I waited until the dust settled on the results of American Idol. Regardless of whether it was a win for Jessica Sanchez or Phillip Phillips, one thing is clear: I am not a fan of the show. And I found it silly when people asked me to vote for Jessica out of Filipino pride. Excuse me? The title of the show says it clearly. I may prefer Barack Obama to win over Mitt Romney, but I still won’t vote; heck, I have no right to vote.
Also, I have one major beef against Jessica. She is fantastic to hear, but boring to watch. She lacks stage presence and the ability to engage the television and on-set audience. She is best enjoyed on record or with eyes closed. I’ve always maintained that Jessica would have benefitted more had she joined The Voice instead. What she needs is serious performance coaching. (And perhaps a make-over.)
So that’s done. Given the track record of past Idol winners, Jessica stands a bigger chance of having a post-AI career versus Phillips. So don’t cry for her, Pilipinas. The truth is, she was never ours. That so many of us scrambled to appropriate her still puzzles me.
3 comments:
"That so many of us scrambled to appropriate her still puzzles me."
It's the whole "Proud To Be Pinoy" bandwagon mentality that only serves to underscore just how deeply insecure we are about ourselves as a people and as a nation.
So much so that some Pinoys leap at the first chance to bask in the reflected glory of any "Pinoy" (whole or in part) who gets on the world stage in a positive way.*
*Andrew Cunanan and disgraced ex-Presidents - dead or alive - are obviously exempted from this list of luminaries.
Agreeing with a lot of your points. I rooted for Jessica not because she is Pinoy, but because I think she has the best voice and range among the rest.
I personally think Pinoy Pride is bullshit. It just sucks to think that we Pinoys only unite and feel "proud to be" whenever someone accomplishes something outside our own country. Despite the fact that Pilipinas is in semi-turmoil right now, there are still plenty of things here we can be proud of.
I agree. Jessica lacks star quality and X-factor. But, who knows? Remember Jennifer Hudson? Look at her now.
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