Sassa Gurl on turning flaws into online fame
Sassa Gurl proves that the common standard beauty is not always a catalyst for success. Embracing imperfection has become not just a source of immense strength for the online star, but also a huge following on social media platforms.
The content creator can still vividly recall the agony of receiving belittling remarks from people during childhood years due to diastema or the gap between two front teeth.
“Noong bata ako talagang nilalait ako. Ang dami nilang tinatalak na kesyo mukha akong rabbit. Tapos s’yempre bata ka pa lang, estudyante, sinasabi nila na one seat apart, may exam ‘yung ngipin,” said Sassa Gurl who was obviously hurt by all the tirades.
Those harsh remarks could make anyone feel small and inferior. Instead of stepping back, Sassa Gurl chose not to get upset and lose confidence. They served as great motivation to go on with life.
“I promised myself that I am going to be known through this (flaw). Dito nila makikita kung ano yung ikinaiba ko sa lahat, ‘yung pagiging unique ko. Tatanggapin ko ito sa sarili ko, and I will believe that it’s going to be my ‘weapon.’”
Sassa Gurl rose to fame as a TikTok star who does parodies and skits mostly of high school years with “kanal” humor, as the online sensation put it. The number of views, followers, and subscribers of Sassa Gurl, who identifies as a trans woman, is a testament to a strong social media presence.
At present, Sassa Gurl has over 2.8 million followers on Facebook; 8.1 million, TikTok; 426,000, Instagram; and 328,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Fans refer to Sassa Gurl as “maasim” but it definitely has nothing to do with poor hygiene or bad smell. “Kapag ang tao maasim, may pinagdadaanan ‘yan,” the influencer said.
It can also pertain to what one has gone through in life. “It’s like you’ve been through not so good in life or status in life. And I know that my followers are also ‘maasim.’ At ayokong lumayo sa kanila; kaisa nila ako. I don’t want to be put on a pedestal because I want to be with them.”
One “maasim” experience Sassa Gurl had was with a rude celebrity when she was still working as an assistant stylist. According to Sassa, this celebrity didn’t like the outfit and angrily told Sassa to look for another one as it was ugly.
“S’yempre ako bilang isang bata lang, I was only 17 that time, I really got hurt kaya pagtalikod niya inirapan ko.”
Without revealing the name, Sassa Gurl has no idea if the celebrity is still active in showbiz.
The online star also became the target of bashers after becoming a White Castle calendar girl three years ago. Sassa Gurl revealed that it wasn’t planned at all.
“Nagparinig lang ako dati sa mga brand ng alak dati sa TikTok, and sabi ko, ‘Bakit hindi n’yo kinukuha ang mga bakla as endorser, as calendar girl samantalang kami ang nagpapa-inom sa mga lalaki,’” shared Sassa Gurl.
Many netizens agreed with Sassa’s sentiment and it caught the attention of the said liquor brand whose representative reached out to Sassa through an invite to join in the brand’s contest.
To cut the story short, Sassa Gurl joined by sending a DIY photo posing as a calendar girl. It got the highest online votes that made Sassa Gurl become the brand’s first trans ambassador.
“’Yung generation ko naman, hindi naman kami na-exempt sa panlalait,” said Sassa Gurl about bashing. “I chose not to respond but sometimes, when I’m in a bad mood, I would answer them back. Tinatalakan ko din.”
Sassa Gurl knows competition on social media is getting stiff, especially now that online sensations are coming out one after the other. “I don’t mind competition and if there is one that I so admire, it’s Esnyr. Sobrang galing na bata, sobrang talented.”
The two comedic content creators were in the cast of the 2024 Cinemalaya entry “Balota” topbilled by Marian Rivera and directed by Kip Oebanda.
If given the chance, what GMA show would Sassa Gurl wish to be a part of?
“Ay, s’yempre classic tayo — ‘Bubble Gang!’”
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