Today is kind of a lot. The biggest news in the headlines all over the globe: Kabul has fallen in Afghanistan, with the Taliban officially taking over the country. Meanwhile, over our corner of the planet, we have our own concerns to worry about. The first case of the COVID-19 Lambda variant (How much of the Greek alphabet is this virus going to claim?) was confirmed yesterday. Today also marks the fourth death anniversary of Kian delos Santos, a 17-year-old caught in the crossfire of this administration’s brutal war on drugs.
So excuse me if I’m going to take as much stress relief wherever I can.
Today, that stress relief is coming in the form of a brief clip of Karen Davila screaming in pure ecstatic joy after learning that she and her interviewee, Lyca Gairanod, share the same birthday.
The five-second clip is the perfect viral video. Davila’s extreme, over-the-top reaction. Gairanod’s look of extreme confusion, a visual representation of the words “what in the hell is wrong with this woman” (which is the correct response to a seasoned journalist reacting that way to your birthday). The inexplicable beach setting. It’s quick, it’s relatable, it’s absurd in the best way.It’s exactly the right mix to create a viral cocktail that’s perfect to soothe the mind and lose a few brain cells over while the world is burning.
In case you need a bit more context, Gairanod is the first winner of “The Voice Kids Philippines.” Davila met her in her home in Tanza, Cavite to talk about life before and after the show. Gairanod grew up by the seashore—that explains the video’s setting.
Okay, back to the viral bit. In an extended clip, we see Davila still hyped up over the chances of her accidentally meeting a birthday twin in an interview. “Hindi ko alam ‘yun. Magka-birthday kami, Scorpio! That means magka-ugali tayo. We’re meant to meet! How many people ang makakatsamba mo, ini-interview ka, ka-birthday mo,” she raved. Gairanod, for her part, tried her best to go along with her fellow Scorpio, even jokingly telling Davila to throw her a party. It’s…still a lot more muted than the enthused Davila.
I love this bit, as well as all the memes that it inspired, especially the ones where people talk about their reaction to their celeb birthday twins. Unfortunately, as someone who shares the same birthday as Donald Trump and Bong Go (thanks I hate it), I’m still looking for a Gemini birthday twin I can lose my mind over the way Karen Davila did. Fingers crossed!
Photo screengrabbed from “Lyca Gairanod’s Life After ‘The Voice Kids'”
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