Filipino-American influencer Bretman Rock channeled Charo Santos-Concio of “Maalala Mo Kaya” in the promotion of his upcoming memoir which he said will tell his “gay Cinderella story.”
The Hawaii-based social media personality on Sunday shared an Instagram post of him receiving copies of his book, “You’re That Bitch & Other Cute Lessons About Being Unapologetically Yourself.”
The book is published by HarperCollins, which described it as “a chaotically joyous collection of essays from one of the original influencers and the internet’s sweetheart.”
“Hilarious and earnest, this collection of essays, drawings, recipes, how-tos and never-before-seen photos goes far beyond what we know of Bretman Rock from social media,” part of its description reads.
“Who is Bretman Rock Sacayanan behind the screen and how did he become the original superstar influencer and today’s beloved best friend of the internet?” it added.
The book will talk about how Bretman’s childhood in the Philippines, his family, Filipino culture and how being a first-generation immigrant helped shape him into who he is now.
“Peek into how Bretman became a social media sensation at the precocious age of 14, balancing living a glamorous jet-setting lifestyle on weekends while still serving lunch at his school’s cafeteria, running as a varsity track-star, and making honor roll during the week,” the publisher said.
It added that the book is an “unfiltered and unprecedented look at what it means to be one of the first digital celebrities.”
Bretman on January 15 shared an Instagram clip of him unboxing the package containing copies of his newly-published memoir with the caption:
“My BOOK is HERE (heart emojis) ‘YOU’RE THAT BITCH,’ my gay Cinderella story comes out 02/14 [February 14] on Valentine’s Day (heart emojis) Link to pre order in bio.”
The influencer also shared an Instagram Story where the first notes of the “Maalaala Mo Kaya” theme song performed by Carol Banawa can be heard.
“Hello. It is me, Ma’am Charo, and today, I’m gonna be reading, ‘You’re That Bitch’ by this gay guy right here, Bretman Rock,” he said in a solemn tone.
Bretman then flipped the book and added, “This is a gay Cinderella story.”
A clip of this was posted by a Twitter user, who wrote: “Y’all, I can’t with @bretmanrock’s new IG story (crying face emoji) the songgggggggggg! HAHAHHHAHAHAHHAHAHHHAH”
The clip amused Filipinos who are familiar with the hit drama anthology series.
“Kaya pala nawala MMK (weary face emoji) si Bretman na bagong host,” a Pinoy quipped, referring to the series ending last December.
“Ma’am Charo is shaking,” another Twitter user commented, referring to how Charo is addressed by the series’ letter senders.
“Ma’am Charot, ems. … Please continue showcasing our culture to the world, b*tch… Luv [you],” another online user commented.
“Maalaala Mo Kaya” was Asia’s longest-running drama anthology aired by ABS-CBN with Charo as its host.
It dramatizes meaningful and notable real-life stories of letter senders, as well as celebrities.
Throughout its years of airing, the series has bagged numerous local and international awards for its actors and the production team.
Filipino viewers were saddened after it announced the end of the program’s 31-year run last December.
READ: ‘End of an era’: Pinoys feel sentimental as ‘MMK’ bids farewell