A colleague of mine uses this phrase at work whenever she finds herself in a situation that defies logic or common sense. She would usually
say “Nag-eerror yung brain ko” whenever
she encounters weird scenarios or has to deal with other people’s stupid decisions. If you think about it, a logical brain would probably do just that if
it were confronted with an illogical situation.
On my birthday, July 16th, I was online and minding my own business when I stumbled upon the first AlDub post from Eat Bulaga’s Facebook page. I’m not exactly sure if it was divine intervention that brought me to watch that first video, but back then, it wasn’t even called AlDub; it was just a regular video showing a dubsmashing personal assistant (Maine Mendoza as Yaya Dub) who suddenly became overly conscious when she noticed that a handsome guy (Alden Richards) was intently observing her. Now some people think that moment pretty much started everything – I disagree. For me, while the authenticity of the reactions are a big factor, if it wasn’t for Maine’s genius handling of the situation via the first pabebe wave, the entertaining ping-pong of sweet nothings that followed would never have happened, and the AlDub spark would have never been ignited.
What I’m trying to say is this: TAPE and GMA, you’ve got a quick-witted gem right there, take care of her.
2 months later, here we are: a country so taken by this AlDub phenomenon that we get to see sari-sari stores and hair salons closing whenever the KalyeSerye segment airs. We also see internet shops banning everything pastillas from their premises. On Saturdays, we also get to see a country that breaks twitter records and seemingly stands still come 1PM. Their tandem is so effective (and disruptive) that I even find myself wanting more AlDub and end up becoming restless from all this waiting on updates about them.
Needless to say, nag-eerror yung brain ko.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been a fan of their tandem since
Day 1 – it was an unexpected but perfect birthday gift. My brain, however, wants
answers, and I’m sure a lot of people want answers as well, so this list here
is my attempt at making sense of all this AlDub.
1. The segment is great fun. Since it started, the Juan For All segment has always been about fun and bringing fun to the masses. This time however, Jose, Wally and Paolo have really outdone themselves. The Lola characters and their respective personalities and sidekicks are pure genius. There’s slapstick, there’s good-natured humor, and then there’s the hosts making fools out of themselves. The Juan For All segment sets itself apart because there’s this almost tangible authenticity behind every wise crack they deliver, and that endears you to the show even more.
2. Values, values, values. Apart from the on-site hosts not being maarte by getting down and dirty with the barangays they visit, I get the impression that these people are aware that they are part of something greater than themselves. In this world filled with distasteful humor, it is commendable how a comedy segment can even insert values into their sketches.
3. We all want love and a soul mate. I’ve always maintained (Mainetained *wink wink*) that every living creature in this world is naturally wired to find their mate and that it is human nature for us to love. We’ve even conditioned our minds to the idea of a soul mate – a kindred spirit we’re supposedly destined for. It’s this idea of AlDub being each other's soul mate that adds even more intrigue and kilig to their tandem. We’re all captivated by the idea of a soul mate that even if we don’t have one, we end up just taking in anything similar that unfolds right before our eyes.
4. Alden Richards is the cutest thing ever. Anyone who says otherwise is blind and stupid. Nag-eerror brain ko sa inyo. He’s the quintessential good boy and he’s cute as a button. And those dimples! Ugh! I could live in those dimples. LOL! He also seems to be the perfect gentleman; I mean, if you just take a closer look and observe the way that he carries himself, you’d probably conclude that he’s the type who’s never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. Collective swoons all over, please.
5. Maine Mendoza is You. This probably is the most important of the reasons. Of course, Maine may come from a privileged family and has impeccable dubsmashing chops, but the secret to Maine’s charm really lies in her persona’s inclusiveness. She’s pretty but she’s also wacky, she’s sosyal but she’s also kalog. Regardless of what demographic you’re from, she’s someone you can actually, genuinely relate to. Onscreen, we know that she’s portraying Yaya Dub, but at the same time, we also know that she’s portraying Maine Mendoza. It’s this relatable quality about her that makes you want to root for her. It’s not that she’s an underdog, I don’t think she is. It’s because she’s just a normal girl, who, by circumstance, was plucked from her normal existence and thrust into the limelight. It’s because she is YOU; She is US. If she’s feeling kilig, we feel it too, if she sees the object of her affection feeling kilig, we feel that kilig too. We want to see her succeed, because the truth is, her success is our success as well. Every new AlDub moment: every kidnapping, every plywood wall, every long table, every shared straw, every alarm, every chiwibol, even every new commercial endorsement – these are things that fans celebrate because these moments are our moments as well.
To be honest, AlDub/MaiDen‘s magnitude is something that I’ve never been able to fully grasp. I’ve never seen it in any other tandem in my life, EVER. Probably, the closest thing to what they have is JaDine (*hint hint Viva and APT) – but that’s a different story.
Nage-error pa din talaga
yung brain ko because I find myself confused and surprised at how invested I’ve
become over two people who I’m not even friends with but care so much about. I still can’t really totally explain it and sure, people will raise their
eyebrows and might even start questioning my life choices but I don’t care, I’m
not alone, I know I’m not alone. How can I be? It’s love. #ALDUBOurMissionIsLove
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