Michael V., Caesar Cosme talk about how ‘Bubble Gang’ handles sensitive topics

"Bubble Gang" geniuses Michael V. and writer-director Caesar Cosme talked about how Bubble Gang handled sensitive topics such as religion and politics in the past 25 years.

"Basically nga hindi kami nagta-touch ng religion and politics. Tapos basically nursery rhymes at songs lang naman 'yung binabasa, ina-analyze," Cosme said in an interview on "The Howie Severino Podcast."

"Except for 'yung Brother Eli naging Brad Pit, tapos 'yung Brother Willie and Jocel ay totoong pangalan nu'ng mga nasa tabi ni Brother Eli," he added. "So palagay ko wala naman. Hindi sila puwedeng mapikon kasi Penpen de Sarapen lang 'yung binabasa namin."

Bitoy said it was also a good thing that back in the day there was no such thing as "cancel culture."

For handling taboo topics in the cancel culture age, Bitoy said they took it as a challenge.

"We took it as a challenge. Kasi ano, e, there was a time na parang nagrerebelde kami, na parang kinukuwestiyon namin ang network kung bakit, 'bakit kailangang ganito? Bakit pinagbabawal 'to? Bakit hindi na puwedeng gawin ito, dati puwede?'" Bitoy said.

"Pero we figured it out na parang wala namang mangyayari doon sa mga reklamo namin na 'yun," he added.

Bitoy said their directive was to "push the boundaries."

"Hanggang saan ba tayo puwede without crossing the line? So 'yun ang naging challenge sa amin,"  he said.

"Ako, personally, 'pag gumagawa ng mga parody ng kanta, ano 'yung mga kailangan kong gawin?" he added.

"Anong technique ng pagsusulat at pagpe-perform 'yung kailangan kong gawin parang 'pag may sumita at sinabing 'Naku, hindi mo puwedeng gawin 'yan kasi 'di ba sinabi ganito' mayroon kang lusot na 'Hindi. Ganito naman 'yung ginawa ko, e.'"

Bitoy said he learned this technique from Joey de Leon, " Basta mayroon kang sinabi or ginawa, dapat maipakita mo na ang ibig mong sabihin ay itong isang bagay at hindi 'yung iniisip nila. "

Meanwhile, Cosme said for rules and limits on terminologies they could use on television, they had to be creative on how to go with it.

"Ako 'yung papaano natin iikutan 'yan? Mayroong time na sabi ng MTRCB, bawal na raw 'yung ... hindi ako sure kung ano, a," he said.

"Bawal na raw 'yung tanga pero puwede 'yung bobo. Bawal 'yung ulol pero puwede 'yung gago," he added.

"So gumawa kami ng talk show na ginagamit 'yung mga words na 'yun. 'Uy, bawal na 'yung tanga. Gago!'"

Bitoy said the bottom line was "as long as you can justify 'yung script mo. 'Yun nga, e, as long as mailulusot mo. Talagang puwede."

A concept pitch to Cardinal himself

Bitoy revealed that he had a sketch pitch called "Bible Gang" which he said he personally pitched to Cardinal Tagle.

"Mayroon akong concept na binubuo na inabot na ng pandemya pero humihingi sana kami ng approval kay Cardinal about the concept," he said.

"Kumbaga bago naming ... and you're hearing this for the first time, a, kahit 'yung audience. Dito n'yo lang maririnig ito outside of the production," he added.

Bitoy said the plan was "to write a script, present it to Cardinal, have him approve it, saka namin ibabato sa network."

"And we're going to tell them na 'pag sinabi nilang, 'naku. Hindi puwede 'yan kasi religion, ganyan,' 'Hindi. In-approve ni Cardinal, e,'" he said.

"So 'yun 'yung plano pero hindi naman nag-materialize. But I still have the materials here with me and eventually, baka magamit natin. So who knows."

When Howie asked if the script pitch did not have offensive lines, Bitoy said, "iba-iba 'yung personality rin ng mga pari, ng mga bishop and even the popes, iba-iba 'yung personalities nila."

He added: "Mayroong ... I personally believe na mayroong mag-a-approve at mayroong hindi. It all depends on how you present it, I guess."

On doing parodies of politicians

While Bitoy did impersonations of President Rodrigo Duterte early on his term, Howie said he noticed that they hadn't done the same parody to the current president compared to former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

"Parang hindi pa ganu’n katindi 'yung social media, parang emerging pa lang, e. Hindi kagaya ngayon," said Michael V.

"So hindi naman kami ang umatras or nag-decide na hindi na lang natin gagawin. I think it's more of the network’s directive," he added.

"Kami siyempre at the end of the day, trabahador kami, we are employees of the network and we have to abide by their rules."

On the limitations of comedy in the social media age

Bitoy said as far as comedy and humor were concerned, social media did not have that big of an impact on the limits of what they could do.

"Howie, as far as humor, as far as comedy is concerned, hindi naman. Hindi naman talaga," he said.

"'Yun ang para sa akin ang totoo, a. Pero 'pag pinasok mo na 'yung ibang elements or ibang factors like the network, in general, sigurado malilimitahan ka. Kasi the network has to abide by the rules," he added.

"Pero as far as comedy is concerned, puwede mong gawin 'yan outside of the network," he said.

"Hindi naman bawal 'yan. And I remember Ricky Gervais na isang British comic, nagka-capitalize siya roon sa bashers sa social media," he added. "'Yun ang ginagamit niyang parang impluwensya or driving force para sa mga materyal niya." – Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/RC, GMA News