Rex Navarrete turns his struggles to comedy

MANILA, Philippines - There’s something about Rex Navarrete’s brand of rapier wit that continues to endear him to Filipinos from all over the world. Thanks to YouTube, his Pinoy witticisms have caught on even among foreigners as well.

The Fil-Am comedian is back in town and is raring to whip up a double dose of his wacky antics tomorrow, May 31 at Bar 360 in Resorts World Manila and on June 4 at Strumm’s Makati, with Mike Unson as his front act.

Unlike today’s breed of loud, aggressive and often condescending stand-up comics who thrive on making fun of their audiences, Rex warms up his crowd with his low-key demeanor, his monologues reminding you of lazy fireside chats or no-holds-barred drinking sprees with your college buddies.

Throw in his poker-faced mien and his burly frame and you have this lovable, cuddly big brother figure with his endless stream of gags, parodies and satirical sketches that make him the life of any party.

A cursory look at his YouTube videos reveals a smattering of characters — Maritess the domestic worker, his Uncle Boy, his English teacher Mrs. Scott — that Pinoys can identify with.

In hindsight, what makes his stories palatable is that they strike a resonant chord in the Pinoy psyche. Especially more so since Rex has this penchant for singling out underdog characters.

Who would’ve imagined, for instance, how a struggling and reticent domestic worker Maritess would be transported to the world of comic book heroes, her quaint but engaging probinsyana eccentricities a perfect foil for her employers’ brazen and caustic ways?

Or who would’ve thought that Superman, Batman Aquaman and the rest of the Justice League hunks would have their bratty fits and unwittingly harrass a poor, struggling barrio lass?

Religious zealots would probably bash him for poking fun at the Sto. Niño, but Rex gets away with it with panache, at the same time championing the cause of his “little brown brothers.”

One thing’s for sure. Rex’s brand of offbeat humor is the product of a fertile imagination tempered by keen observational powers.

As Rex himself discloses, “In terms of characters, I draw inspiration from everyday people like my relatives, people who I know personally or situations I hear about. I try to keep it universal.”

“The material has always been catered to the Filipino, how we think, how we react, how we move in this world. I am a fan of comics and satire that allow you to listen to your own voice.

Despite his seeming patriotic fervor, Rex clarifies that he — or at least his humor — is far from being ethnocentric.

He asserts, “My body of work is clearly targeted at Filipinos, or everyone who knows a Filipino. You don’t even have to be a Filipino to embrace my stuff. I might work on something.

“It’s not over for Maritess. You never know she might be somewhere else working with some other superheroes,” he quips.

Based on his website, Rex gathers all of his material from what he calls “real Rex moments,” reality and shared life experiences.

He ponders, “I think everything has humor; you will always find humor. I don’t always make stuff up.”

“Even though most of my material is geared for a Filipino audience, if you’re smart enough you’ll understand the universality of it. Look at the comedy traditions of Jewish and African American comics, which are now the mainstream through Seinfeld, Bruce, Allen, Rock, Pryor and Murphy. Our struggles become our comedy.”