Confessions of an Outed Closet Fangirl

Disclaimer: Apologies in advance to those who could not relate/ do not know/are annoyed by everything Aldub. If you are not the intended audience, feel free to skip this post. 😀

(I titled this post Confessions of an Outed Closet Fangirl just because I like the sound of it. I use it on my Twitter before Saturday episodes begin haha. But I don’t think it’s super accurate because I’ve never been in the “closet” about my being a fan and I’ve always embraced my inner jologs.)

Anyway, for everyone into or curious about Kalyeserye, who got over that awfully cute and funny episode last Saturday? I, for one, could not move on. Walang magmu-move on! Hahaha. Since I’m still feeling high over that episode (seriously, I think I watched it 5-6 times and then I had to show the replay to my parents who were out-of-town last Saturday), I decided to just blog about it! Before I begin, here are my fave tweets from Saturday’s Twitter party:

I don’t know how yaya can still dance after all of that. I would be melting on the floor!! #ALDubEBforLOVE

— CVS (@chuvaness) September 26, 2015

What keeps AlDub going? Let me guess: The thrill of love, the healing of laughter and the power of imagination. #ALDubEBforLOVE — Teddy Casiño (@teddycasino) September 26, 2015

Just enjoy the kababawan. We all need to unwind sometimes. May time naman tayo for charity, nationalism, activism etc. For now, enjoy! 😊✌🏼

— Professional Heckler (@HecklerForever) September 26, 2015

Wow. How do you move on from that? #ALDubEBforLOVE — Daphne Osena Paez (@DaphneOP) September 26, 2015

And… I was sorta part of the 25+ million tweets last Saturday. I contributed maybe 25 tweets? Hehe

Did #ALDubEBforLOVE just break the internet again? 4 nalang trends that I can see

— Maan Laxa (@marie_laxa) September 26, 2015

I don’t know why some people seem surprised that I watch local TV shows. I do; I love local TV just as I appreciate foreign series. I had a schoolmate in UP whom I’ve known for years who was really surprised when she found out that I watched Forevermore! Well, duh, I love TV. I majored in media arts and one of my most favourite media is TV. That should have been a no-brainer.

Let’s talk about Kalyeserye. Since we are an Eat Bulaga family (is there such a thing?), I was able to witness how Maine (Mendoza) got into the show and, later on, got accidentally paired with Alden (Richards). And the rest is history. I was hooked!

Some jumbled thoughts that I haven’t found the time or energy to organise:

1. My brand of humour

I hate the insulto-comedy bar style of comedy. Hate is such a strong word, but I do hate it. I just find it so tasteless, tactless, and unnecessary. Which is why I always preferred EB’s brand of comedy. I love the effortless comedy Jose, Wally, and Paolo (JoWaPao) offer that does not need to offend anybody!

2. Breaking the fourth wall

I love it when a show breaks the fourth wall as a device for comedy, and even though Kalyeserye often uses this (for example, when they tease Wally about having to switch characters so often), even if it’s already predictable, it never gets old!

3. Chemistry! Sparks!

And speaking of breaking the fourth wall, the chemistry between Alden and Maine is so undeniably strong. One of the things that make Kalyeserye specially appealing is how it blurs the line between real and reel. I remember my mother saying, “Ang ganda pero ang gulo-gulo. Di ko na alam saan ang totoo at saan ang scripted!”

4. No harm in watching

I can’t count how many posts/updates I’ve read over the weekend saying that people shouldn’t spend so much of their time watching or obsessing over a TV show. Let me remind you that we all have 24 hours in a day. I’m sure you spend a chunk of your day for leisure or relaxation. I don’t see how watching a TV show for 2 hours should be different. I can’t see why you should be offended.

(If you think millions of people laughing over comedy is new or something we should worry about, you have a problem.)

5. Good vibes!

Hmmm, maybe they should try watching an episode. It’s overflowing with good vibes! I actually feel energised after watching. Maybe it’s because of the kilig factor? I also love the comedy, though!

6. Twitter party

Twitter parties are so fun because most of the tweets are actually intelligent! I’m not saying fans of other love teams are not intelligent (then again, how should I know when this is the first time I truly adored a love team — after Rico & Claudine?), but try reading through Aldub tweets and you’ll see stuff from works of art and musical compositions to TV show critiques (my thing!) and intellectual & social discourse! Promise!

EDIT: And I get to interact and bond with people whom I haven’t talked to in a long time e.g. my brods and sisses from my college frat/soro.

7. The writers are just brilliant

You’ve got to give it to the creative team of Eat Bulaga. From spotting a potential pair-up, developing a story, and sustaining its momentum? That’s one heck of a task! I love how Kalyeserye either makes a really obvious parody of usual teleserye elements (like kidnapping) or do something really unpredictable (like the plywood!). I can imagine the labour that goes into every single episode to build up suspense for a special weekend episode. And they have to do it every single week without fail! I also like how the episodes allow the actors to improvise and just be themselves (further contributing to number 2).

Man, I wish I could write for TV!

8. Alden!!!

And last but not the least, while I adore Maine, I’m really liking Alden’s clean personality. That’s where his appeal lies: aside from his good looks, it’s easy to see him as someone we know or could have known in real life. Many girls see a potential husband in him, while some see a brother in him. In my case, walang biro, I totally see my partner’s heart in him (which was confirmed by Sarah, my work colleague, who had the pleasure of interviewing him on TV) and I see a young man who can be a role model for many kids like my son. #SonGoals! His childish wackiness reminds me of my high school boy barkadas. I don’t know; he truly seems like someone everybody gets along with!

And, yeah, let’s get real. He’s such an eye-candy. He’s two of my crushes (Rico Yan and Lee Min Ho) combined! Lucky Maine!

I would add something about Kalyeserye teaching society good morals as it is now perceived, but the truth is that the show has just evolved to include these morals. They weren’t there in older episodes (remember how Lola Nidora forced Yaya Dub to marry Frankie for money?) and just emerged in the more recent ones. Which is perfectly fine because it shows how the writers saw an opportunity to use its popularity for good! I have to be honest, though, and admit that it was never one of my original reasons why I like watching Kalyeserye. But it sure is a good icing on the cake!

Now, let the waiting game for the new episode begin. 😀

PS: You should have seen my 50-something and 60-something parents while they were watching the replay this morning. They were giggling like teenagers the entire time!