Packaging laughter

THEN: Jan. 3, 1991 — Nineteen years ago.

What happens when you throw a funny line and nobody laughs? They cancel your show and all of a sudden you are no longer funny. Comedy is the only form where instant reaction is the gauge. If you throw a funny line you don’t expect the audience to laugh the next day, unless it’s a political joke and it takes a while to digest. But that’s really way out.

Timing is the soul of comedy. And packaging. Jimmy Santos was doing a fast break for a while. He shot up fast and just as fast he is fading. To my mind, it is not because Jimmy is not funny anymore. It is more because he is not packaged right or not packaged at all. Since “three times a day” became a byword he was saying it on TV 10 times and definitely “I love you three times” said on the same medium 10 times is already wrong arithmetic.

The big difference is Rene Requiestas, who, as Joey de Leon’s sidekick gets the packaging Joey’s mind can reach. By himself, doing his regular antics, he could be by the roadside by now suffering Jimmy’s fate. Joey’s concept makes it in such a way that the situation is built up to be funny and all Rene has to do is to be there to get the laughs. Packaging laughter is a very delicate thing. Joey has the mind of Woody Allen but brought down to the level of Jerry Lewis and worded in the likes of an Ading Fernando script. He got the combination.

One big advantage of the Joey de Leon comedy package is identifying with street talk. Therefore, there is no generation gap. The young identifies with it and does the more mature audience.

The packaging of new ones is a risk worth taking. After all there is a big youth market out there not yet fully tapped. Viva is leaving no stone unturned as the big promo blitz continues with its latest movie. The whole gang is making the rounds of shopping malls, public markets, universities, television and radio stations.

Cast members are getting much-needed publicity and from this a new hot idol could be born. There’s nothing like youthful enthusiasm for a successful media hype.

Among the young ones, the one making his mark in comedy slowly but surely is Herbert Bautista. Herbert belongs to a family of artists. His father is movie director Butch Bautista and sister Harlene is a budding star. Herbert is not the usual kind of comedian. Like Woody Allen, he is introverted to the point of shyness. He is not a gabber. His kind of comedy is the kind that sinks in.

I like Herbert in his role as Islaw Palitaw but I thought he was miscast in M and M, local version of Twins. Then, he was in Viva’s Dear Diary, a twinbiller with his first episode directed by Lupita Kashiwahara. It’s a good chance for Herbert to be directed by a competent director. Lupita is based in the US and seldom gets the chance to direct local movies.

NOW: July 5, 2010

Jimmy is still on television. He is seen daily in Eat, Bulaga!, the longest noontime show on local television. Joey has three other shows on TV aside from Eat, Bulaga!. He has Mel & Joey and Startalk. He has also branched out to writing and has his regular vignettes here in The STAR.

Herbert is lost to the movies as he is now the newly-elected mayor of Quezon City. His sister Harlene is married to Romnick Sarmenta and no longer active in the movies. Lupita has been staying in the Philippines working for past President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Remember the apology tape of the past President Arroyo after the Garci debacle? That was done with Lupita behind the camera. She is like the Maria Montelibano of the President Cory days.

Ironically, Lupita is a sister of Ninoy Aquino and the aunt of President Noynoy. Rene died a few years ago.