Don't burst my bubble
How Bubble Gang has reinvented local television for almost two decades
What does it take to be a genius? A playful mind, an inquisitive brain and a constant thirst for reinvention have led many to the path of innovation. The challenge, however, is the unwavering focus to get things done. Getting things done gets you to the next step, and the world is all about that.
Bubble Gang just turned 16 years young. Has it been that long? Time flies when you’re having fun, and faster when you’re laughing along the way. Through skits, sketches, poufs and parodies, Bubble Gang has become the undisputed game changer when it comes to comedy. Not that easy to do in a country where comedy is king. Every situation can be made fun of, as comedy and entertainment serve as great escape in a country immersed in idiosyncracy and irony.
On that note, Michael V and Ogie Alcasid serve as de facto kings in innovative comedy. After six years you would think that the creative juices would run low and just go with the flow. Not when you have natural-born comics in each and every part of the Bubble Gang plus a dedicated team of writers who knows how to milk the comedy out of every reality. What we see on TV is actually all about us, for comedy is a mirror of what we are all going through, what we are seeing and how we are feeling. And in an era of YouTube hits, Bubble Gang presses the right buttons as the gag goes viral. Millions of hits after, Bubble Gang continues to redefine what is funny to the Filipino.
Take One Tandem
Away from the boob tube, Michael V, or Bitoy to friends in the industry, is a whirlwind of energy, his brain churning out situations and sketches at 180 miles per hour. Ogie Alcasid gets into each character and immerses himself in it 150 percent, same goes to all the roles he has in life as husband, father, OPM leader, singer, songwriter and host. Both are renaissance men with intensity as their middle names.
Supreme was there when Bubble Gang was shooting Part 2 of their 16th anniversary special, and we invaded their dressing rooms as they hopped in and out to tape every segment of their show. With clockwork precision, Bitoy and Ogie know each other’s movements instinctively, a result of working closely for years, like best friends working on a school project together — they are a fine Take One tandem. It is wonderful to see two masters at work.
Here, we got visual master and Supreme favorite Steve Tirona to blow bubbles with the gang of two. Blowing the right sized bubble takes precision, the right force and the perfect timing when to burst. Yes, it is fleeting, for what is funny now may not be funny tomorrow. But having people like Bitoy and Ogie around, you’re sure that they would reinvent the wheel many times over.
Bubble tea, anyone?
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(My twitter account @iamtimyap is still hacked. Report @michaelHD for abuse @support on twitter and hopefully I get what is rightfully mine.)
