These Comics Are Too 'Kool' to Care What You Think

Before COVID-19 first locked us down in 2019, a group of Filipino stand-up comedians did a test livestream broadcast on Facebook. They decided that it was a promising venture, and that a daily online show was actually feasible.

When the pandemic did happen, the comedians had the inside track—at least as far as a then-burgeoning platform was concerned. "I think we were the first to do a Zoom livestream in the Philippines," artist James Caraan says to Esquire Philippines.

"James discovered Zoom," groupmate Muman Reyes stresses. "And by Day One of the pandemic, we knew it would last years. It’s just all real talk."

Real talk. That’s what the cheekily named The KoolPals, who have been making waves in the comedy scene since 2019, insist they have been engaging in—with generous heaps of humor added in, of course. The crew is comprised of GB Labrador, James Caraan, Nonong Ballinan, Ryan Rems, and Muman Reyes.

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How KoolPals Started

"We’re all part of Comedy Manila (a production house for stand-up comedians), along with comedians like Red Ollero and Victor Anastacio," James explains. "These guys had their following in 2019, and GB and I were getting left behind. After I listened to The Linya-Linya Show on Spotify, I asked a friend to teach me how to upload content on the platform. It was easy. I had long dreamt of having a podcast, but it was easy to do it then. You had to do it either through SoundCloud or download MP3s."

James then invited GB, founder of Comedy Manila and one of his longest friends in the comedy scene, to join the podcast. "It would be too sad if was just the two of us, so we asked Nonong to be our third member," he says. Still, the three could not get their act together for three months. "It was all bright ideas. Nothing was being executed," he rued.

So James went to Raon, a district in Manila that is known for its wealth of affordable electronic products, to purchase podcast equipment. "I called them both telling them I was about to buy the things we need and that we would split the P15,000 total bill. We recorded our first podcast the following week in GB’s room."

Nonong says he cooked sizzling hotdog for the premiere episode in May 2019, where the group discussed Philippine elections, among other topics.

"It was only my hotdog that I could offer," he says, and the rest laugh at the double entendre. "Pulutan (appetizers usually served with alcohol) will make people drink more and talk more. James was already in charge of tech, GB managed the program flow. I could not contribute anything else other than my stubbornness and—sizzling hotdog."

Unknowingly, Nonong’s cooking helped to refine the concept of The KoolPals, James reveals. It’s basically a drinking session—minus the actual drinking. Muman and Ryan were guests on their seventh episode and shortly became staples on the show with their tailor-made segments.

Ryan’s "Horoscope to the World" is based on, what he says, is his unique astrology practice. "I don’t like studying it at night," he deadpans while holding a microphone during the online interview. "I only like reading at noon. It makes my readings more accurate."

Ryan adds that he became a comedian in 2008 after his dreams of becoming a rock star failed. "My bandmates became alcoholics who couldn’t keep up with me. So, I decided to move on to get even with them."

Muman has a KoolPals segment every Tuesday where he shares recipes. According to James, Muman is the cheeky one in the group who engages listeners, whether through arguments in jest or through social media activities that have brought their fans closer. The KoolPals had "24x7" Zoom calls during the pandemic, where listeners were able to talk to each other. "Friendships were formed even with our listeners from overseas," Nonong says. "James discovering Zoom during the pandemic also gave us a platform to have comedy specials, stand-up comedy shows, and even corporate bookings."

And the rest is KoolPals history, as they say.

How It’s Going

These days, the group’s podcast is exclusively offered on Spotify and is one of the platform’s top-rated programs. And just like any stand-up act, they tackle everything they can laugh about, and so goes their description on the streaming platform. In the same section, they advise listeners to just enjoy and not take them seriously.

"We’ll do the comedy first and apologize later," James says. "The beauty in our format is that there’s five of us. So, in case someone says something offensive, there are four people who can chastise him. Not everyone will agree. We cancel each other. So, by the time listeners feel offended, someone will have already contradicted the offending statement."

"We do not want comedy to be limited. Doing that will lead to its death if you think too much about what you can and cannot say. We believe something becomes offensive through intent. Our only intent is to have fun and make others laugh, then it will not come out as offensive."

Rems admits he has offended some people with his horoscope readings. "But what can I do?" he adds, "Tadhana nila ‘yun. Sisihin mo ang mga bituin sa tanghali. (That’s their destiny. They can blame the stars at noon.)"

"We also police our episodes, and we collectively agree not to release some content," Nonong says. "We also look at the boundaries. So far, there has not been any grave ‘canceling’ because our audience is made up of fans of stand-up comedy. They understand the world we’re in. I guess it also helps that we’re able to find something to laugh about in serious topics or current events. So that also makes them realize that our show’s intent is just to make people laugh."

The KoolPals has subscribers who have access to their live recordings and even focus group discussions to give feedback if an episode tackles anything offensive. If the community agrees not to release it, the group cancels an episode.

They know that not everyone will find their brand of comedy funny. On the whole, they don’t sweat it.

"Wala kaming pakialam sa kanila (We don’t care about them)," Muman declares. "Ginagawa lang namin to, nagustuhan lang naman nila. (We just do this and some just happen to like it.)"

"Our audience is 70 percent male and 30 percent female, and 100 percent comedy fans," James, an IT professional by day, says. "They are there to find the comedy in serious things. They request us to discuss certain topics to see how they can laugh about it. We just really want to make each other laugh, too. Our listeners probably see that we let each other be. They feel that there’s no hierarchy in the group. All of us enjoy the conversation."

"The landscape of comedy changes every generation. Some acts could be on top now but, who knows, it could be our turn in another time. Maybe their comedy is what the youth of today likes. Thanks to platforms like podcasts, we have been able to reach a wider audience aside from our YouTube following."

How wide is this audience?

It’s big enough to sell out the group’s fifth-anniversary show on May 11 at the Mandala Park in Shaw Boulevard. All VIP Tickets for The KoolPals Block Party 5^th Anniversary Special were gone an hour and a half after posting, while general admission seats were sold out two weeks before the show. Online streaming tickets are still available through thekoolpals.com for P1,000 each. A recorded version will be available for the group’s fans abroad who avail the livestream access. Listeners can buy access to the show until May 17.

"We had stand-up comedy shows for our past anniversaries," James says. "We want to do something different this year by having a music festival. We’ve had musical guests the past few months in our podcasts so we thought of having them in the anniversary show." Onstage with the group will be Tanya Markova, Lion and the Scouts, Eloisa, Kween Yasmin, Dilaw, and Johnoy Danao. The show is supported by Spotify, Gabi Na Naman Productions, Tai Chi, and Kuchi Kuchi, among others.

In-person attendees can bring their own foldable chairs to the venue where The KoolPals says members of the community can really mingle.

"We’re excited to gather everyone in one venue so we can also meet them in person," adds Nonong. "It’s also our way of giving back to them, even if they are the ones paying for the tickets. We’ll take care of the entertainment."

There are no plans for a second night as of this writing. "We’re old already," James avers. "We’d be tired."

Ryan says he feels lazy to do a second night but shares a fearless forecast: "Someone will release five Rottweilers on that night. Kanya-kanyang takbo na lang. Wala kayong magagawa. Tadhana nyo yan. (We’ll all have to run for our lives. You can’t do anything about it. It’s your destiny)."

How It Will Be

The KoolPals are also exploring video blogging or vlogging. "I think ours is the first vlog that revolves around the podcast. The content of the vlog is related to the podcast—either behind the scenes or what was previously discussed in the episode," says James. A sample concept on the group’s YouTube channel shows them in a tour of Intramuros and the walled city’s historical sights, while giving a tour guide a hard time.

Nonong says they do not know fully know what’s in store for The KoolPals, but they always eventually figure things out as they go along. "I hope we can be the first senior citizens who have a podcast," he adds.

"I hope we’ll still be doing this even when we’re old," Ryan adds. "Twenty years from now, I would still love to be doing this. As long as nothing happens to James, I’ll live. I’ve put everything on the line here."

"Ang greatest goal is pag iisipin ng mga tao kung sino ang pinaka-gago sa Pilipinas, KoolPals ang iisipin nila (when people think of who is the silliest in the Philippines, they will think of KoolPals)," says James.

What do the stars tell Ryan Rems about the day after May 11?

"They say I will have coffee," he predicts. "I will have breakfast."