Jo Koy mixes travel, food, and culture in new Netflix special
FILIPINO-AMERICAN stand-up comic Joseph Glenn Herbert — better known as “Jo Koy” — has his third Netflix special coming up. But this time, instead of a pure stand-up show, he is mixing a bit of food and culture as he travels through the streets of the Philippines to “see where it all started,” as he says in the trailer.
Jo Koy: In His Elements combines his trademark comedy — which revolves around Filipino idiosyncrasies and how he grew up with a Filipino mother in the US — with the rediscovery of his roots in the Philippines.
“Every element in this show is Filipino,” he says in the trailer where he is seen riding jeepneys, watching people play street basketball, and enthusing about chicken adobo.
Mr. Herbert started his stand-up career in 1994 at a club in Las Vegas and soon became a regular on the Catch a Rising Star show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.
He also regularly guested on Chelsea Handler’s show, Chelsea Lately, appearing in over 100 episodes.
He did two highly-rated comedy specials on Comedy Central: Don’t Make Him Angry (2009) and Lights Out (2015). His third comedy special, Live in Seattle, was streamed in 2017 on Netflix. His second special on Netflix was Comin’ In Hot in 2019.
Mr. Herbert performed sold-out shows at the Theatre at Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City and at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City in 2017.
When asked about his comedy, he told BusinessWorld in a 2017 interview that stories about his mother are something “everyone gets,” not just the Filipinos.
(In one of his shows, he talked about how his mother thinks everything can be cured with Vicks Vaporub.)
In that interview, he also talked about how some of his favorite moments growing up were the five years he spent as a child in the Philippines. Now, with his new special, he gets to return to the Philippines and rediscover his roots.
He will be joined by other Filipino-Americans in Jo Koy: In His Elements: breakdancer Ronnie Abaldonado, Grammy-winning music producer Ramon “!llmind” Ibanga, Jr., and comedians Andrew Lopez and Joey Guila. Also guesting in his special is singer/songwriter Inigo Pascual.
Jo Koy: In His Elements streams starting June 12 on Netflix. — ZBC
