Why Ai-Ai cried at her own presscon - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

The lunch presscon started on a funny note and ended with the lone star-host breaking down in tears, right in the spotlight and before TV cameras – and 20 or so movie writers wondering aloud why the whole thing all too suddenly turned into a comic-drama (or a "dramedy," if you please).

What could have reduced Ai-Ai delas Alas to copious tears yesterday at Virgin Cafe (Morato) at the small gathering announcing her concert, Abuse Me!, on Nov. 11 (a Saturday) at the Folk Arts Theater?

Recovering herself and wiping tears from her eyes with a napkin, her voice choked a bit, Ai-Ai related that two nights earlier, she knelt in fervent prayer at the Baclaran Church, thanking God for all the blessings coming her way, when it dawned on her that, despite her success(es), she has been pictured in the media as "quarrelsome," bumping heads with most everybody around her.

"Why is that so?" Ai-Ai recalled having asked herself, filled with undeserved guilt. "These days, everything written about me is kaaway ko si ganito, kaaway ko si ganoon, when in truth ako ang inaaway nila, hindi ako nang-aaway sa kanila. I don’t want to have enemies; it’s nice to be successful, to be on top, na walang kagalit, di ba?"

Those in the know surmised that the real reason why Ai-Ai cried wasn’t so much the half a dozen "enemies" which the movie press says she has but some kinks in her (topsy-turvy) love life. Was anything the matter between her and the person currently romantically linked to her? Was that why, even when she was trying to be funny at the start of the presscon, giving tongue-in-cheek fun answers to the questions, Ai-Ai would unwittingly turn sad, her eyes empty, in-between the repartee?

She begged off from elaborating further on her alleged "feud" with Rosanna Roces (over money?), saying that she and Osang are "okay already;" she declined to comment on a certain Rey Salac who must be trying hard to attract media mileage by making the snide remark that Ai-Ai has no right (walang K) to be recording an album because she’s "boses lata;" she dismissed the (non-)issue with Giselle Sanchez (who "badmouthed" Ai-Ai) as a little misunderstanding; and she refused to comment on any negative matter, a while later changing her mind and jokingly said, "O, sige, mag-mamaldita ako ngayon!"

Dared to comment about beleaguered President Erap Estrada, Ai-Ai said, "Ay, huwag na ’yon!"

Okay, what did she have to say about San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada?

Sidetracking the question, Ai-Ai said, "By the way, may pelikula ako sa Millennium Cinema (owned by Jinggoy), Bakit Ba Ganyan? Ewan Ko Ba, Darling! (with ex-couple Vic Sotto and Dina Bonnevie)."

Her laughter dissolved into pregnant silence after that. Bulletin’s Shirley Pizarro took the microphone and asked Ai-Ai, "How come you look sad?" That’s when Ai-Ai’s voice cracked and she began to cry, unable to talk for a few minutes, and finally relating that incident at the Baclaran Church when she realized how sad and lonely life at the top could be – if there are people drawing her into a fight.

"Masarap ang walang kagalit, di ba?" sobbed Ai-Ai who, if a producer is interested, could be a good dramatic actress (look, direk, copious tears at the touch of a button in her heart).

Three weeks ago when she launched her self-titled Concorde Records album of naughty songs, Ai-Ai was all but sidelined from the entertainment pages when two movie scribes, Swarding and Cristy Fermin, chose to settle a lingering grudge between them by swapping barbed comments during the open forum. And now, at the presscon for Ai-Ai’s Abuse Me! concert, this other incident. (Before the presscon, somebody warned Ai-Ai to be careful because a similar eksena involving movie scribes might erupt. None happened, mercifully, but Ai-Ai’s tearful eksena was a welcome breather.)

Of course, during the 14th PMPC Star Awards for TV two weekends ago, Ai-Ai desperately tried to, well, "make a scene" when she showed up dressed in a white gown complete with huge wings (inspired by Drew Barrymore’s costume in the movie Ever After), hoping to be declared Star of the Night (the "honor" went to Pops Fernandez).

"I came late, papano," said Ai-Ai good-humoredly, "kaya hindi ako napansin ng press. "I was already backstage and some reporters told me, ‘Hoy, Acheng, rumampa ka para ka mapansin.’ So I hurriedly went out to make an entrance sa front gate ng UP Theater. But then, I couldn’t get into my Starex dahil sa laki ng pakpak ko, so I just returned backstage."

Her Nov. 11 concert, again produced by Jacob Fernandez (of JLF Organization, with Backroom as line-producer), is actually the third in a series, following Respect Me and Seduce Me, both SRO successes (not every singer can fill up the Folk Arts Theater to the rafters, mind you!). In Abuse Me!, Ai-Ai will have as guests Ara Mina, Bituin Escalante, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Ogie Alcasid, the Streetboys and the Whiplash Dancers. (Tickets at P1,200, P900, P700, P400, P300 and P150 are available at National Bookstore outlets, JLF office with phone number 638-42-43 to 44 and at Backroom with phone numbers 435-10-98 and 435-38-08).

Recovered now from the brief emotional outbreak, Ai-Ai was asked who among her (male) guests she’d pick to, yeah, "abuse her" and, tears gone, she broke into her wide Ai-Ai delas Alas trademark smile and said, "The Streetboys! Mga bagets ang gustong kong mag-abuse sa akin!"

Okay, Streetboys, the line forms to the right – if you’re "safe" and ready!