Betcha boy, golly wow!

After the whole brouhaha about Sex and the City — the movie, our collective eye seems to have shifted to the big bang that is Batman, the dark knight in black tights.  “Of course,” as a certain shampoo ad says, “Men are created different.” Now, it’s a guy thing.

From Entourage to Mad Men to Asero (uh, okay), it’s time the guys got the spotlight.

Curfew or no curfew, the time is now. So I began early by hopping over to Red at the Makati Shangri-La where Boy Abunda was hosting a dinner for Ruffa Gutierrez’s birthday.  Yes, we all know that Ruffa’s natal date was last month, but until now, the celebration continues.

“It’s called a birthday season,”  I always tell friends whenever I celebrate more than three times (hey, every day can be your birth-slash-rebirth day!).  But  I guess when it comes birthday parties, Ruffa does take the cake.

From Boy I hopscotched to another boy, this time to mark Diether Ocampo’s turning one year younger at Chef Marco at Purple Feet resto inside Wine Depot.  Now, Diet, this guy has been through so much — career highs and lows, marriage and annulment, intrigues and achievement — and despite it all, has maintained that hunk appeal and hulking humility, making him a perfect exemplar of the New Macho in glitzbiz.

And speaking of macho, boxing champ Manny Pacquiao was feted with a party by Chavit Singson.  With the way his career is going and the way the public adores him, he and his wife Jinky appear to be our very own Posh and Becks.  Only this time, let’s call them Jinks and Pacqs (pronounced Pax).  Or are they more similar to Tony Parker and Eva Longoria...Parker?

Meanwhile another celebrated couple welcomed Christ in their life in the form of their very own baby.  Raymart and Claudine Barretto-Santiago  celebrated their birthdays along with their son Rodrigo Santino Santiago’s first birthday and dedication ceremony at the Blue Leaf Pavilion in Taguig.  I’ve never seen that many showbiz kids in my whole life — it was enough to supply both networks with talented tykes and yayas to last countless seasons.  But the star was still is, and will always be, Claudine Barretto, in her most stellar role as — a mother.

Now if Claudine and Raymart celebrated with their son and daughter, this man celebrated his 80th birthday with his 18 children, and a new book — a labor of love produced by his son.  I was at the NBC Tent to witness the unveiling of a special biography of comic and dramatic proportions — the King of Comedy is 80, and we all grew up watching, laughing and crying with Dolphy.  He is a pan-generational icon, an inspiration to everyone.  Speaking to a whole venue filled with influential people from diverse industries, he addressed the crowd in a very personal manner.  I felt like I was talking to my own father. Or grandfather.

At the end of the day, touching upon the lives of these men, albeit for a few handshakes and bro hugs, I realize that a man is not bound by definitions.  You can be a comedian, a gay icon, a matinee idol, be a baby, weep a few tears and take a few punches — what matters in manhood is that each punch thrown and each tear shed and everything that makes us stranger, in the end makes us stronger.