Why all the fuss over Meteor Garden, Mahal, etc?

Curtain-raisers:

• What do Piolo Pascual and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? They are both part-German.

• What do Marvin Agustin and Keanu Reeves have in common? Both their fathers got jailed due to (illegal) drugs.

• And what do Dominic Ochoa and Mandy Ochoa have in common? Nothing except their surnames (although they’re not related to each other).

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Why all the sound and fury signifying... nothing?

I’m referring to congressmen who have been (desperately?) trying to grab the headlines (well, you know, their own "l5 minutes of fame") by riding on the popularity of such TV "wonders" as the ABS-CBN chinovela Meteor Garden and the invasion of "little" people like Mahal, Mura (he’s a man dressed as a woman in case you didn’t know) and Dagul, all of whom are now part of the MTB family.

One congressman wants the MTRCB to check out the "destructive" effects of Meteor Garden on the young and some other agency to find out if making Mahal and company work on TV violates their, ehem, "human rights."

Like you maybe, I’m amazed that our congressmen still have time to watch a lot of television despite the supposedly piles and piles of bills they have to work on in Congress. We journalists who are forever racing with deadlines aren’t so lucky. We can only glance at the TV set in the office once in a while and never hope to follow the adventures of the handsome F4 guys in Meteor Garden and the antics of Mahal and company. The honorable congressman’s heart bleeds at the way Mahal and company are "being made fun of." Of course, I disagree with the guy. We laugh at Mahal and company’s antics but not at them. They’re comedians and we’re supposed to laugh at what they’re doing, aren’t we?

Now, are Mahal and company, uh, "exploited"?

I don’t think so. Mahal and Mura and Dagul are into their late ’20s and early ’30s and aren’t they luckier than thousands of jobless people out there (perhaps waiting and waiting – in vain – for the good graces of their congressmen)? At least, Mahal and company are earning their keep and helping support their families. Or would some congressmen rather consign them to the perya?

More than the perceived "destructive" effects of Meteor Garden on the young, I think what’s more harmful not only to the young are the not-so-funny antics of public servants who serve only their own interests and not (never!) those of the public. What’s immoral are government officials brazenly squandering the people’s money (long live the pork barrel!) to uplift themselves and not, yes, the public.

Our world would be a better place if congressmen (and other public servants) direct their "misplaced/displaced" concern to those malnourished children scattered around Metro Manila’s streets and other unfortunate victims of the indifference and neglect of public/governmnent officials. It may not get them into the headlines but, I’m sure, it will earn them a special place in the hearts of the public – and the voters – and, who knows, somewhere in heaven.

Meanwhile, excuse me while I try to catch a glimpse of Meteor Garden and what Mahal and company are up to this time on MTB.

Few minutes with Nolte and Elliott

I had a chance to interview Nick Nolte (Affliction, Cape Fear, Prince of Tide, etc.) and Sam Elliott (We Were Soldiers and US TV’s Buffalo Girls for which he got an Emmy and Golden Globe nominations) during the Hulk press junket at the Universal Studios in Los Angeles two weeks ago.

The two actors agreed that working with Taiwanese director Ang Lee was a rewarding experience. Said Elliott, "Ang brings intellect to whatever he does."

Before Hulk (where he plays the military officer running after the monster Hulk, played by Eric Bana who co-stars with Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly as Elliott’s daughter, thus the conflict between doing his duty and his affection for Bana as his son-in-law), according to Elliott, he was never a comics fan. "But Hulk made me one even though at this stage of my life. I’ve been in this business for more than 34 years!"

Asked if he was afraid of growing old (he’s into his ’60s), Nolte said no.

"At my age, I have a different outlook from the one I had when I was in my ’40s."

He recalled that the death of his mother (at 86) three years ago left him kind of vulnerable. "When your last parent dies," said Nolte, "there’s no more baffler. You know you’re next. You need a witness when you die just as you need a witness when you’re born."

In Hulk, Nolte plays Bana’s father and the conflict between them provides the Greek-tragedy part of the movie which is more than just an action flick about a comics character.

"I love the role," said Nolte. "If somebody else directed it, I doubt if I’d do it."

Okuya delights

I dropped by my favoritre Japanese restaurant a few days ago, the Okuya Tempura House (at the ground floor of the Imperial Palace Suites on Timog-Morato Rotunda, Quezon City) and owner-manager Divina Okuya (her husband is the chef, noted for his distinct way of cooking shirmp tempura) very gladly laid out the place’s new mouth-watering treats (executive meals, etc.).

The Okuya Tempura House is a favorite hangout of Regal Matriarch Mother Lily and people from nearby (ABS-CBN, GMA 7, etc).

On this page are pictured samples of the new Okuya treats.

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