Alex Calleja: Funny is funny

MANILA, Philippines — When Alex Calleja released his stand-up comedy special “Tamang Panahon” on Netflix last month, he never expected it to top the streaming platform’s charts in the Philippines. As an independent comedian without the financial backing of, say, a major network or production outfit, he had prepared himself to push the special through his own promotional efforts. But what happened next exceeded even his own expectations.

“Naiyak ako nung No. 1 siya because it was really hard work,” Alex recently recalled to The STAR in an interview for the media collab podcast “Meet the Press” on Spotify.

“I'm just an independent producer. Kami ng asawa ko, umiyak talaga nung nag-No. 1 (my wife and I really cried when it became No. 1).”

“Tamang Panahon” didn't only claim the No. 1 spot but also remained so, or at least in the Top 10 most-watched shows for several weeks, on Netflix Philippines. 

“What I initially expected — because it wasn’t produced by Netflix — was that I had to be ready to promote it myself. So, I thought that wouldn’t be enough. I checked Netflix’s social media pages, and my show’s teaser wasn’t there. They only posted one on the same day of release. That teaser now has around four million views.

“The special dropped on Feb. 7 at midnight, but I was already getting messages from people (before that) because in Australia, they’re three hours ahead, so it was 9 p.m. here. In Japan, it was 11 p.m.

“I was already getting feedback — people telling me, ‘Alex, ang ganda (it's really good).’ At 12 midnight, I saw it on Netflix Philippines. That was the first time I watched it, because even while editing, I didn’t. I get conscious watching myself, but this time, I sat down and watched. And I liked it. This is good, I thought. This is funny.”

For Alex, the real triumph wasn’t just hitting No. 1 on Netflix but also proving to himself that comedy can be accessible to everyone. His experiences as a writer for “It's Showtime” and “Goin' Bulilit,” as well as performing in a wide range of venues — from open-air basketball courts to the Manila Polo Club — taught him how to craft jokes that could connect with all kinds of people.

“I just wanted to land in the Top 10 and I'm OK. Ang tingin ng tao, ang nakikita lang nila, I'm a comedian. I don't have a manager and everything… But I analyze my own craft,” he said.

“Meaning, I know what I'm doing and I know what jokes to do. Before, when I did bar shows and writing for shows like ‘It's Showtime’ and ‘Goin’ Bulilit,’ natuto talaga ako mag-sulat na ma-target yung mula sa masa hanggang sa may kaya.

“I learned how to interact with different social classes. I can see that my audience isn’t just one segment of society. I don’t target only the masses.

“I can perform at a town fiesta, but I can also perform at the Senate. I've performed at the Manila Polo Club. Then you will see me perform in an open-air basketball court and then tomorrow, I'm performing at schools. The next day, it's all men, a stag party naman, kabastusan. Then the following day, my audiences are priests.

“From those experiences, I was able to create jokes that, when my special came out on Netflix, represented everyone who wanted to watch. No one was excluded,” he further said when asked for his thoughts on why his comedy special became a hit on Netflix.

With his built-in popularity and his gift for engaging the public, he was also asked if he considered venturing into the political realm and running for public office. 

He admitted that he's often approached by politicians who want him to campaign for them, but he prefers to keep his comedy free from politics.

“Maayos naman yung kitaan dito, malinis pa ang conscience ko,” he explained. “The only debt of gratitude I have is to the people who enjoy my comedy — after that, life goes back to normal.”

He went on to explain his approach to humor. According to him, comedy should not be boxed into categories like “pang-matalino” (for intellectuals) or “pang-masa” (for the common people).

“Maybe, it's just right that from now on, we should stop categorizing humor. Funny is funny. Kasi yung mga comedians, nagtatago dun sa excuse na ‘hindi sila tumawa kasi ‘di sila target audience ko.’ No, no! Singers can’t say, ‘Oh, they didn’t like my voice because…’ No.

“If people are paying for a show, the comedian has to adjust. So, I hope, through the Netflix special, I was able to prove that there’s no such thing as kanal humor or air-con humor — it’s always comedy. That’s all.”

At the heart of his comedy are his past experiences with his family, and some of the biggest inspirations for his jokes are the women in his life, especially his mother.

“My mom is my inspiration, she's 94 years old,” Alex quickly offered when asked by this paper who were his other comedy muses besides his wife.

“Kaya sinasabi ko masakit yung mga nararanasan ng mga comedian because my dad was really a womanizer. So totoo yung nangyari na tinuruan talaga niya yung Mommy ko na mag-sugal para maka-continue siya sa pambababae.

“The reason why my Mommy is my inspiration is because ginapang niya kami ng siya lang although nag-sugal siya.

“So my Mommy and of course, my sisters who paid for my education. My two ates, they were really the ones who sent me to school. That's why, if you notice, panalo lagi sa mga joke ko, mga babae. Magagaling and matatalino yung mga babae.”