Another shot at stardom

When I saw the pilot telecast of 30 Days last Monday on GMA 7, I almost got up on my couch to give the participants in that show a one-man standing ovation. And why not? Here was a group of people who – not so long ago – had their own fan following, but were now openly admitting that they had failed in their careers and are begging for a second chance at stardom through 30 Days. In this industry where egos are bigger than the Cuneta Astrodome and the Araneta Coliseum combined, that is a very difficult thing to do – to admit that you are a has-been.

The industry has an unkind word for it: Laos. In gay lingo, it’s laotian. Surely, nobody wants to be called that. But the participants in 30 Days – the winner of which will be given a makeover and a managerial contract by GMA 7 – are risking their reputation by signing up with the show and in the process announcing to the world about how they failed the first time around and I salute them for that.

The show is hosted by Lorna Tolentino. I would say that she is the best person to handle a show like this because she, too, went through a bit of a rough time during her transition period from that of a child star to an adult performer.

But she was given a second chance and eventually became a winning actress whose star had remained big and constant in the showbiz firmament.

I wish the same for the participants in her show and among them are Bianca Lapuz, Jackie Forster, Raven Villanueva, Dale Villar (once dubbed as the next Aga Muhlach), William Thio, Diego Castro, Jao Mapa (who was once a top young matinee idol), Dino Guevara, Jana Victoria, Hazel Espinosa (her sex films once made a lot of money), Biboy Ramirez (he startled even the GMA 7 staff because he still has a career somehow in this network) and former child stars Anna Larucea and Alfred Manal.

There were a lot of others who also tried out but I could no longer remember their names because they obviously never made an impact or probably not even a tiny dent in this profession. One was the daughter of two-time Metro Manila Film Festival Best Actor winner Baldo Marro, but I can’t recall her name. (I didn’t even know that Baldo Marro had a daughter who joined show business).

But why would some people insist on returning to the entertainment profession even if this industry had been so unwelcoming to them? Below are only some of the reasons why so many get addicted to show business:

The first reason I can think of is that, well, we are a personality-oriented society and we all try to get our 15 minutes of fame. Ask Atty. Elly Pamatong. Or even Eddie Gil. And in this country, it is so easy to make a name (just be a nuisance and you’ll get the attention you want). The problem is how to sustain it.

In show business, there are those who hardly make movies but coast along by getting their names mentioned in tabloids (which they hope will eventually be picked up by showbiz talk shows) and more recently, by participating in reality-based programs on TV.

The important thing is that you are still visible – that your name is still being mentioned because in this country, you will have an easier time if you have a "name" and if you are "somebody." Even if you no longer make movies, this could be your passport to get into another line – like business, for example. No matter what business you get into, people will be more trusting of you because you are known – because you have a "name."

Even if you get into the carnal trade, you will command a higher price because you are a "artista."

And, of course, as we all know, showbiz has been used as a stepping-stone to politics.

The bottom-line for most celebrities (especially for those whose stars had dimmed) is to keep your name afloat in the mind of the public because this can be very useful in a world like ours that idolizes personalities.

(To be continued)