By Pauline Rivera
“The entertainment industry in the Philippines made me feel like one of the most worthless artists in the history of artists.”
These were the words of Gab Valenciano as he took to Facebook to express his sentiments about the Philippine entertainment industry.
These were the words of Gab Valenciano as he took to Facebook to express his sentiments about the Philippine entertainment industry.
He shared an incident with an LA-born and raised Filipino pal who asked him a question, "Are Filipino celebrities really that egotistical? Like, they sincerely believe that the world revolves around them?”
In the Philippines, local companies and agencies look for the freshest faces to show to the public and advertise their brand. They look for physical attributions that will carry their image and make it a good one. And once someone is seen on national television, he is automatically referred to as an “artista” or a celebrity.
Some of these “celebrities” are brought about by humble beginnings, some by luck. Yet, why is it that many of them grow to be so arrogant? (i.e. Julia Barretto, who has not even been in the business for a decade, allegedly snubbed fans in London who waited for her outside their hotel, out in the cold.)
The way I see it, the problem isn’t only with them. More than we’d like to admit, Filipinos treat celebrities as some sort of royalty. (Don’t get me wrong, some of them deserve the occasional “fangirl-ing” to give them credit for their outstanding performances, and surely enough, they are thankful for their fans. As the most cliche saying goes, “they would not be there if it weren’t for them.”)
Moreover, some people take it to a whole new level by giving celebrities free passes to cross lines they are not supposed to cross. Most of them don’t even have to bring out their “Don’t you know who I am?”-card anymore because people already give them the most special treatment that they may or may not deserve. When this happens, some of them start believing for themselves that they’re capable of anything and everything. They start to feel immune to laws and rules, thinking they’re the centre of the world, as if they’re serious method Hollywood actors credited as one of the best actors of all time.
I do not claim that my opinions and observations apply to all Filipinos or all celebrities. I, myself, am definitely not a celebrity, nor do I claim to be an expert on one. But having the son of one of the most respected and renowned artists in the Philippines feel “worthless” being a part of the showbiz industry, it gives us the slightest bit of idea how devious the entertainment system is in our country, and maybe in other parts in the world.
In the Philippines, local companies and agencies look for the freshest faces to show to the public and advertise their brand. They look for physical attributions that will carry their image and make it a good one. And once someone is seen on national television, he is automatically referred to as an “artista” or a celebrity.
Some of these “celebrities” are brought about by humble beginnings, some by luck. Yet, why is it that many of them grow to be so arrogant? (i.e. Julia Barretto, who has not even been in the business for a decade, allegedly snubbed fans in London who waited for her outside their hotel, out in the cold.)
The way I see it, the problem isn’t only with them. More than we’d like to admit, Filipinos treat celebrities as some sort of royalty. (Don’t get me wrong, some of them deserve the occasional “fangirl-ing” to give them credit for their outstanding performances, and surely enough, they are thankful for their fans. As the most cliche saying goes, “they would not be there if it weren’t for them.”)
Moreover, some people take it to a whole new level by giving celebrities free passes to cross lines they are not supposed to cross. Most of them don’t even have to bring out their “Don’t you know who I am?”-card anymore because people already give them the most special treatment that they may or may not deserve. When this happens, some of them start believing for themselves that they’re capable of anything and everything. They start to feel immune to laws and rules, thinking they’re the centre of the world, as if they’re serious method Hollywood actors credited as one of the best actors of all time.
I do not claim that my opinions and observations apply to all Filipinos or all celebrities. I, myself, am definitely not a celebrity, nor do I claim to be an expert on one. But having the son of one of the most respected and renowned artists in the Philippines feel “worthless” being a part of the showbiz industry, it gives us the slightest bit of idea how devious the entertainment system is in our country, and maybe in other parts in the world.