Self-deprecating humor works wonders for Donna Cariaga

Donna Cariaga

It’s Showtime’s” first search for new comedians a couple of TV seasons ago was won by Ryan Renz—but his star hasn’t really shone that brightly since his victory.

Part of the problem in terms of audience acceptance and consequent popularity could be his “dark” style of comedy, which perhaps doesn’t “travel” all that well and warmly with mainstream audiences.

So, when the comedy tilt recently held its second edition, we hoped that its winner would be more upbeat, light and bright, to be able to attain more definite and definitive comedic stardom. Fingers crossed!

The good news is that our wish appears to have been granted with the victory of this season’s winner, Donna Cariaga, who’s decidedly sunnier—and thus mainstream—funnier!

Right after Donna won, she was more warmly embraced by “the industry” and its viewers, who have doted on her comedic monologues about unrequited love, fickle and faithless lovers, etc.

Donna’s funnily hugot-oriented comedy is currently trendy, hence her exceptional success on point of written material.

On point of performance, what serves her in good stead is her intentionally downbeat and self-deprecating delivery. And, her big, “sad” eyes are the bright ribbon that completes the “perfect” package.

True enough, Donna has since guested on a number of TV shows, and each appearance and guest performance has enhanced her promise, popularity and appeal.

Her best showcase to date was on Vice Ganda’s weekend TV show, which Donna unintentionally stole from everybody else with her “self-proclaimed loser” humor—which turned out to be a cleverly winning gambit!

Donna has been doing so well that ABS-CBN should quickly (but cannily) whip up a new comedy show or sitcom for her, while she’s still “hot.”

The danger, of course, is that her self-deprecating, hugot-oriented humor will quickly lose its ability to surprise, through sheer and constant repetition.

That’s why she needs other writers to give her more scripting options and gambits to extend her career beyond its current, trendy “hotness.”

She deserves to flourish, because her “sad-funny” eyes have an expressiveness and “contradictory” pertinence that need not be time- and trend-limited.

Like the saucer-eyed comedic waifs of the silent film era, Donna’s orbs speak volumes—so, we hope she’s here to stay.

As for Ryan Renz, we like downbeat, anti-establishment humor, so we hope that a way can be found to give him another, less nihilistic chance to shine stellarly in the comedy biz.

If his monologues and punchlines can be tweaked to be less “nega” and “black,” he could appeal to a wider audience sector, so 2018 could turn out to be a lighter, brighter year for him, as well.