Last Sunday in the Buzz there was an item about Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo. Sarah was planning to move out from her parent's house to live on her own. Since her mother would not consent, the plan was thwarted or at least put on hold.
The report was linking Rayver Cruz as the possible reason for Sarah's attempt. She would like to have more private time for herself, and for Rayver whom she admitted sharing secrets with.
In the same report, Sarah's mother, Divine, was interviewed. She said Sarah should focus more on her career and avoid the things that might hinder her from achieving her dreams.
Personally, I think Sarah has already accomplished her dreams. It is just a matter of sustaining it by maintaining her tv appearances and the quality of her every performance.
I am one of those people who turn on the TV on Sundays in the hope of seeing and hearing Sarah sing.
In the recently conducted interview with Judy Ann Santos by a leading newspaper on why she stayed with ABS and on her new soap opera, Judy Ann was asked about Sarah and what she thinks of her. Judy Ann said that Sarah is an extremely shy girl, but she expressed her desire to be friends with Sarah.
For me, Sarah's bashfulness is a sign of humility which she exudes on TV.
Sarah also embodies the stereotype of an old and modern Filipina, which may explain why she is loved both by the young and the old. The bashfulness/humility she exudes on tv makes her a Maria Clara. But unlike a Maria Clara, she is not ashamed to sing and her voice carries with it the emotions that explain why she is called the Pop Princess.
When it was Sarah's turn to give her reaction to her mother's disapproval, her responses were indicative of a person who is torn between honoring her mother and following her heart.
That Sarah is moving out from her parents' home because of Rayver is maybe true. But I would like to believe that it is not the main reason.
On her own, away from her parents, Sarah may now do whatever she pleases: engage in telebabad until the wee hours of the morning, entertain guests and visitors, and party until she drops.
Indulging in these activities is a waste of time and money, but certainly something very tempting to consider doing especially if you have the luxury of money and youthfulness, like Sarah. A first hand experience of an event is far different from an experience deduced only from the mind. This explains the fact that there are people who are willing to pay thousands more to be in a concert hall or in front of the boxing ring although there is the comfort of watching it live on TV in a couch in the serenity of one's home.
Sarah has handled her showbiz responsibilities. She has sold-out concerts and block buster movies in her name. It does not come as a surprise to me now that Sarah would like to take charge of her life also.
The implications of her mother's words were that, Sarah has no discipline to take care of herself yet. Lest nanay Divine forgets, singing is also a discipline. Sarah would not have been this good if she has no discipline.
Nanay Divine also noticed that Sarah is already becoming interested in men. She is afraid that this newfound interest is distracting Sarah and causing her to lose focus in her career. But, nanay Divine, there is no indication that Sarah is a lesbian, and it is but normal for a lady who is not a lesbian to be interested n handsome men. As to her career, Sarah has wowed millions of Filipinos and with it, earning millions after millions of pesos for herself and her family.
She deserves to be trusted and be given that opportunity to discover for herself how living a life in this world is really like.
Besides, as sure as the sun rises in the east, Sarah is soon moving out, actually or figuratively speaking. It is only a matter of time before she finally has the voice to tell her parents this, or the guts to finally show it in her actions. And I hope when Sarah finally does this, her parents will not take it against her as to say that lumalaki na ang ulo niya or she has lost the respect and gratitude that makes us Filipino unique. Her parents will save themselves and Sarah the heartache of this additional burden that usually comes with separation, if they let go of Sarah now.
And letting go of Sarah does not necessarily mean acquiring for her a condo or an apartment unit where she can live by herself. With her schedule and commitments, Sarah will find it hard to maintain at least the cleanliness and orderliness of her place. Letting go of Sarah requires them to trust her that she knows what she is doing and is responsible for them. Let her engage in telebabad until the wee hours of the morning, entertain guests and visitors, and party until she drops. If she misses an appointment or has negated her commitments because of partying and the like, let her experience the pain of being sanctioned.
These experiences will give her more depths and new perspectives in her interpretations of the songs she sings and will sing and the characters in the movies she will play. Also, because I think this is the only way for her to grow up, and because she must grow up.
In short, more room for mistakes for the Pop Princess.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Hopes for Universal Soldier Regeneration
The ad claims that it is the original sequel to the #1 blockbuster hit.
What makes me so happy about this ad is the fact that, at last, Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren have a new movie. For so long, I have not seen a movie of these two great martial art stars.
During those silent nights in my grandfather's house in Cayus, Pilar, Capiz, only the movies of these two men gave me the courage and the confidence that, if there were momo's hiding in chico, rambotan, or lanzones trees that surrounded my grandfather's three story house, I could kick and knock them out.
I was about 10 or 12 years old then. My lawyer uncle, who was based in Bulacan, went home to Pilar after my father's death in 1990. Uncle Nonoy would always ask for my company. As a come on, he would rent for me action movies.
The good guy in the movies would be humiliated, battered, and abused. In the end however, he fights and wins. His victory brings change to his life and the lives of the people in his community.
I would later learn from attending literary workshops that such a plot is very common and over-used.
A work of art, like the film, must not only entertain people. It must also enrich the lives of the people who watch it.
We know for example that bad people do bad things to good people and vice-versa. But what we do not know and would like to understand is what makes the bad people do bad, and good people do good.
What drives people to do good or bad things to other people beyond their own personal experience? Good things happen to bad people, yet they persist in doing bad things; bad things also happen to good people but they persist in doing good, or at least, in not doing evil. Writers stop, look, listen, and examine themselves in the hope of finding answers to this question so that in the masterpieces that they create, we see ourselves, or a part of ourselves, and learn as if for the first time who we are. After all, we are creatures capable of doing both good and evil.
This is what I am looking for now, not just in a film, but also in other works of art like a novel, a play, or a short story. And this is also what I wish to see in the new Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, and Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski's movie, Universal Soldier Regeneration, aside from the usual action-packed sequences found in their movies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
