By now, you’ve seen the latest internet feud that nobody asked for, and on one end is one of the most laughable guys of all time, while on the other is Michael V. And all because of one simple comment:

There’s more to this than meets the eye, though. So let’s break it down!

8. He’s probably not even lashing out at anyone

It might seem like he’s taking a potshot at someone, and it’s not impossible that he is, but if you take the words he’s saying in and by themselves, he’s offering valuable advice.

If you are a content creator, you need to provide content. It might sound truistic, but the reality is, it’s easy to be a believer in your own hype and lose sight of exactly what you should be doing as a content creator sometimes.

7. He was never pitting the old guard against the new guard

Newsflash: TV networks are ALSO content creators. I have no idea why that other guy would attack him and think this was about old media vs new media, but it never was. Every single content creator can relate to what Michael V was saying, and he’s not saying anything wrong.

6. Sometimes, we really need to go back to our “why”

Why do we do what we do? Sometimes, in the middle of just doing it day in and day out, we forget our reasons, and it leads to everything being out of whack. To make this a bit reflexive, we at 8List could ask ourselves — why do we make these lists? Of course, it helps pay our bills, but we had a bigger reason for being than just being another listicle site, right?

Yes, we did. And that’s why we take the pains to explain each and every item 99% of the time, instead of showing just a photo and being done with it – unless that’s exactly what is needed. And that’s because we value your time as much as the time we took to write these lists. We believe that “you learn something every day” should be true and as much as possible, fun. It’s why we do this. Really.

5. There was nothing objectionable to what he said

Look closely at the other guy’s statement (and we’re not naming him because we’ve learned our lesson after a certain guy named X.G. already got so much underserved attention from the world in general):

He’s saying “we control the media now.” Except he literally doesn’t. He’s on a platform that can de-platform him anytime they feel like it and demonetize him as a result. And then he says something about influencers, and about that…

4. Michael V. is an influencer, too

Michael V. is an influencer both in the classic sense and in the digital age sense. Whether it be his countless endorsements that most of his clients swear lead to a direct increase in revenue or his countless songs and skits on Bubble Gang still quoted to this very day or even his posts on social media that get people talking, the dude is an influencer. And inasmuch as social media is the great equalizer and it gives the average joe a chance to stand out as much as the celebrities in local showbiz, Michael V. traverses both worlds with ease.

3. Michael V. is extremely underrated

“But he’s one of the biggest comedic actors ever!”

Exactly. And that’s why he’s underrated. Because people forget he’s so much more than just that. He’s also a pretty versatile dramatic actor, a brilliant writer, a stellar singer, a skilled dancer, and a great representative of geekdom in general. When people remember him (deservedly so) for his unprecedented stint with Bubble Gang, they tend to forget how much he really brings to the table.

2. Regardless of platform, luck and talent always play a role

Whether you are part of traditional media or the new breed on social media, you really have to offer something different when anyone and everyone can just try to grab attention by being controversial or infamous. The ones who really last go beyond the skin-deep, and only time will tell if that other guy will surpass his expected shelf life.

Case in point: remember Xander Ford? Neither do we.

1. The wordplay is a thing of beauty

Look at that statement again:

“… the meaning of the word ‘CONTENT.’”

On the surface, he could be talking about content, as in content creation. But he could also be talking about the adjective, “content,” pronounced “kənˈtent,” which means being satisfied. Content creators think that to gain more attention, they need to go bigger and badder every single time, and this has resulted in disaster for some of them. So content creators need to create quality content (noun) and be content (adjective) at not going too far at the same time.

How about another? What if we turned “content” into its Filipino equivalent? The best word would be “laman.” Which is another way of looking at it: that the content cannot be empty content. Because that would mean “hindi siya malaman” na content. 

It’s brilliant. Brilliant, I tell you.

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