually surprised with my music outing, but what they don’t know is that I was a member of the band ‘Pu3ka’ when I was 18 years-old. I sang with the band for two years. That was of course before TV."

Her first experience in the field was as a writer for her old theater group and not as an actress. She was only 16 then, and was naturally timid when she joined the theater group as a freshman in UP.

That timidness is long gone now, and Vargas, even with a mild case of the flu, sounds confident and self-assured. So confident in fact, that it nearly borders on conceit.

"Ngayong nandito na ako, gusto ko na rin talaga mag-patawa," she says. "Pero medyo mahirap magsabi kung sino ang mga idol ko sa mga local comedians."

And though this bold pronouncement required a more elaborate explanation, Vargas chose to remain rather vague, saying, "Kasi once na nakatrabaho mo na sila, tapos nakikilala mo na sila, parang ang hirap kasi lahat sila meron mga weak points."

Without missing a beat, she continues: "So foreign nalang, para medyo na-a-amaze pa ako ng konti. Eddie Murphy, sobrang nababaliw ako sa kanya. Robin Williams, the old Jim Carrey, not the new one. And I also like the women of Saturday Night Live."

These comments might be enough for some people to start pelting the young comedian with eggs, but it also shows her honesty and knowledge of the acting genre. And this is where she and Ate Glow once again bear a similarity.

"I think the local comedy scene these days is really great," she says. "I think it’s good that producers are experimenting with different methods on how to make people laugh."

Ate Glow agrees. "Philippine comedy is more intelligent now. Before kasi, it’s all slapstick. Ang paraan nila ng pag-papatawa eh yung binabatukan, and pinapahiya."

In between sips of a strawberry milkshake, he reasons further: "Para bang yung kumpulan ng tawanan noon ay yung kulay mo, yung social indifferences, and people who had traits that were against the practiced norms. Comedians now are more witty and intelligent because there is a bigger demand nowadays for better material. Napagod na rin sila siguro sa lumang style. Ngayon kasi it’s more satirical na, eh."

The interview suddenly turns into an animated discussion and Vargas, as if on cue, offers more on the subject. "It’s just as well because ang Filipino audience ngayon is very fickle-minded."

"They easily get bored," she adds, nodding intuitively at a very pleased Ate Glow. "Kaya siguro nag-click kami–yung mga batang komedyante–kasi although viewers still laugh at silly slapstick, they’re now looking for something more. Kaya kung komedyante ka sa panahon ngayon, dapat palagi kang nag-iisip ng maraming mga bagong material para ma-impress ang mga tao."

Generating new jokes and gags for a weekly sitcom indeed sounds quite trying. But compared to a stand-up comic, TV stars actually have it easy with the writers and all.

One comedian who is constantly on his toes is Chokoleit Nuts. Also a rising star and a contract talent of abs-cbn, Chokoleit moonlights as a live act several nights a week at comedy bars in Quezon City.

The comic, who began his career in showbiz by playing bit parts, is now near the top of his game. For couch potatoes nationwide, Cho-koleit is more popularly known as "Pearly Shells"–the equally unattractive sidekick of "Dugong" in the fantasy hit series Marina.

"I’m very happy with my character in the show," he says with pride. "It’s sometimes a drag having to put on all that heavy make-up, but the show’s a riot! So I’m not complaining."

And not that he has much reason to. Apart from his TV stints, Chokoleit is also making waves, particularly at Punchline, where he works with other stand-ups. There are times when he might perform before a rather thin crowd on weeknights, but more often than not, the bar is packed to the hilt–especially on weekends.

"Mas mahirap talaga ang stand-up comedy kaysa sa sitcoms kasi you’re always on the go. If a particular bit doesn’t work, kailangang mabilis yung pag shift mo sa ibang material na matatawa yung audience. Mahirap talaga stand-up. Napaka-spontaneous."

On first impression, Chokoleit is definitely more humble and open than the other bigshots in the industry. He is also totally giddy in many aspects of the entertainment field. That doesn’t mean, however, that he lacks the charm and cutting-edge humor of a successful comic.

The comedian, in fact, is equally (if not more) quick-witted, like Ate Glow and Vargas, a trait enhanced by his stand-up routine. He agrees with them that modern comedy is certainly more "brilliant" now, and he sheds light on the matured idealism of local comics.

"I think it is safe to say that I am an ‘artist’ and ‘performer’ kasi yan talaga ang orientation ko. And if you’re one, you naturally search for more than just a single role. Eventually, you’ll want something deeper."

He adds: "Of course, marami pa rin dapat na gawing improvements sa comedy natin. Kaya lang, malaki rin kasi yung factor ng social inclinations ng bansa natin, eh, kaya medyo mahirap yon. Nakasabit pa rin sa atin ang traits na medyo patriarchal tayo, semi-feudal and semi-colonial. I think it has to start there before we can change the arts."

And how.

As a whole, Ate Glow, Tuesday Vargas and Chocoleit Nuts might seem like your silly, everyday nuts who embarass themselves on the boobtube–several steps behind the likes of an Allan K or an Ai-Ai de las Alas. And it may not seem like they care for as long as the money keeps pouring in.

But underneath the almost crazy exteriors lie serious and dedicated people who want nothing more than to simply keep getting better at what it is they do.

So for how long do they see themselves tickling the people’s funnybone?

"Until God permits it," Vargas laughs, half-jokingly. "Ewan ko, pero I think I’ll grow old in this business–if everything goes well, of course."