If you’re active online, Inah Evans is hard to miss. He broke through as a loud and unapologetic personality on TikTok and Youtube and his signature persona, the baklang kanal, has become synonymous to real-deal queer comedy.
Aside from comedy fans, Inah is also beloved among the “Kaemes,” the close-knit community of Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast (AWKP) by directors Antoinette Jadaone and JP Habac. Now, Inah is taking that online persona to the stage with The Baklang Kanal Show Live, a parody concert that promises sharp improv, personal stories, and stage surprises.
“Ever since kasi lagi naman akong tinatawag na baklang kanal. So that’s my moniker,” Inah said during his media conference. The comedy star started owning a label often hurled as an insult and turned it into a banner. The “Ina [Inah]” part, he explains, comes from Dolfina, a mermaid character he admired. “Yung Inah Evans, yung Inah galing lang po yun sa word na Dolfina.” He added Evans because, in his words, “Sabi ko, bilang bakla dapat may apelyido din yung ano mo ‘di ba?”
From online livestreams to live parody, Inah frames The Baklang Kanal Show Live not as a typical stand-up concert. “Yung basically gagawin namin sa The Baklang Kanal Show Live is para siyang parody ng mga usual comedy concert ng mga comedy improv,” he told the press. That means quick-change improv bits, guest surprises and longform storytelling rooted in his vlogs. “Most naman po nung comedy show is ako pa din, ‘yung improv ko pa din, at mga kuwento tungkol sa buhay ko na mga hindi ko pa naikukuwento sa ibang mga podcast,” he promised.
For Inah, the show is also a public thank-you. “Love letter din namin sa mga kaeme and syempre sa lahat ng mga baklang kanal,” he said, acknowledging the fans of AWKP.
The Transition
Inah does not romanticize hardship. “Nasa barung-barong kami, walang kuryente, walang ilaw ganyan,” he recalled. Making people laugh was survival and social currency. “Clown jester na ako… kapag walang teacher pupunta ako sa harap, gusto ko talaga laging nagpapatawa,” he reminisced about his grade school days. He turned ridicule and insecurity into tools. “Everything na binabato sa akin, mga insecurities, ginagamit ko talaga siya as a stepping stone.” That grit is the backbone of the Baklang Kanal persona — unfiltered but rooted in the logic of community and belonging.
Mentors, management and the move toward mainstream
Inah’s career trajectory shows how internet virality can be turned into traditional showbiz opportunities. He credits Vice Ganda as the first major supporter. “Si Meme, I think kasi si Meme yung unang-una kong ano eh… inofferan niya ako ng management.” Meme’s early faith opened doors — guest spots, podcast appearances and the kind of industry introductions that turn clicks into contracts. “Nung natapos na po kasi ‘yung contract ko after 3 years, hindi na po ako ni-renew ni Meme,” he explained and later added that Vice seems not into talent management that much these days.
Comedy with limits, influence, and responsibility
Inah is unapologetic about being loud, but he draws firm lines about what he will and won’t do with that platform. He bristles at lazy or harmful depictions: “Hindi kasi porket may lalaki gumanap na bakla or straight na nag-content ng bakla is baiting.” For him, costumed or comic mimicry is not harmless if it comes without empathy, “May ibang binubugbog, pinapalayas, hindi nag-aaral, nagpapakamatay dahil doon sa ginagawa mong caricature. So why would you do it?” That sense of responsibility extends to brand choices. When asked about online gambling endorsements, he answers bluntly, “Huwag na kayong magsugal… hindi ko ‘yan ipo-promote para makita niyo na may mali… hindi po talaga tama yung online sugal.” To Inah, influence is not neutral as it has consequences.
Politics in punchlines
Politics will not be an afterthought in the Baklang Kanal Show Live, but Inah says it will be deployed sparingly and smartly. “Kailangan kasi natin siya laging isingit eh pero dapat maging bite-sized pieces siya… laging may mga joke or based on my personal experience,” he said. He rejects preachiness in favor of comic entry points, flipping a political gripe into a relatable anecdote, a personal vignette or a trimmed-down satirical beat. That approach reflects a larger instinct in his public voice — a refusal to sanitize his politics while also not weaponizing the stage into a lecture hall.
Community, fandom and gratitude
If there is one recurring theme in Inah’s conversation, it is gratitude for the community that carried him. He repeatedly thanks the AWKP circle. The Baklang Kanal Show Live is a gathering event that acknowledges the podcast friends, fellow creators, and street-level fans who kept him afloat.
What the show promises
“Ayoko pong lumabas yung mga tao na pagkatapos ipo-post ako sa Reddit na sasabihin sayang yung pera nila,” Inah said. With how he cracked us all up during the mediacon, we can only imagine that Inah Evans’ brand of “baklang kanal” comedy will be worth every penny.
