Tado (comedian)

Arvin "Tado" Jimenez is a Filipino comedian, actor and radio personality. His nickname "Tado" comes from a Tagalog expletive he frequently blurted out. Tado is primarily known the offbeat television program Strangebrew and the 99.5 RT radio program The BrewRATS.

Early life and career

Prior to fame, Jimenez had worked on odd jobs such as a staff in a mental hospital, a waiter, a scriptwriter for television and a photojournalist. Jimenez graduated from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) with a degree in psychology. He was engaged in social issues as a student organizer.

While in PUP, Jimenez was influenced by his artists friends, causing him to be involved in theater, painting and photography. He eventually studied film making at the Mowelfund Intitute.

Jimenez later co-founded Dakila ("Nobility"), an artists group aiming to instill modern-day heroism in everyday people, with poet Lourd de Veyra, rock guitarist for Parokya ni Edgar Buwi Meneses and acclaimed actor Ronnie Lazaro.

Jimenez also dabbles in music, and has appeared with the band The Youth as their lead vocalist with original vocalist Dodong Cruz's consent. He and the band appeared on GMA Network program Unang Hirit singing the band's hit "Multong Bakla."

Strangebrew

Tado became involved in television with the premiere of the off-the-wall magazine show Strangebrew in the then-NU 107 owned UNTV Channel 37, with Angel Rivero as his co-host, in 2001. His red Volkswagen Beetle will take him and Rivero throughout Metro Manila in an adventure of "a unique cartoony look, a caustic wit" with "a weird sense of humor."

Strangebrew and Jimenez became a cult hit until the show was canceled a year later, with him enshrined as a pop culture icon.

Brewrats

He was reunited with Rivero along with occasional Strangebrew contributor Ramon Bautista in Hit FM 99.5's late night talk show The Brewrats. (The title of the show is a pun on another Tagalog cuss word.) Even with Hit FM's reformatting to 99.5 Campus FM, and finally reverting to its old 99.5 RT callsign, the show was consistently placed on the station's roster of shows, consistently occupying the late night slot, until it was moved to the morning slot beginning at August 2009.

LimiTado

Aside from radio, Jimenez also designs LimiTado ("Limited"), whom he runs it with his wife. The graphic T-shirts main selling points are striking messages printed on the shirt and spoofs. Other items include bags, accessories and toy collectibles such as Volkswagen die-casts.

Selected filmography

• Strangebrew (2001–02)
• Klasmeyts (2002)
• Masayang Tanghali Bayan (2003–04)
• Ok Fine Whatever (2003)
• Palos (2008)