Living in a Third World country that only appears in international news when something negative happens--a stampede, a landslide, a Filipino accused of espionage in the US, an oil spill--is a real pain the neck. So it's always a relief to see fellow kababayans making names for themselves abroad in positive ways, especially in the entertainment industry. There's as much pride in their accomplishment as in their pride to have Filipino blood.
What really brought this on was the Black Eyed Peas's Bebot video that features a number of Fil-Am talents including AI alums Jasmine, Camille and Sway. Just gotta love Apl for doing this. Again--since he also did The Apl Song a few years back.
Ask what you can do for your country, not what your country can do for you--or something like that. True that. Especially if the government is doing na-da! That's the reason why Filipinos go to every corner of the globe in search of a better life. I have to say that but enough politicking.
Although I loved Mig Ayesa, third placer at last year's Rockstar: INXS (but I was really rooting for Marty) and the Fil-am AI alums, I have to scratch them out because the voting Filipino public were involved. I guess that goes the same for Dancing With the Stars's Cheryl Burke. But that doesn't mean I think any less of their accomplishments. But how about the Pinoy All-Stars who won the World HipHop Championships in LA last July? Or Tony award-winner Lea Salonga who opened doors for many Filipinos in Broadway when she played Kim in Miss Saigon?
Except for me, I think Filipinos are inherently good performers. Let's see the list I could recall off the top of my head--Cassie, PCD's Nicole, ex-Sugababe Mutya, Michael Copon (yeah, the jerk in the second season of OTH), Rob Schneider (he's not gonna win a Oscar in the near future but he just cracks me up). Not to mention the countless international singing awards Pinoy crooners continually garner year after year. Or the local films that earn accolades worldwide--the latest being Kubrador. Cesar Montano held his own with Hollywood's finest and did a great job in The Great Raid. Then there was Donita, who did a successful VJing stint at MTVAsia. I miss her tandem with Mike Kasem (I miss funny man Mike!). And then there's Billy Crawford who I've always known as six-year Billy Joe. Did the kid grow! I was so happy when he won over Eminem and Robbie Williams as Best Male Performer in a French awards show a few years back--he is huge in France.
Ubiquitous. That's us. Whether we're inventing the moon buggy or discovering L.A. (I read somewhere just a few months ago that two Mexicans and a Filipino discovered the City of Angels...but I still have to check on that again). Whether we are designing clothes--Monique Lhuillier ring a bell?-- or cooking the U.S. President's meals. Right now Tiffany is chanting: Batista! Batista! Batista! And yeah, even WWE champ Batista has Pinoy blood.
I admit, I'm not a huge of fan of the local entertainment but there's no helping being proud when a local makes it big in the big leagues. Thankful, really, for making the Mother Country proud.
What really brought this on was the Black Eyed Peas's Bebot video that features a number of Fil-Am talents including AI alums Jasmine, Camille and Sway. Just gotta love Apl for doing this. Again--since he also did The Apl Song a few years back.
Ask what you can do for your country, not what your country can do for you--or something like that. True that. Especially if the government is doing na-da! That's the reason why Filipinos go to every corner of the globe in search of a better life. I have to say that but enough politicking.
Although I loved Mig Ayesa, third placer at last year's Rockstar: INXS (but I was really rooting for Marty) and the Fil-am AI alums, I have to scratch them out because the voting Filipino public were involved. I guess that goes the same for Dancing With the Stars's Cheryl Burke. But that doesn't mean I think any less of their accomplishments. But how about the Pinoy All-Stars who won the World HipHop Championships in LA last July? Or Tony award-winner Lea Salonga who opened doors for many Filipinos in Broadway when she played Kim in Miss Saigon?
Except for me, I think Filipinos are inherently good performers. Let's see the list I could recall off the top of my head--Cassie, PCD's Nicole, ex-Sugababe Mutya, Michael Copon (yeah, the jerk in the second season of OTH), Rob Schneider (he's not gonna win a Oscar in the near future but he just cracks me up). Not to mention the countless international singing awards Pinoy crooners continually garner year after year. Or the local films that earn accolades worldwide--the latest being Kubrador. Cesar Montano held his own with Hollywood's finest and did a great job in The Great Raid. Then there was Donita, who did a successful VJing stint at MTVAsia. I miss her tandem with Mike Kasem (I miss funny man Mike!). And then there's Billy Crawford who I've always known as six-year Billy Joe. Did the kid grow! I was so happy when he won over Eminem and Robbie Williams as Best Male Performer in a French awards show a few years back--he is huge in France.
Ubiquitous. That's us. Whether we're inventing the moon buggy or discovering L.A. (I read somewhere just a few months ago that two Mexicans and a Filipino discovered the City of Angels...but I still have to check on that again). Whether we are designing clothes--Monique Lhuillier ring a bell?-- or cooking the U.S. President's meals. Right now Tiffany is chanting: Batista! Batista! Batista! And yeah, even WWE champ Batista has Pinoy blood.
I admit, I'm not a huge of fan of the local entertainment but there's no helping being proud when a local makes it big in the big leagues. Thankful, really, for making the Mother Country proud.
Labels: Pinoy Pride, Random Video Picks
2 Comments:
I didn't know that Rob Schneider was Pinoy, or Nicole from PCD, how cool is that...you learn something new everyday.
I didn't know about Rob either until I saw an interview of his Pinay mom a few years back...
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