Best of the week: Leave EDSA, Gloria, Taylor and the Biebs alone!
Anorexic of the week: CGMA
MANILA, Philippines - Former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo told The Philippine STAR that his wife, Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has possibly developed anorexia nervosa after being arrested for electoral sabotage and plunder at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City. According to her husband, she became depressed and has lost her appetite because she was not allowed to leave the country for a medical consultation in Singapore. Alleged mugshots have floated on the Internet but conflicting camps argue over its authenticity. Currently, the former President is staying in the presidential suite (costing P50,000 a day) that has amenities “comparable to those found in presidential suites of luxury hotels,” where she spends her time writing about her body issues in her diary. Kidding!
Gadgets of the week: The Google Chromebook and the Facebook Phone
Two of the biggest websites have decided to branch out by creating gadgets that will stroke their vanity and excite trolls around the world: the Google Chromebook and the Facebook Phone. Tagged as the “computer for people who hate computers,” the Chromebook is essentially an operating system that vows to make things easier for the user by providing an 8-second bootup, built-in Wi-Fi and 3G, and thousands of web apps. However, it comes with no desktop and is purely Internet, making its users heavily reliant on the web (kind of like crack). On the same note, Facebook will be releasing a phone (codenamed Buffy, after the vampire slayer, for some reason) with a modified version of Android that will deeply integrate its services as opposed to a single button, which apparently is not enough. The Chromebook will be manufactured by Acer and Samsung while Buffy will be created by HTC, trolls can’t wait.
Move of the week: Sharon Cuneta
In a surprise move, megastar Sharon Cuneta jumped fence and transferred to TV5 after spending 23 years in ABS-CBN. The news came after rumors of her switching surfaced in October, but she denied the news then, saying that she had no reason to leave ABS-CBN but that she’d like to give herself a chance if someone talked to her. The megastar is one of the many celebrities who have transferred to TV5, and there are rumors that it came with a price: a five-year contract worth P1 billion. When asked about this, Sharon and Kapatid executives merely laughed, with Viva Entertainment’s Vic del Rosario saying that the fee is “commensurate to her stature in the industry.” A day after her contract signing, Sharon was quoted as saying that she vows to “work her famous behind off,” leaving us speculating if she will host a show similar to The Biggest Loser.
Pinoy pride of the week: Johnny Bravo
Kids born in the ’90s would definitely remember Johnny Bravo, the arrogant, funny, and irreverent character in the show on Cartoon Network. In a recent phone interview with The STAR, it was revealed that the creator, Van Partible, is Fil-Am. Though he was raised in California (he was born in Manila and still has relatives in La Union), he kept in touch with his roots by hiring Filipinos to voice-over his Johnny Bravo characters some of them including Tia Carere, Dante Basco (who also voiced Jake Long in Disney’s American Dragon) and Lea Salonga. The Filipino references subtly pepper the series, especially the titular character: his inflated confidence, breezy swagger, unwavering love for women, and fear of his “momma,” which reminds us of the comic traits of some of our local men. In the interview, Partible also says that many could relate to the show because “there’s a part of Johnny Bravo in every guy, he’s just looking for someone who notices him and who thinks he’s cool” makes you think of someone you know, eh?
Bill of the week: EDSA to Cory Avenue
A bill filed by a Bohol representative is seeking to rename EDSA to Cory Aquino Avenue (CAVE?) to commemorate the former president and icon of democracy. According to the bill, one usually associates EDSA with Aquino, who brought back democracy by replacing Marcos and ending his dictatorial rule. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño have disputed the bill with Casiño saying it is a mega-epal case, referring to the pending Anti-Epal Bill. While politicians are on the matter of honoring historic places to the Aquinos, someone should think about replacing Luneta Park to the Kris Aquino Park.
Video of the week: Midas Marquez
Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez has received attention for his moral fiber, integrity, eloquence, and style. He has appeared many times on TV, talking about current events in that sleek, calm, and unhurried way of his. He has that aura of respectability that many should admire. However, in a live telecast of a press briefing in the Supreme Court, Atty. Marquez had a less-than-ideal reaction to a microphone falling off the podium, betraying a side to the spokesman many would consider effeminate. The video of the reaction has gone viral, but regardless of alleged orientation (the attorney is married and has two children), many of us would like to continue trusting him on his fierce take on political issues, but not when a flying cockroach enters the room.
Reunion of the week: Lola Aurelia and Lolo Luis
A photo circulating on the Internet caught the attention of 60,000 Facebook users and helped an old woman find her missing husband. Lola Aurelia Matias was photographed one afternoon with two pieces of paper pinned to her front and back, with a picture of her missing husband and her contact information. According to her, she has been relentlessly searching for her husband, who may be suffering from dementia, for over two weeks, who disappeared one morning while she was doing the laundry. He was found sleeping near the Quirino Station of the LRT, and the way he was found using social media makes us wonder if Ramona Revilla could be found the same way.
Winner of the week: Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift was the star of the night at the 39th American Music Awards held on Nov. 20 at the Nokia Theater in LA, where she won Best Female Artist, Best Album in the country music category, and the coveted Artist of the Year award. Her win didn’t come as a surprise as the singer was recently placed in the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records for Fastest Selling Digital Album by a Female Artist for "Speak Now" and Most Simultaneous US Hot 100 Hits by a Female Artist. Her acceptance speech was uneventful as Kanye West did not make a special appearance, probably for fear it would bolster her fame after she writes another song about him. Unfortunately for Justin Bieber, he did not win anything, but he joined LMFAO in the closing number, dancing to Party Rock Anthem while David Hasselhoff joined the duo in Sexy and I Know It, reminding everyone why he was the captain lifeguard in Baywatch.
Exam of the week: Justin Bieber’s paternity test
Justin Bieber’s baby drama continues as he finally took a paternity test on Nov. 18 to prove that he’s not the father of Mariah Yeater’s baby, even though he was not required to do so. According to TMZ, the test was done under “very controlled circumstances” so Yeater’s camp can’t contest the results should they come out negative. It is also interesting to note that Yeater, who has quietly dropped the paternity suit, also pinned her baby boy on her ex-boyfriend, who denied the allegations. The next step is for Yeater to provide a DNA sample of the baby to see if it matches, and if it doesn’t, Bieber’s lawyers have threatened to sue her for defaming his good name and reputation, and for taking the song that made him famous to heart.
