IF WE may lay claim to knowing Ai-Ai de las Alas—as far as her love life is concerned—kabisado namin ang karakas ng hitad, at least from semi-head to semi-toe.
Sa iisang sirkulong kinabibilangan ng mga bading, pa-mhin at tomboy ang iniikutan namin ni Ai-Ai back in college (FEU), palibhasa iisang kurso lang naman ang aming tinapos. Sa ilang mga pagkakataon, we were privy to Ai-Ai’s kikay-kikay kalandian, a self-imposed initiation to what a bigger world had to offer.
Pero noon pa lang, ang ngayo’y tini-tingalang Comedy Queen meant serious business in matters of the heart. Palibhasa napaliligiran ng mga bading, bakla rin siya kung umibig, all out, halos walang itinitira para sa kanyang sarili.
Nang mag-showbiz ang hitad, nothing much—or nothing really—had changed. Ang babaeng parang bakla pagdating sa pag-ibig is still the same woman who would buy love to be loved in return. If Ai-Ai were a book, she would come in volumes printed many times over.
In fairness though sa hitad, the simplest joys are the ones that mean the most to her. Walang iniwan ‘yon sa pagiging palakaibigan ng hitad who derives pleasure from giving more than receiving. Hindi nakapagtataka, nag-rub off kay Ai Ai ang “Boy Abunda (her manager) School of Bukas-Palad at Kawanggawa.”
But cheers to Ai-Ai, our kumare as well. Just when the entire world was cursing her dyowa Jed Salang to exosphere—for allegedly maltreating her—ay nag-sorry ito at ipinakipaglaban ang kanilang pag-iibigan.
More than anything, wake-up call ito para kay Jed na nakasuwerte sa ninobya niyang si Ai-Ai. Even without a price stamped on her forehead, naka-jackpot si Jed sa komedyana to think na ano ba siya to begin with?
What does this Jed Salang do for a living? Tapos ba ito ng kolehiyo? Ano’ng family background meron ito? How “big” is Jed as a person, na hindi lang basta malaki sa kanyang pangangatawan? Gaano kaseryoso ang Jed na it okay Ai Ai na mas may edad sa kanya? Pag-ibig nga ba ito, ‘teh?!
Our apologies to Ai-Ai for such condescension. Minsan kasi, one has to be mean to be rational.
BILANG MIYEMBRO ng EnPress (Entertainment Press), this writer takes pride in the success of the recently concluded Golden Screen Awards for TV na idinaos sa Teatrino sa Greenhills last March 1, Biyernes.
Minsan nang nagkomento si Joey de Leon (himself an attendee last year noong tumanggap ng parangal ang Eat Bulaga bilang natatanging noontime show) that the non-televised awards night was/is a comfortable exercise. Bara-bara na kung tawagin, but in both awards nights ng TV at movies ng nasabing organisasyon ay wala itong pormalidad kung paanong wala rin itong stiffness.
As it has always been, “anything goes” ang takbo ng programa. Hindi uso ang iskrip, everything is both spontaneous and extemporaneous. And it works.
Nitong nakaraang Golden Screen Awards for TV, there apparently stood as a sore thumb (or sore loser?) sa katauhan ni Paulo Avelino. Mula sa artista search na Starstruck ng GMA si Paulo, for some reason ay hindi napaangat ng istasyon ang kanyang career that blossomed in his newfound home, ang ABS-CBN.
Being the bigger star that he is now did not give Paulo the license na pasaringan ang ENPRESS-although implied-nang mag-present siya ng award. Kesyo huwag daw ipilit ipagawa sa isang tao ang isang bagay na labag sa kanyang kalooban, indirectly referring to hauling him to the stage to present an award.
Again, if we may take the cudgels para sa kinaaaniban naming grupo, the whole exercise—backstage or elsewhere—is a matter of pakisamahan. Instantly, may hinahatak para mag-present ng award with the corresponding lambing factor. Dahil sa on-mike na pasaring na ‘yon ni Paulo ay marami tuloy sa audience ang nabastusan sa kanya, who does Paulo think he is?!
Reaksiyon tuloy ng maraming reporter, “Dapat nga, eh, press-friendly si Paulo para at least, mapagtakpan ang tsismis na hawak siya ng isang maimpluwensiyang baklang TV executive!”
We doubt… we doubt daw, o!
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
