BLIND ITEM: Nagtatalo pa ang aming dalawang gay acquaintance, one of whom is an American who teaches Korean students here, kung maituturing na sikat na celebrity ang nakilala ng huli sa isang party.
Nang ipaalam nila sa amin ang subject ng kanilang debate, in fairness, masasabing may “name” din ang naka-one-night stand pala ng afam na kilala namin. After a week since they met, nagkita sila nitong Huwebes.
Dinala raw ng gay TV personality ang afam sa kanyang condo unit sa Mandaluyong City, pero pauna na ng afam: “There was no f—ck at all. It was just a normal sex between two gay men.”
Oh, I see. Gets n’yo na kung sino?
AKSIDENTENG NAGKITA kami ni Diego sa isang mall sa Pasay City nitong Sabado. Si Diego, isa sa mga payaso ng gag show na Bubble Gang, ang tampulan ng mga biro lalo’t tungkol sa nguso nito.
Nasa escalator kami nang magkagulatan pa kami ng komedyante, ilang pulgada lang ang layo namin sa isa’t isa pero parang humahalik ang kanyang nguso sa aming pisngi sa laki nito. Pero mas nananaisin naming magkaroon na rin kami ng ganoong “asset” kaysa magtaglay ng bibig na kasing talas, kundi man kasing bastos ng kay Vice Ganda.
Bungad ni Diego habang umaandar ang escalator, “Katatapos lang ng Startalk, ah?” Startalk and Bubble Gang, born nearly 18 years ago, are just one day apart both in age and in airing day. Sagot namin, “At napanood ko ang Bubble Gang kagabi lalo na ‘yung closing n’yo,” with reference to Michael V.’s spiel na, “O, hayan, ha, malinis ang mga jokes namin dito.”
We felt that Michael V. had to defend the gag show shortly after it was likewise criticized for its “rape jokes” bilang depensa sa gangrape wisecrack ni Vice Ganda sa kanyang nakaraang concert.
Sey ni Diego, “Naku, ang tagal na nu’n (rape jokes sa BG), 2011 pa ‘yon, nakalkal pa nila ‘yon?”
Para sa mga pro-Vice Ganda, his joke was no different from the ones aired on Bubble Gang. Pareho rin daw may “rape flavour” ang mga ‘yon.
To this we say YES and NO.
Yes, dahil iisa lang ang temang iniikutan ng mga biro, nagkatalo lang sa presentation. Vice Ganda’s reference to rape was orally delivered, while the Bubble Gang jokes were situational.
But no, dahil sa Bubble Gang, there was no specific reference to any existing person unlike sa biro ni Vice Ganda who clearly dropped the name of Ms. Jessica Soho. And not only did Vice Ganda poke fun at the crime, he also conveniently picked on Ms. Soho’s weight, na kung maituturing na kapintasan ‘yon ng isang tao, then Vice Ganda’s comedy was in gross violation of one’s human right.
Nobody gloats over a person’s physical inadequacy, or in the case of his “obese” subject, Ms. Soho’s “overadequacy”.
Huwag na nating bigyang-katwiran ang banat na biro ni Vice Ganda, after all, had he honestly believed that he was not at fault, nungka—given all his arrogance and highhandedness—na humingi siya ng paumanhin kay Ms. Soho.
But shall we call it an apology, eh, maangas pa rin ang dating ni Vice Ganda? And what was this line about sparing Ms. Soho from his jokes the next time around? Ano ‘yon, utang na loob pa ng batikang broadcast journalist kay Vice Ganda na hindi siya pagtripan ng bastos na komedyante?!
Pasalamat si Vice Ganda, the concert was held on a neutral ground, meaning, it was not mounted nor telecast on ABS-CBN, otherwise his joke could be a potential libel case waiting to happen against the network.
If there are many ways to skin a cat, ganoon din sa pagpapatawa. Hindi pang-ookray ang susi in forcing a laugh from an audience. ‘Yon ang malaking pagkakaiba nila ni Ate Gay who chooses to do mushing-up of songs rather than messing up people’s decent lives.
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
