Pare mo, Pare Ko

Tuning in to

Bubble Gang

is a Friday night habit. That can be attributed to the comic tandem of Ogie Alcasid and Michael V that has given us laugh-out-loud yet allegorical sketches such as Yaya and Angelina and Cheche and Bureche. They show the stark contrast between the haves and the have-nots. Sometimes, many tend to forget the meaningfulness of each character due to the hilarious riot and banter of Ogie and Michael V.

Week after week, the duo never falters to play to the gallery — and to put every Kapuso viewer to stitches. Doing comedy has been Ogie and Michael V’s comfort zone all these years. However, the two will try their hand at the hybrid genre of comedy-musical-talk next month as they topbill GMA 7’s late-night show Pare & Pare. One won’t see them dressed in a girl’s clothes and engaged in a sibling rivalry. Ogie and Michael will simply play themselves.    

“It’s not new from what we do,” says Ogie of his and Michael V’s latest show. “I told him, ‘Na-practice na natin ‘to.’ We had sketches (that see me) interviewing him (Michael V) or sometimes him interviewing me. I think it’s a culmination of all the things we’ve been doing through the years. It’s just that we’re doing the hosting this time around and the comedy, of course, injected by us, comes from the people we talk to.”

“There’s extra challenge,” jokes Michael V. “I’m not used to host a talk show. But I’m used to being (my character) Junnie Lee. I think I need time to know how to interview properly. I’m glad I’ll be with Ogie because work becomes easier. Aside from that, Ogie is my security blanket. I’m very comfortable when he is around.” 

The concept reminds one of late-night talk shows hosted by David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon. Ogie shares that Pare & Pare is banter. “That’s why it’s called pare. It’s banter between two middle-aged men who see the lighter side of things.” Viewers won’t see a celebrity-guest crying a river on a national TV or exposing his dirty linen in public. That appeal-to-pity tactic is for the hard-core showbiz shows. Ogie and Michael V just want “to get into the psyche” of their guests and listen to them.

However, talk is just one aspect of Pare & Pare. The duo along with their guests will be seen in musical performances. Ogie can do ballads while Michael V can rap. Perhaps, they can also switch genres. 

“It depends,” replies Ogie when asked if it’s easier to be the interviewer than the interviewee. “If the one you are interviewing is clammed up (and doesn’t talk), you have to make the interview interesting enough. If your guest is someone like Tita Annabelle (Rama), that makes the work easy for you. The hard part there is to make her stop or to interject. It’s a practice of listening. I read the script. When it comes to issues, there’s the Internet to know (and keep abreast with) what the latest issues are.”

“When it comes to hosting, one of my idols is Kris Aquino,” shares Michael V whose dream interviews are with Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago and President Noynoy Aquino with Grace Lee. “There was a time when she was still with GMA (7) and she interviewed me. The questions given to her (only) served as guide. She picked up (the questions) from the answers of her interviewee. (The host should) take off from where the interviewee left off. Mas gusto nilang sagutin yung mga tanong na magiging interesado sila.”

If there’s one thing Ogie and Michael V can assure everyone, especially their guests, it’s the fact that they don’t want to intimidate people or make them feel uncomfortable. They want people to keep coming back to their show.

Below, Ogie and Michael V let The STAR readers take a peek into their on- and off-cam schedule:

Ogie’s schedule

My busy days are every day. We tape Pare & Pare Thursdays while we do Bubble Gang Mondays. Aside from that, I’m doing two movies right now — Boy Pick Up The Movie and I Do Bidoo Bidoo, a musical.

(My schedule) is kinda crazy. (How do I handle it?) When I see a pillow, I sleep… I’m trying to talk to everybody involved to give me a free day. I think it can be arranged. (As president of OPM,) I don’t go to the office regularly. There’s e-mail, BBM and text (messaging to communicate). When I go home, that’s when I spend time with my son (Nate). (Yun nga lang) wala ka lang tulog. (Kung meron) konting-konti lang.

You just have to make time. What dictates or fills up my schedule is what is given to me. Family always comes first.  

Michael V’s schedule

(Am I a busy person?) I don’t think I am. I’m just very visible but not that busy. Nakaayos ang schedule ko.

I still have time to bring my kids to school and pick them up from time to time.

I still have a free day. Sundays are (reserved exclusively) for the family. We just go out where my kids want to go. We watch movies. My children and my wife love doing this.