Ice Neo, Mykee Mae, Paul Allen, Reneé Dominique, Yani, and Zeke Abella prove authenticity is the best formula for viral internet fame
Have you ever gotten held up by an ice pick-wielding robber?
This thought is what led a bored senior high school student Yani Villarosa to create her own imagining of a holdup scenario six years ago, which became a minute-long skit posted on X (then called Twitter). With the caption “at least thoughtful ako as a holdaper,” user @yanihatesu played the parts of both victim and holdaper, ending it with a twist that could put even Hitchcock to shame.
Using selfie zoom effects and comedic dialogue, Yani’s video poked fun at a situation that many Filipinos are familiar with but would never want to find themselves in. Though it’s not likely that many have experienced it, the possibility of getting held up with an ice pick is often memed to death because of how often we’re advised to practice caution on our commutes.
On a platform like X that was already inundated with arguments and political content, the video was a breath of fresh air for many because it was relatable and short enough for ruined attention spans. It blew up precisely because it didn’t make sense.
When Yani posted her first viral video, she was still a senior high school student who just enjoyed making funny videos for the internet. She never thought it would lead to the multitude of opportunities that came up after. Since then, she’s landed numerous brand partnerships and magazine covers, co-hosted a hit Spotify podcast, bagged a major role in a JP Habac-helmed Anima Studios series, and earned a degree in communication arts from the University of the Philippines Los Banos.
“Ang joke ko noon is para kayong nagpa-graduate ng bata,” she says while reminiscing about how she got her start in the industry. “Kasi literal feeling ko na parang nagpa-graduate ’yong mga tao kasi nakita nila akong makapagtapos ng college.”
Crediting Vine for popularizing the random short form video format, Yani was able to grow a following on X with more of her relatable comedy skits, becoming one of the local pioneers for the format we see thriving on TikTok today.
So random
Since expanding its user base over the pandemic, TikTok has not only produced some of the most successful internet stars of today but has also changed the way we create and consume content. The short form comedy skit is now one of the most viewed formats on the app, with many of the biggest content creators in the Philippines finding and growing their audiences through comedy.
Yani’s self-described brand of “random and nonsensical” content resonated with people because it was short and unpretentious. It was also refreshing to see someone online who wasn’t taking herself too seriously. “Feeling ko kasi ‘yon ‘yong brand ng Gen Z humor,” she says. “Parang random na hindi mo ma-gets bakit.”
Random is likely what you’d observe from the videos of creators who came after Yani, like Polytechnic University of the Philippines student Ice Neo. As the son of Richard Perello, the hairdresser known best for the ‘Kris Bernal Starstruck haircut umiiyak’ meme, it’s as if the broadcast communication sophomore was somehow destined to go viral; an internet nepo baby, if you will.
“Gusto ko ‘yong saying ‘I am a mosaic of everything and everyone I have ever loved,’” says the 19-year-old, referencing a Tumblr post that made the rounds in 2020. As a chronically online, unapologetically queer creator who loves making all sorts of references on the daily, Neo uses their pop culture knowledge to tap into Gen Z’s longing for nostalgia while incorporating trends and sometimes even bringing to light social issues (see: Danas).
Neo says they take after their dad’s penchant for niche interests, having been named after the rapper Ice Cube and “The Matrix” character Neo. In their recurring “Fit Check” series, they itemize each element of a person’s outfit and attach a reference to it. The reference pool is wide, ranging from Crisostomo Ibarra to Mama Mary to Caroline Polachek. “Hinahaluan ko din siya ng mga niche interests para mapapa-search din [‘yong audience]. Para halo-halong audience ang ma-ke-cater niya,” they say.
Neo sometimes appears in videos with singer and content creator Paul Allen. Known for his doll antics on TikTok, Paul describes his comedy as “pinaka-OA na kabadingan.”
He made an account last year after a friend told him his Instagram stories would do well if he uploaded them to the platform. His friend was right—an unintentional parody of Catriona Gray’s Miss Universe national costume segment using an Iwata went viral, and the rest is history.
Paul’s content makes the case for physical comedy, not depending on dialogue and instead banking on his facial expressions and body language. All of that makes a recipe for a lot of serving and slaying, whether on the road with a random motorbike or on a treadmill. “Parang emote-emote. Basta ‘pag may camera kailangang naka awra-awra,” he says with a flourish.
His viral videos have allowed him to do content creation full time, and now he’s even added beauty content and music to his portfolio. “I’ll try to focus more on my music and take it to the next level,” he says of his plans.
View this post on Instagram
Language studies
From physical comedy, language, on the other hand, is what Bisaya creators like Zeke Abella and Mykee Mae use to their advantage.
Though she’s known for content that spans beauty and entertainment, Davaoeña Mykee Mae has gone viral many times for her videos that translate Gen Z slang into Bisaya and Tagalog terms.
She started creating content in 2016 through YouTube, but took it more seriously in 2020 at the start of the pandemic when she realized that she could use TikTok as a medium to express all her thoughts.
It was when a video she made about her experience as a Davaoeña living in Manila went viral and she gained over 100,000 followers in a week that she began to see the potential of her platform.
As a go-getter with a background in communications and marketing, Mykee took it as an opportunity, fully committing to it by posting videos every day and strategizing based on which videos would do well. “We want to incorporate a lot of things we’re passionate about into one video,” says Mykee. “So that’s beauty, we wear a lot of really funky makeup, we’re colorful. We like something that can spark joy to the viewers.”
Apart from building a community, she’s also very passionate about representing creators outside of Manila.
“I feel like, for the longest time, in the media industry, it’s always like the ones in the capital that are represented and they’re put into a pedestal and they’re like, oh, you have to be that kind of person to be perceived as beautiful, as funny or smart,” she says.
With so many people resonating with her content, she hopes to build a bigger community for Bisaya people and people outside Metro Manila to be seen and heard.
Cebu-based student Zeke Abella, meanwhile, first went viral for his puns, which play into a very specific brand of Pinoy and Bisaya humor that relies heavily on semantics and (mis)pronunciation.
He was inspired by Yani and Phillip Hernandez of @davaoconyo when he first started posting his videos on Facebook and TikTok. Zeke never imagined that the videos would take on a life of their own, going viral in places he least expected them to. Reposts of his videos often circulate on X, where he says he doesn’t even have an account.
“I translated a video—there was a comment asking ‘Ano Tagalog ng cake?’ So, instead of saying the real definition, ‘yong sinabi ko doon [ay] sipa. So parang cake/kick ‘yon,” he recalls of his first viral moment. The video now has 1.3 million views, while Zeke has 2.5 million followers.
@zekeabella12♬ original sound – Zeke Abella
The video ideas come naturally to the 19-year-old mass communication sophomore. Contrary to the belief of some critics, the Zeke in the videos is the same Zeke you’d meet in real life. “I don’t feel like I’m playing a character. I’m just expressing it freely, kumbaga,” he says.
Despite reaching a new level of fame that gets him recognized on the streets, Zeke still maintains that while he does think of his content from a creator’s perspective now, he still doesn’t overthink the bits that he does. “Minsan kasi ‘yong mga puns natin or mga jokes, pilit na siya sa mga mata natin. Sometimes it will ruin talaga the content,” he adds.
He also really likes how there’s an “inside joke” element to them that might make it difficult for those who don’t speak Filipino to understand. In a recent video, he took while on vacation, where he scolds a crab at the beach for bringing down his peers. “Nakita ko lang ‘yong crab na parang nahihirapan siya and sabi ko na, ‘Oh! Crab mentality.’” The video has 1.6 million views and counting.
Conyo classics
Like Yani and Mykee, musician Reneé Dominique has lived many lives as a content creator.
Having started out doing cover song music videos on YouTube, she’d already built a solid following online prior to opening a TikTok account, even collaborating with folk pop singer Jason Mraz for a single and music video and performing it live with him in 2019.
When the 25-year-old began posting her conyo girl skits in 2021, she didn’t expect anything to come of it. Skits were trendy at the time, so she decided to put her own spin on the genre by coming up with a character based off her own personality. “My whole persona on TikTok is kind of me but also just a mix of my friends and I guess just observing people who are like that,” she shares.
It was also a way for her to highlight a better side of the conyo demographic, which people really enjoyed because it was different from a lot of the negative caricatures that were floating around at the time. “When you say conyo, people instantly think of something negative. Like, oh, you’re privileged, you’re a maarte, you’re matapobre, all that stuff. But with me, based on my experience with some people, a lot of them are really nice.”
As a full-time content creator and musician, Reneé is now able to reconcile the two sides of herself, with her TikTok helping her promote her music and vice versa. “It was really interesting how brands incorporated their own thing towards my skits,” she says, adding that her Mamita content is also highly requested by skincare brands who want to promote their products on her page.
***
While viral internet fame can be just as fleeting as most of our memories these days, these six content creators were able to escape the curse of the one-hit wonder and linger on our FYPs for much longer than 60 seconds.
In an age where many struggle to find the winning formula and find their niche online, it’s clear that authenticity and relatability remain key to capture an audience that will continue to watch your content.
Neo, Mykee, Paul, Reneé, Yani, and Zeke have shown that Filipinos will always find a common language in laughter, whether it be bonding over shared trauma and pop culture references, dolling it out while in public, or playing a beloved character.
Creative direction by Nimu Muallam
Photography by JT Fernandez
Story by Gaby Gloria
Makeup by Dorothy Mamalio
Hair by Payek Aquino
Styling by Angelo Vasallo at Gee Jocson Studio
Video by Samantha Ong and Michael Yabut
Produced by Christian San Jose
