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Bullies, butterflies & broken home: The story of Macoy Dubs before FB, TikTok and Aunt Julie

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BY RHIA GRANA

You may have encountered #AuntJulie in the trending topics and wondered whose tita is suddenly stealing the online world’s attention. Filipino netizens’ current favorite Aunt happens to be the funny, loquacious, lovable, and progressive persona recently made popular by 27-year-old content creator Mark “Macoy” Averilla. Before this newfound fame, his social media handle “Macoy Dubs” was largely known for producing memes and Tagalog-dubbed videos.“Auntie Julie wasn’t planned!” Macoy admits in our video interview, talking about his pearls-wearing, sugar-wary, Poveda alum creation. “Nag-TikTok lang ako nung Friday. Wala akong intensyon na gawin siyang persona. Until such time na ang daming nag-retweet ng tweet ko. Dun ko na-realize na persona na pala si Auntie Julie, so gumawa na ako ng mga skits with her character.”<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/62/1julie.jpg"/><figcaption>Taken during an audition for a Promil TVC in 1997 at Harrison Plaza. &quot;Hindi ako nakuha [to star in that commercial though],&quot; he recalls.</figcaption></figure></div>“Auntie Julie is madaldal, ma-chika, minsan nakakainis na kapag sobrang daldal, pero she’s also progressive,” Macoy confirms. “She can talk about sexual health, women’s rights, LGBT issues. In that way, Auntie Julie is also representing women kahit lalaki ang nagpo-portray.”In one skit, Aunt Julie is seen talking to her son Robert Angelo (Bert for short) while they’re supposedly dining at a restaurant, when she suddenly notices her inaanak Eduardo from afar. She tries to match Eduardo with Bert, who she reveals is fond of using the “Grinders” (tita always forgets to ditch the “s”) dating app.In another TikTok skit, Aunt Julie is shown intruding in the privacy of her inaanak Cassandra who happens to be grooming her armpits. After asking her 18-year-old goddaughter to twirl like a little girl, she asks if Cassandra already has a boyfriend, and tells her in her always concerned tone to use protection.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/62/3julie.jpg"/><figcaption>Taken in 2010 when he ran for a Student Council post. He served for two years as Communication Senator.</figcaption></figure></div>Macoy is happy to have discovered a platform where he can discuss sensitive topics in a light and entertaining manner. In future skits, he would like Aunt Julie to tackle issues like catcalling, considered a form of sexual harassment, or judging a woman based on her clothes. “Si Auntie Julie yung type ng tita na hindi lang pamasko ang ibibigay sa yo, bibigyan ka din ng life advice,” says Macoy. “It’s pampa-happy sa social media, kasi sobrang bigat na ng social media ngayon.”<div> </div><h3>Why the name Aunt Julie?</h3>“It’s because I’m an avid fan of Jolina Magdangal. Ang real name ni Jolina is Maria Jolina. Si Aunt Julie, ang real name nya is Maria Julie,” Macoy says laughing, replying to the question, Why Julie?<div style="text-align:center"><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>“As in sobrang fan niya ako na yung notebooks ko dati puro Jolina Magdangal [ang cover]. Nagki-clip ako ng butterfly, nagko-collect ako ng iba-ibang kulay nun,” he recalls, adding that the former teenybopper had played a huge part in his coming out story.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/62/6julie.jpg"/><figcaption>A recent photo with his mom, his inspiration for the Aunt Julie character</figcaption></figure></div>But the character of Aunt Julie is actually patterned after the character of his mom Leonora. “The way I talk as Aunt Julie, ganoon sya. She’s not from Poveda or Assumption. Graduate siya sa isang state university pero ganoon kasi sya makipag-usap sa mga friends niya e, so kapag sinasama nya ako sa mga dinners, nagi-eavesdrop talaga ako. ‘Ah ganun pala magsalita ang mga tita.’ Tapos may mga pearls, may mga diamonds (or ‘jamonds,’ as he jokingly pronounces it) and jade, ganyan.”When his mom first encountered his Aunt Julie post, it was understandably met with a slight resistance. “Are you mocking me, Mark?” she asked. He, of course, answered no and explained that it’s how she really talked when she used to meet up with her high school and college pals when he was younger.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/62/4julie.jpg"/><figcaption>Macoy during his graduating years at Colegio De San Juan de Letran in 2013.</figcaption></figure></div>“Kahit saang school naman e, halimbawa Poveda o mga sosyal na school like St. Theresa’s, ganyan magsalita ang mga tita in general, regardless of class,” he observes. Credit must go to his on-point observations and endearing performances that, for some reason, we haven’t read a complaint about the portrayal—even from Povedans themselves, some of whom have recognized bits of resemblance between Julie and the real Poveda titas they know. In his future posts, Macoy says netizens will get to meet other aunties like Auntie Fran and Auntie Pia, from other schools. “Meron na akong mga kinausap na willing magpaka-tita din. Lalabas din sila sa mga videos,” he says, sounding thrilled.<div> </div><h3>Growing up years</h3>With Macoy’s fun and flamboyant personality, no one would think he had an unhappy childhood. “I came from a broken family,” he reveals. “My parents separated when I was two years old, so most of my childhood was spent sa mother side.” After the separation, he last saw his dad sometime in 1996. “Then nakita ko lang uli siya 2001 na.”While Macoy doesn’t think his parents’ separation had a negative impact on him, he is certain something else did. He was bullied as a child. “Kasi malambot na ako bata pa lang, siguro mga five years old. Nahuhuli ako ng mom ko na nagta-try ng lipstick niya, wearing her bra. Tapos nagugulat sya yung mga makeup sa tukador niya nagugulo,” recalls the TikTok star. <div style="text-align:center"><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/62/5julie.jpg"/><figcaption>With fellow professors in Letran, where he&#x27;s been teaching for two years already.</figcaption></figure></div>Macoy was bullied during his grade school years, beginning Grade 4 to Grade 6 “kasi ang taba ko, uhugin, and lagi akong inaatake ng asthma.” It didn’t help that he was a transferee student. “You know the Filipino culture napag bagong salta ka, you don’t belong,” he says.This is why the movie “Mean Girls” will always have a soft spot in his heart. “Nakita ko ang life ko doon e. Not really romanticizing na ako si Cady, but it happened to me kasi, na outcast ako, wala akong masyadong friends, meron lang akong isang best friend nung elementary,” he says, adding he used to be shy and timid.<div> </div><h3>Discovering comedy</h3>But everything started to change right before he entered high school, when he discovered his knack for comedy. He would copy his teachers’ gestures and expressions and people would lap it up. “Doon ko na-realize na when you do comedy, people will love you quickly. As long as your comedy is witty and sensible,” he quips.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/62/2julie.jpg"/><figcaption>Macoy impersonates one of the Dominican priests in their school, as his fellow student council officers watch.</figcaption></figure></div>Macoy thinks he got his knack for comedy from his dad. “Natural kasi sa kanya ang pagiging mapagbiro. Feeling ko sa kanya ko namana ang mga punchlines e,” he says. But of course there’s also him mom, the inspo for and embodiment of Auntie Julie, the reason he’s joyfully exploring his range as a comic.His versatility was honed even more when he joined the theater arts groups in high school and college. Although Macoy took up Communication Arts at Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila because he originally wanted to be a reporter. He used to do pretend-standuppers while in the shower. The internet personality once upon a time wanted to be on TV. But as he would later realize, the online world has a special place for him and his brand of comedy. He put up the Macoy Dubs Facebook page on December 2017 through the suggestion of his friend.“Initially, what I wanted to do was to dub videos. Lalapatan ko lang ng Tagalog or beki words yung material. But then, nawawalan din ako ng mga ideas minsan. So eventually, I started doing short vlogs.” And then TikTok came.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2020/62/7julie.jpg"/><figcaption>He got his knack for comedy from his dad, who&#x27;s a natural comedian.</figcaption></figure></div>Now, he’s on all the major social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Kumu.He seldom dropped new videos before the pandemic but when home quarantine was implemented in March, the videos became his outlet for creativity, and to maintain his sanity. “Sabi ko, kung hindi tayo gagawa ng content na medyo nakakatawa, baka mabaliw tayo dito,” he says. <div style="text-align:center"><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>He says it’s great being able to provide content for his followers (he now calls them “inaanaks”), while at the same time helping himself cope with boredom and manage the stress brought on by the pandemic.The idea to create Aunt Julie came at the right time and place. “Nagkataong wala talaga akong balak magpagupit ng buhok. Nagpakalbo ako nung December last year dahil gusto ko lang din makita kung hanggang saan sya aabot until December 2020. Nag-align naman kasi bumagay din sa hair ko ang pearl earrings,” he says laughing.<h3>You may also like:</h3><ul>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/04/01/19/these-men-climbed-the-kamuning-summit-and-survived-to-tell-us-of-their-journey">These men climbed the Kamuning Summit and survived to tell us of their journey</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/03/18/20/some-of-the-funniest-posts-weve-seen-online-during-this-community-quarantine">Some of the funniest posts we’ve seen online during this community quarantine</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/04/01/20/25-of-the-funniest-memes-we-saw-online-since-the-lockdown">25 of the funniest memes we saw online since the lockdown</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/04/01/20/10-of-the-funniest-filipinos-we-follow-online-2020-edition">10 of the funniest Filipinos we follow online, 2020 edition</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/04/01/20/look-a-blue-shark-was-spotted-waiting-to-enter-the-landmark-grocery-today">LOOK! A blue shark was spotted waiting to enter the Landmark grocery today</a></li></ul>Macoy works as a social media manager for an advertising agency, and teaches Advertising and Broadcasting at Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila. He says he’s excited for whatever opportunities his newfound passion may bring in the future.<div style="text-align:center"><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Meanwhile, like Aunt Julie, he is using his influence and social media reach to spread the word on the more important issues of the day, speaking up on issues he feels strongly about, the Anti-Terror Bill among them. Garbed in a dress shirt and heels, Macoy joined 18 other social media personalities in filing a petition against the controversial bill at the Supreme Court last July.The online star still harbors a dream of working in television—or maybe the movies one day. Meanwhile, there’s TikTok and Facebook and Kumu and IG spreading Macoy’s brand of GV. “I hope to create more content that’s relevant and would make people happy.” We can almost see Aunt Julie nodding in approval.