H O O K E D - Camp Comedy 2008: Just For Laughs

Camp Comedy 2008: Just For Laughs

Written by Lee Wei Fen and Akshay Kothari

Camp Comedy is an idea dreamt up by Irene Ang, well-associated with her long-term role as the loud, garishly made-up tai-tai, Rosie, from local sitcom Phua Chu Kang. Wanting to rev up the local comedy scene, she envisioned an event which would feature stand-up comics from all over the world (not just Singapore, JB and some say Batam).

The 2nd Camp Comedy was held at St James Power Station from the 25th to the 29th of March. It featured local comedians Kumar and Sebastian Tan, as well as foreign ones like PK, Ali Wong and Shawn Felipe. Despite their diverse nationalities, they were all Asian and their comedy had a distinctly Asian bent.

St James was conspicuously less crowded than usual, possibly because stand-up comedy caters to a more specific crowd. The rather pricey 45 dollars ticket was presumably another reason in the limited audience. Expectedly, the people there were mostly well-heeled professional cosmopolitan types.

The Opening Night of Camp Comedy 2008 was kick-started by PK, a Korean-American stand-up comedian, and our local Broadway Beng, Sebastian Tan.

We were treated to a front-row view at the Press table, making us vulnerable to being picked-on during the show. Our fears were consequentially proven right. Still, it gave us the glorious full frontal view of the comical expressions on the performer's faces, and later on, Broadway Beng's fantastically blinding bling getai suit.

PK, also known as Preacher's Kid, Paul Kim or Problem Kid, was born and raised in California, and describes himself on his website as having a passion for 'laughing really loud with friends and making good memories'. He brought that passion to Camp Comedy with his endless Asian jokes.

Poking fun at the Asian-American longstanding stereotypes and going into risque sexual stereotypes, he used the Korean culture he grew up in to make fun of Asian traits such as being quiet at concerts (demonstrated in his 'Asian rap' which jived to the repetition of 'Put your hands down, put your hands down, don't make a sound'). He proceeded to regal the audience with a self-composed song 'Koreantown girl' which shed identity markers like the Korean's infamous relationship with plastic surgery in a comical light.

Comedian PK serenading the crowd with his original song, ‘Koreantown girl'

Whilst that brand of humour might have worked wonders on an American crowd, the Singaporean crowd at St. James Powerhouse did not seem to appreciate it fully, possibly due to a lack of cultural relevance (He equated the Koreantown girl to the local Ah Lian, which was difficult to reconcile).

The jokes that did get the audience up in stitches however, were centered on more universal themes of marriage, the compelling need to fit in that all youth worldwide face, and the typical financial woes of a boyfriend that is expected to pay - more globally relevant and relatable topics.

Post-intermission and midway into the show, the audience were more than ready for Broadway Beng's entrance to the stage.

Sebastian Tan began his segment of Camp Comedy, clad in a flamboyant purple ruffled shirtdress and a blinding velvet turquoise pantsuit, treating the audience to a rousing song-and-dance number. With his endearing Singaporean accent, loosely spewed hokkien phrases and 'auntie' hand gestures, the Singaporeans in the crowd could not help but respond warmly, basking in the comforting familiarity of local entertainment.

By communicating most of the jokes and getai-inspired songs in Hokkien and Chinese however, neglected the rest of the international, non-Hokkien, non-Chinese crowd. At the nearby tables, we spotted Caucasians and Indians smiling wanly as the rest of the crowd roared on.

Sebastian Tan is Singapore's Broadway Beng for a reason though - his ability to read the crowd's mood and response resulted in a short Hokkien-translation section that made fun of the Hokkien dialect's naturally and inexplicably crude nature. This was, in short, hilarious.

The more inclusive bits of Broadway Beng's segment were his localized digs at the Singaporean government, the MDC (Music and Drama Company) army experience, the casino issue, and Singaporeans' love for gambling and Singapore Pools. He also treated the audience to songs slotted in between running jokes, sung in English, Chinese and Hokkien, the highlight of which was a rap in Hokkien that the audience went wild over, and that we wished we understood.

Broadway Beng's act was very endearing and very local - never missing a beat, a pause, and making no bones about shamelessly promoting his next Broadway Beng act. By the end of it all, his act felt too short, indicative of his success.

Broadway Beng interacting with his audience

Camp Comedy, judging from its opening night, is going to be a permanent fixture on the Singapore comedy scene. This could be a welcomed and long-needed first step in developing the nascent comedy scene, especially in a country not exactly renowned for its sense of humour.

Here's to comedy: may it only get better. HOOKED

Photography by Gary of the NUSSU Video and Photographic Society

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