Veteran comedian and longtime comedy writer Brod Pete has spoken out about the ongoing issue of joke theft in the entertainment industry, emphasizing that jokes are not owned by anyone but rather come from a higher source.
During his guest appearance on Ogie Diaz Inspires, Brod Pete shared his thoughts on the matter, maintaining that comedians are merely vessels for humor.
“Ako ha, ito ang pananaw ko d’yan. Kami, tayo, channel lang tayo. Hindi atin ang jokes. Nakikiraan lang sa atin,” he explained.
“Mayroong source ‘yan (sabay turo sa taas). ‘Yun ang paningin ko d’yan. So walang makakaangkin. Nandyan lang sa source ‘yan. To God be the glory. Ang tingin ko si Hesus.”
Brod Pete further elaborated that jokes are meant to be shared and enjoyed by a wide audience.
“Kasi ang tingin ko kapag ginamit mo ‘yan, shini-share mo, hindi mo ninakaw. ‘Yang jokes are meant to be shared, to be enjoyed by as many people. Kapag pinabayaan mo na iyan, it belongs to the world. Kapag binitawan mo na ‘yun, wala nang may-ari nun.”
Addressing the concern of joke ownership, Brod Pete offered a witty solution for those who want full control over their material.
“Kung gusto mong ikaw ang may-ari nun, ‘wag mong bitawan. Enjoyin mo. Doon ka sa kwarto mo. Tumawa ka nang tumawa para walang makanakaw. Sa’yo lang ‘yun.”
When asked if he had ever experienced having his jokes used by others without credit, Brod Pete admitted that it has happened multiple times but he never saw it as a problem.
“Proof ‘yun na nakakatawa nga kasi tingin ko nakakatawa ‘to e. Shinare mo tapos tinutulungan mo pa akong i-share ‘yung joke kasi ‘yun ang intensyon ko e. May sariling buhay ang joke. Kapag binitawan mo, pasa-pasa na ‘yan. Parang kanta, may life. Kapag maganda, laging kinakanta. ‘Yung joke kapag laging dini-deliver.”
Brod Pete also dismissed the notion that any comedian can be an “expert” in comedy.
“Walang expert, tandaan n’yo. Matatanda na kami pero hindi kami expert, at least sa pananaw ko ah. For 44 years, puro comedy lang ang ginawa ko. So wala pong expert. Maniwala kayo.”
“‘Yung expert, ibig sabihin nun lahat ng sabihin niya nakakatawa. Lahat ng gawin niya, nakakatawa. Walang gano’n. Kami, ‘di namin kini-claim ‘yun. Pinakamatagal lang kami.”
Meanwhile, comedian and writer Alex Calleja also addressed the issue of joke theft, sharing that he was once accused of copying a joke for one of his performances.
During his guest appearance on ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’, Alex explained that similarities in comedic material are often unavoidable, but outright plagiarism—word-for-word copying—should never be tolerated.
“Yes. Common, lalo na kay Jo Koy. Mahirap kasi dapat, huwag kopyang kopya, word for word. Mahirap ‘yon, nakaw talaga ‘yon. Pero ‘yung daplisan, premise, because ang daming premise, okay lang ‘yon.”
He elaborated that comedians may sometimes explore the same themes or topics, such as a “car wash” joke, but as long as the delivery and execution differ, it should not be considered theft.
“‘Pag daplisan ang premise, meaning pareho kayong nagbitaw ng ‘car wash,’ pero iba naman talaga ‘yung mga wording, ‘yung delivery. Ang laki ng mundo eh, may madadaplisan talaga.”
However, Alex stressed that accusing someone of “stealing” a joke is a serious claim and should be handled carefully.
“Pero iniiwasan namin ang salitang ‘nakaw.’ Masakit doon, ‘Nagnakaw’ eh. Nakaw talaga ang word na iniiwasan namin.”
Instead of making accusations, Alex suggested that comedians should talk things out amicably if there are similarities in their material.
“Puwedeng ‘Uy, may similarity tayo,’ puwede namang in a nice way, puwede kayong mag-usap. Pero mahirap ang nakaw kasi hindi natin alam kung sino talaga ang nagsimula [o pinagmulan ng joke].”
He also revealed that the person who accused him of joke theft later apologized, and he chose to forgive.
The discussion on joke theft continues to be a controversial topic in the comedy industry. While some comedians, like Brod Pete, believe that jokes are meant to be shared, others argue that comedic material is intellectual property and should be protected.
