The death of comedy

MANILA, Philippines – “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” – Charlie Chaplin

According to Isaac Newton’s third law of motion, “For every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction.”

A man, for example, who has sown a smile on the street, shall reap the smile of the entire avenue. 

For 3 generations, Filipino comedian Dolphy created an upbeat sub-culture in the Filipino psyche, an ethos of lightheartedness amid tragedy and repulsive human condition. 

We watched him rise from the dead, made fun of his despondent condition in the slums and enjoyed his protrayal of a gay man as a creative, intelligent and funny individual.

We laughed and cried over his hilarious and unfortunate adventures and — in the process — we were able to laugh over our own tragedies and misadventures.

Rodolfo Vera Quizon, Sr. (July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012) in real life, Dolphy is the Charlie Chaplin of the Philippine movie.

Through his antics and eccentric humor, he passionately showed the lighter side and beauty of humanity, telling us with his life and through it that life is funnier than fiction, too farcical to be taken seriously. – Rappler.com

(Danny Castillones Sillada is a Filipino surrealist painter, performance artist, philosopher, poet, essayist, musician, photographer and indie filmmaker from Mindanao, Philippines. He is also a critic on art, literature and culture in one of the leading daily papers in the Philippines.)