Comedian and TV host Vice Ganda issued an apology to viewers after a slapstick prank and comment on It’s Showtime sparked strong online backlash for being insensitive.
During the live broadcast on Saturday, Vice acknowledged that a bit in the “MEMErimar” segment offended several members of the audience.
The controversy stemmed from an instance where Vice spat water on Johaira, a member of the girl group Baby Dolls, and followed up by asking,
“Anong nangyari sa ‘yo? Ba’t nagputik ka?”.
Social media users quickly criticized the remark, calling it a derogatory jab at Johaira’s skin color.
Addressing the issue on air, Vice clarified that the show’s goal remains purely focused on entertainment and emphasized that there was no intent to cause harm.
”Nakarating po sa aming kaalaman na may mga madlang people na hindi nagustuhan o na-offend sa ilan sa aming jokes o biruan dito sa ‘It’s Showtime,’ pati na rin sa mga ginagawa namin sa ‘Memerimar,’ na they found the jokes offensive or insensitive,” Vice stated.
”Gusto lang namin ipaalam po sa inyo na the last thing we want is to displease you o hindi mapasaya ang aming madlang people. Kaya naman, ina-acknowledge po namin ang inyong sentimyento at humihingi po kami ng paumanhin sa inyo.”
”We will try to do better. Maraming maraming salamat po,” Vice concluded, thanking fans for their ongoing support.