Below the fold
One of my all-time favorite movies is His Girl Friday, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant (magnificent) and Rosalind Russell (puede na), and based on the play The Front Page. So it’s a thrill to feel like a journalist. My editor told me to turn in something for the Friday paper, but I didn’t have a story yet, and the more I thought about it the more it struck me that there’s no story: She’s the story.
Speaking of movies, we went to see 2012 today. It’s so corny, they just cancelled the end of the world. No self-respecting Apocalypse would be associated with that drivel. It’s the kind of dimwitted CGI spectacle where the father calls his son to say goodbye, and just as the son picks up the ground opens up and swallows him. The kind of non-thrilling thriller where the hero’s car is always a nanosecond ahead of the chasm opening up, and no matter how urgent the task they still have time to say a long, soggy goodbye. Why is it that in these recent disaster flicks one of the signs of impending apocalypse is a black president of the USA (Danny Glover here, Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact, etc)? I have to say, though, that it’s always a good idea to cast Woody Harrelson, because the whole time he’s onscreen the audience is engaged by a character, no matter how deranged he is, and when he leaves the humans turn into cardboard. You can skip this movie, you’re not missing anything, unless you need an eyeball workout—I was rolling mine so much I felt like Marty Feldman. The best thing about watching 2012 was the trailer for Avatar, which rattled off most of James Cameron’s filmography. (The director of Terminator! Aliens! Terminator 2! And so on, with the noticeable absence of The Abyss, a movie I loved but which apparently was not universally adored.)
If you have some shopping or urgent chores to do, tomorrow morning would be a good time. Everyone will be at home watching the Pacquiao-Cotto fight. Traffic will be light.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
November 15th, 2009 at 09:10
Yeah, I’m going to the mall this morning. Manny Pacquiao is highly gifted in making people stay in their homes.
November 15th, 2009 at 09:11
And I really am liking what they called you for The Hillary Clinton’s visit here: the “embedded” blogger. :)
November 15th, 2009 at 21:26
Sorry, but “embedded blogger” sounds like “kuto” to me. LOL! And Pek-yaw’s 50 minutes seem to be on perpetual daylight saving time. The way he leads his (and his entourage’s) life, all those millions will go away faster than MC Hammer and Tyson’s did.
November 16th, 2009 at 01:18
I don’t want to be a killjoy,but I think this is just another splendid opportunity for Manny to earn gazillion dollars more,easy,just like that. This guy is so darn LUCKY its almost unbelievable how every doors open up to him while the rest of us college educated people live our normal lives and practically kill ourselves working, earning insignificant pesos. Manny possibly earns ten million pesos for every punch he throws,whether it hits or not. Maybe it’s my dislike for the violence of boxing,or my hatred for all freeloaders, media hungry and opportunistic politicians,but I find that I am soo tired of this guy and all his “alipores” already,especially his mother (how can anyone endure watching her on TV ads or ballroom dance?)Would Manny be willing to fight anyone for free,if he really loves boxing as a sport? I don’t think so. It’s all about the money,money,money. Gone are the days of Muhammad Ali,the Greatest in every sense of the word. This is the time of Manny,the Great Brown….Merchandise. Of course I didn’t watch the fight. I had a relaxing time at the UP Diliman Campus,where they have a nice tiangge ongoing.
November 16th, 2009 at 09:47
I am not proud of the Philippines being famous as the country having the greatest player in the most savage and inhumane sport of boxing where the animal instinct to literally decimate the opponent is the driving force. Boxing would have been the sport of cavemen or gladiators. It would have been better if the Philippines were known to be a country of world figures gifted with intelligence and discipline or at least have the greatest athlete in one humane sport.The majority look up to this sports “hero” to make a mark in the world for our country, pitifully, in a barbarous sport where the aim is to fiercely and brutally hurt his opponent.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:06
Jessica… I really liked your front page, “below the fold” account of the Hillary Rodham Clinton visit. Just recently, I hosted the visit of our CEO at our Philippine site. You succinctly captured the gist of why we are fascinated with certain personalities.
As always, great job!
November 16th, 2009 at 19:13
Lucky? Yeah, like he just woke up one day good at this boxing thing with people everywhere adoring him, offering him money to be in shows and commercials. Easy, right? The position he’s in right now, he paid to get there with a LOT of pain; it’s not just on fight night but through the months of training before each of the fights. (And it’s not Manny’s fault that when you’re successful, producers want you in their movies, networks want you to be seen in their shows, companies want you in their commercials. That’s just how it is. Let’s not forget, though, he’s the antithesis of today’s “you’re popular because you’re on tv” trend. He’s popular because he’s supremely good at what he does.)
Sure, it’s a violent sport, that’s what boxing is. Essentially people trying to knock each other out. And it’s not like other sports; there’s a quote attributed to Buster Mathis: “You play football and basketball, but you don’t play boxing.” You’re shortening your life with each round. People do try to lessen the risks involved with each fight with rules and commissions, but still, we have tragic outcomes like the Z Gorres fight.
Is it inhumane? Maybe. Probably. Well, maybe. Maybe in some future age we wouldn’t have any boxing at all because nobody would ever think to curl their hands into fists and strike another person. Or maybe people would just decide that the risks aren’t worth all the dangers involved. No boxing, no MMA, no martial arts gyms, no Tekken. Probably wouldn’t happen, though, boxing’s primal, it’s one of the first things that could pop into your head when you think of “conflict”, which, apparently, much of life is about.
Anyways, it’s violent, that’s a given. And people could easily say a lot of other boxers also pay as large a price that Manny pays, it’s not fair that they don’t get as great a reward as he does. And college-educated people kill themselves working while earning insignificant money. It’s all unfair, right? But it’s an aspect that’s the same with most popular sports, anyway. Top basketball players get top money, top tennis players– people just like giving them money.
And locally, people tend to focus on his being Filipino and his “bringing honor to the country,” and say that these details inspire them but, you know, he works hard, he innovates, he’s chosen a field which he’s physically-gifted for and taken himself to a level which even those physical gifts alone couldn’t account for. You know, take inspiration from that.
One thing curious about Manny, though, is his ability to focus on a task when he needs to. It might not seem like it, just hearing the news from his most recent training camp and all the distractions involved, all the multitasking and other interests he has, but the people close to him all say, when it comes time to concentrate on something, in that moment, he’s able to just focus. Which is why he does get better with each fight when it comes to the physical and mental side of the sport. (And it’s highly dependent on that mental side, no doubt about it. Roach is responsible for the main strategy, but during rounds, a boxer would depend on his/her own wits.) If I could ever have that much focus and discipline, I’d probably be gazillions richer by now.
November 17th, 2009 at 01:04
Noelz,
I think I know what boxing is about. You misunderstand me. I never said that Manny never worked hard for what or who he is today. By lucky,I mean that he is one lucky person to have GONE into boxing for whatever reason he may have had. I ask you: how many boxers have come and gone,or even DIED in the arena chasing elusive titles or prize money which never came because some unscrupulous managers-trainers-promoters took almost everything from them,including their underwear? I can’t remember their names because no one ever can–that’s how it is with this cruel sport. And Zee Gores,who I heard will never fight again? Did he just wake up last week and decided to go into boxing? This guy is almost at the top of his career,then wham! Just like that,it’s over. And what about Manny’s own brother Bobby,where is he now? Why does Freddie Roach speak funny? It’s because of Parkinson’s due to his own boxing past. If you think Manny isn’t lucky in this respect,then maybe there are no Abu Sayyaf thugs in Basilan. My point is: if anyone can become as rich and popular as Manny by going into some other less barbaric career like teaching astrophysics, rabbit farming or pottery making,would they go into boxing and risk facial disfigurement, an aneurysm or sudden brain concussion? Will you tell your own son to go into boxing like Manny did so he could get rich like Manny,if you can afford to send him to college instead? Speaking of “bringing honor to the country”, do you really think that Manny’s recent victory will affect the way foreigners treat our fellow Pinoy OFWs who get raped,sodomized and dehumanized everywhere in the world? Perhaps an Arab employer will now say,”Oh goody, your Manny Pacquiao whupped the ass of that Kuto guy. I’ll stop hanging you by your fingernails then and treat you right from now on.”? Manny’s victory and honor is HIS and HIS ALONE. The country will never benefit from it.
November 17th, 2009 at 01:13
P.S. Oh well, at least Chavit Singson will surely benefit from it, no doubt.
November 17th, 2009 at 03:50
To noelz: palakpakan!!! Yung sinulat mo para lang isang boxing match ni Pacquiao, binugbog mo ng husto ang mga sinabi nung iba tungkol sa pinakamagaling na boksingero natin!!! Applause ulit!!!
November 17th, 2009 at 08:28
@noelz
Just because someone works hard and focuses immensely on something, there is some kind of inspiration one can take from the effort. Manny Pacquiao invested so much time, effort and concentration in an inhumane and violent sports and i don’t take any inspiration from that. It’s not like there is a dearth of more commpassionate and decent fields to focus one’s energy in to bring honor to one’s country. Many shady figures have put as much effort or maybe more than Mr. Pacquiao in mastering their deeds and this does not, in any way, merit any kind of adulation from anyone.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:51
Franzi,
Rabbit farming? Maybe Manny can invest in that, uhm, livelihood after he’s done boxing.
The only serious argument you have raised is that boxing has no place in civilized society. And I can’t even resist making this reply: So you think Manny should just join Aling Dionisia in competitive ballroom dancing?
Okay, seriously: Homo sapiens indeed has come a long way from his/her animal roots. The day may come indeed that we will all eat organic veggies and lab-grown veal.
Don’t forget, though, that the spectacular success of our species also owes to a great extent to our native brutality. Indeed, at this very moment we are killing off hundreds of species as we try to make room for ourselves and our needs. Many are indeed worried that we could become in the end a victim of our own runaway success.
The tricky part then is how to control our nature without denying it altogether.