Rock ’n roll to the world!

Churchill Aguilar

RYAN Rem’s phenomenal rise to stardom after joining and winning “Showtime’s” the “Funny One” segment baffles critics like me. He is indeed funny but his jokes are no different than all the other stand-up comedians. What then sets him apart?

His humor is more than his jokes. In fact, his humor is mostly on his image and how he delivers punch lines. Wearing dark sunglasses, black leathered jacket and a long hair, Ryan projects a typical junkie––a drug addict. Most of his jokes also root from incoherent replies of sensible questions with undertones of someone experiencing “amats” or “tama” – a certain high. Most of his jokes also revolved around the plight of a typical addict such disobedience to authority and heist.

So yes, he makes fun of addicts and he must have at least experienced it at one point to have portrayed such role so well. If we dissect this phenomenon, his stardom clearly reveals the high prevalence of drug use. The overwhelming cheers of the fans, mostly young people would show that most young men could relate to him and to the joke. Around 10 out of 10 of my male friends and former students who were in college have experienced puffing a stick of marijuana or at least have seen one. Most likely they would have personally experienced or at least have seen one of their friends experiencing “amats” at one time or another. That is how prevalent such illegal substance is these days. Access to it is as easy as finding a cigarette. Thus, it becomes a common knowledge why junkies wear dark sunglasses and would sound incoherent when under such prohibited substance.

And while he quite painted the funny side of being “high,” and inadvertently making it look cool to be a junkie, Ryan fails to consider the darkest struggles of drug abuse and drug dependence. I have had about five close friends and relatives whose good lives were stolen by prohibited drugs. Their futures would have been so bright considering they excel in school and they came from well-off families with access to great opportunities but they ended up going back and forth in rehabs.  I have seen them struggle,  but it only takes one weak moment for relapse to happen and they get dragged again to such addiction.

The damage of drug addiction is not only contained to the user, but extends to families, friends and even to the community. I was ripped off of my savings more than ones by very close friends who tried to bounce back from substance abuse but were not strong enough to resist their dependency. Their families had to sell their properties just to get them out of the troubles they have gotten into and to save face. While a significant percent of all crimes recorded were committed by people under the influence of prohibited substances.

And while I laugh at every joke that Ryan Rems throw, my heart gets pierced by the horrible experiences my friends and loved ones have on substance abuse. His humors are an example of irresponsible media. This is perhaps why I am a great fan of Duterte and his iron fist against drug pushers, because until there are illegal drugs, our community will always be rocked and rolled.