Star Strucked! How the showbiz industry is slowly killing Filipino Nationalism
I went to the mall one afternoon to attend to some errands, going to an establishment to print some business cards and then buy some things needed at the house. The mall was packed at the entrance, which was the usual sight on a lazy Sunday, but I was still surprised to see more people drawn towards the event center where they usually hold programs and mall happenings. As I drew closer to the center of the mall where the event center is located, I could hear some loud shrieks coming from... who else but the crowd inside. What the f*ck? What is going on here?
I glanced at the stage and saw the culprit. Richard Gutierrez. The handsome boy most girls would love to drool, even just the mere mention of his name.
Now I understand. This is a case where people are allowed a little gratification on their part, and yet, when we talk about nationalistic issues, the answer in unison would sound like “we don't care”. It’s a pathetic excuse for a country that was the only one who has demonstrated to the whole world how to lead a successful bloodless revolution. Instead, they would rather know more about their “beloved” superstar in glossy posters rather than stare at old, worn-out, and faded portraits of national heroes and their achievements. Ask some of our young generations about Philippine history and they would cram for answers, and yet when you ask about Britney, Hanna, or the brothers named Jonas, they could probably tell you stories of those people's lives. Ask about JPEPA, BJE, ZTE, and they would probably reply to you that they don't care because it is the responsibility of the government. They sold their Filipino souls in exchanges for the PSP', DS's, N Series, Xboxes, Wii's, IXUS's and the iPods.
This is the generation wherein people do not stand straight at the sound of the National Anthem at the cinema's last full shows. This is the period where we witnessed a celebrity singer forgetting four lines of the national anthem in front of the television cameras. This is the time where the revised Panatang Makabayan wasn't even memorized at heart by students. This is the era where “Pilipinas Kong Mahal” means everything has an expensive price, including standing up for your political beliefs.
Unfortunately, people would rather talk showbiz rather than get involved with politics. And it is only here in the Philippines where the actors run for public office, and the politicians showboat in front of the camera. As much as idealistic Filipinos would want to see a united country working towards progress with a sense of nationalism within each and everyone, most of these visionaries have long been gone to the graves.
So, where does the future of this country stands? Probably it will gonna end up in the magazine covers and centerfolds...
mangangailangan na naman ng pondo yan eh...
hindi ba pwedeng sariling kusa?
responsibilidad ng bawat mamamayan na ipagmalaki ang lahing Filipino nila eh...
Hindi ako magtataka na darating ang panahon pati ang mga Aklat ng Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas ay lilimutin na kapalit ng mga Gossip Magazines...
tandaan natin na ang media ay isa sa galamay ng kapitalismo...
kaya hindi ako naniniwalang si Obama ay sosyalista... si Oprah na may malaking impluwensiya sa media ang numero unong supporter ni Obama... kahit anong pagbabaligtad ng US kay Obama, hindi pa rin siya sosyalista...
lols napunta kay Obama...
Tingnan mo nga naman nagagawa ng media... pati ang sosyalista NAMAMALIIT... ano sila... gago... hahahaha....
Some people 'obsess' or are far more interested in the lives of their favorite actor/singer/whatever than their own lives or the current events that could affect them because this is their way of living the fantasy of having a 'perfect life'. What they see is the glamour, the fame, the money--- and that's what they want. People like that are 'over' their life problems and seek a more 'perfect' way of living than their own. They've lost hope that things will get better, perhaps.
eh kung sosyalista sya... eh di maoist ako!
tado ung mga yun, misinformation campaign talaga!
natatakot lang ang US ngayon dahil nabubuko na ng buong mundo ang masamang epekto ng kapitalismo...
I don't have anything against people who scream and faint and shit like that for the celebrities they like, man. His to their own. :D What is wrong with that? If it makes them happy, go lang. People do wake up to reality eventually. :D
I am not against idolizing superstars but there should be a level of acceptance, and not as to emulate them as an alternative to the government that is supposed to provide us basic services. The issue here is that showbusiness is here to entertain us, not to deprive us of our sense of national heritage and cultural existence.
tatagalugin ko pa lang, dun ko ilalagay sa blogspot at wordpress :-P
nosebleed ako sa tagalog eh, tsaka para hindi masyadong maintindihan ni Anabelle Rama lols...
mahilig ako sa showbiz but i guarantee you i wont be one of them girls screaming for richard gutierrez... i still prefer diether though...
but for real, i suppose not all of those screamers are clueless as to what's goin on in our beloved country... most probably... people got tired of all the charades the government has been playing for ages and some of us just wanted to loosen up a bit and have something to inspire us (amidst the political and economic crises)... siguro it's up to us, "the newer generations" -- to inculcate our future generations--- the importance of knowing the country's current issues and why is it significant -- as well as making them know that the "Panatang Makabayan" has already been revised yrs ago and that Christian Bautista's version of the National Anthem isnt the one our kids should remember... i am just glad the above has been quite a table topic at home and my younger sisters weren't as nonchalant...
tapos di alam ang panatang makabayan or lupang hinirang.
I got your point plorwaks
Nice post by the way. :)
hindi ako galit sa mga taong wala nang bukambibig kundi ang kaganapan ayon sa startalk, showbiz central at the bust este buzz... magkahalong inis at awa ang nararamdaman ko para sa kanila...
inis at awa lalo na sa mga taong walang pakialam at walang malasakit pagdating sa usapan sa isyu ng bayan. oo nga at naiinis na tayo sa gobyerno natin... pero mas lalo lang tayong maghihirap kung wala tayong gagawin upang supilin ang gobyernong nagpapahirap sa atin... reklamo tayo ng reklamo, ayaw naman nating kumilos... tapos uunahin pa ang updates ng paboritong artista... ito ay isa sa pumapatay sa bansa lalo na ang tungkulin natin bilang ipagmalaki ang minana nating kultura...
mahirap i-analyze ang Philippine History dahil karamihan ng nakasulat sa kasaysayan natin ay embellishment lamang upang pagtakpan ang tunay na layunin ng mga mananakop sa atin... pero in general naman maiintindihan mo rin kung papano tumakbo ang kasaysayan ng Pilipinas ayon sa pagbabago ng takbo ng mundo...
saan na nga ba tutungo ang kinabukasan ng ating bansa?
ang iba kasi sa ating mga kababayan ang mentalidad kinain na ng mga idolo nila na walang pakaialam pagdating sa mga isyu ng bayan...
pag si LJC ang nakita ko,di lang ako hihiyaw!! luluhod pa ko sa harap nya!
nasan n b mga kabataan ngayun*sigh*
hindi ko naman sinabing pumili ka sa mga artista at pulitika... ang sinasabi ko lang nakalimutan na ng sambayanan ang nasyonalismo dahil lang saan? sa pag-iipon ng mga posters ni juday?
forgetting your sense of nationalism in exchange for all the entertainment the world of show business brings you is not an excuse even if the your government is not functioning properly :D
that is your opinion and i respect that, but i don't agree with you all the same. just because the politicians are corrupt it doesn't mean we can turn our backs at our country. even if the politicians are the problem, WE are still the solution. of course we are still prioritizing our personal issues and crises, but if the country needs you, where will you stand? with your "Philippine" Idol born in America, or with the power that the constitution gave you to make the necessary change that is needed for this country to be progressive?
i hope you don't take offense also...
Baka naman kalahati sa Personal na Problema mo ay bunga ng mga Problema sa ating Bayan?
Naitanong ko lang po...
ano ba ang mga palabas sa TV ngayon? Asero, Dyesebel, Dyosa, atbp...
ang Noli at El Fili... sa Knowledge Channel lang mapapanood... estudyante pa ako nung ginawa nila yun... kung wala kayong cable, wala kayong Knowledge Channel
ang pelikulang Rizal(Cesar Montano) ay ginawa lang sa anong dahilan? upang isali lang sa Filmfest...
ang sinasabi ko lang naman ay anong matutunan ng mga Filipino ukol sa kasaysayan at nasyonalismo sa TV? WALA. hindi lang naman dapat sa loob ng silid aralan tayo matuto eh...