A Reddit user recreated the viral five-hour video of an indie musician Chall who streamed a video of him staring at a picture of the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach last year.
In his version, Redditor “fraudnextdoor” replaced the face of Chall with a caricature similar to what the character of Mr. Bean did to a soiled painting in the “Bean” movie.
“I recently discovered The Whistler’s Mother (Mr. Bean version) and it gave off ‘Staring at White Sand’ 5-hour live stream vibes, so I decided to recreate it. Exactly 1 year since the stream—kumusta na mental health (niyo)?” the Reddit user said as a title.
“Mentally, I am here,” the caption of the post reads.
Chall’s dolomite video stunt was recreated in two artworks—one where he is seen staring at the dolomite picture with his hands folded and the other, where his face was replaced with the caricature as inspired by the 1997 comedy film.
Chall on September 29 last year uploaded a video of him on Facebook that looped for more than five hours.
The title of the video reads: “Staring at white sand until my mental health is okay.”
He said this was his reaction to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s claims that walking along the artificial white sands could benefit one’s mental health, especially amid a pandemic.
“Kasi alam mo, sa gitna ng pandemya, kinakailangan din na pangalagaan ang mental health,” the Palace official told reporters before.
“I think ‘yung pagpapasyal sa mga lugar gaya ng Manila Bay na may white beach, hindi mo maka-quantify ang epekto niyan pagdating po sa mental health ng ating mga kabababayan, ‘yung kapayapaan ng pag-iisip at ‘yung break from ‘yung dangers ng pandemic,” he added.
“Right now, Manila Bay is known for its sunset, probably the best sunset in the world. With the white beach there, it will be one of the most picturesque sceneries in the whole world,” Roque further claimed.
Chall, in response to the Palace’s remarks, then explained that “the whole idea of the live stream is to show some sort of silent protest to the statement of Harry Roque.”
“Although it is looped, I hope I sent a message clear that he should be held accountable for such an irresponsible statement,” Chall told Interaksyon.
The artist also shared that he recreated a popular meme of the spokesperson where he appeared to space out in a virtual interview.
“It’s also like a recreation of that one time where Harry Roque just zones out in a call,” Chall said before.
This was in reference to Roque’s televised interview with CNN Philippines in June 2020, which eventually inspired the creation of various memes and other witty posts.
RELATED: Mentally he’s here: Musician seen staring at Manila Bay white sand for 5 hours
The caricature
In the “Bean” movie, Mr. Bean accidentally sneezes on the “Whistler’s Mother” painting which features the mother of the artist, James McNeill Whistler, as the subject.
He attempts to wipe his droplets with a handkerchief which he realized is soaked in ink. He then attempts to remove the ink on the painting with a paint thinner but manages to ruin the artwork itself.
Mr. Bean then draws a face to salvage the painting, which results in a caricature.
A clip of the scene can be viewed on YouTube.
The “Whistler’s Mother” is a real painting described as a “Victorian Mona Lisa.”
An expert said that the painting is “an exercise in applying thin washes of paint to achieve tonal harmony, balance and stability.”
“The paintings restrained simplicity; its strong geometric framework, subtle coloration, deft skill and finely honed realism are beautifully handled,” Ted Snell, current director of the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery at the University of Western Australia, said in an article.
The project
The Manila Baywalk Dolomite Project is part of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program which aims to clean, rehabilitate and preserve the historic bay.
It has since stirred controversy due to the government’s perceived misplaced priorities while the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said that the project is “not untimely” and that it was approved by Congress under the 2019 General Appropriations Act.
It also underwent competitive bidding under Republic Act 9184.
The agency added that the contract was awarded prior to the pandemic and that “the government cannot simply stop a project when it is already under a contractual obligation to proceed.”
“Beach nourishment mainly aims to rehabilitate and protect the coastal resources in the area to prevent coastal flooding and erosion,” DENR said.
