Queen of All Media

 

(kirasukebe.deviantart.com)

I am Kris. A lot of people like me for I grace their living rooms on week days and give them things which I think are intelligent. They like the way I look that's the reason why I am hounded by the different multinationals to endorse their products. A lot like the way I talk as well... I could hear lots of  them copying my accent and the colloquial I introduce would always be hits.... Love love love!

Even if my acting is the same: catatonic with twisted eyebrows, they like my films. My characters resemble the same from Sukob to Mano Po but they like me. My films are all-time hits. I could not sing but I have sold millions of albums just by collecting my favorite love songs. Some critics call the songs mushy but they reached the platinum status!

 I judge a reality show even if I don't have the credentials. A lot of judges are like that, aren't they?

I am the Queen of All Media! One of my best friends is Friendship Ai-ai, the Comedy Concert Queen... so with Zhing, Zsa-zsa, the Divine Diva! At least I belong to the circle of the Superstar, Star for All Seasons, Diamond Star, Mega Star, Jukebox Queen so with my friend Manny, Ang Pambansang Kamao!

My sisters love me. Every time that I would mess up with my love life, they come to the rescue. When I had my thing with Phillip, they lifted me on their shoulders. Josh was accepted freely in our family. When I divulged my STD on national TV and that I was profusely bleeding due to Joey's infliction, you sympathized with me. You cried with me....

When I started to frequent the arena where the PBA is done, you cheered with me. You approved of my happiness, right? James became the apple of your eyes as the right husband for me. And when Baby James was born, more endorsements came. Some guys even copied the hairstyle of my son, ha ha ha!

Then, that hag Vicky caused a lot of trouble when one of her masseuses flirted and had an affair with my James. I hated it, I hate her. I hate James that my son was then called Bimby!   

Now, when James wanted to rape me, you believe that he wanted to rape me, right? How could he say that THERE IS NO MORE SPARK? My skin is maintained with moisturizes which could feed a small community, my hair could send students to college... and he tells us that he doesn't have a thing for me? Ha ha ha...

Thanks for my sisters who come to the rescue once more. And thanks to you for taking my side. It was true that I was really hurt that I cried OUCH! OUCH!

I am Kris. And my brother has three more years.

Remember: Love love love!

War

                                                                    (PicGifs.com)

It's empowering, alright. When you can freely express what you feel, that could be a liberating experience. When you can air out your opinions without being shushed and without any editing from someone, the feeling is great. But this could edge towards feeding that dark side of you who thirsts for power... that dark half who, if not properly guarded, could be unleashed and distort the real you.

When the use of internet and the social networks peaked, a lot of unheard voices came to the open. For persons who encourage communication, an arena for building ideas was being opened. A lot poured their souls to the screen and let their emotions smear the cyber space. There's nothing wrong with the concept of the freedom of speech... I even had an open mind to those who blog with misspelled and abbreviated words. I kept a democratic thinking for those whose syntax are being filled with phrases and sentences which could not be accepted by my English 101 teacher in college. Someone remarked that the effort of expressing is more important than the grammar and the like... OK.

But bashing and bullying are two different issues. I would really wonder why people are compelled to curse and become mean in an avenue where a lot could misinterpret them. I believe that we have the right to be angry and be hurt but we also have the right to preserve our dignity and the real us by thinking sanely before pounding the keys that would translate our feelings to become words. Why not smash a bottle nearby and see the shards fly rather than unleash that dark half which could be identified to you by the worldwide viewers?

"Our words, even our clothes, masquerade as our identities, they are the things to signal who we are," this is a nifty line from that play on shadows. And that could be the guidepost of our shout-outs and tweets. But who am I to tell you this? There's still that freedom that we are hungry of, right? But what about our relationships? Our fleeting feelings won't be there forever (for isn't it scary to be angry for all eternity?) but the ties that bind us could be constant. Yes we could break them but we could also choose not to.

I've seen a lot of word wars lately. I don't have the right to judge the "warriors". They are passionate enough to make their own stands. I could mind my own business but the ripples reached my habitat. These ripples could bother me as well since the hurt and the angry are PEOPLE. Both of the sides are mothers, fathers, sisters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters... Why not treasure the real things than that which are only on the emotional level? I could not hug anger. I could not shake hands with hate...

But, I could build bridges rather than walls!

Yes, I could do that and become proactive rather than reactive. There are things to do rather than yack about. I need to translate my words into actions, rather, I need my actions to speak for themselves. 

How could I be credible enough to judge a contemporary dance when I don't know how to do a pirouette?

Life Onscreen

In SM Cinema's IMAX, I viewed J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" in 3D. When it was the time to put on the glasses and Bilbo Baggins started to take shape in front of me, I remembered Yoyoy Villame's novelty song titled "Unamg Pagtan-aw Ko'g Sine". There was a scene when something exploded and shrapnels seemed to lead to my direction I almost cowered. I've seen a lot of 3D stuff in my friend's flat via his home theater system but the IMAX experience is different. There was also a wasp which seemed to fly towards me that I thought it landed on my shoulder.

I shelled out some dough for the flick not just for the experience but "The Hobbit" was a favorite book of mine way back in high school. My sister who adores cats had a pet named Bilbo. When Peter Jackson decided to translate Tokien's tales through The Lord of the Ring trilogy, I remembered getting distracted with my norms to be able to see the films. I think this is the only trilogy which made me feel that way (and so with George Lucas' Star Wars). I left Harry Potter to my students and gave Johnny Depp's antics through Pirates of the Caribbean to my friend Karen.

My cousin Mario loves the theater. His love is infectious that he literally told me the experience he had when he saw Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera". He also exposed me to Webber's other plays like "Cats," "Evita," etc.. When "Miss Saigon" produced by Cameron Mckintosh became a national pride due to Lea Salonga's Tony and Lawrence Olivier awards, I also started to listen to Claude-Michel Schoenberg and Alain Boublil who immortalized the potent music and words of Saigon... That was when I realized that the duo made the musical "Les Miserables" breathe into life.

Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" haunted me way back in college. The book was like an affair which leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. I was into Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice and Stephen King. But Hugo's characters have these realistic pains which cut across culture, race, religion and generation. Paris during the 1800's could still be found everywhere. The barricades seem to be the epitome of every person's struggle to topple down oppression, injustice and even personal battles.

When the book was presented onstage through the thespian of the actors and musicians, the world seemed to be centered on the truth of the characters. Boulbil and Schoenberg made a miracle out of these lines:

Do you hear the people sing, singing songs of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slave again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!

And what about the thief who turned to become a good mayor? Jean Valjean could be a wise study of sociologists here since in our country, the opposite often happens: A good mayor will turn out to become a thief! And there's Javert whose sole purpose of existence is to capture Prisoner 24601... He could be the personification of the few whose sole purpose on this Earth is to feed on the misfortunes of others. And who could not be entertained with the irony of The Thernadiers? Their gluttony and unquenchable thirst for money are reflections of poverty...

Ah, the danger of art becoming reality!

I'm going to view the latest film version of the musical "Les Miserables" by Tom Hooper. Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman already received citations during the Golden Globe Awards as Best Supporting Actress and Best Actor respectively. It could be in 3D or 2D. It would not matter as long as the experience would push me towards the better understanding of humanity. This could lead me to acquire more of what we call as LIFE skills.

There is a castle in the clouds

I like to go there in my sleep...

There is a lady all in white

Holds me and sings me a lullaby

 (photo:imbd.com)

That Tube in Our Living Rooms

"I don't watch such crap," she said. "It limits my thinking capacities," she finished and switched channels. The girl was referring to a local soap being aired after the local news. She has a point. Save for the good production design, there's indeed nothing to watch. You would even gag at the sight of young stars acting as poor lasses in full make-up. Digression: Wouldn't it be nice to quarrel and have confrontations with those dresses and accessories and all the make-up? Slapping your enemy would be satisfying...but then you would be spending a lot of time and money going to a salon for a confrontation!

You sometimes admire the talents of these TV soap writers. You were informed by an insider that they have unfinished scripts. They depend on the pulse of the viewers. The TV execs would hire survey firms and people who immerse to the viewing public and record what the viewers prefer! Then, the segment writers would shift stories and inject subplots to the point that the avid viewers would really be satisfied with all the things going on in the story.

But then, you would then be fed up with the twists and turns. As a constant reader, you like being led by the writer to the world he created. The dimensions and parallel universes created would  enthrall you if not make you awestruck. Why should writers compromise their creativity with what the viewers and execs want? Isn't it the reason why one write - to grab the reader/viewer by the collar and let him experience the world he created?

You were exposed to "Smash" produced by Steven Spielberg. This is a story of two wannabe actresses who want to play the role of Marilyn Monroe. The musical numbers are consistent with the plot and the characterizations are real. The concept of understanding Monroe's character being entwined with the lives of the cast is mind blowing. The way the writers have that light-bulb moments while groping for words in a song would not fail to amaze the viewer!

You're not saying that Philippine television is mediocre. There's Patricia Evangelista's "Storyline" and potent documentaries of Kara David, but the bombardment of inartistic prods presented via "It's Showtime" scares the hell out of you. What if all the creative things will be delegated to the viewers? 

Darn...You just have to enjoy the creative movements of Tabitha and Napoleon in "Mobbed".

 (photo: nbc.com/smash)

Power Bashing

Of course, one way or the other, one has experienced being bullied when he/she was still young. We could remember those "powerful" beings in our campus and cringe over the thought of being with them. Bullying has come to the attention of the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) when the organization floated a questionnaire on corporal punishment happening in the Department of Education being done by teachers. To the surprise of the researchers, bullying by fellow students came first rather than that of teachers...

The DepEd has then ordered a Child Protection Policy which would empower the schools to have specific actions on bullying... This has been acted upon due to the negative effects of bullies to the mental health of their preys. In fact, some resulted to suicide and insanity.

In the vast field of the different campuses, there lies the dark world of those who would constantly pick on persons they think are "lesser mortals". Of course, there are psychological issues and family orientations that would lead us to a discussion til midnight but our sole concern for now are those who give us torturous experiences in the cyberspace. Specifically, those whom we call as BASHERS.

When the social networking sites boomed, we enjoyed and utilized their upsides: fast communications to our friends and loved ones and the influx of information which turned out to become a technology in itself. One of their downsides is the invasion of one's privacy and personal degradations and defamation from those who are not pleased with us. Some of them post hurting words and insulting us to the point that there are few who are traumatized. Of course, others would tell us to ignore the bashes but some of us are not that strong due to individual differences.

Lately, I was scandalized to read a post from a girl who posted insulting words to another girl over a man. Of course, one could already see the personality of this girl by just looking at her pictures and the things in her "timeline"... but to type demeaning words to another human being could really make a reader question the moral fiber of you! Curses and badmouthing were spread over our "homes" and these would create negative ripples in that macro-world!

As a journalist, I need to be responsible with what I post and publish. I understand that there are two sides and these sides must be considered. I need to respect the constitutional rights of my fellow human beings. I have to understand that we have that thirst for power since we are also animals. But we are thinking and feeling animals. But best, we believe that we have a spirit which is anchored to the divine.

Now that the Cyber Crime Law is being signed and approved by the president, I would be assured that I will be protected from these bashers who think that I'm a lesser being. I could continue living in a world ( and in cyberspace for that matter) where respect is for everyone.

For if hurt and abused, at least I could rely on the protection the state is mandated to give me.

(RA 10175 declares as crimes some modern offenses in cyberspace, a few of them with parallels in the Revised Penal Code. These include libel, fraud, piracy of intellectual property, cybersex, violations of the confidentiality and integrity of computer data. philstar.com) - photo: antibullying.blogspot.com

Guilty!

(photo: newsinfo.inquirer.net)

The word GUILTY reverberated  as 20 senators gave their verdict yesterday on that historic event where a Chief Justice was being tried. Some cheered especially those who just did for sheer ignorance or, to the word of the dominatrix of the universe, plain stupidity.

For how could we cheer on the turn of events and the sad realities which haunted our living rooms for almost 50 days? There's the truth behind Sen. Miriam Santiago's anger: Mga artista kayo! For how many of our elected officials do their SALN's honestly? Can you give me a percentage of our LGU officials and national employees who did their SALN's perfectly? Are we going to run after them and give what is due to them? Will the ombudsman have the time enough to review and investigate these papers?

Then, there's the reality that we have the likes of Lito Lapid in the senate. We could not question his charisma to the people because even a supermodel of the world in the person of Melanie Marquez fell for him. But his words during the time to give his verdict could have been edited or deleted to save him from promoting pizza. And what about the "t's" of Loren Legarda as she enunciated her words? I could remember giggling so hard when a teacher said: During breakfasT, I always eaT the fruiT frisT... Emphasizing the t's to the point of hilarity.

Also, there was the incompetence of the defense as they presented evidences from a small lady, anonymous accounts and the other articles being cancelled due to the hasty decision to file a complaint. That's probably the reason why the defense team shied away from having a victory party because it could never be a complete victory when there were lapses on their presentations. The viewing public, especially those who underwent keen observations and thinking processes, was also giving its own opinion for the prosecutors and the defense. The prosecution had their lapses as well.

One thing was really learned: We must elect lawmakers who are competent enough in dealing with legislation and interpreting the law intelligently. We don't rely on what we feel but the competence of the person to be placed on the local, provincial and national seats. For how could we not shiver watching someone grope for mere words? We don't even need words but the ideas and intentions for the common good!

I respect the decision of the senators. Led by the competence of Sen. Enrile, the rationales and outbursts of Santiago, the points of Joker Arroyo and the deep analyses of Chiz Escudero, we could say that the trial was smoothly carried by the Senate.

But then again, it's the set of learning that we could consider as the advantage of the proceedings. Democracy is also starting to mature. We need to listen more to our conscience and protect our rights. For, it would be futile if we will be led by persons who won't say MEA CULPA.

Touching our souls

(photo: justjared.com)

 

Of course Phillip Phillips wins!

 Much to our desire that Jessica Sanchez would win the much-coveted American Idol award but there are still things to consider like the majority of votes and the pervasive musicality of the contestant.

From the auditions, Phillip was first noticed when he did a cover of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" using his guitar. The sound was so different yet it captured the hearts of not just the judges but the fans as well. His followers mushroomed when he started crooning on the AI stage.

We love Jessica as well. We have that attitude of claiming that she's one of us since her mother is a Filipino. She was even overwhelmed to realize that a lot of Filipino "distant" relatives feigned closeness to their family. We as a people would like her to win to take us from that inferior stage of being an underdog. She represents every Filipino's need to sing to a big audience evident to the karaoke parties we have.

But this love, admiration and resonance could never be equated to different realities:

 1. Jessica is vocally good and has technique but Phillip gives soulful rendetions;

 2. Jessica sounds good with songs of Whitney, Beyonce and Jennifer Holiday but Phillip sounds good with his own songs;

 3. Jessica was almost eliminated but Phillip stayed on the safe grounds all the time;

 4. Phillip used his guitar and did some things to cover songs while Jessica did not use any instrument during the duration of AI.

  

 Then, there was their rendition of their soon-to-be-recorded single...Phillip's "Home" touched the heart of many and Jessica's was forgettable...

But we are proud of her. When she did that phenomenal duet with Jennifer Holiday, we cringed and cried for the honesty and prowess. We are assured that she has left an indelible mark on the Idol viewers. Most of us felt something. Art was translated on Jessica's voice and Jennifer's growls. Some of our friends caught their breaths and we had goosebumps all over our bodies...

In the end, Jessica will make songs and Phillip will also do the same. Both of them will haunt the airwaves and we will connect to their music.

At least, we've converged as one and Jessica made it happen.