Vice Ganda apologizes for 'offensive' joke in 'It's Showtime' skit
Vice Ganda is taking accountability after one of his jokes on It's Showtime sparked backlash.
During a recent skit in the show's Laro Laro Pick segment last Friday, Vice and his fellow hosts were doing a parody of the popular teleserye Marimar. In one scene, the comedian spat water on Baby Dolls member Johaira's face before asking, “Anong nangyari sa iyo? Ba't nagputik ka?”
Clips of the scene quickly circulated online, and social media users were not happy with the joke, with many calling it colorist and pointing out that it perpetuated harmful stereotypes about darker skin tones.
Addressing the issue on the show's July 25 episode, Vice acknowledged the criticism and offered a public apology to the audience.
"Nakarating po sa aming kaalaman na may mga madlang people po na hindi nagustuhan o na-offend sa ilan sa aming jokes o biruan dito sa Showtime, pati na rin sa mga ginagawa namin sa Memerimar. They found the jokes offensive or insensitive," the comedian began.
"The last thing we want is to displease you o hindi mapasaya ang aming madlang people. Kaya naman, ina-acknowledge po namin ang inyong sentimyento at humihingi po kami ng paumanhin sa inyo and we will try to do better."
'WE WILL TRY TO DO BETTER.' 🙏
— Mega Kapamilya (@MegaKapamilya) July 25, 2026
Nagbigay na ng public apology si #ViceGanda kaugnay ng naging biruan sa segment na "Memerimar." #MEGAkapamilya #ShowtimeGilingQandA @itsShowtimeNa @vicegandako pic.twitter.com/oDIk25zMIM
In the comments section, some viewers commended Vice for apologizing and showing a willingness to learn from the criticism. Others, however, said they hope the apology will be followed by more thoughtful humor moving forward.
"Sana maging lesson ito not just for Showtime but for everyone na ang humor should bring people together, not make others feel disrespected. At the same time, sana marunong din tayong mag-appreciate kapag may taong handang umamin ng pagkakamali at magbago," one user wrote.
Another commented, "[Repeated] behavior isn’t a mistake anymore; it’s a choice. Thus, when we make an apology, let’s take full accountability, so we’d know what and how to make things better."
Johaira has yet to speak about the matter. She is a member of the P-pop girl group Baby Dolls, which was formed on It's Showtime. Other members include Arianne Dela Cruz, Chole Florendo, Juby Sabino, Jelai Ahamil, Eriel Reyes, and Ina Ortega.
