Hush

When I wake up
and see you asleep,
there is the stillness
of a certain calm,
and the silence
of doubt and
unspoken fears.
Broken by
a click of the thermostat,
old pipes that groan,
as the night deepens.
All I hear is the wind
escaping your lips—
a whisper of surrender,
a sigh of content.
The sound echoes in my heart
and hushes my mind.
So I lay down and
embrace you once again
in my dreams.

Then my snores awake you.

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.

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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

Rape Jokes!

WARNING: Sensitive sensibilities, BEWARE! If you do not have the capacity to put things in context, STAY AWAY.





Depending on one’s sensibility, one can either be offended or greatly amused by them. If you don’t find them funny, that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with you, nor is there anything wrong with the sensibilities of the people who did laugh out loud at the jokes.

Why I Think Rape And Fat Can Be Funny

Vice Ganda makes a joke about Jessica Soho being raped, and the shit hits the fan. Oh really?

The joke (quotes here are taken from Pia Ranada’s Rappler article) is this: “Ang hirap nga lang kung si Jessica Soho magbo-bold. Kailangan gang rape lagi. Sasabihin ng rapist, ‘Ipasa ang lechon.’ Sasabihin naman ni Jessica, ‘Eh nasaan yung apple?’” (It will be difficult if Jessica Soho gets naked. It has to be gang rape all the time. The rapist will say, “Pass the pork!” Jessica will say, “But where’s the apple?”)

Take note that there is a video that puts the joke in context, so I took the time to watch the video. I hope you do too before you proceed any further.

If you watch and listen closely, the comedy routine is really making fun of obesity, with Jessica Soho as representative of the weight-challenged.

What I find curious are the first tweets castigating Vice Ganda about his joke. Bam Alegre, Jiggy Manicad, and Maki Pulido are all with GMA News & Public Affairs, where Jessica Soho is the Vice President. News must indeed be serious business, for it seems that these journalists have lost their sense of humor as well as their sense of perspective.

For me it’s alarming that these journalists, the ones who’re supposed to understand what’s happening so that they can report properly, these guys totally missed the point of the joke. The joke is not about rape. It’s about being fat. In fact, just change the script of Vice, replacing “gang rape” with “group sex”: “Ang hirap nga lang kung si Jessica Soho magbo-bold. Kailangan group sex lagi. Sasabihin ng isang lalake, ‘Ipasa ang lechon.’ Sasabihin naman ni Jessica, ‘Eh nasaan yung apple?’” Even without the offending R-word, the joke remains intact.

What flew over their heads (and I’m assuming all others who retweeted) is that the rape detail is actually a reference to the silly conventions of bold movies using sexual assault as an excuse to undress a starlet. Back in the heyday of ST-films, starlets would show skin through several cliché set-ups: the shower scene (often with a peeping tom); the frolicking amongst nature (beach or garden); getting wet under the rain; and, for more drama, the rape scene (Rez Cortez built a career on that).

In Vice Ganda’s what-if vision of Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Sobra, the prerequisite rape scene with Jessica Soho becomes problematic because: [1] It has to be a group effort, given her size; [2] She will be treated like a roast pig.

That Alegre, Manicad, and Pulido locked in and made rape the issue is, at best, a silly misunderstanding, and at worst, a non-sequitur defense for their beloved vice president. Simplified, it’s Vice versus vice. Or ABS-CBN versus GMA. Listen to Vice’s parting joke towards the end of that YouTube clip: “Si Ma’am Charo tuwang tuwa pag kabilang channel ang niloloko.” Is this an example of irony?

But before you readers gang up on me because of my previous paragraph, let me just say this: It’s all about taking things in context, especially with humor. Rape and obesity are fodders for jokes, just as much as suicide, terrorist attacking nurseries, and Alzheimer’s. (Granted, the last three are a challenge.) It all depends on the CONTEXT.

There is low-brow humor, best exemplified by innocent kids making fun of other’s physical defects (“Fatso!”) and the very personal laitan-type of humor in comedy or videoke bars. There is high-brow humor, usually not found in this blog (and apparently, Pinoys do not have the satire gene). And in between there’s a gamut from stupid to silly to hilarious to sublime. I believe that humor, whether improvised or scripted, stand-up or ensemble, can go beyond mere entertainment. It can expose a truth that’s difficult to acknowledge. It can be liberating and informative. It can force us to question long-held beliefs. It can keep us on our toes.

Taking the line, “Kailangang gang rape lagi” out of context is dangerous. It sounds like Vice Ganda is advocating that Ms. Soho be raped, but clearly, in the larger context of the routine, he isn’t.

And what about making fun of Ms. Soho’s weight? Even she herself has joked about it. Granted, heavyweight jokes rank low in the hierarchy of comedic sophistication, but hey, that’s Vice’s crowd. (Besides, even the supposedly more exposed online community isn’t above name-calling; case in point, Nancy Binay.)

Context and accuracy. Pia Ranada’s translation in the Rappler article is inaccurate. She translates “Ang hirap nga lang kung si Jessica Soho magbo-bold” to “It will be difficult if Jessica Soho gets naked.” The more accurate translation is: “It will be difficult if Jessica Soho does a bold movie.”

Context, accuracy, and seeing the big picture. Oops! I’m basing my comments on a clip in YouTube. I should base it on the larger context—the full show of Vice Ganda.

* * * * *

P.S. — May I just say, *FACEPALM* And eye-roll. For me Miss Soho, you just lost 50 points. Not pounds, just points.

ANOTHER P.S. — Eh di magalit din kayo sa fellow Kapuso, Bubble Gang. Take note, “hindi gay humor sila.”




STILL ANOTHER P.S. — You can even make fun of Death.