The CDs are going.. .going…
Send you name and mailing address as a comment and I will send you a copy of our souvenir CD for Alan’s Picks for Easy Listening..
The CDs are going.. .going…
Send you name and mailing address as a comment and I will send you a copy of our souvenir CD for Alan’s Picks for Easy Listening..
I strayed into Fr. James Reuter, SJ’s column in Philippine Star “At 3AM” with his article entitled “Dare to Dream“. Fr. Reuter is no stranger to me because he used to be such a familiar fixture in productions mounted by St. Paul College of which I am an alumna. He writes about Wijinne Hizon Lumagui who had suffered from an illness (which Fr. Reuter does not disclose) and which has caused her to postpone finishing her education over periods of convalescence. She finally graduated recently at age 30 and excerpts of her valedictory address are provided in the article.
I suggest you read the article. I have a letter to write and mail to Wijinne. (Her address and contact details are also provided.)
Let me spare you those highlighted underlined URLs and just give you a pervading sentiment in these blogs I read. People are shocked about the choices that the text votes seem to have produced. After five (or is it now six? — I have lost count) seasons of American Idol, there are a few lessons to be learned from this popular choice selection employed through the technology of SMS. Hold on to your seats because you will get more shocked as the days go.
I am no social scientist but I have my own experience with polling. I am not speaking wearing that hat, though. I’m just a viewer, and just wanted to share with you the insights I have had on American Idol. I don’t want to bore you with a long-winded discussion so let me be brief:
1. The audience listens to the judges, no matter how much they boo Simon Cowell. No matter how abrasive Cowell may seem, he knows what he is talking about. And believe it or not, the ones he trashes usually get the boot. So is Ryan Cayabyab the Simon Cowell in that panel of judges? One thing I know, he’s the one who knows the most about music between Mamita, Kiko and himself.
2. This is a popularity contest, not a talent contest. If we go behind the rationale of the competition, you are talking about the Philippine IDOL. It’s not about the best Philippine singer. It’s about the person who can embody what the Philippine Idol is. Everyone, and I mean everyone — even those who didn’t make it to the top 12 after the initial screening were very talented. To have survived the screening process speaks of their potential and their ability to sing. But singing is not all that makes a star. It takes packaging, appeal, and the so-called “IT” factor. (Or as the models go, the “X” factor.)
3. It’s not about who has the most money, it about who has the best appeal to get enough people to vote. And the deciding factor here is not how many people you know, but how many you can move among the viewing public to actually text or dial their votes in your name. My text votes here cost 10cents per vote but I do vote when I like a particular contender, but no more than 2 or 3 texts, and never for more than 6 of the pool of 10 or 12. And think about everyone else who just watches but DO NOT vote.
4. The winning IDOL is NOT always the best singer. Fantasia Barrino over La Toya London… Taylor Hicks over Chris Daughtry… Carrie Underwood over Constantin Maroulis… Does this tell you something? All top contenders are great singers in their own right, but there is something at play here. It’s not just singing which is being judged — it’s one’s star quality. And even after all the hoopla about surviving all the votes, you have to consider, not all IDOL winners became really big stars. Except for Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken (no. 2 during his batch), the idol winners are more known for being winners, and not for being best selling recording artists. They have a career, thanks to the IDOL machinery that ties them down to a contract once they make it to the magic 12 — but people think they would all be their own version of Kelly Clarkson by now.
5. In the end, it is who appeals to the public the most who will win. I am not trying to put April Boy Regino down but if you were to pit his record sales with say, Lani Misalucha, April Boy wins. And yet we all know who the better singer is. Yet you have to hand it to April Boy who has mass appeal, what with his knack for writing songs that hits the public by the heartstrings, and singing it in a plaintive and endearing manner. And it will be April Boy’s fans who will take the time and effort to text or make that call, and Lani’s will just sit idly by secure in the thought that their idol is the best.
I was texting my brother Nikki earlier asking him about Philippine Idol. He told me he missed me but he doesn’t watch the show. I told him to vote for Jan Kurt Nieto and he promised he will. End of story.
When I gave birth at the Tisch Medical Center of the New York University in 2004, the nurse who assisted my OB-Gynecologist (whom Alan calls Paula Abdul because she looks like her =) was a a very friendly Filipina nurse named Maria Elena. She went by the monicker M.E. That was really comforting considering besides assisting me, my Mom needed calming. She hadn’t as yet witnessed a live birth ever, her own children having been born via C-section. The anesthesiologist who was doing my epidural wanted to tie her to her chair because she kept pacing while he was trying to concentrate on putting in that needle, until he finally told her to sit down or leave the room. (To his credit, he said it in a nice way, though.) M.E. brought my mom to the cleaning table when Angel was being weighed and cleaned up, that is why the first hand my son held was my Mom’s. She even called out to Alan who was holding the camera to take a picture, but in his confused state, I have none of Mom actually looking at the camera while holding the boy’s tiny hand. (Men!)
The damage is done and those responsible must be made to pay, but the innocent should not be needlessly punished for pursuing their dream. Congratulations to the passers of this year’s Nursing Board Examination..