Bebot
Encyclopedia
"Bebot" is a promotional single from The Black Eyed Peas
' fourth studio album, Monkey Business
. The single was released in the Phillippines, Asia
and Australia
on August 4, 2006. The title of the song is derived from a Filipino
slang word analogous to "babe", playing the English slang term for "hot chick".. Two music videos for the song were broadcast in 2006. The song later inspired an iPhone app of the same name, created and designed by will.i.am .
, the song is rapped solo by apl.de.ap
as a tribute to his childhood upbringing in the Philippines
. However, in contrast to the first song's somber tone, "Bebot" is an uptempo song designed to be played at parties and clubs. The term "Bebot" is Filipino slang for "pretty woman", "hot chick", "hottie", "baby", babe". The music video for Bebot features primarily Filipino
s, and Filipino American
s. In 2006, Patricio Ginelsa (Kid Heroes Productions) and AJ Calomay (Xylophone Films), who also produced and directed the video for "The Apl Song", as well as the Filipino American action comedy movie, Lumpia
, were enlisted to make a music video for "Bebot". A bonus track on the group's 2009 album, The E.N.D.
, uses a similar format to Bebot. "Mare" also features prominent sections of song sung in Tagalog.
as migrant farm workers. The video portrays the relationships between race and gender at the time, as Caucasian women (played by Fergie) are the objects of the Filipino men's affection. In the early days of Filipino American immigration, only men were allowed into the United States, thus accounting for a large gender disparity in the Filipino American community. Therefore, Filipino American men often courted Caucasian women. Historically, courtships and sexual relations between Filipino men and Caucasian women caused a backlash amongst Caucasian men, leading to hate crimes being committed and the eventual passing of anti-miscegenation laws
. The "Generation Two" video is included on The Black Eyed Peas
' home release, "Live From Sydney To Vegas". Before the video was officially released online, it was played at The Black Eyed Peas concert at Araneta Coliseum
in Manila
, Philippines while apl.de.ap performed the song. "Generation Two" portrays present day Filipino Americans. It was filmed in various locations in Los Angeles, California
; including Kenneth Hahn Park, where Dr. Dre
's "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" video was also filmed. Ginelsa has said that his intention was to make a "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" for the Filipino American community, only with a far lower budget and far less references to sex, drugs, and violence. "Generation Two" displays several modified import vehicles; or "rice rockets" that are prevalent in Filipino American youth culture. Filipino American street racing legend RJ de Vera, who hosted MTV
's Trick It Out
and also appeared in The Fast and the Furious
, is seen alongside many of the vehicles.
The video begins with an introduction with Fergie and Taboo
knocking on APL
's house which then his mom answers and starts to talk to them in a thick, heavy Filipino accent and then she asks Allan to come down and starts to embarrass him and then his baby sister Jasmine comes and Fergie tells his mom they're going to the park. The music begins and shows Apl, Fergie, Will.I.Am and Taboo in different colour backgrounds singing. It then shows Apl, Fergie, Will.I.Am, Taboo and his little sister singing at the park with girls and cars having a good time. The video finishes with Them at a house party singing in a group together.. In this video, American Idol
finalist Jasmine Trias
was featured playing apl.de.ap
's sister. Other Filipino-American celebrities appearing in either version of the video include DJ Rhettmatic
of the Beat Junkies
DJ crew, rap group Native Guns
, mixed martial artist Brandon Vera
, boxer Brian Viloria
, Camile Velasco
and Jose "Sway" Penala, adult industry's Charmane Star
,amongst many others. Debatable as to why she appears in this video, Tila Tequila makes an appearance. Tila Tequila, also known as Tila Nguyen
, is not Filipino, but Vietnamese.
as a guest lecturer for a Filipino-American student organization and revealed some of the difficulties about shooting both versions of "Bebot" in just 2 days. He noted that the record label had originally recruited him to direct the "Bebot" video but was let go due to creative differences. A year later, apl.de.ap
ended up financing both music videos himself without the label's supervision and with Ginelsa directing. Ginelsa admitted in his talk that he ended up using his own credit cards after going way over budget and was too embarrassed to tell Apl the true amount. He spent too much time shooting "Generation Two" that he never got to fully realize his script for "Generation One" as The Black Eyed Peas members Will.i.am
and Taboo
only shot cameos for the filming of that video, and one member of the group whom he would not name was opposed to shooting the "Generation One" video altogether. In a personal MySpace
blog
entry dated August 30, 2006, Ginelsa also addresses an open letter written by a collective of Filipino and Filipino-American professors and other academics who criticized the video's hypersexualization of women and the perpetualization of negative stereotypes, particularly in "Generation Two." The letter was mass e-mailed throughout the Filipino-American community rather than delivered to Ginelsa and his staff directly.
and several other Asian countries. The song featured on the Ugly Betty
episode Swag
, where Oshi, a famous Japanese modeling agent is seen with one of his escorts holding a boom box with the song playing. MTV
ran a story about the video on their website, as well as a behind-the-scenes vignette on their MTV News television programming. Contrary to the claims made by Ginelsa, the story claims the video was funded by The Black Eyed Peas
. Filipino American DJ E-Man, who serves as assistant program director and music director for radio station KPWR
in Los Angeles, also details a conversation he had in passing with label executives regarding the video which was met with little enthusiasm. In January 2007, the song was added to the BBC Radio 1
A-List Playlist. CPDRC inmates have also recorded a dance routine for the song.apl.de.ap
sang the 1st verse during HBO's Marquez Vs. Pacquiao 2 countdown show, when he was featured alongside Manny Pacquiao
and his group in a restaurant. Manny Pacquiao used the song as an entrance theme for his 2nd fight against Juan Manuel Márquez
. Filipino-American UFC fighter Brandon Vera
uses this as his entrance music to his fights. Fellow Filipino-American UFC Fighter Mark Munoz
used this song on UFC 112
for his entrance. Jonnis danced solo to "Bebot" for his elimination dance on season 1 of So You Think You Can Dance
in 2005.
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' fourth studio album, Monkey Business
Monkey Business (album)
-Track listing:Notes*"My Humps" contains a hidden track "So Real".*"Audio Delite at Low Fidelity" includes a hidden track "Change".Sample Notes*"Pump It" samples "Misirlou" by Dick Dale....
. The single was released in the Phillippines, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on August 4, 2006. The title of the song is derived from a Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
slang word analogous to "babe", playing the English slang term for "hot chick".. Two music videos for the song were broadcast in 2006. The song later inspired an iPhone app of the same name, created and designed by will.i.am .
Background
In a similar fashion to "The Apl Song", which appeared on the group's 2003 album ElephunkElephunk
-Commercial response:In the United States, Elephunk reached number 14 on the Billboard Top 200 and is their first album to chart in the top 15. It gained even more commercial success in the UK Album Charts where it reached number 3. It has sold over 1.6 million copies in the UK and...
, the song is rapped solo by apl.de.ap
Apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. better known as apl.de.ap , is a Filipino-American rapper, record producer, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas.-Early life:Pineda was born in Belfast...
as a tribute to his childhood upbringing in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. However, in contrast to the first song's somber tone, "Bebot" is an uptempo song designed to be played at parties and clubs. The term "Bebot" is Filipino slang for "pretty woman", "hot chick", "hottie", "baby", babe". The music video for Bebot features primarily Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
s, and Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
s. In 2006, Patricio Ginelsa (Kid Heroes Productions) and AJ Calomay (Xylophone Films), who also produced and directed the video for "The Apl Song", as well as the Filipino American action comedy movie, Lumpia
Lumpia
Lumpia are pastries of Chinese origin similar to fresh popiah or fried spring rolls popular in Southeast Asia. The term lumpia derives from Hokkien lunpia , which is an alternate term for popiah...
, were enlisted to make a music video for "Bebot". A bonus track on the group's 2009 album, The E.N.D.
The E.N.D.
According to review aggregator Metacritic, The E.N.D. received an average of 60 out of 100 indicating mixed to average reviews from music critics, based on fifteen critiques, higher than their 2005 album Monkey Business but lower than their 2003 breakout Elephunk, with critics agreeing that the...
, uses a similar format to Bebot. "Mare" also features prominent sections of song sung in Tagalog.
Music videos
Two different music videos for "Bebot" were filmed in early July 2006 and premiered online on August 4, 2006. The "Generation One" video is based on first-generation Filipino Americans. It is set in the 1930s and focuses on showing the life the early Filipino immigrants in Stockton, CaliforniaStockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
as migrant farm workers. The video portrays the relationships between race and gender at the time, as Caucasian women (played by Fergie) are the objects of the Filipino men's affection. In the early days of Filipino American immigration, only men were allowed into the United States, thus accounting for a large gender disparity in the Filipino American community. Therefore, Filipino American men often courted Caucasian women. Historically, courtships and sexual relations between Filipino men and Caucasian women caused a backlash amongst Caucasian men, leading to hate crimes being committed and the eventual passing of anti-miscegenation laws
Anti-miscegenation laws
Anti-miscegenation laws, also known as miscegenation laws, were laws that enforced racial segregation at the level of marriage and intimate relationships by criminalizing interracial marriage and sometimes also sex between members of different races...
. The "Generation Two" video is included on The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' home release, "Live From Sydney To Vegas". Before the video was officially released online, it was played at The Black Eyed Peas concert at Araneta Coliseum
Araneta Coliseum
The Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as The Big Dome is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena located in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines...
in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines while apl.de.ap performed the song. "Generation Two" portrays present day Filipino Americans. It was filmed in various locations in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
; including Kenneth Hahn Park, where Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" video was also filmed. Ginelsa has said that his intention was to make a "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" for the Filipino American community, only with a far lower budget and far less references to sex, drugs, and violence. "Generation Two" displays several modified import vehicles; or "rice rockets" that are prevalent in Filipino American youth culture. Filipino American street racing legend RJ de Vera, who hosted MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Trick It Out
Trick it out
Trick It Out: MTV's Tuner Challenge, is an MTV reality television show focusing on automobile modification. The show airs primarily on MTV2 and is hosted by award-winning car tuner, RJ de Vera, and narrated by MTV news personality, Sway Calloway....
and also appeared in The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
, is seen alongside many of the vehicles.
The video begins with an introduction with Fergie and Taboo
Taboo (rapper)
Jaime Luis Gómez , better known by his stage name Taboo, is an American singer, actor, and rapper best known as a member of the group The Black Eyed Peas.-Personal life:...
knocking on APL
Apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. better known as apl.de.ap , is a Filipino-American rapper, record producer, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas.-Early life:Pineda was born in Belfast...
's house which then his mom answers and starts to talk to them in a thick, heavy Filipino accent and then she asks Allan to come down and starts to embarrass him and then his baby sister Jasmine comes and Fergie tells his mom they're going to the park. The music begins and shows Apl, Fergie, Will.I.Am and Taboo in different colour backgrounds singing. It then shows Apl, Fergie, Will.I.Am, Taboo and his little sister singing at the park with girls and cars having a good time. The video finishes with Them at a house party singing in a group together.. In this video, American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finalist Jasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias is an American singer-entertainer who was the third place finalist on the third season of American Idol, due in part to tremendous call-in support from California, New York, and her native state of Hawaii. She has released one album to date, Jasmine Trias...
was featured playing apl.de.ap
Apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. better known as apl.de.ap , is a Filipino-American rapper, record producer, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas.-Early life:Pineda was born in Belfast...
's sister. Other Filipino-American celebrities appearing in either version of the video include DJ Rhettmatic
DJ Rhettmatic
DJ Rhettmatic is a member of the Beat Junkies DJ crew. Rhettmatic began his DJ career in 1983 with the DJ group Double Platinum, and was one of the founding members of Beat Junkie crew....
of the Beat Junkies
Beat Junkies
The World Famous Beat Junkies is a Hip hop crew of DJs specializing in Turntablism. Established in 1992 in Orange County, California by J-Rocc....
DJ crew, rap group Native Guns
Native Guns
Native Guns was an American rap group that consisted of two Filipino American MC's and a Chinese American DJ from California. Based in both Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, the group consists of MCs Kiwi and Bambu, and DJ Phatrick...
, mixed martial artist Brandon Vera
Brandon Vera
Brandon Michael Vera is an American mixed martial artist. He competes as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the winner of the WEC 13 Heavyweight Tournament and currently resides in San Diego, California. He holds notable victories over Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva,...
, boxer Brian Viloria
Brian Viloria
Brian Viloria is a Filipino-American professional boxer He is the reigning WBO Flyweight champion. He also won the WBC Light Flyweight and IBF Junior Flyweight titles...
, Camile Velasco
Camile Velasco
Ciara-Camile Roque Velasco is a Filipino-American singer and was one of the finalists on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series, American Idol...
and Jose "Sway" Penala, adult industry's Charmane Star
Charmane Star
Charmane Star is a Filipino pornographic actress who has appeared in over 279 films since 1998. She has also performed as a feature dancer....
,amongst many others. Debatable as to why she appears in this video, Tila Tequila makes an appearance. Tila Tequila, also known as Tila Nguyen
Tila Nguyen
Tila Nguyen , better known by her stage names Tila Tequila and Miss Tila, is a Vietnamese-American model and television personality...
, is not Filipino, but Vietnamese.
Setbacks
In October 2006, Ginelsa spoke about the music videos at the University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
as a guest lecturer for a Filipino-American student organization and revealed some of the difficulties about shooting both versions of "Bebot" in just 2 days. He noted that the record label had originally recruited him to direct the "Bebot" video but was let go due to creative differences. A year later, apl.de.ap
Apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. better known as apl.de.ap , is a Filipino-American rapper, record producer, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas.-Early life:Pineda was born in Belfast...
ended up financing both music videos himself without the label's supervision and with Ginelsa directing. Ginelsa admitted in his talk that he ended up using his own credit cards after going way over budget and was too embarrassed to tell Apl the true amount. He spent too much time shooting "Generation Two" that he never got to fully realize his script for "Generation One" as The Black Eyed Peas members Will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
and Taboo
Taboo (rapper)
Jaime Luis Gómez , better known by his stage name Taboo, is an American singer, actor, and rapper best known as a member of the group The Black Eyed Peas.-Personal life:...
only shot cameos for the filming of that video, and one member of the group whom he would not name was opposed to shooting the "Generation One" video altogether. In a personal MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
entry dated August 30, 2006, Ginelsa also addresses an open letter written by a collective of Filipino and Filipino-American professors and other academics who criticized the video's hypersexualization of women and the perpetualization of negative stereotypes, particularly in "Generation Two." The letter was mass e-mailed throughout the Filipino-American community rather than delivered to Ginelsa and his staff directly.
In popular culture
Despite the music video being shot, "Bebot" was not released as a single in the U.S, but was released in the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and several other Asian countries. The song featured on the Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
episode Swag
Swag (Ugly Betty episode)
"Swag" is the eleventh episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty. This was supposed to be the fourth episode, which was scheduled to air on October 19, 2006, but it was replaced by "Fey's Sleigh Ride". It has been billed as "The Lost Episode" and filled in loose ends via new scenes...
, where Oshi, a famous Japanese modeling agent is seen with one of his escorts holding a boom box with the song playing. MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
ran a story about the video on their website, as well as a behind-the-scenes vignette on their MTV News television programming. Contrary to the claims made by Ginelsa, the story claims the video was funded by The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
. Filipino American DJ E-Man, who serves as assistant program director and music director for radio station KPWR
KPWR
KPWR is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on an analog signal and in HD Radio...
in Los Angeles, also details a conversation he had in passing with label executives regarding the video which was met with little enthusiasm. In January 2007, the song was added to the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
A-List Playlist. CPDRC inmates have also recorded a dance routine for the song.apl.de.ap
Apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. better known as apl.de.ap , is a Filipino-American rapper, record producer, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of The Black Eyed Peas.-Early life:Pineda was born in Belfast...
sang the 1st verse during HBO's Marquez Vs. Pacquiao 2 countdown show, when he was featured alongside Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
and his group in a restaurant. Manny Pacquiao used the song as an entrance theme for his 2nd fight against Juan Manuel Márquez
Juan Manuel Márquez
Juan Manuel Márquez Méndez , is a Mexican professional boxer. He is the fourth Mexican-born boxer to become a three-division world champion, where he won eight world titles in three different boxing weight classes.Currently, Marquez is the WBA Super, WBO and The Ring lightweight champion...
. Filipino-American UFC fighter Brandon Vera
Brandon Vera
Brandon Michael Vera is an American mixed martial artist. He competes as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the winner of the WEC 13 Heavyweight Tournament and currently resides in San Diego, California. He holds notable victories over Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva,...
uses this as his entrance music to his fights. Fellow Filipino-American UFC Fighter Mark Munoz
Mark Munoz
Mark Muñoz is an American mixed martial artist of Filipino descent currently fighting in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Muñoz is known for his wrestling ability and his relentless ground-and-pound...
used this song on UFC 112
UFC 112
UFC 112: Invincible was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 10, 2010, on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates...
for his entrance. Jonnis danced solo to "Bebot" for his elimination dance on season 1 of So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
in 2005.