More unsolicited advice

Lyca Gairanod’s mentors and handlers should immediately rethink the way they’ve chosen to package and project her, because it often runs directly counter to what her victory on “The Voice Kids” indicates the viewing public wants from her.

Figure it out: Lyca was hailed as the masa’s favorite and chosen “representative,” which is why they embraced her and gave her the most “votes,” resulting in her impressed victory.

It stands to reason, therefore, that they want her and her family to no longer be poor and in fact prosper and live a good life.

But, they don’t want her to acquire the look and fripperies of the “bagong yaman,” so they look askance at her when she starts wearing fussily attention-calling dresses, and sports real and fake jewelry, as she sometimes does now.

On her new fast-food commercial, Lyca is correctly and appropriately toned down, as befits her masa “representation”—but, on a recent musical special, she was all dolled and gussied up, complete with bright-colored dress with off-the-shoulder puffed sleeves, fussy hairstyle, jewelry and all!

The result? She looked both trying-hard and nouveau-riche, like many other child starlets and stars, and thus lost her key and unique advantage of being the mass audience’s only chosen singing spokesperson.

This is more than just a matter of stylistic makeover and “improvement,” more than just an “updated” change of image. Rather, it’s a basic alteration of the unspoken contract between Lyca and the many people who voted for her—and that clueless case of cultural myopia is—unforgivable.

Our next piece of brash, unwanted counsel is for Robin Padilla, who’s just ended his stint as the loud and stiff-bodied emcee on “Talentadong Pinoy.” His enthusiasm for his new sideline was quite commendable, but the show was a bad fit for him, because he thought he could do it while retaining his big, brash and bad signature acting style for his action starrers.

—No, a new assignment requires an adjusted performing persona, so his first season on “TP” was a botch. Better luck and more judicious “attack” next time?

Too much information

Some stars feel that, being popular, they have the prerogative to say all and bare all about even their personal thoughts and feelings, and that their fans will be only too grateful that they have been so candidly “open” and “sharing.”

—Well, it depends on what they’re so openly sharing!

Last week, for instance, a lovely star opened up about her recent wedding, and how she kept from weeping when her groom became very emotional when he made his marital pledges to her:

“It’s a good thing that I remembered what somebody had advised me once upon a time—that, if you want to keep from crying, all you need to do is to clamp down your tush’s cheek muscles!

“—Well, that’s exactly what I did—and, it worked

—I didn’t cry!”

What’s our reaction to that uber-candid declaration and sharing? —Too much information!

We love you and all that, but what you do with your bottom’s cheek muscles— should be entirely your own private little secret, thanks very much!

Another “too much information” encounter came courtesy of a notoriously shameless starlet who, on a late-night talk show, shared how she turned her hot dates on.

The details she provided were so smarmy that we hoped and prayed that no kids were watching and listening—otherwise, they would have been scarred for life!

Finally, some stars and starlets are major turnoffs because they presume that we’re avidly interested in their present and past bedmates, and all of the activity in the nether region beneath their navels. —Uh, not necessarily!