Freshly MYX-ed nuts
There was a time both a music vid and its intro were equally anticipated; like you actually wanted to hang with the dude slinging cheeky questions at a virginal
pop star or be thoroughly schooled by the chick dropping nod-worthy trivia on a hip-hop heavyweight. The video jock’s become a bit of a joke nowadays, but MYX’s new slew of VJ Search finalists might just be able to rectify our faith in that once-sturdy bridge to A.V. indulgence.
ROBI DOMINGO, 18. Juggling MD 'n' TV aspirations, and being the face of Nokia's 2680 Slide and 7210 Suprenova, it’s who he is: “I’m in my first year of Health Sciences, a mixture of management and pre-med. When I was a kid pa, ang goal ko talaga maging host. Why can’t I have both, diba?”
One quirk that works: “I think of my corny jokes that make people very “soupish” talaga. Sabaw!”
One track on constant head-play: Jason Mraz — You and I Both
VJ Resurrection Plan: “Being the youngest one, I’ll bring the new generation. Syempre, I’m coping with new ideas, new things in my bag. I’ll just present them and I’ll be myself-reachable, funny, intellectual sometimes, and something simple yet sophisticated, in a sense. Ngayon, I’m the alpha.”
BIANCA ROQUE, 23. Former flight attendant touches down on hosting: “I went to college for a really short period of time and figured school’s not really for me. I just wanna keep it real, okay? I get bored with a 9-5 and I had a wicked schedule when I was flying but I just got engaged, so I wanna try something new and I have to be in Manila.”
One quirk that works: “My pastime is to actually curl my eyelashes. That and I can dance in four-inch heels.”
One track on constant head-play: Bonnie Bailey- Safe
VJ Resurrection Plan: “I think I can be like, the girl version of [VJ] Luis (laughs). I always say I’m girly and I can be quiet sometimes but I can also super make fun of myself and just do extremely wacky things.”
CHINO LUI PIO, 22. Champ’s younger bro in the musical know: “I went to Singapore last month to watch Death Cab for Cutie. A poster said that there was autograph signing after the show so I looked for the nearest exit and as soon as they ended Transatlanticism, I ran out and got to meet them.”
One quirk that works: “I hate b*tches. Especially ugly people who pretend to be beautiful. If you’re ugly, be nice, diba? You’re ugly nga, you’re a b*tch pa!”
One track on constant head-play: Kings of Leon- Sex on Fire
VJ Resurrection Plan: “I’ll try to be fun in a natural way para people don’t look at me and say ‘ay, faker naman yan’. Some VJs are too serious when they do it and yung iba, they try to be funny but they’re not. I’m just being real, ha!”
EZRA LACSAMANA, 23. Former ad agency copywriter grips his mic and owns his ‘fro: “Gusto ko talaga maging host. Showbiz? Depende na yan kay Mr. M (laughs). Even without my hair, makulit pa rin yung personality ko, but my hair is my crowning glory. At a Christmas kiddie party for my former job, I came as the Sto. Niño!”
One track on constant head-play: Urbandub- Evidence
VJ Resurrection Plan: “The old-school VJs were very deadpan. Sa akin, my own brand of humor na sobrang spontaneous and anything goes. Hindi naman ako tatae sa plato o dudurain yung nanay ko sa camera. In the spirit of fun, I’ll stretch myself to the hilt-buhayin ang profession ng VJ.”
KAI HOCSON, 19. Getting in line with her showbiz bloodline: “I grew up being surrounded by people in the business — from my grandfather to my two brothers (Bernard and Miko Palanca).”
One quirk that works: “During summer, I was in L.A. with my cousins, where we rode 15 roller coasters in one day and topped it off with bungee jumping. I love heights.”
One track on constant head-play: Madonna feat. Pharrell — Give it to me
VJ Resurrection Plan: “VJs now just stand there, talk, and say the video. Minsan parang they don’t like what they’re introducing. If you’re passionate about music, then you should really show that you wanna do it — introduce great music and have people discover it.”
MACKY ESCALONA, 23. Putting the “jock” in video jock, he’s got the balls to “reach out”: “Being a player for Ginebra is an advantage but my target market is limited to basketball fans. I want to be an athlete but not just the athlete. If you have the tool to be seen in media, you can harness that and reach the youth market and inspire.”
One track on constant head-play: MGMT— Kids (“Or actually both Taken by Cars singles.”)
VJ Resurrection Plan: “I’m a rookie at hosting but I think I’d be good at it, and one of the things I’m very passionate about is music. For me, it doesn’t matter kung ano ang material mo, but what’s important is ilan ba yung coverage ng tao na na-i-influence mo?”
JESSICA MENDOZA, 19. One smart cookie set on taking the cake in broadcasting: “I’m a merit scholar in Ateneo. I took up Journalism and I’m also training as a junior jock at Magic 89.9, so I’m kind of busy. But this is a great stepping stone for anything I wanna do in media.”
One track on constant head-play: Lifehouse — Whatever it Takes
VJ Resurrection Plan: “I wanna bring the idea forward that well, VJ Nikki has done this, but you can be a student and do anything you want to do. You just have to really want it.”
JC LINGAD, 22. Film geek plays the artsy card: “I’m a graduating student enrolling in the Asia Pacific Film Institute. I have a certain artistic side to me so I like seeing and analyzing music videos.”
One quirk that works: “I like to drink and go crazy. [Recently], I kissed a random girl at some event. Kiss lang.”
One track on constant head-play: Sandwich- Betamax
VJ Resurrection Plan: “My natural and pure passion for music and the intellectual side in it. How did they do the music? How did they come up with the video? I want to bring the substance back. I’m more of a substantial guy, I think.”
SAMI PINTO, 18. Style denizen, modeling veteran: “I’m taking up fashion design and merchandising. I’ve been modeling since I was 10 years old so I wanted to take another track.”
One quirk that works: “I don’t look my age. Guys think I’m like, 20-plus. I’m barely legal!”
One track on constant head-play: Will.I.Am- Heartbreaker
VJ Resurrection Plan: “I want to make Myx more interesting. With the new VJs, instead of getting actors and actresses, they should get new faces pare people would ask, ‘who is that? She’s really good, diba?’”
MONICA YNCIERTO, 20. Cebuana radio riot will psych you out: “I started deejaying out of boredom at 17. I have two sems of Psychology left but that’s a fallback.”
One quirk that works: “I love eating Milo. I do not drink it, I eat it.”
One track on constant head-play: Mew — Special (“They’re a Danish band that’s not commercial.”)
VJ Resurrection Plan: “I’ve had experience so this is one of those things I can do with my eyes closed, I think. And I look like a rock chick, but I’m too perky to be just that. I like playgrounds, seesaws, and basketball. I’d like to be the VJ that no one can put together.”
CERAH HERNANDEZ, 22. From singing for kids to hyping up vids: “I was on leave from school, hosting events and kid’s parties. I’d usually play a Disney princess — Ariel —and I really enjoy these gigs ‘cause these kids look at you like you’re a Hollywood celebrity.”
One track on constant head-play: Jordin Sparks — One Step at a Time
VJ Resurrection Plan: “I really enjoyed VJs who weren’t conscious of themselves at all. They played dress-up, spoofed, and looked really stupid. That was entertaining ‘cause it prepared you for the videos and made it lighter. I was telling one of the contestants, ‘I’m so excited to look stupid in front of the camera’. I want people to see the VJ who doesn’t care if she looks stupid or panget or baliw. I really enjoy looking baliw.”
PAOLO ALINO, 18. Self-confessed “boy next door” knocks on Myx’s door: “I was into the whole commercial-ads thing. The most recent one was a web commercial I did for Citibank where I had to eat paper. It was really embarrassing. I signed up for this with my friend Mikey [Lee], the guy who joined PBB (currently on Lipgloss).”
One track on constant head-play: The Afters — Beautiful Love
VJ Resurrection Plan: “Myx connects to the youth more and me and Robi [Domingo] are the youngest among the bunch. I can change the stereotype-ish thing that’s happening to VJs now by being more relate-able. And I won’t be faking it on TV.”
