Alejandro Riaño
A polite observational comic swallowed whole by his preppy alter ego.
1 special · 2018
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Alejandro Riaño spends most of his stage time not being Alejandro Riaño. He walks out in a preppy sweater, adopts a strangled, wealthy drawl, and transforms into Juanpis González, the worst rich guy in Bogotá. As Juanpis, he glides around the stage radiating unearned confidence and open contempt. He sneers at the crowd. He refers to regular people as mantecos. He casually advocates for corruption. The room laughs in horrified recognition at a guy saying the quiet parts of class warfare out loud.
Specials
On stage
The alter ego outgrew the standup. Riaño built Juanpis as a sketch, but the archetype hit so close to the bone in Colombia that it became a standalone industry. The character anchors interview shows and films, dragging actual politicians into conversations where Riaño roasts them while staying entirely in character.
There is a wide gap in his material. When Riaño performs under his own name, the comedy is polite observation about dating and dancing styles. When he operates as Juanpis, the jokes have teeth.
The strangest move he makes happens at the end of his live shows. After an hour of playing a monster, Riaño drops the accent, sheds the persona, and delivers an earnest plea for social equity. The whiplash from comedy to sincere lecture is massive. It breaks the momentum of the room, but it shows exactly why he built the character in the first place: he is terrified someone in the back row might actually agree with Juanpis.
Turning points
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Creation of Juanpis González Alter Ego
Riaño created the satirical alter ego 'Juanpis González' as a critique of upper-class bigotry, which exploded into a multi-million-follower multimedia brand and live interview show.
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International Streaming Debut on Netflix
Riaño filmed his 'Especial de stand-up' at Bogotá's Teatro La Castellana, which was released globally on Netflix as part of the platform's initial push into Colombian stand-up.
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Death Threats Prompt Criminal Complaints
Riaño was subjected to intimidation and death threats warning him not to visit the city of Neiva due to his incisive political and social satire as Juanpis González.
At a glance
- Born
- , Bogotá, Colombia
- Style
- satire, character comedy, observational
- Breakout
- Especial de stand-up
- Influences
- Andrés López, Antonio Sanint, Julián Arango
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Wikipedia
Fans also like
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Ricardo Quevedo
Both were prominent cast members on Los comediantes de la noche and co-headlined the landmark 2018 wave of Colombian stand-up specials on Netflix.
Also on screen
- Todas para uno
- Malcriados
- Empeliculados
- Encanto
- Juanpis González: La serie
A clip to start with
Alejandro Riaño I @ #StandupEnComedy