Watch Me Entertain Myself!

Sacha Guitry once said, "You can pretend to be serious, but you can't pretend to be witty." Oh yes, I'm the great pretender.
(pilot episode: 20 January 2004)

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Soap Dud?

(Cue music) “You don’t know how much I tried, I really tried.” (then fade out)

I gave you a chance. Several chances even. And I have to admit, you were interesting at the start. But oh how fast you quickly sank into clichés and sloppy execution. Yes, you. I am talking to you, My Husband’s Lover.

I mean, seriously? There’s dialogue masked—not ingeniously, if I may add—as a Guide To Straight-Acting Gays 101. There’s the classic “domineering mom and distant dad (who may actually be closeted himself)” family background. Kuh Ledesma’s character is a one-note complaining cardboard.

Speaking of notes, every time I hear the opening bars of the theme song “One More Try,” I feel like throwing a pillow at the screen. What’s with playing Kuh’s song after a couple of scenes? Did they pay an arm and a leg for the license fees? Don’t they know the concept of overkill?

Speaking of overkill, Carla Abellana’s VO is grating in its repetition, as if her character needs to underline again and again and again and again and again and again that She. Loves. Her. Husband.

The pace is slowly grinding to a numb-inducing crawl, replete with repeating scenes and extended “moody looks” shots so typical in TV soaps. So what’s wrong with sticking to TV soap conventions? Wouldn’t that make this gay soap more acceptable to regular viewers?

Yes, we’ve never had straight-acting gay guys as lead characters in a prime-time soap. That itself is cause for celebration. And there are worthwhile elements in the soap. But why stop there? If you’re going to make a soap that breaks boundaries with its subject matter, might as well break boundaries with the execution as well. There’s still time.

Demanding much, you say? Hey, you raised the bar first. Now raise it well.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Gay-nito Kami Noon Fabcast, Part 3

A.k.a. “Paano Na Tayo Ngayon?”

Finally, here is the super-sized third and last part of our discussion regarding Malate.

After all that reminiscing and going down memory lane, the Fabcasters and the peanut gallery discuss whether we gays should lament the death of Malate as the gay mecca, or celebrate the rise of other gay places in different areas in the metro. Interestingly, there is a difference in points of view from the younger generations versus the older ones.

Ultimately, the discussion zooms in on looking for places that gays feel safe and at home in. Whether it is in Ortigas or Quezon City or, who knows, back in Malate, we are all looking for that safe place that we can imbue with our own gay vibe—or in our own words, a “colorful, pink, sashaying, pulsating” vibe.

Listen in and enjoy.






Music credits:

“Let’s Have A Kiki” by Scissor Sisters
“Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad” by Moby
“Old Souls” & “Time” (from Inception OST) by Hans Zimmer
“Starships” by Nicki Minaj
“Last Dance” by Donna Summer
“Love Tonight” by Kid Wolf

Monday, June 10, 2013

Gay-nito Kami Noon Fabcast, Part 2

A.k.a. “Manila, Sa Kuko Ng Mga Beki.” As we move forward in time, we also move beyond Malate and cover other pink areas in Metro Manila.

The new millennium brought changes to the Malate landscape. Nakpil and Orosa Streets still remained the epicenter of gay (night)life, but the Fabcasters also remember the other gay and gay-friendly places that cropped up in other areas of the metro—specifically in Makati and Quezon City.

Aside from dance bars, we also touch on sex bars, like Cine Cafe in QC and Blue Bar in Makati. Plus we reminisce on the rise of the Internet and the changes it ushered to the routines of gay guys in the metro: MIRC, ICQ, Yahoo Group Chats, and slapping someone with a big trout.

Joining us in Part 2 (we weren’t able to greet them on record, but you can hear the doorbell signaling their arrival) are Joms and Inye.

Take a walk down the Pink Bricked Road with the Fabcasters in this second of three parts.






Music credits:

“We Are Young” by Fun. (feat. Janelle Monáe)
“Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)” by Los del Rio
“Aikea-Guinea” by Cocteau Twins
“God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters” by Moby
“Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears
“Home” by David Byrne and Brian Eno

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Gay-nito Kami Noon Fabcast, Part 1

A.k.a. “Malate, Sa Kuko Ng Mga Beki.”

There has been talk online of the death of Malate, the premiere pink district of Manila. Is it really dead? And what does that mean to Manila’s pink community?

But before that, the more mature Fabcasters took a trip down memory lane and recounted the places (and reasons) why Malate was the ground-zero of Gay Manila. Why was it the Home Of The Bekis even before the term beki was invented? And where did the fabulous hang out?

Go back in time with us. Click on the player below and enjoy.




The topic also influenced the music choices for this Fabcast.

Music credits:
“Champagne Supernova” by Oasis
“September” by Earth, Wind, & Fire
“Just Got Lucky” by The JoBoxers
“Rico Mambo” by The Breakfast Club
“Unbelievable” by EMF
“Get Ready For This” by 2Unlimited