Alex Calleja Addresses Joke Plagiarism Accusation, Issues Warning

ALEX CALLEJA – Comedian Alex Calleja expressed his disappointment after being hurt by the accusation that he “stole” a joke, emphasizing that he values originality in his work.

Stand-up comedian Alex Calleja recently opened up about the accusation that he allegedly stole a joke, which he performed during a show. The issue was revisited when he appeared as a guest on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda on Wednesday, February 20. Calleja, a well-known figure in the comedy industry, expressed his disappointment over the allegations and the impact it had on him and his family.

“Masakit ‘yung salitang nakaw eh, nakarating ‘yon sa anak ko. Nakaw talaga ‘yung word na iniiwasan namin, puwedeng ‘uy may similarity tayo,’ puwedeng in a nice way eh,” Calleja said during the interview. He emphasized that such accusations should be handled carefully and discussed privately before being publicized.

The controversy started when a comedy writer accused Calleja of stealing the “car wash” joke. However, after reviewing the material, Calleja was able to prove that he was the original writer of the joke. Following this, the accuser issued an apology, which Calleja accepted. Despite this resolution, the comedian, through his legal counsel, also issued a warning about the potential consequences of cyber libel.

Calleja acknowledged that situations like this occur frequently in the comedy industry, which is why he reminded fellow comedians to be mindful of their work and avoid copying jokes verbatim.

“Huwag kopyang-kopya. Huwag word by word, mahirap ‘yon. Nakaw talaga ‘yon,” he stressed. He further explained that while similarities in joke premises are inevitable, what matters is the unique execution of the joke.

“Pero ‘yung daplisan, premise, because madami ng premise, OK lang ‘yon. Kapag daplisan ng premise, meaning pareho kayong nagbitaw ng car wash pero iba naman ‘yung wording-wording, ‘yung delivery,” he clarified.

He concluded by emphasizing the vastness of the comedy world, stating, “Kasi ano ‘yan eh, ang laki ng mundo eh, may madadaplisan talaga pero iniiwasan namin ang salitang nakaw.”

With this issue resolved, Calleja hopes that comedians will continue to respect each other’s creativity and originality, ensuring that the industry remains fair and ethical.

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