YouTube Spotlight: HappySlip 1 of 3.

I received an email from our friends from Yehey.com that HappySlip is in town (woohoo!), and that Yehey is organizing an event where we can meet Christine Gambito herself- the brains and talent behind the smash YouTube sensation.

Naturally, I’ve been raving about this since yesterday afternoon, and to my astonishment, only a few of my friends have heard about HappySlip. So, instead of explaining the whole thing over and over again, I can just direct them to my blog over here- “Renzie’s Rants and Raves”– or its extension on Multiply.

So here we go. HappySlip 101. HappySlip for those who need to know what HappySlip is all about.

An Introduction to HappySlip

“Kristin, be shur tu wer yor hapislip!”

HappySlip is a YouTube regular favorite- it features a video-logging (or vlogging, as opposed to just regular blogging) Christine Gambito, who pretty much talks about things going on in her life.

Christine is very much Filipino, but is born and raised in Virginia- where she has a family of her own (married with one son). She has earned a degree in nursing, but has also seen work as an actress- which for the most part, involved bit parts and cameos in TV shows, movies, commercials and other AVPs.

Since the first video- “Instant Vlogging”, posted on 07 September 2006- HappySlip has become one of YouTube’s most subscribed channels- it now has 42 vids and there are definitely more on the way. Her eighth video, “Mixed Nuts” was runner up to the 2007 YouTube Awards Best Comedy category (losing to the dudes of Smosh).

As of this writing, “Mixed Nuts” has been seen more than 4 million times, and has been “favorited” more than 6000 times. HappySlip has more than 110,000 subscribers on YouTube.

It’s Funny Coz It’s True

I have no idea how Christine came up with the idea- but HappySlip is a series of digital shorts which supposedly features bits and pieces of Christine’s life. Each vid is a video log entry, or vlog- not unlike many other videos up on YouTube, right?

Somehow Christine manages to come up with something cute and/or funny- whether she pokes fun at her family and her Filipino heritage, to various goings-on in YouTube, or just some crazy sketch she manages to put together on her 12″ Powerbook.

A big part of the entertainment value is that she plays all the characters on her vlogs- and you’ll get to meet them all once you check out the videos. Plus, she’s cute, she’s funny, she put the whole thing together by herself- did I mention she’s cute? Oh, and kudos to Christine’s bud Josh Verdes for some cool music going on in some of the vids.

It helps to watch the videos in order- the order in which they were uploaded to YouTube, to fully appreciate them. So I have put them all together here, on this blog, just for you to fully enjoy the HappySlip experience.

1. HappySlip’s first video: “Instant Vlogging”. Don’t mind the first five seconds of the video- YouTube is buggy like that, and it clears up by 00:06. “…*gasp* Claire! You’re alive! ” Enjoy 🙂

2. HappySlip’s second video: “Lonelygirl15 Audition”.–Thaa-at’s a little too hip for us… and yeah… y’know, we want it cheery, but not over the top… y’know we want it natural but, yet you know still captivating, not boring, you know just engaging somehow… (hoo-kay…) ” Have fun!

3. In HappySlip’s third vid, we finally get to meet her mom and dad- which strangely sounds like many an aunt or uncle of ours… 🙂 Here’s “YouChube”! “Yu put yor bidjo der?” “O, Kristin… I saw yor pers bidjo… *munch* …i tot it was going to be… disas-terrr…” Good times!

4. “Pick a Pic”. This is HappySlip’s fourth vid. We get to know a little more of one of Christine’s characters from the first vid- Teenie! “…(imitating Christine) The word is not ‘whu-uut’, it’s ‘HWAT!'”

5. “Morning Meest”. We get to know a little more of Christine’s Mom this time, who seems to have been watching a little too much Tyra (yes, I saw that episode too). I’m a little relieved to know that my mom’s not the only one with an overenthusiastic predisposition for penny-pinching. But I’m also a little bothered because it means that there are actually more moms like them running around, hacking rolls of kitchen towels in half.

6. “Love At First Sight”. The new fragrance from the House of HappySlip. Guest starring Christine’s Crispy Porkies-munching dad. Christine has a fan.

7. “Idea”. Christine introduces us to two more characters: her take on Anne Curry of The Today Show, and the body-armor-clad CEO of The Idea Factory- Bambi Reyes.

8. “Mixed Nuts.” Ah, family. Hey, this video was runner-up for The Best Comedy category in the 2007 YouTube Awards. Smosh’s “Stranded” beat her to it. Incidentally, I also love Smosh, but this is a HappySlip feature, dammit! Here’s the “Mixed Nuts” vid, starring Christine, Mom, Dad and introducing Auntie. Enjoy 😀