Internationally acclaimed Filipino comedian JR De Guzman is no stranger to experiencing jokes that fall flat during his stand-up comedy acts and openly discussed this during his press conference for the Later That Evening Asia Tour on May 3.
De Guzman shared a specific experience where he “bombed” his set after performing following Alex Calleja.
Recounting the incident, he said, “I did this show, it was for Valentine’s Day. I think Alex [Calleja] went before me, and he just crushed it so hard. I was still relatively new at that point, around two to three years in, and then I went up and did my set, and I bombed pretty hard.
“They even asked if they could bring Alex back on.”
Despite the embarrassment, De Guzman openly shares this experience whenever he has the chance.
He offered advice on how to handle such situations when a joke doesn’t land, using a metaphor of flying a plane.
“When jokes don’t work, I heard this metaphor, it’s like flying a plane. If you have turbulence in the plane and you, as the pilot, are freaking out, then the passengers are going to get worried. But if there’s turbulence and you have the confidence that you can land the plane, then they’re going to be calm and sit through the turbulence until you land the plane,” De Guzman explained.
“I feel the same way with my set. ‘Okay, a few jokes aren’t working, but I know I can do this well.”
A lesson learned by De Guzman which he jokingly shared, “When in doubt I just flirt with the audience.”
JR De Guzman, recognized as one of Variety’s Ten Comics to Watch, can currently be seen in his comedy special, The Comedy Lineup, which is available for streaming on Netflix.
Following his successful US Tour, the internationally acclaimed Filipino stand-up comedian will be bringing his Later That Evening Asia Tour to Manila.
He will perform at The Theatre at Solaire on June 3, 2023, at 7:00 P.M.
