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Doing stand-up comedy is one of the most vulnerable things you can do on stage. Now, imagine doing it in a second language — where the rhythm, timing, and slang don’t always land how you practiced them in your head. That’s not just vulnerability — it’s linguistic bungee jumping.
Not many people know this about me, but I speak eight languages: Tagalog, English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Italian. That’s what happens when you live in Europe for eight years and collect languages like Pokémon. But fluency isn’t permanent — it fades if you don’t use it. And when I decided to write and perform my first comedy set in Spanish, one of my favourite languages, I felt all that rust loud and clear.
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In comedy, hecklers are a known risk. Some are positive hecklers—overexcited audience members who just want to be part of the fun. They act like rowdy cheerleaders, trying to hype the comic up, even if it’s disruptive.
Then there are negative hecklers—people who bring hostility, insecurity, or straight-up aggression into the room. Their interruptions aren’t meant to be funny or helpful—they’re designed to throw a punch, metaphorically (and sometimes literally). They create a toxic energy that can make even the most hardened comics glance toward the exit.  You ever watch a comedy show so bad you start questioning your own taste in friends for inviting you? Like, “Damn, did I really go to college with you and sit through this set where a guy just lists types of soup for five minutes?” That’s not just a bad night. That’s what happens when mediocrity becomes the norm. And let me tell you, in comedy, mediocrity isn’t just tolerated—it’s booking gigs.
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AuthorTina Cruz (@tinatellsjokes) is a comedian, musician, writer, and producer whose sharp, introspective humour explores cultural identity, family dysfunction, dating, and personal chaos. She performs in English, French, and Spanish, and is the founder and co-producer of Comedy on Mackay, voted #1 Best Comedy Night by CultMTL readers. Tina has performed across Canada and the U.S., produced a successful run at FringeMTL 2025, performed at LadyFestMTL 2025, and trained at The Second City and Montreal Improv. She is also the author of How to Host a Comedy Show: A Practical Guide to Running the Room. Archives
June 2026
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