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| Asia's Phenomenal Unkaboggable Box-Office Superstar Vice Ganda (Image Source: Orange Magazine PH) |
Isolation has seriously affected our mental health during the long run of the quarantine due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually becomes a serious problem that people are trying to find ways to connect to others however and wherever they can. And while some have pushed themselves to breach health and protocols just for the sake of easing their loneliness, many more have turned to digital means in order to feel a semblance of contact with the outside world which is no wonder why many digital platforms are raking in revenue and engagement in unprecedented rates. So many people are online seeking for any form of attachment and interaction to stave of the despondency of cabin fever.
Nothing connects us more than laughter: finding a common ground to laugh about. Curiously, while our tastes of what is funny varies, we can all agree that we find relatable experiences as great sources of humor. If we can somehow see ourselves in any situation, it is easy for us to find something comedic about it. However, there is one comedian in the Philippines today who has made us turn from the mundane kind of funny to something less predictable - less comedy humor. While it may not be to everyone's tastes, it is evident in Vice Ganda's following and influence that more and more Filipinos are loyal followers of his unique stand-up style. Vice Ganda has brought the situational and observational form of comedy mainstream through his massive presence on television and online as well as his numerous blockbuster movies that were staple favorites in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) through the years.
One of Forbes Asia-Pacific's Most Influential Celebrities On Social Media has brought together people from all different walks of life to the cinemas where he brandishes his iconic and wry humor to an audience who sits in stitches over the fantastical yet iconic characters that he brought to life. It is no wonder why a global streaming platform such as Netflix would pick up his films for a larger, more diversively globalized audience to appreciate. His blockbuster selections include Petrang Kabayo (2010), The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin (2011), Sisterakas (2012), Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy (2013), The Amayzing Praybeyt Benjamin (2014), Beauty And The Bestie (2015), The Super Parental Guardians (2016), Gandarrapiddo! The Revenger Squad (2017), Fantastica (2018), and The Mall The Merrier (2019).
While we are all pondering for our future in the light of this global health crisis, Vice Ganda's movies offer a conduit of happiness, a connection to other people who are on the same boat, fighting off the loneliness of isolation, craving for moments of mirth, and generally hoping that one day they will enjoy life safely once again even if they are just only for a short while. Asia's Phenomenal Unkaboggable Box-Office Superstar's movies on Netflix may just be the escape that can bring us out of the daily dreariness of being cooped up inside our own homes. Comedy is, after all, a perfect combination of tragedy plus time. One day soon, the challenges that have given us a difficult time since the onset of the global pandemic will become part of our everyday laughs. But for the meantime, let Vice Ganda's movies turn your long and enduring frown upside down.
