That's why we all have nicknames. That's the truth.
Like Jo Koy is not my real name.
That's my nickname.
See, you guys are in shock. [Filipino accent] "What?
He's an impostor?"
That's my nickname. My aunt gave me that.
My Auntie Evelyn gave me my name "Jo Koy." That's not my real name.
I started stand-up 30 years ago in 1989.
I used to go up with my real name, you guys. Joseph Glenn Herbert.
[crowd laughs]
Fuck you! That's why I changed my name!
[crowd laughs and cheers]
Literally.
When you first start stand-up, you've got to do open mics,
you've got to do bars, you've got to do restaurants.
You only get three minutes, and I would go up with my real name,
and then people would laugh.
"Joseph Glenn Herbert." Fucking people would laugh. I'm like, "God damn it."
All my sets were about my fucking name.
Then I went to my aunt's house after one of the shows.
My cousin Mona lives there, and I was talking to Mona.
I was just like, "Mona, I've got to change my name. Every time I go up on stage,
they say my name, they laugh."
And then my cousin was like, "Yeah, 'cause your name sucks."
[crowd laughs]
I go, "Okay, I know that." She's like, "We've got to change your name."
She goes, "All right. Why don't you drop your last name
and just go with your middle name as your last name?"
I go, "Joseph Glenn?"
She goes, "Yeah, that sucks, too. Listen."
She goes, "Get rid of your middle name,
and then take your last name, and then move it to your first name."
I go, "Bitch, that's still Herbert."
[crowd laughs]
And right when I said that, my Auntie Evelyn was in the kitchen.
She goes, [Filipino accent] "Jo Koy, eat.
Jo Koy, eat. Jo Koy, eat."
I swear to God, I was like...
"That's my name."
She had been calling me that my whole life, but it wasn't until that moment
when I knew I had to change my name, I was like, "That's my name.
I'm going to go by Jo Koy."
1989. That's when I was like, "I'm gonna use Jo Koy."
Since then, for 30 years, I've been going up as Jo Koy.
Then when this last special came out...
I had to do press, and they kept interviewing me.
And every reporter kept landing on the same question.
"Why do you go by Jo Koy?"
I was like, "I don't have an answer."
[crowd laughs]
I go, "That's just what Filipinos do.
They name you one thing and then fucking call you something else."
And this is a very true story, 'cause I just found this out, you guys.
This happened about four months ago.
I went to Vegas and I took my Auntie Evelyn out to eat.
And I just looked at her and I go, "Look, Auntie,
a lot of reporters are asking me where I got my nickname,
and I don't have a story, so can you just tell me a story,
why you came up with the nickname Jo Koy?"
She's really old. You've got to understand.
She looked at me and she went like this, she goes...
[Filipino accent] "I don't call you Jo Koy."
[crowd laughs]
And then I was like, "Oh my God, she's old.
She's losing it.
She's losing it."
So I felt bad. I went like this. I go, "Auntie, no, it's me.
It's me. I'm Jo Koy.
I'm Jo Koy.
I'm Jo Koy, your favorite... your favorite... nephew. I'm...
I'm Jo Koy."
And then she goes, [Filipino accent] "I know who you are.
I'm not stupid.
I'm just telling you I don't call you Jo Koy."
I go, "What are you talking about, you don't call me Jo Koy? You were--
Are you fucking with me right now? Like...
Are you being serious?
Thirty years, I've been going by Jo Koy. You've never said anything."
She's like, [Filipino accent] "Yeah, I never said anything,
because you keep saying Jo Koy, so I just let you say it."
"So for 30 years, you let me say Jo Koy, but you don't call me Jo Koy?
I could have sworn, that day when I was at the house,
you said, 'Jo Koy, eat,' and I was like, 'Jo Koy, that's my nickname.'
Are you serious right now?"
[Filipino accent] "I don't call you Jo Koy."
"Then what do you--
Then what do you call me?"
It's a true story, you guys. Are you ready for this shit?
It's gonna fucking make you cry.
I swear I just found this shit out.
"What do you call me?"
She goes, [Filipino accent] "I call you Jo Ko.
That is your nickname. Jo Ko."
And for all of you at home that don't know what that means,
in Tagalog, "ko" means "my."
My nickname is My Jo. Jo Ko. How fucking sweet is that?
That's so sweet.
I had no idea.
I go, "That is the sweetest nickname."
[Filipino accent] "You're the one that keeps saying fucking Jo Koy.
I don't know who the fuck that is.
Every Netflix special, 'Coming to the stage, Jo Koy.'
I'm like, 'Who the fuck is that? It's Jo Ko!
That's Jo Ko.'"
Why didn't she tell me this 30 years ago?
All my merchandise, misspelled.
My next friend right here, Ramon Ibanga, doesn't go by his real name either.