WHY DO ABS-CBN'S RATINGS KEEP ON PLUNGING DOWN?

I've long wanted to do this. I even wanted to e-mail this to ABS-CBN's bigwigs. Kapal no? =) But the fact is, I am a customer and I want to get what I want. And ABS-CBN is not giving it to me. But do not get me wrong, I happened to switch channels last Sunday because ABS was showing a boxing match of I-don't-really-care who. And God, SOP sucks! They've got no stars. And even the established singers like Ogie and Janno cannot get their notes right. I promise never to watch SOP ever again! And as much as I love to hate ABS-CBN, I cannot transform as a Kapuso either. They are lucky to have good show formats, except for SOP! But star-wise and quality-wise, they still cannot compete with ABS-CBN.

So without further ado, allow me to rant and rant and rant...

Kapamilya ako, but I'm no longer watching most of their shows. I don't know what's gotten on their bigwigs' heads but they are no longer fighting to win. Why do its ratings keep on plunging down when they literally have all the big stars? Here are my thoughts about it.

1. They keep on acquiring 'unwanted' stars. Not because Angel Locsin became the queen of GMA soaps means that the Kapamilya viewers will accept her with open arms. I'd rather see Roxanne Guinoo or Kristine Hermosa on Lobo than the ex-Kapuso star. And the same sentiment also goes to 'kairita' Valerie Concepcion and Cristine Reyes.

Valerie should have been loyal to GMA. The network didn't let her down when she became an unwed teenage mom. As for Cristine, she doesn't have the charisma to be a big star. If ABS wants a sexy star, pick someone from your frozen delight beauties and I'm sure that they'll perform even better than this one.

And oh, is Ara Mina still on ABS? She was on her way down. Gravity seems to keep on pulling her down because of her not-so-nice-to-look-at extremely big boobies. She should have stick with GMA. At least there, they provide work for those who are loyal to them, even though they no longer have the spotlight on them. Just look at the old That's Entertainment stars resurfacing on GMA shows. And other stars like Antonio Aquitania and Wendell Ramos are still active despite the fact that they are maturing and are not as hot as before.

I pity the child star, I think her name used to be Charming when she was on GMA. She was already getting enough exposure. If her manager really cares for her, she should have let the child stay with GMA. She's barely visible now at ABS.

Other stars who should repent and seek GMA's mercy are Long Mejia and Dennis Padilla. They had everything going well for them until they were tempted to jump fences and forgot about gratitude. They were funny. But ABS doesn't have shows to accommodate their talents. I didn't include Dagul here because he still has Going Bulilit. But he could have more had he opted to stay a Kapuso. And Brod Pete could thrive wherever he chooses to. He will shine as a comedian or as a writer whether he's with GMA, ABS, even TV5 or RPN 9 or NBN 4, simply because he is genuinely funny.

And I will not forget to mention Jake Cuenca. This 'yabang' looking guy even became 'Palos' when the then frozen star Jericho Rosales could have done better justice to the role.

The only welcome addition to this roster is Billy Crawford. He shined better when he transferred to ABS. He needed the exposure because he needs to be seen as much as possible by the viewers abroad. And this guy is indeed talented, makes me want to open the TV again whenever he's on.

2. Speaking of freezer, ABS does not care about their talents. If they are no longer bringing in the cash as they used to, the network will freeze their careers until the damage becomes irreparable. And what does this say about them? It is fair enough that they are not the one using the Kapuso tagline because they've got no heart. They don't deserve being called Kapamilya either. What suits them best is Kanegosyo. I pity the stars who have dreamt of becoming big only to be stuck on the rut.

Other worthwhile stars opted to find other gigs at other networks. Kapamilya should have given Charlene Gonzales a better show. People love her. ABS is nuts to let her go so easy.

Sandara Park was brought to stardom by ABS. But the network also brought her to star-doom. This girl was unique in many ways that she could have been given roles where she would excel. But nope, they let her star lose its glow until she decided to go back to her home country. Hopefully, she will become big there that ABS will realize what a gem they had easily let go. Just look at how they are trying to rush deals for the soon to be Hollywood-bound Charice? She was being groomed then by ABS to be frozen. But thanks to YouTube, this young girl's life was changed forever.

Where is Geoff Eigenman? This actor has a lot of potential other than hosting ASAP segments. He is not just given the right roles. No thanks to the surge of the ex-PBB hunky English-speaking stars. They are getting all the attention. John Avila became the dubbed Kapitan Boom. I wonder how they will remedy Will Devaugn's twisted tongue on the next Judy Ann soap. You already have Sam Milby. This guy is really talented so I have no objections with the attention that he is being given. But enough of his likes already. Masakit sa tenga. Sam just became an exception because he sings really well. And who will ever forget the lines, "I never… said… that I-lahv-you."

3. The horrors of Wowowee. This show should have been suspended from the time it caused a lot of deaths. Willie should have been made liable for all those lives. Whatever they say, it is a fact that the pre-taped shows of Wowowee before the incident happened showed Willie encouraging people to keep on coming to the venue. No one even cared to flash updates or caution that it will be safer for other people to stay at home because of the crowd buildup. ABS wanted good TV. And the hoards of people who flocked the venue may be it. They were not prepared that they would become the news itself. And as a sign of respect to all the deaths that was caused by the network's inefficiency, Wowowee should have been cancelled.

4. The horrors of Mariel Rodriguez. She exposed her real self on her PBB stint. She was far too different from what she's projecting on TV. She thinks that the masa and she referred to the Wowowee crowd as mabaho. She thinks that showbiz is baduy. And she curses so much, I don't think she's suitable to be watched by children. But she's still not being dumped by the network on the freezer. If only this is the 'Apprentice,' I'd tell Mariel, 'You're fired.' She will never recover from her blunders. No one will ever forget her real self. And as part of the masa crowd, if she doesn't like us, we don't like her either.

5. The news and current affairs. How do you expect us to keep up with the ever changing hosts and formats of the shows on this department? You started the early morning news/talk show format on Philippine TV. But you don't show any mercy for the likes of Tin-Tin Bersola among so many others being axed on the show without any replacement for the lost job. With these kinds of shows on TV, I think that viewers have to develop certain level of leaning and association with the programs that they choose to watch. It is better to trust old friends in this regard. You'll have better confidence in learning from the shows that have been around for a long time.

And this is what GMA is good at. They don't just cancel a show in this department just because it didn't get the desired rating for a month or so. Look at where "Imbestigador," "I-Witness," "Wish Ko Lang," just to name a few, are now. These shows are still being watched because like the real sense of "Kapamilya," hindi tayo basta iniwan na lang ng mga shows na to. I cannot cite same samples for ABS-CBN. Yeah, TV Patrol has been around for the longest time. But they were not sensitive to its original hosts. The show was transferred to Korina Sanchez, right? Then it was given to the then new-transferee from the other network. I cannot really understand if ABS even knows the meaning of compassion.

The same feeling goes for Magandang Gabi Bayan. It was a good show. It was better than the one with Kuya Kim now where he's really trying hard to be Steve Irwin. Had MGB been retained, it will still dominate the 6PM Saturday timeslot. Yeah, its ratings may fluctuate from time to time. Pero babalik-balikan pa rin yun ng mga tunay na kapamilya. But the damage has been done and it's getting too hard to repair.

(I'll have a part two on this. I still have much more to rant about. And the second part will focus on the drama block.)

to be continued...

One Big Group Hug for the Fab Four!

I know, I haven't been updating this, especially after all the drama that transpired on the much awaited Eraserheads' Reunion Concert. For now, I'm sure you already know how Ely had to rushed to the hospital during the band's 20 minute break because of chest pains. Then he had to go an angioplasty procedure. But he is okay now and latest reports say that he's resting at home (maybe gathering his strength for the second part of the reunion?) Ooh, what would it be named if that will push through? "The Continuation"? "Second Set"? Or the now infamous "Group Hug"?

It was touching to hear that after every song the band played that night, the crowd will chant "Group Hug." It was an evidence that people went there not merely to see them perform, they want to see them patch things up. But I guess that things are on clearer perspective now.

Many shows have aired different versions of what happened after that fateful concert. But here are the links to the most detailed interviews with the guys, except for Ely, after the event.

THE DRUMMER WILL DRUM: Raymund Marasigan

THE BASS MAN HOLDS THE LINE: Buddy Zabala

THE GUITARIST HANGS LOOSE: Marcus Adoro

THE SESSIONIST: The fifth e-head

Eraserheads Reunion Concert - The Drama Continues

This is the latest update on the reunion concert of the Eraserheads.

"What: Eraserheads Reunion Concert
When: August 30, 2008 (Saturday)
Tickets are available at Ticketworld (891-9999) starting August 28, 2008 (Thursday)
Patron: Php 1, 300++.00
General Admission: Php 800++.00
Brought to you by Radiohead Media Inc. in cooperation with Sony BMG Music Entertainment Phil. Inc."

But the drama of this very controversial gathering of the Fab4 continues. People are still speculating if this will indeed push through with Ely Buendia's mother passing away just this morning. Local reports say that the show will go on.

This will be such a memorable day for the clammoring fans, for the equally talented members of the band and most especially, for the grieving son. It is always sad to write about deaths, especially when I have also gone through a personal ordeal in this regard just last month. But to Ely, my condolences to you and your loved ones. Life may be tough but be strong and put on a good show.

Zorayda Sanchez Passes Away

Her claim to fame was her ugliness, thanks to the Andrew E. '90s hit song, Humanap ka ng Panget. Zorayda Sanchez became a household name for her own brand of comedy. She used her distinct features to earn from the cruel world of showbizness. She was always the subject of slapstick brand of jokes by her fellow actors. And she did not complain. But when she had enough, she silently exited the limelight to use her brains as a writer, university professor and a stage actress.

We seldom see her on showbiz gatherings the past years. This is why I was so stunned upon hearing about her death August 27 due to breast cancer. She was 57.

To the one person who opened the doors of local showbizness to people without the perfect face and body to match that, may you rest in peace. And condolences to the family.

The Latest Pieces about the Whole Puzzle of the Eraserheads' Reunion Concert

All ye Eraserheads fans out there, good news and bad news. Well, the good news is that their very controversial reunion concert will push through. It is going to happen on Aug. 30 at the Fort Bonifacio open field, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It will no longer be sponsored by Marlboro. So to those like me, non-smokers, who were forced to choose what brand of cigarette we smoke, just so we could register to the very mysterious event, we just have to settle for the bad news.

The concert is no longer free. Further details as to how you will be able to avail tickets is going to be announced in the coming days. For the blow-by-blow account as to what lead to what, where and when, check out this site.

And this is the e-mail that Raimund Marasigan sent to the Sandwich's yahoogroup mailing list about this whole brouhaha:

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From: raymund marasigan
date: Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 8:37 PM
subject: [subsandwich] eraserheads aug 30 08 confirmed

dear everybodyafter much ado. the eraserheads concert is most definitely pushing through.philip morris and its brands have pulled out from the concert. but another company is taking over the production.

the turn over startedyesterday and they have already started work on the site in the fort. so you can check.there are good news and bad news.unfortunately it's no longer free. all the long winded registration procedures in the red nation site is now void.the good news is that the age limit is now 12 years old (for safety reasons) and tickets will be sold so you don't have to wait for confirmation and what not.

the official announcement and ticketing details will come out in major newspapers and on the radio on tuesday.these are the only details i know for now so no need to email me. i'm just the drummer.btw. i just got home from the last rehearsal. the band is cooking. we will see you all on the 30th.

raym

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So to the real E'heads fans who have been waiting for this to happen, don't miss out this chance.

The New and Upcoming Hollywood Babies

Digital printing must be so in demand in Hollywood these days because of the fact that everybody seems to be having a baby! Wee! What is with the season that people seems to be inspired in creating their masterpieces as well as letting them out?

Who are these new and soon to be famous moms and dads? For sure, the paparazzi are all gearing up to get the first shots of the equally famous tots.

Baby Number 1: Parker Foster Aiken was born August 8. This baby boy resulted from the process of an artificial insemination. The dad, of course, is former “American Idol” runner-up, Clay Aiken. The mom is Jaymes Foster, Clay’s friend, record producer and now his baby producer as well.

Baby Number 2: Another product of science, twin boys of Ricky Martin. The man, of course, is known for his butt, er, his hits like “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “She Bangs” (well, until William Hung stole the scene). It was said that the twins were delivered through gestational surrogacy this August. No further announcements have been made. So the gossip-landia still isn’t satisfied until it finds out who the surrogate mother is. Now that Ricky is a real papa, he plans to take his career aside for the moment and focus on raising his twins. Aww!

Baby Number 3: Gia Zavala Damon was born August 21. Her proud parents are “Good Will Hunting” lead, Matt Damon and his wife, Luciana. This is their second child. The eldest, Isabella, is now two. And they are also raising Luciana’s daughter from a previous marriage.

Baby Number 4: Zuma Nesta Rock was born afternoon of Aug 22. His famous parents are Gwen Steffani and Gavin Rossdale. This is their second baby together, the eldest being another son, Kingston. And Rossdale has a daughter who is already a teenager with Pearl Love, a fashion designer.

Baby Number 5: Another twins in the making. “Ugly Betty” star, Rebecca Romjin is five months pregnant with twins. The soon to be famous dad is Jerry O’Connell. The twins are yet unnamed but the couple are in deep thoughts as to what they will name them. The choices include Mary-Kate and Ashley and whatever as long as the monikers will be rhyming.

Baby Number 6: She has announced it, but Jennifer Garner remains mum about when will be the due date for baby number two. Jen and Ben Affleck’s first child, Violet, is among the most photographed children in Hollywood these days. For sure, this tot will gain more media frenzy.

Baby Number 7: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have already tied the knot. Now they are thinking about their future but well, still undecided whether to have babies sooner or later. The fact is that the couple is constantly talking about it. As to how they will do it, let us give them the free will to decide on their own.

The entertainment scene looks much better with news like these, eh? There were phases in the showbiz world when all you can read about are deaths, accidents and well, Britney Spears.

How Far China is Willing to Go to Achieve Perfection?

Now it is proven that China will do anything for people to deem the country as perfect. But this image really gives me creeps, especially whenever I hear about what will it do just to prove the point or create that image. This all seems like coming from the scenes of a sci-fi movie.

Forget about canvas prints as the real show is unfolding every day. This Olympics at Beijing, China has too many dramas, I can only imagine what will happen next. It all started with the fireworks. It was magnificent. It was dramatic to watch. It was perfect. But not everything you see was real. Instructions were given to broadcast mediums that were going to telecast the event as to the special effect that should be incorporated while the real event was happening. So what we saw was actually just an illusion that China wanted us to view so that we will praise the country and drool over the kind of perfection that they can do.

I've read over another blogsite about Yao Ming's dilemma. If you will look at him play, limping and looking as if he is always in pain, you will wonder how come he is still playing when he could be better off in a hospital ward. That is because Ming owes China a lot. The country made him what he is now. And this is the price that he has to pay for such situation.

And then there are the gymnasts. After winning the Gold in the event, people started to wonder if Chinese girls are really blessed to look so very young than what their real age are or if these girls are really younger than what they were supposed to be? Is this part of the perfect image that China is trying to achieve? But what will happen if the investigations go deep and these girls were found to be fraud? Whose future are they putting on great shambles?

What captures the heart of people all over the globe is the situation of the real singer and the one who was made to lip synch the part. An official judged that the real voice who sang "Ode to Motherland" was not cute enough, or did not fit to the image of perfection that the country is trying to convey. So Yang Peiyi remained to be hidden behind the perfection of Lin Miaoke's cuteness. The idea here was to combine the perfect voice and the perfect face. But these are only children who have a lot ahead of them. And with the situation they were put into, both girls won't easily escape the wrath of the idea in years to come.

Nobody's perfect. The way China is handling the Olympics, the behind the scenes are upstaging the sporting events. How many medals do Michael Phelps has now? I don't know. But as the drama continues and unfolds before us, the Olympics might end with our views of China being completely the opposite of perfect.

Leave Jennifer Alone!

Jennifer Aniston’s love life is as sticky as an adhesive vinyl, eh? I mean this Friends’ star remains to be in the hot public eye long after the phenomenal sitcom stopped airing. Cameras were there to capture her bonding moments with Courtney Cox Arquette’s family. More cameras appeared when she was making sweet music together with John Meyer. And now many people are speculating about her romantic involvement with model Matt Felker.

As the famous blogger turned TV personality and a Britney advocate, Chris Crocker, said, “Leave Britney alone.” Of course, in this case it would be more apt to say, “Leave Jennifer alone.” But these two have something in common. People can’t seem to get enough of the latest happening about them.

For Jennifer, this all started since she got entangled then disentangled with Brad Pitt. As people remain to be curious about how Brad and Angelina are doing, they want to hear something juicy about Jen as well so that they can start comparing her to the female half of the Brangelina tandem. But they are worlds apart. Angelina knows how to play her cards right in her career as well as in her personal life.

As for Jennifer, she always seems to be testing the water. People are speculating that this happened only after Brad Pitt. She married him, for one. But if the rumors are true, Jen wasn’t ready yet to become a mom whether to her own or to adopted kids, much more so those that come from different nations.

But whatever Jen chooses to do or chooses not to, she’s lucky because she’s cute. What a statement. But it’s true. People will still be curious about her even if she prefers to remain single or hook up with someone who looks so far from Brad. The important thing is that she’s still a star. She’s making movies and TV appearances and people are still interested about her.

And to segue to Chris Crocker fave celeb, Britney has the same fate. No matter what she did, people will forgive her because she is still a star. But people will not always be so forgiving. So she should straighten up before it is already too late. She must get back to shape and get back to what she is known for, singing and producing hits.

I no longer care about Britney’s love life. Actually, for me, she shouldn’t have one for as long as she still hasn’t settled her sons’ future. She must work hard for their sake. And she must make sure that the money from her hard work will go to her son and not to Kevin Federline.

Okay, this blog was supposed to be about Jennifer. As of this writing, Felker’s publicist denied that the two are dating. But whatever will make Jen, happy, she must do it. She deserves to be happy, just like Angelina and oh well, to end this piece, just like Britney as well.

Studies about Red Bull Showed Worrying Results

As I go over the Internet today, I was shocked to read about Red Bull. The fact is that when I used to have my shift at work on a graveyard for almost two years, I depended on this energy drink to stay awake. I actually had so many rituals at the time. I used Red Bull like my vitamins. During breaks, I’d still drink coffee or soda. I just wanted to stay awake. But now that I am going over this, I am thinking like, was I trying to kill myself back then?

Oh no, really now, I was just really trying to stay awake. Now this controversy about Red Bull will worry people just like me. And what this is all about? Red Bull, created by Dietrich Mateschitz, an entrepreneur in Austria in 1980, based on a Thai energy drink.

The study was conducted by Scott Willoughby. He is the lead researcher at the Cardiovascular Centre, Royal Adelaide Hospital. He told an Australian newspaper about the conclusion. Willoughby’s team had 30 young adults whom they tested the cardiovascular systems one hour before and then one hour after drinking a 250 ml can of Red Bull that is sugar-free.

The results showed that after taking in the drink, normal people actually develop warning signs that can be linked to cardiovascular disease. Actually, this energy drink is already banned in different countries such as in Norway, Denmark and Uruguay. The reason for this ban was the ingredients that are listed on the cans of Red Bull.

To the company’s defense, Linda Rychter, its spokeswoman in Australia said that the report that came out will be looked into and assessed by their head office in Austria. One can of Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine. For such fact, Rychter said that the effects that were found are similar to the effects of drinking one cup of coffee. So that would still be considered as part of the physiological range that is normal.

This study is worth the budget that one could allocate to commercial printing and other types of ad mediums. This is due to the fact that the product is being sold in so many parts of the world. And many people will be affected by such news.

Come on guys, my heart is palpitating right now. But this doesn’t have anything to do with my previous Red Bull addiction. I just really want to know what is the real score behind this all. Should this product be banned or is it still safe to drink this after all?

BRANGELINA TWINS’ FIRST PHOTOS SOLD AT $14 MILLION

Whew! I still couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this morning that the Jolie-Pitt infamous twins’ first pictures were settled to be sold for $14 million. Of course, of course, proceeds will go to charity, whatever. I mean, when Brad left Jen for Jolie, was he even aware that he could turn the relationship into a money-making scheme simply by making as well as adopting kids.

Sorry, couldn’t help the cynicism. I know some of people would feel for the couple, like they are rich and famous. They may be selling their kids’ photos and handling the negotiations very well. But they are doing this for good reasons, you know, for charity. I actually like these two for their involvement for different humanitarian activities. They are not your ordinary beautiful people who would be seen in obscene places, partying hard or caught in a middle of something unacceptable to the eyes of the public.

But for me, there are other ways to earn funds to be given to charities aside from selling your kids’ photos. I so admire Tiger Woods for his thoughts about the matter. Remember when he had his child? Of course, he had so many offers for the first pictures of his child from magazines, TV spots, maybe even postcards and pocket folders printing. After all, he is a celebrity in his own way. But he didn’t think about the dollar sign. He celebrated the birth of his child with all the people who were there for him through all his triumphs, his fans. He posted the pictures for everyone to see for free.

Actually, the news was just leaked to the Associated Press by a person who doesn’t want to be named. But the latter said that the amount will be paid by People Magazine and a British tabloid, Hello! magazine. When this happened, Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon, the twins, will carry out the title of being the most costly celebrity baby pictures ever sold. They have knocked off J-Lo and Marc Anthony’s twins on the top spot that was worth $6 million.

Pitt and Jolie seem to be taking this whole photo thing professionally. They were able to seal a reported sum of $4 for Shilo’s first photos. They sold candid shots of adopted son, Pax, who was then 3 years old to Hello! and People. And now this deal with the twins. But yeah, let us not forget that proceeds will go entirely to charity.

For now, we’re in awe to see such cute pictures of these famous people’s babies. But when they grow up, would they be happy to know that their mere pictures when they were babies worth a lot? How are they going to live with that truth? Are they gonna be proud? It will depend on the life they would be leading when the time comes. But in the meantime, go buy the magazines in order to help charity in your own way or just go help out even without buying the ‘zines. It’s all up to you.