Fat people with a reason

THEN: Jan. 19, 1988 — 23 years ago

Can you imagine hearing this song on the radio Fat People With a Reason when you weigh 180 lbs.? But there is such a song and it almost led a young girl to suicide when she heard it. But thank God for Nanette Inventor. Now it seems there is a place under the sun for the heavy ladies.

“Sinong nagsabi na walang karapatan?” Nanette might have as well said this as she led eight gorgeous heavyweights at the Folk Arts Theater during the Search for Donya Toyang. They were, indeed, fat and beautiful, all of them. Arlene Borja, Evelyn Reyes, Ma. Socorro “Toytoy” Velayo, Zeny Reyes, Remedios Valenzuela, Jeana Azares, Imelda Bonifacio and Ma. Lourdes Quilon.

I like being a judge. It makes me feel important to make a winner out of somebody. But that Sunday judging at the FAT, when we were supposed to pick the new Nanette courtesy of Toyo Sardines, posed a lot of weighty problems. No pun intended. For one, it was supposed to be a hook-up with Channel 13. The contest was within a regular Sunday show’s Sunday Special and it was held at FAT because of the sponsor. But the FAT is always a difficult venue for a hook-up and it happened to be “one of those days.”

First, the dancers did their numbers. Even before their first pirouette, they were told to stop as it was not working — the hook-up, not the dancers. Even the suave Edu Manzano was starting to lose his cool. But he tried to be nice about it. So finally it was on, and the dancers had their chance to prance onstage and Dina Bonnevie stole the show by dancing in the skimpiest tanga. It was, of course, to promote her latest Viva movie.

Finally, the fat beauties: There was Arlene, young and heavy and a clone of Nanette talking about her “Quirico” and the high life of the donya. Then she segued into a song-and-dance number. Next, came Toytoy, much heavier and more musical, in a black dress with an interesting slit that showed shapely fat legs. She sang a fast number, dancing all the while to the beat. The rest did the same, varying in their acts in imitation of Donya Toyang’s character. The show also dragged on and it was almost 3 p.m. We lost track of the script at this point, as hunger was overcoming our interest in the show.

Two politicians were among the members of the judges and Edu refer to them as Konsehal — whether this was in jest or in plugging spirit, we will never know. But Gen. Honesto Isleta of the AFP was there too, cool in his barong despite the noonday heat.

The search for Nanette’s clone (Donya Toyang) was open to female heavyweights, 18 years old and above, with the judging based on the contestant’s own interpretation of Nanette’s antics. It was song, dance, soliloquy and fashion presentation. But what the candidates could have done had the scripts been better! The contestants were rated according to talent, showmanship, creativity, face and body and stage presence. I wondered if it was wise to get fat girls to promote sardines. Wouldn’t you think twice eating it if you were on a diet? What started me on sardines years ago was the belief that there was something in sardines oil that can make you look young! And how I believed it, buying dozens of sardines hoping to stop the advancing years. Anyway, it must be a different marketing strategy and looking at the big noise that the campaign was creating, there must be something to it.

But whatever, fat beauties finally got reason. I gave Toytoy the highest mark and left before they announced the winners.

NOW: July 5, 2011 — 23 years after

Nanette has lost some weight because her doctor has insisted on it. But she is still beautifully fat and as active as ever. She has a regular show on GMA 7 and travels regularly for concert tours abroad. Sharon Cuneta was very slim when the Toyang contest was going on. She now personifies the fat and the beautiful, but she is still the Megastar. With Sharon at the forefront of The Biggest Loser, fat people are in style again. Dina, who was so slim wearing that tanga, has also put on weight but just as beautifully plump. The same with Aiko Melendez who is now on the plump side. But stars are stars and they can still maintain their luster even with avoirdupois. Fat people have a reason.

(Incidentally, in my story on Ballsy Aquino’s wedding, I mixed up the date and got a lot of calls from friends and others. Mea culpa for this. I promise to count better and improve my math. That story was from my article in Woman Today dated Jan 4, 1983. Thank you for the correction. God bless you all!)