Pinocchio In Our Midst

 I don't intend to become an entertainment news reporter ... it is just that I was amused with what is going on with our noontime shows. The daily "tug-of-war" in the ratings is making the show's host teetering on the precipice - where they issue potentially perilous statements or place them in an uncertain and embarrassing state.

A case in point is Joey de Leon's over-the-top comments with too cringey "kayabangan" undertones when he said: Umabot lang ang Its Showtime ng 15 years ... pwede na siyang lumuhod sa kanila." Now he is putting himself in a cringe and awkward position whether he will HONOR (pardon the redundancy) the time-HONORed and stereotypical  "word of HONOR" ...  a commitment that he will do as promised like an oath or a pledge. Or a solemn vow ... na LULUHOD siya at kakainin ang kanyang salita.

His mistake was that he was not cautious and careful ... nor did he try to do research about It's Showtime ... which will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this October 2024 ... meaning the Madlang people will see Joey de Leon "KNEEL" in its full regalia and splendor in the next six months. I can't wait.

As I told you in my previous post ... I witnessed Joey playing with words before ... at walang halaga sa kanya ang kanyang mga salita niya ... and just like any slippery eel nilulusutan ang dapat lusutan.  Now he is singing a different tune ... hindi naman daw It's Showtime ang kanyang pinaparinggan kundi mga bloggers. Sensing the future embarrassment ... dahil matabil siya ... the spin doctor in him made him spew lies and bend the truth one more time.

He is a modern Pinocchio all right.

To the uninformed ... Pinocchio is a puppet who is being punished for every lie that he tells by undergoing further growth of his nose. The more lies he tells ... the longer it becomes.  There was one point when his nose was elongated ... he could not even go through the door of his room.

By the way ... tanong ng isang certified Kapamilya: " kung hindi Its Showtime ang pinaparinggan mo ... then sino ang show na wala sa Top 5 World's longest show and need umabot ng 15 years ... bago luhuran?"

Vice Ganda - Spontaneous Comedian

In the segment Expecially For You ... Vice Ganda displayed again he is a spontaneous jokester. He has a natural impulse or tendency ... his jokes are unsolicited and unplanned.  His jokes make you suspect it was carefully prepared beforehand ... but it was not. His comment just fell from out of the blue, unrehearsed, unplanned, voluntary ... an impromptu or a spur-of-the-moment remark.

After seeing the third searchee in the segment Vice noticed her perfect nose ... she said ang dulo ng ilong ay aabot na sa Eat Bulaga? At the start wala pa akong reaction ... pero tinanong ko ... paano naman pumunta sa Eat Bulaga ang joke?

Matalino si Vice ... and knowing him ... hindi basta lalanding ng basta basta ang Eat Bulaga sa joke na walang man lang relevance.

Knowing the story of Pinocchio ... at yong mahaba niyang ilong ... Joey is now making his initial strides para gumawa ulit ng panibagong kasinungalingan para mapalambot ang mga naghihintay na madlang people who is all eager to see ng pagluhod ng mga tala. At pagbawas ng kahambogan.

This early stage of the game ... para na ring siyang LUMUHOD.

#BGYO | 'Bulalakaw' Performance Video

Photo Story

Time is gratis - FREE of charge and without recompense ... but it has incalculable VALUE or WORTH.

You can't keep it in your  POSSESSION ... but you can MAKE USE or BENEFIT from it.

You can't HOLD nor KEEP it ... but you can WASTE and SPEND it without your knowledge.

We always think ... we have ENOUGH time. Little did we know we just have a FEW left.

We can never make up for the lost time.  As we squandered it ... we can't get it back ... anything that is LOST is lost forever.

The Battle of Noontime Shows

Bilog ang mundo.  Eat Bulaga na dati ay sa GMA nasa TV5 na ... at ang It's Showtime na dati sa TV 5 ay nasa GMA na. Was that a twist of fate ... a coincidence ... or somebody concocted a genius "noontime duel" mano a mano ... para mas lalong bumango at pagusapan ang dalawng show.

When It's Showtime decided na mag-over the bakod sila sa GMA ... almost every day their ratings have gone to the roof ... DWARFING the once GIANT - Eat Bulaga.

Araw araw may mga pasaring ang bawat kampo ... at si Cristy Fermin bumubuga ng apoy. Walang nagpapatalo. Pati mga host ay sumali na rin. This prompted Joey de Leon na mangantiyaw na: "Umabot lang ang Its Showtime ng 15 years ... pwede na akung lumuhod sa kanila."

Hello ... Mr. Joey de Leon. Is that for real? Hindi mo ba alam na this October ... ay anniversary nila ... and 15 years to be exact? To the uninformed It's Showtime started October 24, 2009.

Ayan tuloy ... hinihintay ng It's Showtime fans ang pagluhod ng mga tala.

Ikaw kasi mayabang.  Magreasearch muna bago ... ibuka ang bibig.

If I know Joey ... sasabihin niyang hindi naman 15 years and sinabi niya ... 50 years.

Sigi magsinungaling pa more. May mga resibo ang mga fans ... kaya panindigan mo na JDL na may isa kang salita.

Sigurado ako ... mag-trending at mag-viral ito sakaling dumating ang araw na ito.

This Has Gone Viral

I first heard the name Apo Whang-od Oggay when Michelle Dee competed in Miss Universe 2023 in El Salvador. Because candidates and pageant organizers wanted to be relevant to the Miss Universe, they burned their midnight candles thinking about what Pinoy tradition or culture could be incorporated into her evening gowns or national costume to get a good impression.   

Mark Bumgarner (the designer of Michelle's gown) concocted the idea that Michelle's atypical black gown was inspired by a Filipino cultural icon, the living legend Whang-Od-- the 106-year-old Kalinga tattoo artist or "mambabatok."

They want to make it a tribute to a legendary Filipina who has become a cultural symbol ... preserving the rich cultural heritage of indigenous tattoo art. Apo Whang-od is the recipient of the Dangal ng Haraya Award for Intangible Cultural Heritage - this was conferred to her last 2018.

Michelle modeling the gown created a lot of hooplas... and everybody was talking about it. It made rounds in social media and netizens were praising it ... and to quote my friend... "it was unlike anything else" ... and it was singled out for its exceptionally rare ethnic and cultural representation.

Fast forward to today. Apo Whang-od ... the centenarian mambabatok is hitting the headlines one more time and to tell you the truth the netizen's reaction was mixed.

It looked like the fangs of notoriety were showing their ugly faces - when travelers to Kalinga make it a point to include in their life-to-do-list ... a meeting with the icon face-to-face and possibly have an ink or a tattoo that will make them remember his encounter with her ... up close and personal.

Whatever reasons they have for seeing her .... whether good or bad ... that she is the last traditional tattoo artist of her generation ... that it is an opportunity of a lifetime to see her in action ... and doing things that she does best.

It is also an open book now (especially to tourists/travelers) that the old lady has a proclivity or to put it mildly ... a penchant ... and to put it more blatant - a bad habit of touching male genitals without warning and without consent.

We know she is a centenarian ... an icon and a woman.  Is she doing it for fun ... to break monotony ... and pardon me I have to ask this ... is she doing it to derive pleasure?

And to the male guests who frequent her place and who know her history... are they lining up because they are inquisitive about what the experience would be like ... just like when he was curious about drugs and what wonders they will give him?

When Piolo Pascual visited her in Buscalan ... they were seen talking and before Piolo knew it she was already touching her target. Piolo did not resist or did not say No (maybe out of respect for her and her age) ... so both ended up laughing ... like it was not a big deal.

Was Piolo warned about her habits? If he didn't ... bless his soul ... but if he is aware ... he is a willing victim.

GMA weather forecaster Anjo Pertierra also dropped by and paid her a visit. Before he could see rain in summer ... her hand already landed cozy on the "area of responsibility" for this young weathercaster.

Again I asked I don't want to put judgment on Anjo ... but was he aware? Why was the camera ready to click and record the most important highlight of the meeting? 

If the answer is yes ... then the photos are like souvenir shots - a keepsake ... a moment ... a remembrance ... and a reminder. "Nahipo rin ako ni Apo ..."

Netizens Reactions

I am reporting en toto the report in Manila Standard "Apo Whang-od causes a stir on-line after groping Piolo Pascual's private Part" written by Angelica Villanueva.  Thank you very much Ma'am:

"A video circulating online shows Filipino traditional mambabatok Apo Whang-od groping actor and producer Piolo Pascual’s private part has been making buzz online.

In a tweet posted on X, Piolo was seen visiting Whang-od in Buscalan. Seconds later, while talking, the tattoo artist approached her hand on his private part. Both of them bursted out laughing on what happened causing the other people surrounding them to laugh as well.

Apo Whang-od’s action drew mixed reactions from netizens—while some defended the tattoo artist, others had negative reactions.

“It becomes offensive when one party did not give permission, or was offended, or was uncomfy. Piolo did not say No, did not move away, and was laughing in good fun,” said one netizen.

“This shouldn’t be condoned. Alam ko malaki ang respeto natin kay Apo Whang Od at sa sining niya ng pagtatattoo. Pero dapat ba natin baliwalain itong ginagawa niya? Kung matandang lalake si Apo Whang Od, ano na lamang ang reaction ng mga tao?” a netizen pointed out.

“Mapababae man o mapalalake, just don’t sexualize other people and don’t touch them inappropriately,”echoed the other one.

“Guys nangdadakot talaga yang si Apo Whang Od! Bat gulat na gulat kayo?” explained another netizen.

Whang-od has been known for grabbing male’s private parts of those who visit her.

In 2019, Apo Whang-od also touched TV host and actor Paolo Ballesteros’ private part during his visit with fellow “Eat Bulaga” host Maine Mendoza."