Daily TribuneTopping the reasons for the public’s fascination with the tandem is nostalgia. Their first and last project together was the Vic Sotto and Kris Aquino-led film ‘My Little Bossings,’ when Ryzza Mae and Yap Jr. were still children.
Bimby Aquino Yap and Ryzza Mae Dizon.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF EAT BULAGA
Because of Binibining Maliit Ryzza Mae Dizon and Binatang Matangkad Bimby Aquino (James Yap Jr.’s real name), Eat Bulaga! is hooking Gen X audiences once again, making millennials feel nostalgic about their youth and, yes, arousing the curiosity of Gen Z with a tandem that adds even more isang libo’t isang tuwa to the longest-running noontime variety show.
Not just among Eat Bulaga!’s dabarkads, the partnership of Dizon and Aquino, with MaeBy as their official portmanteau, has captured the hearts of people from all walks of life. Topping the reasons for the public’s fascination with the tandem is nostalgia. Their first and last project together was the Vic Sotto and Kris Aquino-led film My Little Bossings, when Ryzza Mae and Yap Jr. were still children.
Seeing them now as confident young adults, goofing around together, laughing out loud, singing with attitude, and enjoying each other’s company as old friends reunited, allows viewers to be part of their journey once again because of Eat Bulaga!. All of us can give ourselves a collective pat on the back because, in a way, we’d like to believe we witnessed these kids literally grow up before our very eyes. To see what they have become today is truly both a treat and a treasure.
Thanks to Ms. Kristina Bernadette Aquino and Mama Rizza Dizon for caring for, loving and allowing Ryzza and Bimby to grow and fly.
Electric youth
Ever since James Jr. became a special guest during Dizon’s birthday celebration in June, the young master has become one of the most welcome additions to the Eat Bulaga! family.
When you watch the show now, there is a youthful energy and vibrance that MaeBy brings to the noontime variety show. Their banter and playful flirting click. Their affection for each other is, without a doubt, authentic. Behind-the-scenes videos and photos shared across various social media platforms show that their camaraderie is neither manufactured nor put on. It is as real as it gets, with or without the cameras.
A case of opposites
Since the majority of us are suckers for a damsel in distress with a knight in shining armor as her savior, a princess awakened by a prince through true love’s kiss, and the eternal “langit ka, lupa ako” romantic trope, Ryzza and Bimby are giving viewers regular doses of kilig and saccharine sweetness. And trust the geniuses behind the artistic and creative team — they certainly know how to pull all of us deeper into the MaeBy rabbit hole.
They are definitely not the next AlDub, the fluke that became a phenomenon and then quickly faded because of the reality that Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza never blossomed into a real-life romance. When they eventually made Yaya Dub speak and fully embraced manufactured love-team territory, AlDub’s decline became only a matter of time.
The uniqueness and biggest draw of MaeBy are anchored in the reality of Yap Jr. being the perfect representation of a tall, affluent, English-speaking young man with showbiz, political and sports royalty in his lineage, perfectly in sync with Dizon, who embodies the down-to-earth, street-smart, witty young woman with a Cinderella-esque life story.
With Kris’ blessing and Vic Sotto’s approval of the friendship and partnership between the two, everything’s coming up roses for this MaeBy tandem. We can expect more twists and turns, and more kilig-filled, gusto ko, happy lang moments.
