No one can deny
that Joey De Leon has sheer talent that fuels his staying power in the
ever-changing and discriminating arena of Philippine show business. As the
years and decades of his showbiz career accumulate, so does his mastery of the quirks
and traits of the viewing public.
Joey’s quick wit
is a rarity, if not the envy in the industry. According to him, humorists are
born, not made. He readily shares his trade secret because he knows that it’s
not something anyone can use to his advantage if he’s not born with the wit and
cleverness of a true humorist to begin with.
“My trade secret
is simple: it’s the belief that comedy is nothing but the abnormalization of
the normal. There’s only one way of being normal, but the approach and attack to
make it comical is countless,” Joey disclosed. “This is why you don’t hear me saying
that I’m running out of ideas because there are countless ways of abnormalizing
the normal.”
As a seasoned
comedian, Joey already knows by instinct if a comedian is a natural or if he’s
just trying to be funny or fidgeting his way out of foiled punchline. “It comes
naturally. I know at first glance if someone is trapped in his own joke. And
I’m not scrimpy with my praises. For instance if Wally or Jose says something
that’s really funny, I praise them right away. Wag kang magtipid ng papuri sa ibang tao. Support your colleagues
and give credit where credit is due. Release your praises and admiration, don’t
hold back.”
Joey adds that
this kind of support for colleagues contributes to the good rapport shared by
the Eat Bulaga hosts. “We support each other. It’s important that you’re a good
listener, that you listen to your co-host well. There are even times in Eat
Bulaga when we understand each other’s quick glances, mata pa lang nagkakaintindihan na kayo. That makes our comedy much
more effective. It comes naturally to us to follow up on each other’s jokes.
We’re lucky in Eat Bulaga that we have this very good rapport among us hosts.”
Indeed, Eat Bulaga is blessed with a set of
hosts that really jive with one another to make the viewers’ noontime habit
consistently entertaining. And having a seasoned and instinctive comedian such
as Joey De Leon is a great advantage in assuring the steady flow of laughter
not only from the audience but among the program co-hosts as well, making Eat
Bulaga a source of sheer fun and entertainment everyone craves for everyday.