Several months ago, after a trying and tiring day, I needed to find my joy. Nothing worked; even my beloved BTS distracted me for only just a little bit. My stress balls did not work. I needed something silly, stupid, and hilarious.
I needed to laugh out loud. Laughter is a blessing, an
instant vacation from negativity, and as everybody knows, is cheap medicine. An
anonymous person wisely said, “Laughter is when a smile has an orgasm”.
I realized that all I had to do was watch the funny auditions
in those talent shows. It is quite liberating to see another
person take a brave leap of faith in going before sanctimonious judges and the audience,
risking their pride, beaming with unusual confidence, and showing the world that
they are living their dreams.
My cynical side thinks that some delusions of
grandeur work out in mysterious ways. We can still dream of something big and
live the life we have always longed for. We just need to work hard and follow
our passion, however unintentionally or accidentally laughable we may become.
William Hung
Remember William Hung? He defined the 3rd season of American Idol, eclipsing even the winner Fantasia Barrino. He sang Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”, and rose to national prominence (of sorts). In a way he mocked us all, emerging from that with a career as a motivational speaker. He gave it all without regrets, and I admire him for it.
He’s the most memorable Filipino in the whole history of American Idol. Renaldo Lapuz showed grace and
humility if nothing else. His original
composition “We’re Brothers Forever” lived rent-free in my mind for a while. Dressed in an all-white
ensemble with a hat and a silver cape, he defied expectations and parlayed this
to being featured in the finale of American Idol Season 7.
Brace for the surprise. Don't let their looks deceive you. The Philippines’ answer to Destiny’s Child or Spice Girls, the trio performed “Sex Bomb” by Tom Jones at Asia’s Got Talent. Wait for their names.
Tequila guy
In Season 14 of America’s Got Talent, Andy Rowell came in as a karaoke joke but left as a viral sensation. How can something so stupid and so wrong be so right and so hilarious? This may be a take on another comedian Andy Kaufman’s Mighty Mouse character, but his brilliant performance earned him a standing ovation.
What a creative genius. Comedian Sam Willis or his alter ego Tape Face
was a contestant on America's Got Talent in Season 11. He was a modern version
of Charlie Chaplin and made it to the Finals and later on performed his own
shows in Las Vegas with his signature duct tape.
This takes the cake. I am convinced that this is actually the funniest audition of all. The piece de resistance. In Bulgarian Music Idol 2 (2008), Valentina Hasan tried to sing Mariah Carey's song "Without you". She even smirked irritably when questioned about what kind of language “Ken Lee” was. Tulibi dibu douchoo, But of course, it could only be English.
