Ogie Alcasid’s “Boy Pick-Up”, a tribute to Pinoy Hip-Hop?
Photo from www.bworldonline.com
Aside from his attire that is supposed to mimic what a typical rapper would wear, “Boy Pick-Up” may not realistically be the quintessential Pinoy rapper. However, Ogie Alcasid portrays the cartoonish character “Boy Pick-Up” so effectively that viewers forget the actor behind the character–it would seem “Boy Pick-Up” and Ogie Alcasid are two entirely different persons.
What amuses me most about “Boy Pick-Up” is that even though he is supposedly a rapper at first glance, he doesn’t really rap when he takes his turn, whether it is to initiate the round or to do his rebuttal. He merely says cheesy lines in such a slow and agonizing manner and with so many long pauses in between viewers at home would think that he has already finished his turn.
Most of the time, “Boy Pick-Up’s” rebuttals are just so off that they totally miss the mark by a mile which leave his opponents so bewildered that they can’t even think of a reply to counter his inane lines. It is a brilliant strategy that has made “Boy Pick-Up’ such a unique character in television to watch.
And Ogie Alcasid is no slouch either when it comes to his comedy style as he can apply his own tweaking to make the character “Boy Pick-Up” even more interesting than it already is. I think he has made “Boy Pick-Up” more appealing to kids because the character isn’t at all offensive. Of the skits of it I have seen on the television show “Bubble Gang,” and some of the popular ones uploaded on YouTube, I have not seen a skit which bordered on anything vulgar or obscene.
Some of the earliest one-liners of “Boy Pick-Up” within the year of its debut have become so memorable to viewers of “Bubble Gang” that you have other people emulating it and using it as their own.
In my opinion, most of the best one-liners I have seen so far revolved around the character of Neneng B. portrayed by Sam Pinto on the “Pick-Up Lines” skit of “Bubble Gang.” Neneng B. was often the center of two dueling rappers in their attempt to impress her. And of course, most of the time, “Boy Pick-Up” would be declared the winner.
The choreographed and mostly scripted pick-up battles that take place in the still highly popular “Pick-Up Lines” skits have resulted in lighthearted and humorous variations to the real Rap Battles that take place in numerous locations spread out in the country. However, this is not to say that there aren’t currently some amateur competitors in Rap Battles that do not reflect what the character of Ogie Alcasid does in “Bubble Gang.” This shows just how much influence the character “Boy Pick-Up” has had on all of types of people so much so that even the non-viewers of “Bubble Gang” have taken notice and are now trying to figure out what the craze over “Boy Pick-Up” is all about.
I think the “Boy Pick-Up” character has provided a means for those outside the scene to get familiar with the mechanics of Pinoy Rap Battles as shown by Michael V. who portrays the moderator of the “Pick-Up Lines” skit on “Bubble Gang.” Any way you look at it, there is direct influence there seen from Hip-Hop culture, as it is also informative, depending on who interprets what they see and watch. Of course, the “Pick-Up Lines” skits help keep the Pinoy Hip-Hop scene visible in local television!
