There’s a new buzzword that's been flying around the 'It's Showtime' studio lately. Yup, it's ‘quality.’
`According to the dictionary, the word refers to the standard or level of excellence of something—basically, how good it is, how well it’s made, or how impressive it feels. Straightforward, right? Until Vice Ganda turned it into a catchphrase on the show.
In the “It's Showtime” comedy lexicon, ‘quality’ now means a rating system that gets stamped on anything that delivers impact, from looks to personality and even 'panlalait' (insult).
With that, here's a quick rundown of Meme Vice's top 'quality' moments on the show. Consider this your guide, so the next time she throws around the word quality, at least you won’t be lost in translation.
To open this Kapamilya Update video compilation, we've got Vice and Anne Curtis' 'puksaan' (playful mockery) about their makeup. Vice complained about how Anne’s barely-there makeup only made her own full-coverage foundation look thicker by comparison. Anne tried to comfort her 'sisteret' but the reassurance unwittingly came with a sting. "Hindi naman! Meron naman akong makeup, makapal lang talaga 'yung sa'yo," Anne said, earning a dramatic reaction from Vice, "Taray ng lait mo, quality! Ang sakit, eh!"
That’s how you know a ‘lait’ is truly quality—when it actually burns. Case in point: Vice’s rapid-fire punchlines at Lassy Marquez during one episode of ‘Laro Laro Pick.’
Lassy proudly showed off his Kaila Estrada–inspired microbangs, which triggered Vice’s reaction. “Kaila Estrada? ‘Yung anak ni Janice? Mas kamukha mo ‘yung tiyanak, ‘yun ang unang anak ni Janice!” she quipped, referencing the classic Pinoy horror movie where Janice played the adoptive mother of a child who turns out to be a tiyanak. Lassy laughed through the hurt and admitted, “Nakakatawa ka pero ang sakit n’on,” which basically sealed the verdict—the insult was quality indeed because it hit the target.
Of course, classic jokes can earn the ‘quality’ stamp too. Take the time Vice met a “Laro Laro Pick” player named Manok, a name so unique it sent her into a full-on 'chicken' punchline splurge. Read: "Ano bang tawag sa Chinese na manok? Ni hao na manok!" And then, "Anong tawag sa manok na libre? Prito! May bayad ba 'yan? Wala. Pri-to!" But how would you know if the chicken is authentic? "Chick-en mo!"
If the previous examples showed what makes something ‘quality,’ this next scene proves the opposite—what definitely doesn’t pass the quality test. Exhibit A: Anne’s ‘bulol’ moments. In one episode, the Dyosa stumbled over her words again while explaining how to eat lumpia, which immediately “rage-baited” Vice into reacting, “’Yung dila n’yan plantsahin n’yo para maging ‘quality.’”
So how exactly does a person become ‘quality’? Vice herself dropped a few tips in one episode, saying, “Kailangan mayroon kang quality sleep, quality jowa, quality na unan.” She added in jest, “Kasi kung mabaho ang unan mo at maraming laway, hindi quality ‘yun.”
"It’s Showtime” brings 'quality' good vibes every Monday to Saturday at 12 NN on Kapamilya Channel, GMA 7, ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.