“Oh gosh, am I a nepo child?” quips Farah Lola, after I ask if having a well-known slapstick comedian brother has helped her profession.
With six years of comedy beneath her belt, the 31-year-old is unfazed by criticism or haters. In a world dominated by Instagram and Tiktok, her motto relating to girding herself in opposition to social media mockery is to “make enjoyable of your self earlier than individuals make enjoyable of you”. “I’ve a self-deprecating sense of humour, however it’s not out of like, hating myself. It’s like… I’m gonna put it on the market first [so] you possibly can’t harm me,” she shares.
For the file, though her older brother Fakkah Fuzz is a profitable slapstick comedian along with his personal particular on Netflix, Farah’s comedy work occupies a complete different area – sketch comedy – and is 100 per cent her personal. Except for providing help and encouragement, Fakkah is under no circumstances concerned together with her work.
“My complete household, we’re very supportive of each other’s careers. So we’re all the time sharing or commenting, or we’re simply very visibly collectively in social media… and yeah, possibly that helped in my views, however I got here up with numerous work myself,” says Farah.
That work consists of an early sketch from 2018 that gained on-line traction – a parody of influencer “unboxing” movies wherein she unpacked groceries from the moist market – to an arsenal of personas (coy “xiaomeimei”, a grumpy “minah” barista, “Asian lady with an ang moh boyfriend”). She additionally has a knack for saying the issues everyone seems to be considering however lack the nerve to say out loud. “[I call it] creatively complaining… more often than not, I’m simply peeved with one thing, and I feel individuals simply have the identical ideas [but don’t articulate it].”
Having creativity run within the household shouldn’t be with out its benefits (Farah’s different brother is the rapper Fariz Jabba). From an early age, Farah, who’s the center baby, was performing for others. And as children, the siblings’ thought of playtime was placing up little performs and sketches for his or her household, enjoying characters they made up themselves. Farah additionally joined the drama membership in class. She shares: “I performed Snow White in major college, and in secondary college, I used to be Cinderella’s stepsister – which is okay, I really like [the stepsister]!”
In a while, watching her brother achieve stand-up inspired her to depart her job as a preschool fitness center instructor to pursue her ardour for comedy and performing. “Aside from Kumar, there weren’t many stand-up comedians [that I was aware of in the local scene] when Fuzz began, so I used to be like, ‘Oh, Singaporeans can also do that’,” says Farah.
A extra skittish kind may need discovered it intimidating to comply with within the footsteps of a hyper-successful sibling, however from the outset, Farah set her personal tempo, preferring to hone her craft on Tiktok and Instagram, and discover her footing together with her viewers. “If I put out one thing and it didn’t work, I wasn’t going to be as embarrassed. It allowed me to discover extra as a result of there was no timeline, there was probably not like a ready viewers. I didn’t have to have tremendous polished work,” she says.
She was additionally clear-eyed about what model of comedy she wished to pursue. “I used to be by no means actually trying to do stand- up… as a result of it’s important to be a extremely good host and command a crowd. And I don’t suppose I’m one of the best host. I get a bit anxious. With sketch comedy, it was very secure. I might redo it if I used to be not proud of it. And it simply feels extra intimate.”
Life on stage
Outsized varsity jacket, Longchamp. Cotton striped pullover, earrings and diverse rings, & Different Tales
Staying true to herself, she has branched out over the previous six years, rising her viewers whereas collaborating with different comedians, corresponding to writing and performing with the group behind Tropic Monsters, the Singapore-based Youtube comedy channel, which has over 81,000-plus subscribers.
And defying expectations of a comic, she has additionally carved out a distinct segment as an actor in non-comedic roles on stage, most lately showing within the well-received drama Oo-woo by Singapore theatre firm The Mandatory Stage, enjoying a lady caring for her mom with dementia.
“My past love is definitely performing… I like roles that problem myself, and I might like to tackle extra roles which might be severe, extra refined and pulled again,” shares Farah. As a eager observer who mines what she sees day by day for comedy materials, it hasn’t escaped Farah’s discover that female and male comedians are obtained in several methods.
“As a result of I’ve a brother in comedy, I actually see fairly a obvious distinction…with male comedians, they’re allowed to be brash and actually blunt with their jokes. However after I put that throughout, it’s like… I’m impolite, I’m unladylike. Males could make sexual jokes and it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re such a man’, however after I make sexual jokes, it’s obtained very in a different way, like I’m promiscuous and [that makes] individuals uncomfortable,” notes Farah. “I’ve to remind myself that, ‘Hey, if you wish to make an off-[colour] joke, simply make it. If they will take it from male comedians they will take it from you’.”
One other factor she has learnt from watching her brothers is to be extra assertive, noting that whereas her brothers have been comfy giving their friends instructions or directions, she can be apologising when doing the identical. “Initially, [it was because] I didn’t need individuals to suppose I’m scorching sh*t… however [when] I see my male acquaintances ask for issues to be performed with out having to apologise, I feel, why am I apologising?”
Standing up for herself
Knit pullover with structured sleeves and sheer maxi skirt, & Different Tales. Sneakers, Kenzo
As her profile grows (72K on Tiktok and 36K on Instagram at time of print), Farah has additionally discovered herself within the place of getting to set boundaries. Whereas she is comfy with criticism and disses of her sketches (“It’s social media, it’s free for all, you’re allowed to not discover me humorous”), she attracts a line when she feels that feedback are merciless or dangerous to others.
As soon as, when she did a parody of influencers who do reside “prepare with me” movies, some viewers began naming a content material creator within the feedback part, although Farah had not meant it that means.
“Folks have been like, ‘it’s very this lady’. And it bought like hundreds of likes and he or she bought notified, and he or she was like, ‘Did I upset you?’ And I’m like, ‘No, it’s not you’. So I needed to take away her identify. I really feel accountable when it turns into focused at someone, and I attempt to management it by eradicating feedback.”
She additionally enjoys utilizing comedy to attract consideration to societal points that she thinks are necessary, such because the time she did a video of a instructor mispronouncing minority race names. “[I like to] poke enjoyable at issues. Fuzz as soon as stated to me, ‘No one listens to an a**gap, even when you’re proper,’” remembers Farah. “And this resonated with me. I really feel like comedy is such an underrated method to ship a message.”
ON FARAH: Gabardine cotton- lined blazer, Longchamp. Extensive-legged trousers, Cos ON CHIOU HUEY: Cotton cropped hoodie sweatshirt and high-waisted denim denims, Longchamp ON NICOLE: Cropped jacket, Longchamp. Recycled nylon wide-legged pants, PH5 at SocietyA
Having a thick pores and skin is maybe anticipated of performers within the public eye, however for Farah, it’s also a reduction that she has siblings in leisure she will be able to flip to when she wants a secure area to be weak. “All media individuals are insecure to some degree, proper? However, typically while you present weak point, it’s a degree of assault. Particularly on Tiktok, when you inform individuals, ‘I don’t really feel superb about my physique at this time’, 99 per cent can be very supportive feedback, however 1 per cent can be very, extraordinarily impolite simply to get a response,” she says. “And I really feel I can share these ideas with my brothers as a result of additionally they get related kinds of feedback. If they’ve insecurities about work, about artist’s block, author’s block, we are able to share with one another and navigate that state of affairs collectively.”
And when issues do go improper, Farah has yet one more useful lesson drawn from her brothers’ expertise: “Folks overlook every thing in two weeks. Possibly I forgot a line, or he [Fuzz] bombed actually badly telling a joke, however in a single or two weeks, nobody remembers anymore.”
She provides: “I’ll by no means let anybody make me really feel lesser. Solely I’ve the autonomy to try this. If you happen to’re gonna try this, you higher have a rattling good cause. And that’s the boundary I draw for myself.”
PHOTOGRAPHY JOEL LOW
CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING LENA KAMARUDIN
ART DIRECTION RAY TICSAY
STYLING ASSISTANTS JEON JAE WON & SAW YONE YONE
COORDINATION CHERYL LAI-LIM
HAIR GREGO, USING KEUNE HAIR COSMETICS
MAKEUP LASALLE LEE & RINA SIM, USING DIOR BEAUTY
COVER OUTFITS LONGCHAMP
Her World’s March 2024 cowl options three new-gen comedians making Singapore giggle: Farah Lola, Nicole Liel, and Chiou Huey.
Supply: Her World
