Enlightened stars set a good example

MERCADO. Mature handling.

Some stars should be lauded for the instructive and/or inspiring statements they’ve made on TV in recent days, observations that make viewers think and behave in a more enlightened way themselves.

Let’s lead off with Vice Ganda.  He’s been flying high of late, his self-satisfied tripping fueled by his exceptional success on the small and big screens. The stellar tripping has been a bit much for us, but something Vice shared on television last week has made us overlook all that and thank him for the fine example he’s set with his statement:

Asked about all the expensive toys he’s gifted himself with from his big earnings from all his hits, Vice acknowledged his “profligacy”—but revealed that he made it a point to spend only a fraction of his income, and save the rest!

What a good example to set for the many people in these parts who spend more than they earn, and eventually get themselves deeply mired in debt!

Much better place

Of course, they can point out that Vice is in a much better place than they are, but the good fiscal example he’s set should still inspire at least some people to turn their own financial situation around by spending less, and saving more!

GANDA. Saves more by spending less.

Next, we’d like to commend Jennylyn Mercado for her mature handling of the media buzz and bother over the recent breakup of her romance with Luis Manzano. Respecting both herself and her ex-boyfriend and his family, Jennylyn chose to focus, not on rancid recriminations, but on the concluded relationship’s happier moments. —Would that we could all be so mature!

Finally, and most controversially of all, Kim Chiu has gotten a lot of flak due to her recent plea for more privacy and less intrusion from the media and the fans in her private life. We believe in the dictum, “the only thing a star owes to his audience is a good performance,” so we position ourselves firmly on her side, at least this time.

Privacy

We definitely don’t believe that total loss of privacy is part and parcel of the contract that a starlet or star “signs” upon entering show business—despite some stars’ abject statements to the contrary! So, this time around, Kim has a defender in us.

On the other hand, some luminaries have recently made statements that should be rapped and nixed, because they set bad examples. One is the unthinking stellar boast, “I can buy you—and this entire place!” Next, a still chubby actor who’s lost some weight smugly claiming, “I can lose even more weight, so my critics will eat their words!” (Stop boasting and just eat less, OK? You have around 30 more pounds to go before you can look really good on TV.)

Finally, many fans wish that feuding show biz families like the Barrettos can finally make peace, not vituperative war, this year—or, at the very least, keep their nasty opinions to themselves, because they’re disturbing our otherwise peaceful existence.