IN WORLD Literature, may tinatawag na “hubris” (pronounced yu-bri) that refers to the cause of downfall ng mga hero o bida sa kuwento.
Halimbawa na lang ang Shakesperean tragic hero na si Hamlet who suffers from his undecisiveness or indecision batay na rin sa kanyang pamosong sonnet that speaks of his urong-sulong attitude that begins with, “To be or not to be…”
In local showbiz, there appears to be another hero whose cause of his program’s early extinction is his “creative highhandedness.” Ito’y walang iba kundi si Michael V who dabbles and doubles as Bitoy, at ang kanyang programang nag-last taping na ay ang Pare & Pare opposite his real-life kumpare Ogie Alcasid.
Barely one season, or equivalent to 13 episodes, lang ang itinagal sa ere ng naturang Sunday program. On its second episode, pinagrambol sila ng reality-based show ni Richard Gutierrez yet its new time slot hardly did well in the ratings.
Kamakailan, inilipat ito sa mas atrasado, if not alanganing oras—10:15 p.m.— still, resuscitating the program na inilalampaso ng Gandang Gabi Vice nang bonggang-bongga was an exercise in futility.
Pare & Pare was (past tense na dahil tsugi na ito) Michael V’s brainchild, kung saan isang malaking creative insult against its pool of writers ang kanyang pangingialam sa mga scripts na last-minute ay binabago niya, kundi man ibinabasura. So, what happened to all of Bitoy’s ideas? Tough luck, but all these failed to deliver the good ratings na bahagi ng kayabangan ni Michael V who — let’s face it — is a fine comedic actor, but never an effective host!
Ang diperensiya kasi kay Bitoy, he pushes his luck (and talent) too far. Hence, his hubris… bow!
COROLLARY TO this, malaking sampal tuloy kay Michael V ang balitang pagtanggi umano ng manager ni Marian Rivera na si Popoy Caritativo na payagang mag-guest ang aktres sa farewell episode ng Pare & Pare.
Ayon sa aming source, when contacted for Marian’s guesting ay nagdayalog daw si Popoy ng, “Bakit ko ipage-guest ang alaga ko sa isang show na matitigbak na?”, or words to that effect.
Pero hindi lang pala ang namaalam nang Sunday show nina Ogie at Bitoy ang tinabla ni Popoy para sa guesting ni Marian, even Showbiz Central’s bye-bye episode last July 29 ay naunang inayawan ng manager. Pareho rin umano ang katuwiran ni Popoy, why would he allow Marian to guest in a show on its last episode?
In fairness to the now-defunct shows — ang SC at P&P — both were under GMA, ang istasyong pinaglilingkuran at pinakikinaba-ngan ni Popoy at ng kanyang alagang si Marian. Farewell episode or not, mas tinimbang dapat ni Popoy ang suportang maaaring ibigay ni Marian until the very end of such shows, lalo na ang SC na nakatulong din naman sa career ng kanyang alaga.
Given Popoy’s attitude, hindi na kami magtataka if another form of hubris would fall upon him. Ang diperensiya sa manager na ito, he’s consumed by his delusion that his ward’s fame is here to stay forever!
WHAT USED to be named as Star Factor ay ginawa nang Artista Academy ang artista search na inilunsad ng TV5. More holistic, sumasailalim na ngayon sa matinding pagkilatis ang 16 showbiz wannabes as they chase their long-cherished dream na mapabilang sa mundo ng lokal na aliwan.
Up for grabs ang major awards bilang Best Actor at Best Actress who await the grand prize na aabot sa P20 million in cash and in kind.
We have taken a glimpse of all 16 hopefuls, para lang silang literal na manok na wala kang maitatapon: from its head to its adidas, to its isaw all the way to its feathers for decorative purposes. In short, walang itulak-kabigin sa labing-anim na kabataang ‘yon, both male and female.
But in any competition, there is always a standout among the rest. Sa hanay ng mga guys, maitutu-ring na “inside the jar” (pasok sa banga!) si Benjo Leoncio, our early bet, whose features from different angles is already a shoo-in.
Sana lang, all 16 — who are already automatic TV5 contract artists — will be given the right exposure as they set out to the real world after graduating from an academy.
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
