Petra Mahalimuyak: 'Life is short; don't take yourself seriously'

Want to know how to get abs in one minute? How to survive a breakup? How to dance in a club? Filipina YouTube sensation Ashley Rivera has the answers to all of the above and more in her self-produced video tutorials. 

 

With over 9 million views, Rivera shot to Internet celebrity status with her amusing videos that feature her fictional character Petra Mahalimuyak, as well as a few other personalities including Petra's Londoner friend Tiffany Madison.

 

In an interview with Kara David on News to Go on Tuesday, the 19-year-old performer explains that becoming famous wasn't really the plan.   

"I was just really bored and I had nothing to do. Ginawa ko na lang si Petra Mahalimuyak ‘yung character and I didn't expect such attention. It feels good," says Rivera, who grew up in the Philippines and moved to the US when she was eighteen. Her main character, Petra Mahalimuyak, can sing, dance, and act. But she is perhaps most known for her heavy Filipino accent, which Rivera says is not meant to insult or offend. 

 

"I think it's funny but it's not like I'm degrading Filipinos. There's a difference. I don't say bad things about Filipinos or the Philippines... I don't see anything bad with what I'm doing. Kasi entertainment ‘yan; kanya kanyang style lang ‘yan," says Rivera, adding that some people tend to be judgmental without understanding what her videos are trying to say.

 

"May katuturan naman ‘yung mga tutorials ko. I want them to be entertained. I want them to laugh and learn something," she says. 

 

Her video tutorials include "How to get abs in one minute" which was inspired by the movie “300.” "I love that movie, ‘yung Spartans, and I read in this article that they airbrushed the abs. Since wala naman akong airbrush, eyeshadow na lang, mas tipid pa. ‘Yun lang, random stuff lang," she says.

 

She believes that life is short, and people should learn to relax. "Don't take yourself too seriously. Life is short; don't make it shorter. Huwag kang masyadong high blood. Huwag kang masyadong seryoso," she says.

 

In one of her videos, her British character Tiffany Madison delivers a message on cyberbullying: "I do respect that people will always have something to say. I know that everyone has their own opinion but for me it's just rude to do that. I am being a good friend and I'm telling you we have to love one another so we have to have world peace," she said.  

 

Rivera has her fair share of haters, who get offended by some of her videos, like her "how to be a coño" tutorial. "Because maraming coño sa Philippines," Rivera explains before shifting to Petra Mahalimuyak. "Da pirst step is you got to talk in Tuglish. That is the opicial language op da conyos, is when you combine Tagalog and English. Den you hub to hub dis maarte tone, and you use da words, like, parang, oh my god, in pairness, actually..."

 

She explains that she gets her material by being observant, and chooses topics she thinks people can relate to. "My videos are kind of sarcastic but I put it in a subtle way," she says.

 

Some people really take the time to message her and tell her she shouldn't do what she's doing, but Rivera says it's important to just be yourself. She shares that she's a bit prim and proper in real life and more conservative compared to the energetic Petra. But whether as herself or as Petra, she believes that caring too much about what other people might think is counterproductive.   

"Huwag niyo na lang isipin ‘yung negative comments. Ang hirap ‘pag masyado kang nago-overanalyze or iniisip mo itong sasabihin ng tao. Just let go," says Rivera. 

 

She shares that since she was 13, she had been trying her luck to get in the showbiz industry. Apart from her acting skills, she can belly dance, pole dance, and sing. With a recent contract with Viva, her dreams are finally coming true.   

 

She admits her Internet fame really helped, although she didn't expect anything would happen. "Hindi ko iniisip na, 'I'll upload a video on YouTube and sisikat ako.’ I was just honestly bored. Pinost ko ‘yung video and all of a sudden biglang kumalat sa Facebook," she says.

 

Asked to give advice for aspiring YouTube stars, she says that it's very important to be yourself, and haters are inevitable.

 

"Hindi maiiwasan ‘yan whether in showbiz or anywhere, mayroon talaga. So kung magpapaakpekto ka, walang mangyayari sa ‘yo. Believe in yourself, and have fun. Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't take life too seriously," she says. –KG, GMA News