Filipino-American Comedian JR De Guzman Gets Real About Heckling, Thirsty Titas, and Cancel Culture
If his viral videos and sold-out shows are any indications, JR De Guzman is pretty funny. The Filipino-American comedian has made a name for himself for his musical comedy and Filipino-inspired humor. Armed with his acoustic guitar, De Guzman delivers his jokes to the rhythm of his R&B strumming. And whether he’s joking about his immigrant experience or roasting the Filipinos in his audience, De Guzman knows how to entertain a crowd.
He’s traveled the world with his comedy, performing at Stand-Up Tokyo, the ROR Comedy Club in Japan, the Jokers Ball in Indonesia, and the Badaboom Comedy Series in Amsterdam. But, with the help of Myx, the prodigal son has returned to the Philippines to take to the Solaire Theater stage on June 3 for one night only. Esquire Philippines got to talk to the comedian before his highly anticipated Philippine return, and he had a lot to say about hecklers, thirsty titas, and cancel culture.
Also read: JR De Guzman on His Filipino Roots, Comedy Career, and Why He Should Be Miss Universe
How do you deal with it when your jokes bomb?
I cry a little bit.
What's worse: silence or heckling?
Oh, definitely silence. I would rather be heckled. You want energy as a performer. So I'd rather have the energy of somebody heckling you. You can still use that in your performance, but silence? It's just dead. Like, I might as well just be at home.
What's the most memorable thing anyone's ever shouted at you?
I had a show and there were some titas in the front row. And they had these note cards and everything. And it was first, “Oh, I love you. Can I hug you?” And then the one after that was, “Can we do that in bed?”
I was not expecting [that from] this sweet tita, who looked like one of my own titas.
The receipts:
Who do you think are the greatest comedians of all time?
I love Jo Koy because he's just a nice human being. Dave Chappelle is somebody I grew up watching. Tom Segura right now. Michelle Wolf is an insane writer. Adam Sandler is somebody who I just love overall, not just on stand-up, but the way that he brings his friends into his productions, his movies, everything.
What makes a good comedian nowadays for you?
My favorite comics are really unique. Especially now, [when] you can scroll on TikTok and see 30 different people… I do crowd work and I post those clips, but you see that a lot. So I think what makes a comic really good is standing out and having a really unique voice.
When was the last time you hit rock bottom?
It was right before the pandemic. I was just burnt out and tired from doing a bunch of shows. And honestly, as much as there were a lot of bad things during the pandemic, it was kind of nice to get quiet for a little bit and sit with my demons and figure out what was going on.
Do you think cancel culture has made it harder to make jokes now?
I haven't experienced it. I can only speak on my own experience rather than other comics and ones that have gotten canceled. I think the place that I feel more fear is when I post a video because [if it’s] live, everyone gets it. We're all in the room. We're laughing at, “That guy looks like a pedophile,” or whatever the joke is. And so you're there, and you see it.
But in a video, I think people are not in the comedy state. They're on their bed, scrolling. And so they'll see a joke and say, “Oh, that's really messed up that he called that guy a pedophile. He's a nice guy.”
And I'm saying pedophile too much in this after we joked about R. Kelly. But a video is where people can take it out of context, versus live, [where] 99% of the time, I think it's pretty difficult to get canceled. It's usually the fact that content is just living forever now.
What's your opinion on comedians that have gotten canceled for some of their jokes?
It's almost like I have two brains. When I see it, I have the consumer brain where I'm taking it in, like, let's say, trans jokes or Holocaust jokes, where I can have the sensitivity because I'm not trans or I'm not Jewish. I try to think of okay, “What is this person thinking or feeling in reaction to this joke?” and I can be sensitive there.
And then I have the comic brain where I'm trying to understand what the comic was trying to achieve, and if they're truly trying to make something funny that I can side with them.
But if it's just sort of an ignorant, old perspective, then that part's something where I can side with the consumer.
Why do you think standup comedy stays relevant through the years?
Speaking of cancel culture, [comedy] is a place where people want to go relax. Because even in our conversations in life, we have to dodge all these lines to make sure we're not offending each other. We don't know how comfortable someone is with certain things. I think in comedy, people go to let [their guard] down a little bit and be roasted or hear someone else get roasted. It's just a good form of release.
Catch the Philippine leg of JR De Guzman’s Later That Evening Tour this Saturday, June 3, at Solaire Resort Entertainment City at The Theatre at Solaire. Brought to you by Myx. Get your tickets now at Ticketworld.com or at the Solaire Box Office.
Photography by Stephen Capuchino
Assisted by Jobo Antonio Nacpil
Grooming by Muriel Vega Perez
Creative direction by Igi Talao
Lights provided by Zhiyun Philippines
Shot on location at Solaire Resort Entertainment City
