TVJ

TVJ is the collective name for a comedy troupe made up of Filipino veteran comedians Tito Sotto, Tito's younger brother Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon. The trio gained popularity in their native Philippines when they served as the original hosts of a variety game show programme which first aired on July 30, 1979, on having previously starred in a number of sketch comedy shows and musical programmes since 1972Tito, Vic & Joey recall their road to success. 26 November 2008. Philippine Entertainment Portal. as well as pursuing a career in music with the Sotto brothers forming the disco group in the late 70s.
They, along with their roster of co-hosts, resigned from TAPE, Inc. to form their own production company in 2023, where they started a variety show under the placeholder title after a widely-publicised split with TAPE, Inc. In December 2023, the courts sided with TVJ over ownership of the Eat Bulaga brand, paving the way for them to revert to the old Bulaga moniker.TAPE stops using Eat Bulaga! as Tito, Vic, Joey start using it for noon show
==What's the fuss about them?==
Well, while they have been household name in Philippine entertainment for almost half a century, all isn't sunshine and roses for them, and given the seedy underbelly of the entertainment industry not just in Hollywood but overseas, as well as how crackpots like Rodrigo Duterte tend to get away scot-free due to how they exert and take advantage of their sociopolitical influence, despite assurances by some about their relative "wholesomeness" and family-friendliness compared to their rivals,Anak TV honors child-friendly TV programs and starsJose and Wally: The pressure is on the TVJ troupe and their co-stars in Eat Bulaga have had their fair share of controversies both in the entertainment industry, and in the case of Tito Sotto, politics.
===Ethnic embroilment===
Both Bulaga and its temporary incarnation as E.A.T. have made use of ethnic jokes stoking national stereotypes at the expense of those mocked.
During TVJ's stint at Bulaga, one of the gags Tito and Joey pulled was in a 2015 Halloween episode where they dressed up as stereotypical Arab men, specifically wearing keffiyeh or hatta (headdress) and a thawb (long-sleeved garment). This obviously did not sit well with both netizens and the Filipino Muslim community who took umbrage at an act of cultural appropriation, racism and Islamophobia,Filipino TV host offends with Arab Halloween outfitThe many times Joey de Leon found himself in the middle of controversy with ARMM governor Mujiv Hataman demanding an apology from the duo; Tito however showed defiance and claimed they had nothing to apologise for, maintaining that the garment was a gift from a sheikh friend of his and they were not mocking any culture or religion.25 Most-Talked About Celebrity Moments of 2015 Similarly, prominent Filipino Muslim actor Robin Padilla dismissed the costume controversy, remarking that there were far more serious issues that should be addressed than the costumes worn by the hosts, while also fearing backlash from his fellow Muslim compatriots.Robin Padilla: Uproar on Sotto, De Leon’s Arab garb ‘not worthy of my time’
In a "Bawal Judgemental" (transl. "Don't Be Judgemental") segment, Joey made a snide remark towards a Filipino woman of Chinese descent asking if she underwent a check-up presumably for COVID-19. Some were quick to point out the sinophobic connotations of the joke Joey told in relation to the pandemic's origin.Netizens Resurface Old Concerns as MTRCB Allegedly Overlooks ‘Dabarkads’ Issues Amid Warnings to ‘It’s Showtime’
In an August 2023 episode of E.A.T., Jose Manalo made a remark towards Nigerian co-host Daniel "Tugue Zombie" Oke (who initially gained viral popularity in his adopted Philippines as a Tagalog-speaking vlogger) where he joked that if he won Tugue as a prize in a bingo game, it would be called a "blackout", in reference to marking all numbers on a bingo board. Audiences were quick to point out the flagrantly racist remark Manalo made towards the Nigerian; Zombie however somehow came to Manalo's defence and maintained that he wasn't offended by the blackout joke, telling critics to "mind their own business".Zombie tells critics of Jose Manalo’s “blackout” joke: “Mind your own business.”
===The suffering sirens===
While Eat Bulaga! had the distinction of promoting the cause of transgender women through the "Super Sireyna" segment since 1995,Super Sireyna 1995 Eat Bulaga! 1995 it was also dubiously complimented with the so-called "Suffer Sireyna" spin-off, a self-parody of "Super Sireyna" aired as a subsegment of "Juan for All, All for Juan: Bayanihan of d' Pipol", where gay and transgender residents of the barangays visited by the Juan for All crew compete in food challenges, acting skits, and question-and-answer portions, from the condescending such as being given a measly ₱1,000 or bizarre prizes like firewood or junk food from a nearby store, to the extreme and denigrating such as ingesting coffee powder or eating raw meat, all while TVJ and their co-hosts laugh at the humiliating spectacle.How ‘Suffer SiReyna’ highlights LGBTQI suffering
It may have been a hit with audiences and portions of the LGBTQ+ community as a cheap laugh due to the bumbling antics of the participants involved, but many LGBTQ+ advocates condemned it as amounting to a freak show or a human zoo where impoverished gay and transgender barangay residents were openly mocked and ridiculed. John Ryan Mendoza of Outrage also pointed out how Allan K., an openly gay actor and veteran Bulaga host, apparently kept mum about the ensuing freak show despite being "in a position of power to call the failings of Suffer SiReyna".
===De Leon, the callous clown===
Joey de Leon, a former disc jockey-turned-comedian and part of the TVJ trio, is known for his extensive use of wordplay and so-called "green jokes" i.e. ribald humour, oftentimes with off-colour if not outright risqué double entendres. As witty as they may seem, there were instances where he arguably took the joke too far especially given the Philippines' socially-conservative atmosphere in past decades, and in recent years, the rise of progressive social consciousness movements in the country.
In 2017 he came under fire from netizens and mental health experts as well as the Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) for making a denialist claim that conditions such as depression are completely made up by those suffering from them. This stemmed from an episode of Eat Bulaga! during the "Juan for All, All for Juan" segment where a contestant whom the Bulaga co-hosts paid a visit to explained that their mother suffered from depression, which de Leon tactlessly downplayed:Mental Illness and Addiction Recovery Support Philippines (Archive)
One of the co-hosts, , chided de Leon:
De Leon persisted however, and merely chalked it up to a person's financial standing, to the applause of the live studio audience who were clearly ignorant over the gravity of the subject.Joey de Leon dismisses depression as just ‘made up’ on ‘Eat Bulaga’; Maine Mendoza says it’s not a joke Unsurprisingly, his remarks were met with condemnation and scorn on social media by netizens who berated de Leon for his reckless ignorance about the suffering people with depression go through. He has since apologised over the matter, claiming in an interview that his relatives schooled him on mental and psychological health.'Nararamdaman Talaga Ang Depression Especially Sa Mga Nanays' Perhaps in a morbidly ironic twist, de Leon's own son Kempee went through a "major depression" when he was booted from Eat Bulaga! in 2022.Keempee de Leon, dumaan sa "major depression" nang matanggal sa Eat Bulaga
And as if he didn't learn from his past experiences with mental illness denial, he once again elicited controversy in 2023 where he jokingly suggested a noose as one of the most commonly worn objects around the neck during the "Gimme 5: Laro ng mga Henyo" segment aired on September 23, 2023, widely interpreted by audiences as a reference to suicide by hanging. During the segment, one of the contestants struggled to name anything other than "necklace", and when his turn ended, de Leon blurted out "Rope, rope, you forgot [to include that]."Joey De Leon Noose Joke This prompted widespread backlash both from audiences and mental health experts who argued that suicide is never to be trivialised or joked about. Netizens also called on MTRCB chairperson Diorella Maria Sotto-Antonio, daughter of Tito Sotto, to investigate the incident, and saw a double standard over filing sanctions against a rival programme yet overlooking any indiscretions made by the show Diorella's father starred in."Joey de Leon pinagmumura ng netizens dahil sa 'lubid' joke sa 'E.A.T.', MTRCB kinalampag: 'Galaw, galaw Lala Sotto!'" [Joey de Leon cursed by netizens for the 'rope' joke in 'EAT', MTRCB slammed: 'Move, move Lala Sotto!']. bandera.inquirer.net. September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023. Fanboys of the show were busy burying their heads in the sand and alleged that the ensuing backlash was orchestrated by It's Showtime loyalists, arguing that the noose joke was taken out of context despite the obvious suicidal connotations of a rope around one's neck.Fans ng TVJ kinampihan si Joey de Leon sa lubid joke: ‘Ambabaw na ng mga tao ngayon, konting kibot nag-iiyakan agad’ In a formal letter addressed to the MTRCB dated September 25, creative director Jeny Ferre explained that de Leon conveyed the incident verbally in a very brief manner without further actions, elaborations, or demonstrations, but their management acknowledged those sentiments that it insinuated suicide, and they were regretful and apologetic to those offended by de Leon's utterance.Maila Ager (September 27, 2023). "EAT' management says sorry for Joey De Leon's 'lubid' joke". Retrieved September 28, 2023.
Despite intense criticism over the suicide joke controversy, de Leon has so far refused to make a statement condemning his recent gaffe, in stark contrast to his previous public apology over the depression remarks he made in 2017. In a tweet, he echoed the sentiments of fellow comedian and former Bulaga host who lamented how it is hard for comedians to make people laugh as "a lot of people just criticize" and they end up getting cancelled for the (inappropriate) jokes they make - "They think that they’re better than us. They should take over our spots. But what do you call them? Especially that you’ve been in the industry longer than them? They think they’re a lot funnier. That’s it, jealous people."Joey de Leon composes poem for critics, cites Michael V’s remark on comedians’ predicament
===The grooming gentlemen and the soda scandal===
Even more disturbing is their treatment of women and children both in their comedy routines and elsewhere, and yet they somehow escaped potential prosecution in spite of what amounts to child abuse if not outright paedophilia or ephebophilia, and in some cases enabling of rape culture and victim shaming by the trio.
, a teen actress who first gained popularity in the 2010s as a contestant in the "Little Miss Philippines" child beauty pageant segment, was involved in at least a few controversies, one of which was when Vic Sotto made an apparent paedophiliac remark towards her during the "Little Miss Philippines" coronation day in 2012, where Vic (ostensibly) made a slip of the tongue and asked if he could touch the then seven-year old girl provocatively, which he quickly corrected.Pwedeng hipuan, ano? Ay hipuin? 🤮🤮 (Archive) Dizon was once again at the centre of controversy when Sotto was summoned by the (MTRCB) for spitting juice in front of the girl in the "Ang Joke Ko" segment, about which the board expressed concern over "scenes allegedly insensitive and unfriendly to children".Bayani San Diego Jr., Marinel R. Cruz (September 4, 2013). "'Eat Bulaga,' 'The Ryzza Mae Show' violate 'dignity of the child'—MTRCB". pep.ph. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
In a 2018 Eat Bulaga! episode, the older hosts had then-six year old , also known by his stage name "Bae-by" Baste, sing the single "",Baste singing Versace on the Floor (Trigger warning: Child singing sexually explicit lyrics) (Archive) the lyrics of which refer to an intimate encounter i.e. sex.Bruno Mars’ “Versace on the Floor” Lyrics Meaning Anyone with the right mind would know how grossly inappropriate it would be to have a six-year old, of all people, sing a mature song about sexual intercourse, and yet this somehow passed under MTRCB's radar in comparison to the shitstorm that ensued in a where a six-year old boy was made to perform a suggestive dance to the tune of 's ""."Willing Willie and the boy who wouldn't smile". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011.
But perhaps the most infamous of these indiscretions are the widely publicised allegations of rape by the late starlet (born Delia Dueñas Smith) against the TVJ trio.Jimmy Savile and our own ‘lovable louts’ Paloma previously appeared in a number of softcore films (known in local vernacular as "bomba" or "bold" films) as part of the so-called “Soft Drink Beauties” together with Coca Nicolas (née Johnnalee Hickins) and Sarsi Emmanuelle (née Maria Jennifer Obregon Mitchell),Where Are They Now: Pepsi Paloma and the Other 'Softdrink Beauties' of the '80s and made her on-screen debut at just fifteen years old in Brown Emmanuelle (1982), making her (along with Nicolas and Emanuelle) the Philippines' answer to . Months after starring in Brown Emmanuelle, Paloma wound up in an encounter with Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Ricardo "Richie D'Horsie" Reyes after making a guest appearance with fellow actress Guada Garin in Iskul Bukol, where, according to her own account, she was drugged by the comedians, taken to a hotel room and gang-raped. Tito Sotto reportedly intervened and was alleged to have coerced Paloma into hushing up the affair by placing a pistol on the table in front of her.The rape of Pepsi Paloma (archived Inquirer page) The ensuing scandal led the trio to issue a public apology in the October 13, 1982 edition of the People’s Journal:
Tito vehemently denied any wrongdoing by his brother Vic in an interview with Who magazine published on September 29, 1982, reasoning that he was "too frail and skinny" to sexually violate Paloma. De Leon, being the callous edgelord proll that he is, made a mockery of the controversy and wore a "Coke is it" shirt during a hearing at the Quezon City Fiscal’s office as a dog whistle reference to the Paloma scandal.This 1982 Interview Gives Tito Sotto & Joey de Leon's Account of the Pepsi Paloma Rape CaseWHO Magazine September 29, 1982 issue Paloma did not pursue any further charges against the comedians and was later found dead in an apparent suicide."33 Years After She Died, We Still Remember the Myth of Pepsi Paloma". Esquire. Retrieved 28 February 2019. Tito later dismissed the allegations as a mere publicity stunt on the part of Paloma and denied having used his political influence to turn the case in their favour;Tito Sotto denies whitewashing Pepsi Paloma rape case he did on the other hand pressure the Philippine Daily Inquirer into suppressing online articles mentioning the Paloma scandal on the grounds that it was "damaging" to his public image as a senator,"INQUIRER.net statement on the Pepsi Paloma stories". 5 July 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019. apparently not getting the memo that there's such a thing as the Streisand effect anyway."Beware The Streisand Effect: a Short Explainer for Sen. Tito Sotto". Esquire. June 18, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019.Senador Tito Sotto, na-Streisand effect sa Pepsi Paloma case Adding salt to TVJ's wound was when a self-described "white-hat troll" uploaded scans of the Who interview with the trio, where it was written that Joey had the gall to remark about a court clerk who "whispered she wished she were the one raped". Perhaps intriguingly enough, in a 2024 interview with journalist –which was uploaded in time for E.A.T.s relaunch as Eat Bulaga after TVJ Productions was awarded the rights to use the old Bulaga brand–fellow former Soft Drink Beauty Coca Nicolas also denied the allegations, maintaining that the whole TVJ rape scandal was a public relations stunt orchestrated by their manager, Rey dela Cruz:
The suspicious circumstances of Pepsi's fall from grace and death served to fuel much speculation and conspiracy theories, one notable example being the song "Spoliarium", which was widely alleged to be a veiled allusion to the Paloma affair, particularly the lines "Umiyak ang umaga/Anong sinulat ni Enteng at Joey diyan/Sa pintong salamin/'Di ko na mabasa/'Pagkat merong nagbura" (transl. "The morning cried/What did Enteng and Joey write on the glass door/I couldn't read it/Because someone erased it") which are interpreted to be a reference to Tito Sotto's supposed efforts at a coverup. Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia later denied in a podcast that the song was in any way alluding to TVJ's encounter with Paloma, as it was just about their experiences when they were intoxicated at some point in their careers; the "Enteng and Joey" mentioned in the song were merely their roadies at the time.Ely Buendia dispels urban myth about Eraserheads song ‘Spoliarium’: “The actual meaning is really mundane” He would further reiterate at a media conference that the song had nothing to do with the scandal and that the conspiracy theories surrounding the song saddened him, stating "This is a sad thing. I was really heartbroken when that thing came out because I was such a huge fan," he added. "They are my heroes and I wouldn't dream of writing a song to tarnish my heroes, so that's the most ridiculous rumor." Interestingly, the band would be in Tito Sotto's crosshairs as Sotto sought to ban the Eraserheads single "Alapaap" over its alleged reference to substance abuse, which indeed turned out to be an ode to marijuana as Buendia eventually confessed in an interview.Ely Buendia on Existence, Loneliness, and the Songs That Matter. Esquire. Erwin Romulo (9 May 2017) Buendia and his bandmates also co-starred in the drag comedy film alongside de Leon who starred as the titular Barbi."Paolo Ballesteros honored to take on Joey de Leon's 'Barbi' character". Interaksyon. November 28, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2020. There also supposedly exists live televised footage of TVJ tearfully begging Paloma (and by extension the public) for forgiveness on Eat Bulaga, something which intrigued lost media enthusiasts who sought for its discovery, if it existed at all; speculation has it that the live apology did exist but was suppressed by TAPE, Inc. on Tito Sotto's orders.Eat Bulaga! "Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, Richie D’ Horsie" (lost live TV apology; existence unconfirmed; 1982) And to top it all off, had Vic, Joey and Richie been properly prosecuted and convicted of the crimes they were accused of, they would have been sent to the electric chair for statutory rape, a fate which befell three of four convicted rapists in actress Maggie de la Riva's case a decade prior, which had the dubious honour of having the rapists' executions broadcast on live radio under Ferdinand Marcos's orders."Video 48: May 17, 1972: The Maggie de la Riva Rape Case, Part 3: 3 Die in Chair at Muntinlupa". July 22, 2008.
In 2025 the announcement of the biographical crime drama film sparked yet another resurgence in interest in Paloma's life and brief adult film career. As the title implies, the film will depict Paloma's softcore career up until her alleged rape in the hands of the TVJ trio and fellow comedian Richie D'Horsie and subsequent suicide, and was directed by noted indie filmmaker . Unsurprisingly, the film's provocative premise of portraying a trio of celebrated public figures as a creepy band of gang-bangers sparked immense discussion on social media, with some praising the film's bold and daring story and other condemning Yap and cautioning him on the potential implications of taking on a powerful political family over the supposed skeletons they have in their closet. And it didn't sit well with the Sottos either, as Vic Sotto – who was name-dropped in the teaser – filed a libel suit against Yap for perceived defamation due in part to Sotto's young daughter Talitha "Tali" Maria Luna having been the subject of school bullying over her father's alleged involvement in the Paloma scandal. In a morbidly ironic twist, Yap himself was the subject of paedophilia accusations as a number of social media users accused him of having groomed them online. Yap was also intensely criticised for a rather creepy remark he made in 2017 where he tweeted "Children are delicious!".
Equally disturbing if not even more so is Romeo Jalosjos Sr., TAPE, Inc. owner and TVJ's erstwhile employer prior to their exodus to E.A.T.. Jalosjos was at the center of a highly publicised scandal in 1997 when he was convicted of child sexual abuse involving an eleven-year old aspiring actress who got roped into Jalosjos's casting couch by the girl's father who was pimping her at the time.Never Forget: Eat Bulaga’s Owner Romeo Jalosjos Is A Convicted Child RapistThe Conviction of Romeo Jalosjos Despite being supposedly slapped with life imprisonment for paedophilia, Jalosjos's stint in prison amounted more to a government-sponsored vacation than a punitive act against a child sex offender, using his political influence to build lavish facilities all while behind bars.Romeo Jalosjos Filing for Pardon Means We’re Okay with Rape And if that wasn't enough, then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo granted him clemencyJalosjos walks out of New Bilibid Prison a free man and eventually pardoned him for "good behavior", all in spite of the verdict branding him as a kiddie-diddler at "the bottom of the barrel of moral depravity" where "no legal system worthy of the name can afford to ignore the traumatic consequences for the unfortunate victim and grievous injury to the peace and good order of the community".G.R. Nos. 132875-76 - November 16, 2001 PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ROMEO G. JALOSJOS, Accused-Appellant. Jalosjos also had the arrogance to lump himself alongside Jose Rizal and Nelson Mandela on the mere basis that they too were jailed for crimes against the state, never mind the fact that Rizal and Mandela were convicted because they spoke out against a corrupt system, not fucking with innocent little girls, stating "history is built with stories about great men who became great because he was jailed first."
===Sotto, the swiping senator===
Besides the above-mentioned Paloma affair, Tito Sotto, a noted politician, has had his fair share of gaffes throughout his career as a statesman. An outspoken conservative pro-life activist, Sotto vehemently opposed the passage of the which aims to provide Filipinos proper access to contraceptives."Speech of Senator Tito Sotto on the RH Bill, Part 1". GMA News. GMA Network. August 16, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012. He made his opinions known through his speeches in 2012, but this fell through when it was found out that Sotto's passages were ripped wholesale from a blog post written by American home economist columnist Sarah PopePope, Sarah (February 23, 2011). "How The Pill Can Harm Your Future Child's Health". The Healthy Economist. Retrieved August 17, 2012. and U.S. senator Robert Kennedy's 1966 address to South Africans,Syjuco, Miguel (November 10, 2012). "Kennedy to Sotto: 'This is a clear case of plagiarism'". Rappler. Retrieved June 8, 2017. which he quote-mined to further his anti-contraception agenda.
Despite being berated by both Pope and Robert Kennedy's daughter for flagrant kanging, Sotto expressed defiance"Sotto dares bloggers: Sue me". The Daily Tribune. The Daily Tribune Publishing. August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012. and asserted that he did not plagiarise them, erroneously believing that an unattributed translation of someone else's manuscript does not count as plagiarism.Teeves, Oliver (August 17, 2012). "US blogger accuses Filipino senator of plagiarism". Associated Press. Retrieved August 18, 2012. Journalist Raissa Robles opined that Sotto's flippant disregard for copyright over works published on the internet, i.e. his erroneous assumption that everything online is "public domain" and thus free real estate would effectively make him an unwitting digital pirate.Flores, Karen (August 17, 2012). "Sotto would be championing piracy". ABS-CBN. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
Sotto was also one of two senators who added libel provisions to the , which criminalised (perceived) slander online. He however denied he did so to get back at those who mocked and criticised him for the plagiarism he committed.Bordadora, Norman (October 2, 2012). "Sotto admits he proposed online libel provision". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
==See also==
*Raffy Tulfo - Filipino senator and television personality also known for obscenity controversies and exploitation of poverty.
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Comedians
Category:Ableism
Category:Asian politicians
Category:Denialists
Category:Government incompetence
Category:Homophobes
Category:Islamophobes
Category:Living people
Category:Media
Category:Media hysteria
Category:Mental health woo
Category:Paedophilia
Category:Philippines
Category:Plagiarists
Category:Racists
Category:Rape
Category:Sexists
Category:Television
Category:Parodists