HappySlip: The Original Filipino YouTube Sensation

“Growing up with my parents, grandparents, and all the aunties and uncles created a little Philippines for me,” Internet personality Christine Gambito said.

HappySlip: The Original Filipino YouTube Sensation

By Graciel Ebuen

A pure Filipina, American-born Christine Gambito, more popularly known as HappySlip, made her channel on YouTube since August 31, 2006. Her videos were viewed over 84 million times and her video subscriptions were even ranked 8^th (Directors category), 30^th (Partners category) and 32^nd (All Time) as the most subscribed over 620,000 subscribers. YouTube has really paved the way for her popularity.

Gambito is now one of the most admired internet personalities in the whole world because of her parody videos about her Filipino family culture and her goofy acting imitating them — her father, mother, auntie, cousin, and grandmother. She also have videos which show her passion for Mac computers and parodies of television soap operas.

Offbeat talent to online favorite

In a family gathering when Gambito was still five years of age, a talent of making people entertained was noticed in her. She started impersonating the members of her family not knowing that she is already performing a stand-up comedy. So on every gathering that followed especially during holidays, she was in charge of keeping the family entertained until she eventually developed her versatility in one-woman acting.

Even before she became a YouTube sensation she has been seen in several television commercials, movies and industrial training videos. She once dreamed of becoming an actress but chose to take up nursing in college and attained a degree on it.

From HappySlip’s channel on YouTube:

What is a happy slip?

- While growing up, my mom was always quick to remind me to wear a half slip with my dresses or skirts. However, the way she would pronounce it is "Be sure to wear your hap eslip!!!” So I grew up thinking the term was always "happy slip", until I was corrected by classmates who asked me if I had a sad slip as well.

Why did you choose to use HappySlip as a screen name?

- Not only is it a funny phrase from the past - but it reflects what I'd like people to feel when they watch these videos. Hoping they will "slip into happiness" while watching, and that it would help to brighten up their day.

A trueblooded Filipina

Being raised in a foreign land and not able to frequently visit where her family roots lie, Gambito still learned Filipino traits because of the way she was raised by her parents. “Growing up with my parents, grandparents, and all the aunties and uncles created a little Philippines for me,” she said.

Her fondness and loyalty to Filipino culture caught the attention of the Philippine’s Department of Tourism. In January 25, 2008, she was appointed as the country’s Ambassador of Tourism.

Other Filipino personalities who achieved international fame through YouTube are Arnel Pineda and Charice Pempengco. Pineda is now the lead vocalist of the world-renowned Journey while Pempengco recently released her self-titled international album with her carrier single “Pyramid” topping the Billboard charts. Both artists showcased the Filipinos’ musical ingenuity as American television host Ellen DeGeneres mentioned in her twitter, “…some of the best singers are from the Philippines.”

Gambito’s unique videos undoubtedly set her apart from the common things that we see on YouTube. Her portrayal of the different characters of the members of her family showing their day to day interactions and still emphasizing Filipino customs and traditions despite them being in the land of Uncle Sam can be considered one of the reasons as to why a lot of YouTube viewers love her.

Christine and her portrayal of the different roles in her videos