Friday, August 3, 2007

Showbizzzzzzz............

“I don't think anyone has the right to intrude in your life, but they do. I would like people to separate the actress and the woman.” -- Ingrid Bergman

Obviously the late Ms. Bergman has never seen the likes of Philippine showbusiness... how colorful, intrigue-laden and downright ridiculous it can be.

I've been in this business for nearly 30 years, if you can believe that.  I started as a wee little girl in the ensemble of a musical and it kept going from there.  My world was theater and the adults I emulated were those from the theater.  I was not much of a movie fan, and wasn't really into what was happening in that world.  But, I did enter the more mainstream areas of the business, including film, TV, and music.  And... and... well...

I know that things that happen in our world get blown up and multiplied many times over, simply because we're in the public eye, and thus are open to public scrutiny and criticism.  It's human nature for people on the outside to want to peer into our fishbowl and watch us swim.  I've grown used to it by now, although I must admit, when I'm having a bad day, it takes a while for a smile to come to my face.

As a person from showbusiness, I accept that the public at large will be curious and want to know about what happens in private.  But what I don't appreciate is when people from showbusiness inflict their private lives upon the rest of the world.  Their scandals... their dirty laundry... the things in their worlds that no one else has the right to know.  It's one thing when you're found out; it's another thing altogether when there's an onslaught of way too much information from an actor or a singer or a TV host.  Heck, I feel violated when bombarded with stuff I didn't want to hear or see.

Yeah, showbiz is a place that the faint of heart must steer clear from.  It isn't for the onion-skinned or the garden variety crybaby.  But I'd like to think that it isn't for those who are so starved for attention that every single family fight, every affair gone bad, every shabu pipe counted is plunked on our collective lap.  Hopefully, it's for those who want the attention based on the quality of their work and not on the darker, shadier sides of their private lives.  I'm a showbiz fan too, and I really don't care to hear about a colleague's dirty laundry.  It's none of my business, and I like keeping it that way.

Am I being an idealist?  I do know that tawdry news sells magazines and makes the rounds of the gossip shows faster than a speeding bullet.  But still.

But still.

And that is my rambling for the night.  It's late, so my thoughts aren't exactly that well-organized.


43 comments:

Joriben Zaballa said...

Maybe that is the only curse of those in showbusiness. You just want to do what makes you happy (acting, performing, singing on stage/screen) but in return you are already tagged as a public property. Some artists decided to leave this career because of this social stigma and preferred to live the life more private and quiet.

But still at the end, they will feel that they still have that deep eagerness to do what they love to do.

Oh well, that's life. We can't have everything.

Franco L. said...

Very well said. You took the words right out of my mouth!

jeff aguiman said...

Manang, will you be doing TV guestings or shows on your vacation in Manila?

Marcus Smith said...

I think there's a fine line between vacation and work... ;)

raul montesa said...

hear hear..hey manang, do we get to see you when you get back??? ingat... and see you soon...hi to nic!!!

Julia Cruz said...

There's a malady in Philippine showbusiness. Ugly details of a marriage breaking apart or a scandal over an incipient affair, etc become "news" and thrown to us poor Filipinos who, unfortunately are so economically starved that in the absence of meaningful entertainment on the tube we latched on to a pornograhy of grief (or at least that's what the media think). These stars who must take perverse pleasure in laundering their linens out in the public should know their branded clothes and shoes and bling don't hide the vacuity of their lives. It's time we the public say enough already and to tell the media that we might be poor but we are intelligent. Thank you, Lea, for these words. I wish there were more actors like you in our Pinoy showbiz.

Joriben Zaballa said...

Amen

Ryan N said...

i don't why people are so obsessed with celebrity pop-culture. there are real problems going on all over the world and the automatic headlines that show up on my email consist mainly of so-and-so's arrest and the news of the "big break up". i do not believe you're being an idealist. there are many others who feel the same way. its just very sad that the bottom line is to make a few pennies off of exploiting someone else's life for the "enjoyment" of the general public. luckily, we have the option as consumers to choose what we want to see and hear...granted much of it is shoved before our eyes before we can make the choice. though i'm not in showbiz, so i can only speak as an on-looker.

gail T. said...

your phrase "inflict their private lives upon the rest of the world" is incredibly spot-on. it's not like the public can completely look away or ignore them.

still, thank you Lea for sharing some of your personal life with us. i promise you are not violating anyone "with stuff [one] didn't want to hear or see." :)

Chino Hernandez said...

I really find this amazing. It seems to be a pathetic move to steer away the attention from the "usual victims" to them. CRAZY. If you would look at yahoo.com, there it is, one of the headlines... a perfect example.

Hay... people... talaga naman!

Christian Writer said...

I wonder if Kris Aquino is reading your blog.

Chino Hernandez said...

hahahaha!!!!! BRAVA! You're right!

Chinky Fuentes said...

I hate it even more when after washing their dirty laundry in public, they would ask to be left alone. "Please respect my privacy!" Huh?! Is that what they really want? After all's been said?

Well said, Lea. I hope the actresses I have in mind are reading this :)

Lea Salonga said...

Once you wash your dirty linens in public, you lose your "may the public leave me the hell alone" card. You lose your right to privacy, the right to close your doors and windows. The public will now always feel they have a right to your innermost comings and goings. Hey, if you want the public to respect you, you have to respect the public, too.

arlin dizon said...

you said it right, manang! some showbiz personality just didn't know how to be discreet.. like this singer that I used to adore. but then when she started washing her dirty linens on public i also started to say goodbye to her.. good for me (or not?)

Hill Top said...

touche'! hehehe! you put it quite succinctly. =)

Denise Santos Huang said...

I think everyone goes through all that whether he or she's a celebrity or not. We all have to deal with the chismis-generators of our lives whether it's your officemate or your relatives.. or whoever..

Arlene Tumale said...

This is why I admire you, Lea!
Your words and your thoughts are very classy....
Take care always.

rodel noreli lorenzo said...

well, intelehente at may breeding e...need i say more?

Che T.P. said...

Hi Lea,
What they lack in talent, they make up for dirty linens. They get paid to wash them in public. What a pity. I knew I picked a gem when I chose to admire you, Lea! You are a great inspiration. Never mind if you are having a bad day sometimes and smiles are hard to come by, you must have your reasons. We all have bad days. Besides, you more than make up for it for the rest of the 365 days of the year.

Tishacay A. said...

kudos to mommy Ligaya, she did a great job for making Lea what she is now, may breeding and class talaga!!!! Lea, your admirers are syempre mga class ppl rin that's why we chose you. Otherwise dun kami sa "kabaduyan" ..take care

Mac Macalinao said...

it is amazing how stars get to have their talk show and all they do is talk about themselves. and what's worse people actually "buy" their stuff. sometimes, i see during commercial breaks the teasers of showbiz oriented talk shows and it sounds like an item worthy of national headline. and i laugh hard when they have this tone of voice ala mike enriquez

i guess some people should learn how to keep mum. less talk less mistake, a cliche but very true

dianneLouise ♥ said...

na-a... very well said already

joem bulotano said...

it's nice to know lea has a blog. i may able to know what's on her mind too. yes, i'm a fan. ciao!

Chinky Fuentes said...

I think it is different with celebrities because the whole nation, or to some the whole world, is interested in them. When they entered showbiz they already knew that whatever they put on the table will be talked about, criticized or admired (depending on the situation) and analyzed.

I admire celebrities who wisely choose what to put on the table. I don't know about other people but I am not interested in all their family troubles. Especially if that trouble can be dealt with silently and with dignity.

I read about celebrities only when it is about what they wear to an ocassion, or what movies they will do next, the review of their movies and other harmless stuff.

Chinky Fuentes said...

I think it is different with celebrities because the whole nation, or to some the whole world, is interested in them. When they entered showbiz they already knew that whatever they put on the table will be talked about, criticized or admired (depending on the situation) and analyzed.

I admire celebrities who wisely choose what to put on the table. I don't know about other people but I am not interested in all their family troubles. Especially if that trouble can be dealt with silently and with dignity.

I read about celebrities only when it is about what they wear to an ocassion, or what movies they will do next, the review of their movies and other impersonal stuff.

Arlene Teves-Du said...

and that actress... that former miss world runner-up? my gulay.... at sa kadami-daming pang iba na imbes na pag-usapan nilang mag-asawa ng problema nila... sa tv pa mag-uusap! dyosme!

J S said...

I've idolized you ever since I heard the 10th Aniversary Cast of Les Mis (ten years ago?) and I was a little sad when I found out you were coming back to Les Mis and I wouldn't get to see you...and then I did! I just happened to be in New York at the right time and went to the August 3rd show. It was completely on a whim and I wasn't even dressed properly for the theatre (and I know, shame on me) but it was just stunning. The show itself doesn't have the same hold on me as it did when I was fourteen, but seeing you on stage was even better than I'd hoped it would be. So I just wanted to say THANK YOU for that. :)

Dennis Cheng said...

Rant on sista! I'm so tired of seeing pages of the daily newspaper devoted to the promotion of stars' gossip and disfunctional lives. I really don't care! yet pages and pages of paper is wasted each day on such useless information, we are indeed bombarded with this useless garbage. It's disgusting how on one page they can outline the tragic death of hundreds of people yet on the next page describe how some 'star' partied it up last night. Gimme a break.

tinnie princess said...

i guess people get what they want...
tabloid stories, entertainment news is such a big hit, the dirtier the story the better...the more people feed themselves on it...
it's really really sad. people concern themselves with these nonsense when we have bigger problems...oh well...
Very well said Ms. Lea...^_^

Mrs. O . said...

So true! Why do media personalities feel compelled to shed all their personal stuff? I don't want to know, you're right, Lea.... Less is more and the less I know of a personality, the better looking they become!

Jed Madela said...

Amen! Amen!

cristina palisa said...

Very well said. as what mr rlorenzo says it, " need i say more!". Bulls eye!! its really very irritating to see these celebrities show off their dirty linens to the public, they gave an image that is not very good to the philippine showbiz, that is probably the reason why only very few from those educated or highly educated people wants to be associated with this kind of thing and only very few give high regards with showbiz. I hope "those" personality read this blog of yours. They are too proud pa that their scandals are being broadcast on tv. What a crap!!

cristina palisa said...

I really made the right choice, you're worth idolizing.

Mrs. O . said...

Lea is in a class all her own... Not only is she a pioneer in many ways, but I love most of all that she is unabashedly pro-Catholic....I recently read the great article about her on Catholic Digest! It's un-real to be so successful and so humble at the same time! Keep up the great work, Lea! But you're right, I fear that some celebrities need the 'publicity' and the 'badder' they are they somehow think that it will help their ratings/popularity and what not...If you've got Talent, you don't need bad publicity to fuel your image, the talent is your publicity....

Nina Ricci Calo said...

Well said Ms. Lea. And this what clearly separates you from the rest of the celebrities who have no problem with flaunting their personal lives to the public who will then turn around to ask to respect their privacy.

adnerb one said...

thanks lea for sharing your thoughts about the phil showbiz thingy. i do agree!
it's interesting that a number of showbiz talk shows back home run for hours - different channels, same airtime; same channel with two lots of shows which get aired a few hours in between, discussing almost the same topics! and not to mention that they do get squeezed in to the evening (national) news as well. haaayyyy naman, naman! it didn't use to be like that in the old days right? wonder what has changed? anyway, am glad a lot of us here don't think celebs need to wash their dirty linens in public. it gets too much sometimes (or most of the time) that it overshadows even the most important of the news not only nationwide but worldwide!

badet sp said...

How i wish all other showbiz people think the way you do. I feel pity to those who badly need publicity that they dissect themselves right in front of our very eyes.

Therese Totten said...

hello; read about this journal from Dolly Carvajal; may I say that it took a lot of courage and groundedness to be able to do with this journal what you've been doing, so thank you.

But back to the matter at hand:

As a person from showbusiness, I accept that the public at large will be curious and want to know about what happens in private. But what I don't appreciate is when people from showbusiness inflict their private lives upon the rest of the world. ... It's one thing when you're found out; it's another thing altogether when there's an onslaught of way too much information from an actor or a singer or a TV host. Heck, I feel violated when bombarded with stuff I didn't want to hear or see.

- I don't know exactly what spawned it, but it's a symbiotic relationship [between the media and celebrities] to some extent, though after a while I think it becomes parasitic? Anyway. I think they just use each other, though, seriously. And the creepy thing is tabloids/etc are one of the fastest items to be sold in the supermarket/newsstand. It's a sick cycle, I think.

But then comes the question: what about the people who refuse to play the game? What about talented people
a) with no "connections"
b) seriously lack people skills
c) are absolutely clueless how to enter the arena

They are usually shunted to the side.

In the end, I think that's how the world turns, 99% of the time.

maureen dela torre said...

You have it all Lea, talent, beauty ( inside & out ), brains, breeding..thank you for this insight..I truly hope Kis Aquino is reading this ( he he he)..Your an inspiration to all of us, god bless you.
From: Gabrielle

Analyn Silvestre said...

Hi Lea,
I couldn't help but agree with Gabrielle =). You've been my inspiration since Love Lea days. A friend just gave me the URL to this blog. She knows i'm your fan. It's just really sad that some people resort to those actions.

May B said...

You hit the bullseye, Ms. Lea! How I wish more showbiz people think like you, and how I wish the greater public would also learn to differentiate the actor from the person. I've always been partial to and careful about "personality cult." I find it silly that people watch movies just because their favorite stars are in it even if the plot is very obviously a disaster, or refuse to watch and appreciate a great movie simply because the actor who's in it offended their sensibilities.

But what's really worse is when movie stars make up "issues" just so they can grab the limelight. To me that is just downright disgusting. Who cares about their dirty linen? And certainly no one appreciates being lied to. They say one thing and do another. RUFFA GUTIERREZ can learn a lot from you!

La Elp said...

that was admirable thoughts from lea re: showbiz! well, i should say, actress and actor should be molded by thoughts of separating showbiz life and reality:) like lea did:)