Social Media and ‘Ikaw at ang Ina’

In a world where social media is becoming a force in the history of technology, television programs tried to take advantage of this new medium. ‘Bubble Gang”s ‘Ikaw at ang Ina’ is no exception.

During each sketch, the titular character Donya Ina (Michael V) questions her children’s use of social media with the phrase ‘paki-explain’, only to finish with an exclamatory ‘labyu’ with a confused reaction from her children. The sketch immediately proved popular from the first skit, due to Donya Ina’s amusing and timely delivery of jokes. And even when ‘Bubble Gang’ was off the air, Donya Ina continued to deliver the jokes through her Facebook fanpage.

In the previous week’s episode of ‘Bubble Gang’, Donya Ina criticized her daughter (Sef Cadayona) for using Facebook and Instagram for her personal enjoyment. In case you missed this joke, watch the video below.

Throughout its 18-year history, ‘Bubble Gang’ has found new ways to adapt to changes in culture and society, taking advantage of recent trends and styles. With the use of social media, it is no wonder why the writers decided to use it as a skit for ‘Ikaw at ang Ina’. And in keeping with the times, ‘Bubble Gang’ has been able to maintain its status as the top gag show in the country today.

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Mr. Assimo Vs. Dracula

Michael V has been known for successful portrayals of various characters in his programs. Regardless of the character being male or female, Michael V proved to be versatile in his craft. In ‘Bubble Gang‘, one of his most memorable characters today has been Mr. Assimo, a superbly irate person known for dealing with common sense, which he thought was too obvious.

While Mr. Assimo’s previous appearances saw him deal with normal people, last Friday’s sketch saw him deal with an equally evil character. In the video below you will see how Mr. Assimo was able to outwit Dracula, portrayed by Rocco Nacino.

Initially a one-minute sketch, Mr. Assimo’s popularity with loyal ‘Bubble Gang’ viewers enabled writers to extend Mr. Assimo’s sketch time to around five to seven minutes. Today, Mr. Assimo is one of Bubble Gang’s most recognizable characters.

Bonggang Bongbong Returns

After a few months’ hibernation, Bonggang Bongbong (Michael V) returned for another round of ‘crime fighting’. Three new ‘cases’ were shown on Bubble Gang‘s ‘Sumbong Sumbong kay Bonggang Bongbong’ that drew the ire of the titular host.

The first case was a group conversation between three people, one of whom was wearing headphones. The latter ignored the conversation and instead continued to listen haphazardly to the music from his headphones. The second case featured a group of people attempting to do a jump shot photograph. After two tries, the photographer was unsuccessful in creating a perfect jump shot photo. The third case involved a woman awkwardly walking in high heels while waiting for her appointment. In all three cases, the suspect was struck by a gavel that surprised observers.

The character of Bonggang Bongbong is a parody based on the Tulfo brothers Ramon, Ben, Raffy and Erwin. The title ‘Sumbong Sumbong’ is directly inspired from Ramon’s ‘Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo’ radio program, while Bonggang Bongbong’s use of shades is an obvious reference to Ben’s trademark glasses. And his voice seems like a mix of Raffy and Erwin’s. The character was brought attention on Ben’s ‘Bitag Live’ program on Aksyon TV and the brothers’ ‘T3: Reload‘ program on TV5. However, Bonggang Bongbong was not the only character parody of the Tulfos. TV5’s ‘Lokomoko‘ once featured a parody of T3 called ‘T3: Paload’ which was also mentioned on the former.

For some reason I enjoy Michael V’s portrayal of Bonggang Bongbong. I thought the character appears serious and focused, not to mentioned the exaggerated mannerisms. And the scene where suspects were struck by a gavel was really amusing, though at times annoying. The sketch is a perfect foil to the serious nature of crime-fighting programs. If you need a humorous take on crime-fighting, then this is it.

If you missed last night’s segment click this video below.

Boy Pick-Up Finally Defeated

If you missed last night’s episode of ‘Bubble Gang‘ on GMA 7, you wouldn’t believe how shocking the result was during the ‘Pick-Up Lines’ sketch.

The sketch begins with the usual introduction by the host MC Bits (Michael V). He then introduces the first pick-up challenger Dahon (Antonio Aquitania). But instead of another challenger, he immediately called out the undefeated champion Boy Pick-Up (Ogie Alcasid). He then introduced the moderator Neneng B (Sam Pinto). As always, there were two rounds of pick-up lines, with Dahon going first and Boy Pick-Up second. And as it has been throughout every segment, Boy Pick-Up wins the challenge on audience impact. However, instead of immediately proclaiming Boy Pick-Up the champion, MC Bits introduced another challenger.

That challenger turned out to be Boy Basag (Ogie Alcasid), who brought along his own backups. Uncharacteristically, Boy Pick-Up chose to go first, and as a result the audience turned on him and cheered Boy Basag instead. Ultimately MC Bits made the hardest decision, proclaiming Boy Basag as the new champion and ‘shattering’ Boy Pick-Up’s undefeated mark.

I think the end of Boy Pick-Up’s ‘undefeated’ streak also brought a conclusion to the ‘Pick-Up Lines’ sketch. The sketch had run its course; two-plus years, a movie (Boy Pick-Up: The Movie), and several guest challengers and pick-up lines along the way. However, like every long-running popular sketch on Bubble Gang, all things must come to an end. At first it was enjoyable, but in the last few months it seems repetitive, predictable and boring to watch. Plus the absence of Boy Back-Up (Eri Neeman) also put Boy Pick-Up in a vulnerable spot leading to the final sketch, where Back-Up’s spot was replaced by the character of Diego Llorico.

Nevertheless, the ‘Pick-Up Lines’ sketch on Bubble Gang will always be remembered for introducing pick-up lines to the lexicon of Filipino pop culture. Many more people practice and improvise these pick-up lines for both enjoyment and pleasure, thanks to this sketch that began as a rap battle. While its time has come, it will always be remembered as one of the best, if not the most well-acclaimed, of all the sketches done on Bubble Gang.

The video of the said sketch can be viewed below.