Award shows for comedians are often glorified roasts with lots of zingers and one-liners.
But they can have tender moments, too, as when Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, the first comedian to sell out Dodger Stadium, received a Generation Award at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival for his much-loved standout comedy.
“If I could leave you with anything, do (comedy) because you love it. Don’t expect to get paid. If you’re looking to get paid, you’re doing it for the wrong reason. Do it because it makes you feel good when you’re on stage in front of people, and you make people smile, and you make people laugh, and you make people forget, and you make people feel good,” Iglesias told the Mtelus audience in Montreal.
He added: “And if you do it well, you will drive a nice car one day. But don’t rush.”
Of course, there was sharp criticism elsewhere during the Comedy Awards, including from host Tone Bell, who stated that the newly revived Just For Laughs was clearly diligent in balancing the books after the Montreal Comedy Festival emerges from bankruptcy protection in 2024.
“I got here last night, and they’re pushing me out in the morning,” Bell said before presenting the award winners. Canadian actress and comedian Lisa Gilroy, when honored with the Comedy Rising Star of the Year award, gave the ground rules on how to accept a comedy award in Canada.
“I love being Canadian. I’m truly honored to receive this award,” Gilroy said. “And I make comedy for the same reason a lot of us in this room make comedy, because we’re so mentally ill, and nothing will ever fix that. Maybe this will help.”
Chris Fleming, who moved from the YouTube world to hosting his own show Chris Fleming: Living in the Palace Special, he had quick flak when he took home Comedic Performance of the Year for his HBO special.
“I love it here in Montreal. It feels like the last place on Earth that’s going to get driverless cars. My only observation about Montreal, though, if I were an acting teacher, I’d say the French performance feels wrong. I don’t believe it. “There’s an awareness in the audience that’s a lot like when Austin Butler played Elvis… I hear half-hearted laughter from the balcony,” Fleming joked.
In other awards, Atsuko Okasuka, a widely acclaimed comedic actress with Hulu, HBO and an upcoming Netflix comedy special among her credits, left out the “breakthrough” portion of her honor. “I looked up the definition of ‘coming out.'” Dictionary.com said it’s a violent and/or forceful break from a restrictive condition or situation. “I didn’t know I had it this bad before,” Okasuka noted as she accepted her Comedy Star of the Year award.
“The truth is, as comedians, we’re seen as industry outsiders, Hollywood raccoons, and basement dwellers of show business, and those are just some of the things you’ve said about us. So imagine what other things other people would say — and we’d still rise,” she added.
In another emotional high point, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias returned to the main stage to introduce former Just For Laughs programming champion Bruce Hills to receive the JFL Legacy Tribute Award. “I’m basically here because Dave Chappelle said no. Bill Burr said no. Kevin Hart said no. So, in keeping with tradition, here’s another Mexican doing something no one wanted,” Iglesias said.
That was before he thanked Hills for giving him a career break when he invited him to appear at the Montreal Comedy Festival, as the comedy festival king had done with so many others. “You’ve always been kind, you’ve always been kind, you’ve always been very generous,” Iglesias added.
When he took the stage after Chappelle, Hart and a slew of other comedy experts thanked him via recorded videos, Hills recalls 41 years ago driving comedians to comedy clubs after joining the fledgling festival at age 19.
“Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard hated each other,” he recalls. “This is the biggest lesson I’ve learned in 39 years: Success is never about one person. It’s about you. It’s about storyboards. Do you believe in the team you’ve built, and the people around you, to make you better?” Hills insisted.
