This week had been sorrowful for a lot of
Filipinos, especially those from the movie industry and the masa
crowd. On Monday, December 13, news spread that Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ),
the King of Philippine cinema, died after suffering from a stroke. And as
expected in this telenovela1 (or chinovela2)-crazed republic, the
whole affair had its share of action (fans destroying the flowers sent by the
President)3, and drama (a news anchor weeping and apologizing on-air
after FPJ's widow accused her station of being biased against him)4.
For the rest of us non-jologs5 (or outright coño6)
citizens, however, the whole week had been agonizing not because of FPJ's death,
but rather due to the hype given to the event. You can watch nothing on
TV, hear nothing on the radio, and read nothing on the newspapers, except
Fernando Poe Jr. The most trivial of trivial facts about his life
("Wow, he knows how to wash dishes and clothes!" quipped a news anchor
in one of the TV interviews with the widow) had been squeezed dry. Flags
have been raised on half-mast, an honor that should be reserved ONLY for
government officials, individuals who have committed an act of heroism for the
country, and national artists. And speaking of national artists, there is
even talk that FPJ will be bestowed that distiction post-humously. This
despite the fact that all of his movies, which he also directed, had basically
the same story and plot (nice, quiet guy forced to act tough to protect the
innocent from baddies), and failed to break any new ground in film-making.
Maybe they'll even decide to ditch José Rizal and proclaim Fernando Poe Jr the
new national hero!
This does not mean, however, that I'm belittling the accomplishments of the
man. You do have to give him credit for helping a lot of people without
bragging about it, and for entertaining the masses. All I'm saying is that
let's not overblow the whole thing! I'm sure that'll be the best tribute
we can give to the "King", who remained humble and simple despite all
his accomplishments.
1Mostly Mexican soap operas dubbed in
Filipino
2Chinese or Korean soap operas dubbed in Filipino
3Fernando Poe Jr. was also the leading
opponent of President Gloria Arroyo during last May's Presidential elections.
4In an interview, Susan Roces, an actress and widow of FPJ, accused
ABS-CBN, of being biased against her husband during the elections. The
interviewer was Karen Davila.
5Filipino slang word traditionally defined as a corny person or
someone who belongs to the lower (economic) class.
6Filipino slang word traditionally defined as someone who looks down
upon the masses; bourgeoisie