In a society that has yet to fully embrace equality, the never-ending comparison between men and women continues to persist. Even in the context of Philippine comedy, women still feel the gap in terms of how they take their roles and how the audience perceives them.
Filipina comediennes Kakai Bautista, Tuesday Vargas, Alora Sasam, Valerie Concepcion, and Candy Pangilinan engaged in a sit-down conversation to tackle the realities faced by women in their field.
The two-part podcast episode, which can be accessed through the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) YouTube channel, was moderated by Candy herself.
In its first episode aired Friday, June 13, they shared how women in the comedy scene are limited because of their gender.
Kakai observed that men enjoy more freedom when delivering “green jokes” than women.
“Syempre malaki ang pagkakaiba, kasi ‘pag ang babae nag-green joke, sa kultura natin, iba na ang tingin sa babaeng komedyante,” she said. “Pero ‘pag ang lalaki namumulaklak sa green jokes, ay pini-praise, ang galing. ‘Pag babae (sinasabi nila) ‘ang bastos mo naman, hindi ka ba napalaki nang tama ng magulang mo?’”
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Speaking from her own experience, Alora also expressed the same sentiment.
“Ako nakaka-relate ako kay ate [Kakai] kasi lalo na ‘pag mga green jokes. Based sa experience ko, ‘pag may pinapabigay na green jokes sa adlib, ini-skip ako tapos binibigay sa lalaki kasi sinasabi na ‘mas kaya niya.’ Mas [effective] (daw) kapag lalaki ang nagbitaw,” she said.
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Meanwhile, Valerie, who described herself as a “bombshell” comedienne, shared how she encountered “stereotyping.”
“Ako kasi personally, parang ‘yung pagiging bombshell comedian, na parang stereotyped ka doon,” she said. “And then kapag nag-joke ka ng bastos parang ‘ay di ko akalain na kaya niyang i-joke ‘yun.’ ‘Yung parang bakit ‘pag sa lalaki parang ang funny pero ‘pag sa akin parang na-sho-shock kayo? So malaki talaga ang difference.”
Tuesday, on the other hand, emphasized how the audience are more forgiving when it comes to receiving “off jokes” from men.
“Sa isang gabi, mahahalata mo ‘yan ‘pag may kasabay ka sa entabladong puro lalaki tapos ikaw lang ‘yung babae. Nasabi ‘yung off na salita ng lalaki, okay lang, lumulusot. ‘Pag ikaw parang ‘yung mga tao na-a-awkward,” she added.
“Lipunan mismo ang nagsasabing ‘ay hindi ka dapat nagsasalita ng ganyan kasi babae ka.’ Doon ako pinaka-naiinis,” she added.
Tuesday emphasized that comediennes should “take up space” and use their voice to change the societal perception towards them.
“Allowed tayo to take up space,” she said. “Ang hirap kasi sa konteksto ng bagong feminismo — ito ipapasok ko na sa konteksto na kung paano pino-project ‘yung sarili natin bilang babaeng komedyante. Tayo rin kasi ang nag-pe-perpetuate na ‘ganito dapat ang babae’. Tayo rin mismo. Kung hindi ka damsel in distress, nanay ka. Kung hindi ka nanay, love interest or bombshell — tatlo lang ang kahon.”
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“So panahon na para magkaroon ng boses, hindi lang para sa mga babeng komedyante, sa entertainers in general or nasa entertainment industry na kababaihan, na hindi tayo matatakot kumawala doon sa kahon,” she added.
Asserting that “anyone can be funny” regardless of gender, she said that people should not look at comedy as a “gender thing.”
“Ganon dapat natin tingnan ang komedya. Hindi importante kung babae o lalaki ang nagbibigay. Basta ito ay nag-serve ng purpose niya, which is to elevate humanity, 'yung magpasaya at magpagaan ng moment,” she said.