I wasn’t always the biggest Vice Ganda stan. Her jokes have always made me laugh a lot, but my appreciation for her usually ended there. Over the years, however, I (and I’m sure many of us, especially in the queer community) have noticed a gradual shift not only in the superstar’s brand of comedy but as well as in how she harnesses her platform to bring forth relevant conversations we didn’t grow up being talked about in noontime shows.

And even better, the topics Vice speaks about aren’t limited to LGBTQIA+ rights; this showbiz royalty gets intersectional! The jeepney phaseout! Unjust labor conditions! Corruption! She’d throw shade at the nation’s leaders and make references to current events using her sharp wit and brand of comedy the masses know and love. But she doesn’t stop at being funny. She also knows how to be more grounded, serious, vulnerable, and moving.

Recently, Vice has somehow gotten a lot of undue criticism, especially from Tiktok users, for intervening in what she discerned to be an unacceptable situation on It’s Showtime. And on Pride month, too? Hell no. Let’s take a trip down Meme-ry lane and look back on the times the Unkabogable Star called out the unacceptable.

When a contestant proudly greeted the third party in her relationship

TV contestants saying hi to their parents and loved ones who are watching from home is one thing, but for one to make a shout-out to the third party in her relationship is something else. Thankfully Vice was quick to address the situation. “Hindi natin pinagmamalaki yun. Hindi magandang salita yon, lalo na sa tanghali. Ano ka ba?”

When audience members pulled her hair

Fans posted on Tiktok an incident in a Canada show where audience members, a woman, and her partner, pulled Vice’s wig mid-performance. “You don’t do that. You have to say sorry to me. You don’t do that. It’s very rude. I am trying to give you a wonderful time but don’t hurt me,” Vice told the couple. 

When a TV news report invented a rift between her and Marian Rivera

News5’s morning newscast, Frontline sa Umaga reports that a longstanding feud between Vice and Marian Rivera seemed to have been squashed after they were seen hugging each other at a party, but Vice didn’t know there was a feud at all.  

News anchor Gretchen Ho promptly responded to her by saying she’d take it up to their producers for investigation, but reporter MJ Marfori, who was tagged by netizens for accountability, was too comfortable using the laughing emoji while washing her hands clean of that story.

When speculations about her relationship with Toni Gonzaga were all over TikTok

Politics is honestly a worthy reason to end a friendship. If your friend supported a candidate who’s against everything you stand for, if they endorsed someone who was partly responsible for why your home network lost its franchise, it’d be understandable if your friendship ceased. But it’s not really cool when strangers decide that for you. So when “fake news” about her relationship with a host and BBM endorser was all over TikTok, the star had this to say. 

When some people were trying to stir the pot between her and Karylle

Making fun of herself, contestants, and her co-hosts is part of Vice’s brand of comedy, but netizens have called her out a few times as well for crossing certain lines. In February 2023, after being called out for crossing the line, she immediately admitted her mistake, apologized to Karylle, and promised madlang pipol she’d do better. 

A month later, when Karylle made a reference to the issue in her birthday message to Vice, saying that she’s happy that she has “a direct line to her heart.” Vice took the opportunity to take a swipe at those who were playing fake nice with her while doing things obviously meant to hurt her, and those who did nothing but stir the pot. (She didn’t name anyone, but a certain Kuya Kim was out there liking tweets against Vice at the time.)

When a producer withheld their payment to her friends for a canceled show

One thing we love about Vice is how she shares the spotlight with friends from the comedy bar scene, which eventually brings them more bookings and gigs. But when an international gig was canceled, her friends MC and Lassy got stuck in Qatar with no payment from the producer. Vice, of course, swooped in: “Nananawagan  po kami sa producers ng mga kaibigan namin, pakibayaran naman po para makauwi na. Kawawa naman ‘yung dalawa.”

When a Facebook page used her name and image to scam

In April 2020, at the height of the quarantine, a Facebook page called “Vice Ganda Family” claimed to be giving away 5000 pesos via GCash and Palawan Express. Her response was as straightforward as it gets.

When she made a stand for the queer community against Manny Pacquiao’s remarks

As the Philippines’ most visible queer artist and personality, Vice was amongst the first to react to Senator Pacquiao’s homophobia. In a series of tweets, Vice threw shade at the boxer-turned-politician’s poor attendance in Congress and his history of adultery, and suggested him to be a false prophet. 

The years have proven Vice Ganda as a sharp communicator. She’s appreciated especially by the queer community for helping normalize queer love, and it’s such a joy to watch how she’s able to share her increasingly progressive politics using vocabulary that is accessible to the masses.

We get tired of hearing this, but representation does matter. And boy am I glad there’s a Vice Ganda right now who more than fits the bill to represent us every noon. Happy Pride, Meme Vice!

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