Monday, June 30, 2008

Pinoy Idol Bids Mae Goodbye

mae flores
mae from igma.tv/pinoyidol

Toffer, Mae and Warren were the bottom three this week. Toffer was the last to be called, but the first to be announced safe. Mae had been in and out of the bottom groups since the workshop stage. And the second gala elimination night was her time.

I didn't really like her personally. She shouts a lot, and talks a lot. So much, in my own opinion, for someone who would like to please the viewers for their votes.

The music icons who were present in the show yesterday (Jet Pangan, Jamie Rivera, Aiza Seguerra and Rey Valera) agrees in saying that Gretchen and Ram are the two most promising among the idol hopefuls. But I really like Sue Ellen. A for cuteness =)

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Jet or Sheng?

jetsheng
jet and sheng from pinoydreamacademy.ph

Jet and Sheng are this week's probationary scholars. They were joined in the bottom bottom group by Bea, who was saved by the mentors, and Cris, who didn't get any votes from the scholars, thereby, saving her.

Jet was still the same "nangangampanyang politiko" in his Saturday performance. He doesn't have a "performer thingie" about him. He just stands on the stage, mic in hand, sings, sways his arms a little, lifts his eyebrows some more, smiles.

Sheng on the other hand tried to belt out Time and Tide. She performed well, I actually liked her form on stage plus her confidence. But it's her song choice that got her. She didn't actually hit her notes at some points.

I'm gonna make some predictions on this week's probation. With the way Jet behaved towards Laarni the past weeks, and with all that "yabang" around him, I bet people would likely save Sheng.

Anyway, Christian and Ross are the only ones who didn't want Jet to stay in probation.

Pacman Did it Again

Diaz Pacquiao Boxing
pacquiao and diaz pic from AP/Jae C. Hong

It was a very intense fight, Pacquiao's first on the lightweight division. Many were expecting he'd get a little battered first before getting victory. But Diaz was bloodied on just the second round. Fans were cheering, both in and outside Las Vegas. As others see it, it was Pacquiao's match from the very start. Even Pacquiao, himself, was quoted as saying that he "was really surprised it wasn't stopped sooner", pertaining to the 9 rounds.

Manny Pacquiao regained his speed even at 135 pounds. People noticed that he even got stronger, owning the game, better than his last fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on that same ring.

Manny made the Filipino proud once again, nonetheless evident in the cheering crowd inside Mandalay Bay which was filled by mostly Filipinos.
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Liezel, a Consistent Star Scholar

Liezel Garcia is PDA's Star Scholar for the 2nd consecutive time. Her song Count On Me didn't fail to capture the audience's hearts as well as the judges. Gerard Salonga (one of the guest judges), only had a problem with Liezel's "connection" to the audience. He said he didn't know if Liezel was singing the song for herself or for him. Nevertheless, Liezel got the highest grade among the scholars, followed by either Laarni or Bugoy who were the other two in the top 3.

laarni losala
laarni losala from markdreamy of pinoyexchange.com/forums

Good thing for Laarni who got the lowest grade last week. But this week's "As If You Never Said Goodbye" performance was so powerful. Isay Alvarez (the other guest judge), a noted international musical theater actress (Gigi of the original Miss Saigon cast) said Laarni could reach the high notes well but her low notes sometimes got flat. She also noticed Laarni's English diction.

Laarni was well-applauded. People were even applauding before she sang. Her being "api" inside the house helped her, indeed.

Choice of songs by the scholars:
Miguel - Farewell
Van - Next in Line
Liezel - Count on Me
Inaki - Superstar
Laarni - As If You Never Said Goodbye
Jet - I Will Be Here
Bunny - You've Got a Friend
Bea - Runaway
Bugoy - Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Ross - King and Queen of Hearts
Hansen - I Believe I Can Fly
Sheng - Time and Tide
Apple - Through the Years
Christian - Nandito Ako
Cris - Come Together

Chivas also gave his last performance on the PDA stage. He performed the song he practiced for the night, Just Like a Pill.

On other notes, even if Bugoy doesn't admit it, Filipino viewers know that he's gay. So much effeminacy to be just effeminate. And the drama with regards to Hansen's friendship gave him (even more) away. Another effeminate guy is Van. Such gestures.

Pinoy Idol: 2nd Gala Perfomance Night

The night started off with video clips from their campaign in their respective localities. As reported in the news days before, Sue Ellen wasn't able to campaign in her native town (Iloilo) which was striken by the typhoon Frank, leaving the people homeless. Instead, she helped the GMA network team in distributing relief goods to the victims.

The performance night was graced by music icons Jet Pangan (The Dawn), Jamie Rivera, Aiza Seguerra, and Rey Valera. Jet was noted for his two thumbs up sign while watching Ram perform.

Some of the 11 idol hopefuls had a brilliant choice of song, while the others struggled. Following is the list of their 2nd gala performance songs:

Warren - You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi)
Penelope - So Sick (Ne-Yo)
Mae - If I Didn't Love You (Tina Arena)
Daryl - Basta't Kasama Kita (Dingdong Avanzado)
Toffer - Changes in My Life (Mark Sherman)
Gretchen - A House is Not a Home (Dionne Warwick)
Robby - Someone That I Used to Love (Natalie Cole)
Kid - I'll Never Love This Way Again (Dionne Warwick)
Ram - Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo (Yano)
Sue Ellen - In the End (Linkin Park)
Jayann - Whine Up (Kat DeLuna)

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Chivas Leaves PDA/Voting for Laarni and IƱaki, Stopped

chivas and bunny
chivas and bunny from pinoydreamacademy.ph

Chivas was expelled from the PDA by the Headmaster Ryan due to health conditions. He had been brought to the hospital twice due to hyperventilation and migraine respectively, and collapsed in front of the other scholars a couple of days back. Both he and his wife, Bunny, couldn't concentrate on their lessons due to his frequent breakdowns. Bunny even sang with a throat condition last Saturday. Bunny wanted to go out as well but her dream and determination pushed through. She will continue the fight for Chivas, and most primarily for herself.

With regards to Chivas' leaving, voting for the probationary scholars Laarni and IƱaki was stopped. No one leaves the Academy on Saturday.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Pinoy Idol Says Goodbye to Jeni

jeni rawolle
jeni rawolle from igma.tv/pinoyidol

The lounge singer is now out of the competition. "I'm proud to be a lounge singer" was her reaction on the comment of Wyngard Tracy that she's good but just as a lounge singer.

Jeni was joined by Kid and Sue on the bottom three. Kid was the first to be announced safe.

Pinoy Idol is getting more exciting and interesting. The production numbers are made fun to watch by the choreographer Geleen Eugenio. It was "Stand By Me" tonight for a show opener.

First Probationary Students

liezel garcia
liezel garcia from pinoydreamacademy.ph

After the Saturday performance night, Liezel got the highest mark making her the star scholar of the week. Top 2 was Miguel, followed by Van on the third notch.

Liezel sang almost without effort, hitting her notes right she was so good to listen to without the fear she might be out of tune or might not hit the right notes.

Probationary scholars are IƱaki with a grade of 6.17, and Laarni with 5.17 (the lowest on their Saturday night performance). The two were first joined by Bea (with 6.40) and Christian (with 5.23). Christian was saved by the mentors and Bea by the other scholars who were made to write the name of the probationary scholar they wanted to save on a piece of paper.

It's now a battle between IƱaki and Laarni. It's up to the viewers on who to vote.

Pinoy Idol First Gala Night

pinoy idol
from mukamo.com

It was the first gala night for the Pinoy Idol. The venue (SM Mall of Asia - Centerstage) was much bigger, the stage much wider than the workshop stage, and it was more glamorous. The audio (on TV) was a lot better, too.

The top 12 are obviously there for a reason, but there are a few who we know just can't win the title for obvious reasons.

The show opened with the top 12 in a production number of the local song Awit ng Kabataan by Rivermaya. All 12 of them was made up like a star, the fact which was immediately noticed by Wyngard Tracy. He said he was impressed by the transformation of everyone. He also expressed that he expects everyone to apply from thereon what they have learned from the months that passed.

The following are the order of performances, their corresponding songs and some of the judges' comments:

1. Gretchen - Respect by Aretha Franklin
Wyngard: "may kulang" (something's lacking)

2. Warren - Shout by Tears For Fears/Disturbed
Ogie: it was fireworks

3. Jayann - Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin
Wyngard: very good... "you look like a celebrity guesting on a tv show"

4. Toffer Rei - Honestly by Harem Scarem
Jolina: off-key
Ogie: not very clean

5. Jeni - Inseparable by Natalie Cole
Ogie: very classy

6. Kid - Ordinary People by John Legend
Wyngard: outstanding

7. Penelope - Alone by Heart/Celine Dion
Wyngard: pilit (forced)

8. Daryl - Superstar by The Carpenters
Jolina: "dapat siguro palit-palitan mo na 'yang style mo" (maybe it's time you change your style)

9. Sue - Survivor by Destiny's Child
Ogie: your best performance
Wyngard: unique voice but can't see her as the Pinoy Idol

10. Ram - Arms Wide Open by Creed
Ogie: singing genius

11. Robby - One Last Cry by Bryan McKnight
Jolina: "pwedeng-pwedeng angkinin ang title ng Pinoy Idol" (can be the title holder of Pinoy Idol)
Wyngard: over qualified

12. Mae - You Oughta Know by Alanis Morisette
Wyngard: a star is born
Ogie: a superstar is born

Friday, June 20, 2008

A Big Fat Gay

inaki
IƱaki (from pinoydreamacademy.ph)

IƱaki and Ross had a (heated) exchange of words in tonight's episode of PDA Season 2. To quote the two:

IƱaki: I'm gay.
Ross: You're gay IƱaki?
IƱaki: I'm gay because you're here.
Ross: You're a big fat gay...

Things turned out okay between the two after a while. Ross blamed it on his emotions and the pressure of being inside the PDA. IƱaki, on the other hand, insisted that it's a joke and that Ross shouldn't have taken it badly. He added that jokes are their only means of having fun inside the house.

More on IƱaki: Ryan Cayabyab might not have caught him drowsing during his lessons, but the cameras obviously did. His head was down, a pen in hand pretending to write what Ryan was discussing. That could be taken as an insult. It's Ryan's first session with them since they entered the house.

Laarni has a very beautiful clear voice, but her personality might become a hindrance to her winning. She's very uptight and she lacks confidence. She even said in her conversation with Teacher Monet that it's because of her looks. People might sympathize and might understand her for a while because she belongs to a poor family (perhaps the reason for her insecurities). But how long will she last in the game of popularity with that personality?

Chivas was taken to the hospital due to hyperventilation. He's got the voice and (more on) the looks. Will he make it on the Saturday performance? We'll soon find out.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

David Beckham for Armani

david beckham for emporio armani autumn-winter 2009
David Beckham (from usmagazine.com)

David Beckham, the 32 year-old soccer star and husband to Spice Girl's Victoria, posed again for Emporio Armani's underwear collection. He first came out as Armani's underwear model in its spring/summer 2008 collection. He's doing it the second time around for the fashion scion's autumn/winter 2009 collection. The ad will be on giant posters on key cities of the fashion world.

My Girl

kim chiu
Kim Chiu (courtesy of pinoysgottalent.com)

I love watching My Girl. Nakakatuwa si Kim Chiu. Natural na natural ang pagkakikay n'ya. Magaling s'yang mag-comedy at iisipin mong doon lang s'ya magaling pag una mo s'yang napanood. Pero magaling din s'yang magdrama. Proof was her first soap opera entitled Sana Maulit Muli.

On the other hand, Gerald Anderson is still the perfect loveteam for Kim Chiu. The two has the chemistry that makes televiewers "kilig" and anticipate their every scene, especially in the recent episodes of My Girl where Jasmine (Kim) is fastly falling in love with Julian (Gerald).

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Jet is My Bet

ranjit
Jet (from starmometer.com)

Gusto ko si Jet. No'ng ipinakilala ang apat na pagpipilian para sa 16th scholar, sabi ko sa sarili ko kailangang bumoto ako. Pero nawala rin naman sa isip ko ang pagboto. Buti na lang nanalo s'ya. Kung tutuusin s'ya lang naman talaga ang may dating sa apat. Magaling din sanang kumanta si Lambert Reyes pero parang pang-banda lang s'ya. Puro British bands siguro pinapakinggan n'ya kaya he sounds like one.


Nagtataka lang ako kung bakit hindi na lang ipinasok 'yong 17th scholar in place of Consuelo (na hindi na nagpatuloy dahil sa kanyang medical condition). Kinailangan pa talagang kunin ang apat para pagbotohan. Pero sabagay, pangit nga naman kung tawagin ang 17th scholar tapos sasabihing papasok lang s'ya dahil may nag-back out na isa. At least kung may voting, may ipagmamalaki nga naman s'ya kahit papaano. Nga naman.. 'di ba?

Pero pasalamat tayo kay Consuelo. Ranjit "Jet" Singh, say thank you. Haha.

Pero bet ko talaga si Jet. If not for his voice, he's got an interesting personality. And the way he cried when his name was announced as the 16th scholar was quite moving. Ngawa kung ngawa habang yakap ang anak n'ya. Naalala ko tuloy si Jiriel ng PBB Teen Edition Plus. Tulo uhog sa pag-iyak no'ng manominate at halos lumuhod sa pagmamakaawa sa mga tao para iboto s'ya. Nakakaawa, pero s'ya pa rin ang kauna-unahang na-evict.

Pero astig pala ang pangalan ni Jet. Ranjit Singh. Historical figure!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Mario Cimarro (Hotta! Hotta!)

Today's episode of El Cuerpo del Deseo was a little "hot" for an afternoon soap (or at least that's what I thought). The episode was the honeymoon of Andres and Isabel. Like a true socialite, Isabel brought with her two of her servants which included Salvador (Mario Cimarro), whom she was fast falling in love with. Isabel woke up early but Andres overslept because of drinking the previous night. She then asked the maid to call Salvador and told the driver/love interest that she wanted to go out, that is, without her husband. They ended up on a beach as evident in these screen caps:

el cuerpo mario cimarro back

el cuerpo mario cimarro front

Now, isn't he HOT?

Monday, June 9, 2008

Early Edition Re-run

I have just finished watching the Early Edition re-run on AXN. They showed Hoops (the 6th episode of the 1st season) for their initial night. I wonder what happened to the first 5 episodes. Or are they just showing the best episodes? Whatever it was, I believe they shouldn't have cut off the pilot episode of season 1 that tells how it all started.

Hoops is about a high school basketball player who has a life-threatening illness and could have died if not for Gary.

I used to watch Early Edition over Studio 23 when I was in college. I was a fan. It's one of those series that leaves me feeling good after watching. A very wholesome show.

Early Edition stars Kyle Chandler as Gary Hobson, a stockbroker who gets a copy of tomorrow's newspaper at his doorstep every morning.

early edition

Sunday, June 8, 2008

P.I. Bids Goodbye to Walton and Meryl

Walton Zerrudo and Meryl David got booted out at the Pinoy Idol results show tonight. I kinda like Meryl. She has a powerful voice. Ogie Alcasid and Jolina Magdangal were both not happy about the results.

Personally, I don't like Walton. He can sing okay, but there's nothing else about him that proves to be "idol-worthy". He seemed to be one of the judges' favorites, though.

Remaining 14 contestants are:
(boys)
Daryl Jett Celis
Elizalde Camaya
Joselindo Pimpinio Jr.
Kristoffer Rei Tragico
Ramon Jose Chavez III
Roberto Navarro Jr.
Warren Antig

(girls)
Angeli Mae Flores
Carol Anne Leus
Gretchen Stephanie Espina
Jayanne Bautista
Jenifer Rawolle
Penelope Matanguihan
Sue Ellen Cubing

I personally like Sue Ellen. She has the voice, aside from being so cute. And if that's not enough, she's a Juris (of MYMP) look-a-like.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

PBB Teen Finals Night

Ejay Falcon wins followed by Robi Domingo, Nicole and Beauty in that order. My niece and I were cheering for Robi (at home ha, not in Araneta), and the crowd's cheer everytime Toni Gonzaga talked to Robi was louder than the times that she talked to Ejay. Less than 2% lang ang lamang ni Ejay kay Robi. Sayang. I should have voted, it might have helped.

Ejay had that usual "parang mahihimatay" expression almost all throughout the show. But the worst was when he was declared the winner. His surprised/excited expressions are really awkward. Really awkward I turn my eyes away from the tv. Reminds me of David Archuleta's expressions everytime the judges of American Idol praised his performance. But David's was better compared to Ejay.

Pero buti na lang hindi si Beauty ang nanalo, just like how the majority of the big 4 predicted. And buti na rin hindi si Nicole.

At buti na lang din (again) PBB makes it the last 4 contestants. Imagine if it's just the Big 2, and Ejay and Robi were the only ones left inside the house. Hahaha. They're sooo opposites. I doubt if there would be any real exchange of conversations between the two.

Congrats to Ejay, anyway. He needs the money more than Robi. Pero sayang. Robi is more of a teen role model than Ejay.

***

At bakit parang Pinoy Idol ang format ng Pinoy Dream Academy sa teaser nito kanina? Hek. Puto maya.

***

Rudy "Daboy" Fernandez died of periampullary cancer at 6:15 am, June 7, 2008. My condolences to the Fernandez clan.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Goodbye, Alex...

It seems that my favorites among these text-votes-related reality shows are being evicted. Okay, perhaps I have such a different taste in people. Like I choose Alex over Ejay, and Alex got evicted. Also, Regene Ong was my favorite among the Pinoy Idol contestants, and she got booted out last Sunday! Oh well, I'm sure Regene has a place in showbusiness. With her fashion sense, I'm kinda sure she has other "artsy" talents besides singing (if she won't click on singing, i.e.)

Well, Alex has a following, too. What with his hunky appeal... and the buzz he stirred when he decided to be circumcised inside the PBB house. But I don't know... I don't think we'd still see him around after, say, 5 years from now.

I don't like Ejay. Nagpapaawa. Si Robbie na lang ang bet ko. I also don't like Nicole and Beauty. Both bitchy.