Jose Marie Borja Viceral aka Vice Ganda, the very popular slapstick comedian and entertainer, is trending now, mainly because of his take on class recitation, and why he would push to ban the teaching method known as “cold calling.”
Cold calling is when during a recitation, teachers randomly call on students to answer the question at hand, even if they are not raising their hands, as is the customary manner.
In a televised rant, Vice Ganda passionately argued that if he were in charge, he would ban cold calling outright, saying this was not the proper way to teach, as it embarrasses and bullies students who do not know the answer — which was why they were not raising their hands.
But as clearly pointed out by a teacher in a social media rebuttal, cold calling is never wrong, and is in fact an effective method, not just of learning, but also in preparing students to be accountable.
And I wholeheartily agree.
Aside from this, I also believe we should never indulge the likes of Vice Ganda in discussions of significance, especially in matters of education.
We should never take Vice Ganda’s opinions on issues seriously. After all, he is a comedian and he earns his way by making fun of people and issues. His films and shows are filled with slapstick routines, and are all good for a laugh, even as some are so vulgar and offensive. One time, he even dared joke about prominent newsperson Jessica Soho and rape, and it was not at all amusing. It was so crude, rude and so cringe worthy it really damaged and dented his career.
So my point here is that we should not allow this comedian to be a sphere of influence or elevate him as a role model for our kids.
Of course, his immense popularity has given him the power to be relevant, but again, let us take it for what it is — just for laughs.
And I mean it in all seriousness.
Mark my word.