Paula Jamie Salvosa: "So, now you're making me look like a liar? So, #amalayer? So, you're telling me #amalayer? #amalayer? #amalayer? Answer me. #amalayer?"
(Screen grab from the viral YouTube post. CCTO)
Paula Jamie Salvosa: "Ate, may pinag-aralan akong tao!" (Sister, I am an educated person.)
(Screen grab from the viral YouTube post. CCTO)
Paula Jamie Salvosa: "Ginanon mo 'ko. (You did that to me.) I'm just returning you the favor... You are a freakin' liar, miss." (Screen grab from the viral YouTube post. CCTO)
I woke up this morning with the hashtag #amalayer trending worldwide in Twitter. I logged-in to Facebook and there's #amalayer again. What's with this #amalayer? I followed a link in Facebook to a YouTube parody of #amalayer. It turned out that a young girl named Paula Jamie Salvosa made a scene in public and humiliated a lady guard in one of Metro Manila's Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations. She was slashing the lady guard with harsh words for apparently stopping her on her way into the station. The Twitter hashtag #amalayer is from the way Salvosa erroneously pronounced the phrase "I'm a liar?".
Here goes jemdahunk again. With his funny antics, he came up with this new how-to video - the "How to Survive a Flood". In these dreadful situations, we Filipinos are famous for "resiliency" and "bayanihan"(i.e., community-wide cooperative endeavor). Filipinos have survived tragedies and misfortunes, be they caused by natural calamities, effects of economic upheavals of superpower nations, or by land-claiming bully countries. The secret is Filipino's innate talent in spinning any situation into source of laughter and fun. Hey, laughter after all is the best medicine, right?
Here is Part 2 of my interview with JEMDAHUNK. I asked him some more things about YouTube, and his opinion on some current social issues. I am glad that I took the chance in interviewing this young but quite insightful budding artist and YouTube sensation. I admire his take on some issues. I was however, utterly exhilarated… delighted by what he said about happiness. jemdahunk said, "whatever makes you happy, go for it…". I completely agree. It perfectly goes with my tagline: Reality. Inspiration. Happiness. Thanks, jemdahunk!
For those of you who do not have a tiny clue of what I am talking about, please play this video and see for yourself.
After playing the video, I am sure you can't close your mouth either in amazement or laughter… or both. Well, whichever the case may be, let's add one more jaw-dropping video for your pleasure. Here is jemdahunk's newest video, "How to Act in a Conflict".
Okay, that's already too much excitement for one day. Now, let's get to meet the guy behind those viral videos. Are you ready? Okay. For those of you who missed the first part of the interview, click on the link below:
jemdahunk: 1. if people can relate to it; 2. if it's moving emotions; 3. if it's funny; 4. if it's really stupid.
lifestylecheck101:great inputs on what makes a video viral. Are these from what you observed in those videos of others, or from your own experience from your own videos? From your list, do you think your videos have all of those criteria including "really stupid"?
jemdahunk: I don't think any of my videos have something stupid in it. I think it is kind of witty… because I don't like to cross stupidity and for it to be so corny.
lifestylecheck101:how many number of views required for a video to be considered viral? or trending? Just in case you know, because I don't.
jemdahunk: I'm really not sure. I have no idea also.
lifestylecheck101:how do you react to negative comments?
jemdahunk: nothing… there will always be someone who will be negative… I let them do what they want.
lifestylecheck101:you don't react to negative comments, but are you somehow affected?
jemdahunk: of course, for a… 1/4 of a second, then I move on.
lifestylecheck101:I guess you have a lot of free time after your day job. Hence, you were able to have an outlet to fill those boring times. Which one is more fulfilling? Getting up for work, OR creating and posting your YouTube videos?
jemdahunk: creating a video.
lifestylecheck101:what do you plan to achieve in posting those videos?
jemdahunk: nothing really. Maybe the fun out of it. Specially here in the UAE where it's really boring. You have to have an outlet.
lifestylecheck101:do you have any idea about monetization of YouTube channels?
jemdahunk: yes. Basically, it's based on YouTube if they want you to become their partner so they can start posting ads on your YouTube channel.
lifestylecheck101:some YouTube channels make millions of dollars due to viral videos. There's one featured in TMZ about one YouTuber that posts funny videos. I hope you make it and tag me along the way. LOL. Seriously, when your earnings from YouTube (we are talking about the future now) kicks off (as I bet you're headed that way), just in case this happens, will you leave your day job?
jemdahunk: hmm, no… I will not.
liestylecheck101:how is money important to you?
jemdahunk: it's a necessity… but, I don't like to be luxurious.
lifestylecheck101:some YouTube sensation like Mike Bustos (need I say Charice?) crossed over from YouTube to mainstream entertainment. Do you aspire for such, like maybe acting or behind the camera jobs in local TV networks here in the Philippines?
jemdahunk: why not, if there is a good offer? But I will not go and look for it… it's hard.
lifestylecheck101:what do you say to the attention you and your videos are getting now?
jemdahunk: I am happy that I was able to show myself that I am an entertaining guy. Maybe this is the reason why my friends are always laughing when they're with me.
lifestylecheck101:ultimately, what's the message you want to convey to your viewers through your videos?
jemdahunk: always be positive. Always laugh and always love… then if you have those three… spread them to the ones who need it.
lifestylecheck101:great message - positivity, laughter, and love. Do you think each of your video conveys this message?
jemdahunk: yes… not really love but laughter. I like making people laugh.
SOCIAL RELEVANCE.
lifestylecheck101:I have some sensitive social issues. You don't have to answer them if you are not comfortable with the questions. I just want to pick your brains about social issues since a single YouTube video is a catalyst and a critical component of a powerful social medium. How should Filipinos living outside of the Philippines react with the bullying of China over the Scarborough Shoal?
jemdahunk: Basically, we can't do anything. All we can do is pray. But as an OFW (overseas Filipino worker), I am saddened that this is happening. I'm a very positive guy and anything that has to do with guns, and war, and death, and bruises, and blood… it's a no, no for me… I hope it can be solved in a peaceful manner.
lifestylecheck101:I am also for peaceful means. Any proposal on how to peacefully solve the shoal dispute if both countries believe that their sovereignty is trampled on if one claims it over the other?
jemdahunk: I think China should consider the fact that a lot of countries are siding with the Philippines. The code is there for a reason. Not really sure what the name of the code is. But there is this code. hahahahaha.
(jemdahunk is referring to the Geneva Convention on International Laws of the Seas that provides the Philippines rights over the Scarborough Shoal since it is inside Philippine waters based on the perimeter limits mandated by that international law.)
lifestylecheck101:have you been following the impeachment? I just want to know if you think the verdict is just.
jemdahunk: haven't been following it. Sorry.
lifestylecheck101:any thoughts at all about the Corona impeachment?
jemdahunk: if someone sinned according to the law, then he should pay for the consequences. He was proven guilty. The law is there for a reason, and the jury is also there for a reason.
lifestylecheck101:how do you react to prejudice against Filipinos or foreigners in general if any, there in UAE?
jemdahunk: UAE is a nice country especially in Dubai. It is boring for me because I don't have a family… that's my side of the story. There are some who had a bad experience and I feel sorry for them… in all countries, there will always be bad people. So, I cannot say that because one or more people had a bad experience, that the whole country is bad.
lifestylecheck101:I agree on your notion. But there will always be stereotype. How is the Filipinos stereotyped in Dubai, if at all?
jemdahunk: hardworking and quiet. Law-abiding residents.
lifestylecheck101:what do you think of gay marriage?
jemdahunk; I pass on this one… sorry.
lifestylecheck101:any particular reason why you did not comment?
jemdahunk: I don't want to put myself in a position where people will tell me, you are wrong, or you are right. What I can say is, whatever makes you happy, go for it…
Brilliant advise jemdahunk! If you have some questions you want jemdahunk answered, post them here. We'll see if we can get jemdahunk answer them.
YouTube has changed the way we spend our leisure time. No, erase that. YouTube has changed the way we live. Period.
BEFORE: you watch TV at home, go out to see movies, plays, or musicals. You go out, have some fun with the family, and end those special nights with a nightcap. You engage in sports with your friends, join marathons, watch athletic meets, and so on.
NOW: check if nigahiga has come up with another hilarious rant, or if hapislip has some new parody to share in her YouTube channel. You also check if shirtless wickydkewl has some fabulous tips on how to come out from the closet, or if boyceavenue has a new cover of your favorite Adele song.
You watch movies in YouTube; watch theater plays, musicals, and concerts in YouTube; watch the news on YouTube; watch TV shows on YouTube; watch how to cook in YouTube; watch how to speak another language in YouTube; watch the space in YouTube; watch ghosts and goblins appear on YouTube; watch sports on YouTube; watch yourself, for crying out loud, on YouTube. YouTube, YouTube, YouTube!
Will it get out of hand? Only time will tell…
Social media at its finest.
The "best gift" of YouTube, a legacy so to speak, is the undeniable platform that showcases to the world "truly" talented and gifted people. We call them "YouTube sensations" because their videos in YouTube shows their exceptional and sensational talents. There's Charice, Greyson Chance, Ryan Higa, Chester See, Davey Wavey, and so much more. Now, there's another one sensation in the offing - jemdahunk.
I saw his 3 videos entitled "How to Dance in the Club". The first one was added in YouTube a week ago but has already garnered more than a million views. Not only that but the popularity of that video jumped off from the world wide web and landed on national TV news in the Philippines and other Asian nations like Indonesia. His videos were featured in at least two TV networks here in the Philippines which I guess would have made his videos all the more popular. This is completely phenomenal for someone who has posted his first video only a month ago. Wow!
For those of you who haven't seen the hit video, why don't you take a peek? It will only take a couple of minutes. Prepare to laugh your heart out. Here it is:
Meet jemdahunk.
I bet that you would want to know the person behind this video. So, before his popularity shoot up to the moon where I would have to schedule an appointment with his personal assistant for an interview, I decided to contact him and make the interview now. He was so nice to accommodate me. I took a chance and I knew he would grant me the interview since he was kind enough to allow another "YouTuber" (YouTube user) to make a similar video copying his moves. Anyway, the interview went and I get to pick his brain out.
jemdahunk, Jem Mark in real life, is his YouTube user ID. I purposely did not ask for his last name as I actually prefer calling an artist by his or her stage name, or in this case, by his YouTube user ID. So we'll refer to him as jemdahunk.
He is a Filipino who currently resides in Dubai. He went to Dubai for a vacation after finishing his Travel and Tourism course in college in the States. Since jemdahunk found a rather lucrative job as a cabin crew in an airline in Dubai, he stayed in Dubai instead of going back to the States.
If necessity is the mother of invention, well then, boredom is the mother of YouTube videos. It is out of boredom that jemdahunk created his first video. It was mildly successful since he only received a bit less than 50, 000 hits. After a few weeks however, he went on making his "How To" videos. Then suddenly, bam! One video received more than a million hits in just a week!
Here's Part 2 of the How to Dance in the Club video.
Let's get to know jemdahunk more.
Here is the transcript of some parts of my interview with jemdahunk. You'll get to know the person who ultimately wants to spread positivity, laughter, and if at all possible, love, in his videos. Let's meet jemdahunk, shall we?
BACKGROUND INFO AND CHEESEBALL SLUM NOTES:
lifestylecheck101: when did you leave the Philippines?
jemdahunk: when I was 16 years old. I left for the USA, stayed there for 5 years to help my mom with a business, then went to UAE for a vacation because my sister lives here.
lifestylecheck101: do you have any province here in the Philippines?
jemdahunk: Pangasinan.
lifestylecheck101: jemdahunk, where is home?
jemdahunk: Philippines
lifestylecheck101: aside from your sister, do you have other siblings? Where are they now?
jemdahunk: in the Philippines. I have a brother in Manila.
lifestylecheck101: Okay. I have here some lame slum book questions. Please bear with me before we go to the real stuff. Fave place to think things over?
jemdanunk: bathroom.
lifestylecheck101: fave place to vent out anger?
jemdahunk: bathroom
lifstylecheck101: fave author, if any?
jemdahunk: jk rowlling, anne rice.
lifstylecheck101: fave saying?
jemdahunk: weeeeeehhhh… di nga… LOL.
lifstylecheck101: fave food?
jemdahunk: pork adobo.
lifstylecheck101: fave color?
jemdahunk: white, it's not a color, but I like it.
lifstylecheck101: coke or pepsi?
jemdahunk: diet coke.
lifstylecheck101: day or night?
jemdahunk: night.
lifstylecheck101: summer or winter?
jemdahunk: fall.
lifstylecheck101: boxers or briefs?
jemdahunk: white briefs.
lifstylecheck101: shop or drop?
jemdahunk: drop.
lifstylecheck101: sing or dance?
jemdahunk: both.
lifstylecheck101: lead or participate?
jemdahunk: participate.
lifstylecheck101: observe or meddle?
jemdahunk: meddle.
lifstylecheck101: repair or buy?
jemdahunk: repair first, then buy.
lifestylecheck101:talk or listen?
jemdahunk: both, equally
PERSONALS AND PERSONALITIES:
lifestylecheck101:who's your favorite artist?
jemdahunk: Michael V., Sarah Geronimo, Sarah Geronimo, and Sarah Geronimo.
lifestylecheck101:Michael V., I understand. He's your inspiration, funny-wise, yes? Why Sarah Geronimo?
jemdahunk: yes, because she is talented and she personifies the real Filipina.
lifestylecheck101:who's your role model?
jemdahunk: no one. I haven't thought of it so maybe it means I don't have one.
lifestylecheck101:aside from these artists, who do you look up to for guidance in life? Any philosophical view guiding you through your course in life?
jemdahunk: the Bible.
lifestylecheck101:choose one, Mom or Dad?
jemdahunk: Mom.
lifestylecheck101:when was the last time you talked to your mom?
jemdahunk: I always talk with my mom.
lifestylecheck101:single most fun experience in life?
jemdahunk: to go to boracay
lifestylecheck101:single most painful experience in life?
jemdahunk: to have a surgery in the kidney due to congenital problems.
lifestylecheck101:do you have long-term goals, if any?
jemdahunk: not at the moment. I just want to seize the day. Life is very short… I know someone who is very intelligent and very talented. Something terrible happened and now, he can't do anything. I always think of him. I pray he gets better.
lifestylecheck101:how do your closest friends perceive you?
jemdahunk: the funny but suplado (stuck-up, snobbish) one.
lifestylecheck101:how do you perceive yourself?
jemdahunk: the funny but suplado (stuck-up, suplado) one. I can be serious if need be.
lifestylecheck101:they say that more often than not, how you perceive yourself is quite different with how others perceive you. What do you think is the key in bringing these perceptions to the same focal point?
jemdahunk: just be yourself… don't try to please others.
ABOUT YOUTUBE VIDEOS AND EVERYTHING RELATED TO IT.
lifestylecheck101:what's the reason behind your first post?
jemdahunk: I was sooo bored and I just wanted to have a hobby.
lifestylecheck101;no hobby at all before your first video post? How about collection? Do you collect anything at all?
jemdahunk: I don't collect. I'd like to buy to replace, not to add. I like to sing in the karaoke.
lifestylecheck101:are you a real club-goer?
jemdahunk: no. I hate clubs because I have bronchitis and allergic rhinitis. I can't stand the smell of smoke. Maybe that's why I am a good observer.
lifestylecheck101: is your allergic rhinitis perennial or acute?
jemdahunk: perennial
lifestylecheck101:so, if you don't go to clubs, where did you learn those move for the video? Which one single move is your fave?
jemdahunk: I go to clubs but I don't stay long. I like the space hugger.
lifestylecheck101:what's the main theme if any, of your video posts?
jemdahunk: for now, it's how to videos.
lifestylecheck101:no thoughts yet to what would be after the "how to" videos?
jemdahunk: nope. I don't like planning. I like spontaneity.
lifestylecheck101:how long does it take to come up with a video post?
jemdahunk: 2 hours? 3 hours? sometimes a day when I'm tired.
lifestylecheck101:what do you consider is the most fun in the process of making the video? The ones in front of the camera or those activities taking place behind it?
jemdahunk: the place behind it… it is where the magic happens.
lifestylecheck101:where do you get your ideas?
jemdahunk: everyday life. When I se something interesting or funny, I come up with a material based on that.
lifestylecheck101:what's your motivation in adding more videos to your YouTube channel?
jemdahunk: because it's fun. I like seeing how people actually react to my videos. But I always come back to why I started making it. Because it's fun to make it - the acting, the editing, the finished product.
TO BE CONTINUED
Look out for the continuation of the interview. Get to know jemdahunk and how he responds to hard-hitting questions.
2 June 2012, Saturday. Part 2 of JEMDAHUNK's interview is out now. When asked on what's the message he wants to convey to his viewers, JEMDAHUNK said, "always be positive. Always laugh and always love…. then if you have those three… spread them to the ones who need it.". Quite exhilarating!
Check out part 2 of this cool guy's interview. Click on the link below for the CONTINUATION of the interview. Enjoy.
