Social media has become a medium for some celebrities to show to the public that they are as regular and down-to-earth as everyday people. In the same way, as it’s become easier to connect with their fans with the tap of an app, celebrities are able to share their personal lives, projects, and other activities in a way that the public can relate.
For TV host and talent manager Ogie Diaz, social media and video-sharing platforms like YouTube have become potent avenues for celebrities and showbiz personalities like him to be more relatable and authentic to their audience.
“What we mostly do in our vlogs are not scripted, and I think that’s what the audiences now prefer, they like unscripted material because that’s how they can feel that celebrities are, just like them, are normal people, too,” Ogie said in vernacular during an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment.
Ogie is the host of Showbiz Updates, a Youtube showbiz-oriented talk show co-hosted by Mama Loi Villarama, and Dyosa Pockoh. In the online program, the trio tackles updates on celebrities, popular personalities online, pressing issues (albeit in a showbiz manner), and everything under the sun that they feel relevant to everyday “Marites.”
“This show is better off on Youtube. We might not be able to say what we wanted to say if we’re on TV,” Ogie added saying that there’s no competition between online shows and traditional programs because “both television and the internet have a captured audience.”
The idea of their showbiz-oriented talk show started when Ogie shared a video of TV personality Ion Perez in a very candid manner. But prior to that, on his channel, people have been enjoying prank videos and other content that focus on his life behind the scenes.
“I’ve been uploading so many videos already and I felt that I could no longer offer something new, then I uploaded a video of Ion and it went viral. Then the idea of featuring other celebrities came to mind,” Ogie recalled.
Their YouTube talk show started off as a one-camera setup (using a mobile phone).
“It was in November 2020 when Mama Loi and I thought of setting up a camera while we were relaxing in the pool and talking about everything under the sun, including that trending topic about celebrities. Then the livestream became a hit. I think it’s because of the showbiz aspect,” Ogie relayed.
Since then, their audience grew exponentially, the Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update YouTube channel now has 769,000 subscribers and has amassed more than 175 million views and counting.
“As long as your content is engaging you will succeed. But not every day is Christmas, not every day people will watch your content. I guess the key there is consistency. You have to deliver the same kind of energy in every episode that you produce,” the showbiz columnist added.
“There are people who are simply lucky on Youtube and there are those who are hardworking like us who do everything but the views still haven’t reached a million. If you don’t have luck, you have to work hard to encourage your audience to watch,” Mama Loi said in turn.
For Dyosa Pockoh, a content creator who found his success on Tiktok, doing a show online, despite people not seeing what goes behind the camera is definitely a product of “tears, sweat, and blood.”
“For example on Tiktok, I imitated Heart Evangelista and changed clothes. I think I used about 10 outfits to come up with a one-minute video, but in reality, it took me hours to shoot,” Dyosa Pockoh shared.
At the moment, their goal for Showbiz Update is to produce 15 videos in a month.
“We decide on the subject before the cameras start rolling and we really wanted to have a spontaneous, not scripted, conversation,” Ogie stated.
Being online, Ogie, Mama Loi, Dyosa Pockoh are also subject to bashing, and despite learning how to brush them off, they still get offended.
“Tao pa rin kame, but we deal with our bashers in a manner that they will realize their mistake. If their comments are very offensive, we screenshot their messages or comments and get back to them through DMs (direct message),” Ogie said.
The trio believes that, in a way, Showbiz Update as an entertainment show has served its purpose. They have just finished a successful road show in Australia and will soon embark on a US tour. In fact, the program was recognized as 2022 Most Influential Online Program in Entertainment by the 21st Gawad Amerika, which took place on November 19 in Hollywood, California.
“Our main goal is to entertain people, and I think we’re on the right track. There are numerous platforms now, and there are traditional media, you just have to stay true to your core and be consistent. That’s how we’re able to adapt,” Ogie concluded.