Her Comic Highness

Philippine entertainment always had funny ladies even before the time of vaudeville, which spawned some of the greatest comediennes on the silver screen and, later, on television. The list is long: Chichay, Aruray, Metring David, Chuchi, Dely Atay-atayan and a whole slew of other veterans who played supporting parts in the sitcoms of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

But no one was able to claim the title Comedy Queen until Ai-Ai de las Alas came around — and even she took a while to finally own it.

Why did it have to take Ai-Ai to get that title?

Well, you couldn’t have called Nida Blanca that without her slapping you. Oh, she was feisty a long time ago, but eventually mellowed and became the darling of everyone in the industry.

Nida Blanca, to begin with, was a certified Movie Queen. That title covered the comedies, musicals and the few dramas she made at her peak. Neither can you call Ms. Blanca’s rival Gloria Romero Comedy Queen even if she was the first local actress to win an acting award (the 1954 FAMAS for Dalagang Ilocana) in a comic role. Like Nida Blanca, Ms. Romero was a Movie Queen and is revered as one to this day.

Even Nova Villa, former sidekick to Nida in the mid-’60s sitcom Ang Mahiwagang Daigdig ni Doray, never had the chance to be called Comedy Queen even if her name became huge when she did Chicks to Chicks, a sitcom that wasn’t originally poised to sell her, but three sexy ladies: Ruby Anna, the late Maria Theresa Carlson and Malu de la Fuente (Carmi Martin came in much later). Nova’s comedic antics with Freddie Webb, however, were a hit with the viewing public so they ended as the stars of the show. Nova won Best Comedy Actress for that role eventually, but never wore the crown Comedy Queen. Nida was still around that time to contest it as Marsha, the better onscreen half of John.

Sylvia la Torre did mostly comedies and variety programs since the advent of TV in the ’50s, but even she was never called Comedy Queen. She was the Queen of Television before Tessie Tomas claimed it in the ’90s. Before that, Tessie was Queen of Stand-up Comedy for all the Meldita series she did in the late ’80s.

This was the time when everyone was getting a title. Heck, even Vilma Santos wasn’t called Star for All Seasons until much, much later in her career — when everyone already had to have one. (For a long time, no one even wondered why it was only Nora Aunor who had a title — Superstar, which I can imagine came from the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar.)

And by the way, I don’t think Maricel Soriano will be flattered to be called Comedy Queen because she is the Diamond Star and that sums up her status in the showbiz firmament.

No one bothered to claim the title Comedy Queen because in the first place no other funny butt (did I just use that word?) could fit snugly and comfortably into the throne until Ai-Ai dared to sit on it — and it was a perfect fit.

My choice of words is starting to get racy because that and being saucy are integral to Ai-Ai’s brand of comedy, which blends perfectly with overall Pinoy humor. The kind of language she uses in her comedy concerts does not actually sit well with the members of the CBCP and I don’t think she can count on Carlos Celdran this time to protest on her behalf.

Other funny ladies before her would not have had the guts and courage to utter what she normally says in most of her shows. Or maybe they had — except that times weren’t as permissive as they are today.

Audiences in those days, in the first place, didn’t dare throw a pie at the face of a lady comic. Call them bungal, babalina and fat (a word you don’t use even on the plumpest matron today), but you were still careful when handling funny ladies on stage back then.

You can wrestle with a male comic and rough around with him during a performance and that was fine. This was the reason why Dolphy didn’t have a difficult time getting crowned as the Comedy King and, again, that didn’t come until much later. (After Pugo, he and Chiquito were the undisputed funny kings, but I don’t recall them using the title Comedy King back then.)

Ai-Ai, of course, also had other qualities aside from being “risqué” that truly entitled her to be called Comedy Queen. The woman is talented. This was already evident in the late ’80s sitcom 13, 14, 15. I remember that Ruffa Gutierrez was then 15. But I forget now who were 13 and 14. But Ai-Ai’s presence as the yaya stood out (and Tina Revilla, too, as the aunt). She was also impressive in the 1991 Shake, Rattle & Roll even if that was just a supporting part.

But she really came into her own toward the new millennium (it was a long wait). She dared have concerts in huge venues. And then came Tanging Ina. By then, she had rightfully earned the Comedy Queen crown.

Unlike the top funny ladies from before, Ai-Ai could sell movies and comedy concerts on her own. Also, it was only Ai-Ai whose name is stamped strictly comedy. That’s because the movie queens of the past were also into other things — good for them.

And so, Ai-Ai is presently enthroned firmly as the Queen of Comedy.

Of course, there are threats. But Pokwang, although I find her funny, may have a lot of catching up to do. The presence of Eugene Domingo is surely scary. Admittedly, however, there are a lot of antics Ai-Ai can pull off what Eugene can never have the stomach for. And knowing Eugene, she will go a different way and find her own niche.

Even if Eugene gets to reach Ai-Ai’s status, the reigning queen can always claim that she got to sit on that throne first. And that counts for a lot.

Ai-Ai can now relax and relish her title. But, oops, doesn’t she have a show tomorrow that is fittingly called Akin Ang Tronong ‘To? It’s at the Araneta Coliseum?

She didn’t ask me to write this, but I’m doing it anyway as my way of showing my respect to her Comic Highness.

This is my tribute to the Queen — the first and still rightfully the owner of the title Comedy Queen.