‘Last One Laughing PH’ in an era of cancel culture

“Last One Laughing Philippines” cast (from upper left) Negi, Jerald Napoles, Kim Molina, host Vice Ganda, Rufa Mae Quinto, Chad Kinis, Jayson Gainza; (from lower left) Pepe Herrera and Empoy Marquez during a press conference. Image: Courtesy of Prime Video Philippines

For the cast of “LOL: Last One Laughing Philippines” cast, the art of comedy is about pushing the envelope to awaken the consciousness of their audience, especially in the era of “cancel culture.”

A local adaptation of the Japanese reality show “Documental,” “LOL: Last One Laughing Philippines” brings together comedians in one home where they’re faced with several comedy-centered challenges — except they’re not allowed to laugh, smile, or smirk at a certain period.

The cast is composed of the eventual winner Chad Kinis, Jerald Napoles, Pepe Herrera, Empoy Marquez, Tuesday Vargas, Rufa Mae Quinto, Jayson Gainza, Kim Molina, Victor Anastacio, and Negi. Meanwhile, Vice Ganda led the helm as the show’s host who can spot laughter through the show’s security cameras and have an idea of every comedian’s strategy.

But while the show centered on comedy, the cast couldn’t help but break into excited chatter in a roundtable interview when asked by INQUIRER.net if they ever thought about the impact of “cancel culture” while filming the show.

The question was first directed to Marquez, who said he was rather focused on “enjoying his time” in the show.

‘Last One Laughing Philippines’ cast (from left) Negi, Chad Kinis, Pepe Herrera, Jerald Napoles, Kim Molina, Tuesday Vargas, Jayson Gainza, Empoy Marquez, and Rufa Mae Quinto. during a roundtable interview with reporters. Image: Courtesy of Prime Video Philippines

Molina then took control of the question, saying everyone, not only comedians, is “unconscious” of the effects of cancel culture, especially with how “opinionated” netizens could be on social media.

“Unintentionally and unconsciously, as Filipinos, we feel its impact on the way we speak on social media. We’re all opinionated on social media. In a way, we think of it too and we also show responsibility as actors cast in a specific series like this reality show,” she said.

The actress-comedian pointed out that despite being “careful,” the “innate carelessness of Filipinos” will take over, especially in the realm of comedy. It should nonetheless be a reminder to celebrities to be mindful at all times.

“I believe that it’s innate among Filipinos to not necessarily be careful. But we make it a point to think about what others would think of us, especially that we’re celebrities. It’s innate to do so. The point is when we say something, we still want to make people happy,” she said.

Onion-skinned audience

On the other hand, Chad admitted that it’s hard to make people laugh in the era of cancel culture, especially when compared to how comedians would behave in old films and shows.

“If you watch old movies and comedy shows, anything goes. But we’re all happy. For me, cancel culture doesn’t help in comedy because it makes the audience onion-skinned or easily offended,” he said.

The show’s winner then stressed that comedy is “nothing personal” and if comedians would fully submit to cancel culture, “comedy will die.”

“You know that it’s just a joke and it’s nothing personal — but to make you happy and to make you laugh. If you always take it personally, nothing will happen. Comedy will die. Ideas get limited. Jokes are not meant to be taken personally,” he said.

Vargas pointed out that comedians are also “all-around performers” who aim to push the boundaries and challenge their audience’s point of view.

“More than comedians, we are all artists. We can do so many things. We know how to sing, dance, and act in all genres. We’re all-around performers. Our role as artists is not to just entertain, but also to awaken the consciousness of the viewers,” she said.

Agreeing with Chad’s stance, Vargas stated that if the effects of cancel culture are prioritized in comedy, it will lead to comedians being too conscious of their material, which can eventually stray away from their goal.

“If we don’t focus on pushing the boundaries all the time and we’re always conscious of what is right and wrong — of course, we have that in mind when we create our material — we might not contribute enough as artists. Artists always push the envelope and break the norm,” she said.

“Last One Laughing Philippines” cast (from left) Pepe Herrera, Jerald Napoles, Kim Molina, Tuesday Vargas, host Vice Ganda, Rufa Mae Quinto, Chad Kinis, Empoy Marquez, Jayson Gainza, and Negi during a press conference. Image: Courtesy of Prime Video Philippines

With this in mind, Vargas hopes that netizens who practice cancel culture will be mindful of what a comedian’s job is about.

“We do things that haven’t been done before to awaken our audience. That is our goal,” she added.

Herrera, who was nodding to his co-comedians’ remarks, suddenly drew laughter from reporters after he chimed in, “Don’t be surprised if the headlines tomorrow will say, T*ng*n*ng cancel culture ‘yan!”

Chad Kinis was named the winner on the show’s finale episode last July 18.