Readers react–and bite back!

Readers have commented on our recent articles, specifically about the TV coverage of recent events at the Vatican. They agree that the local coverage was perfunctory and not very insightful.

They also concur that the international coverage has been rather punitive, underscoring the  Church’s perceived weakness and “sins” of omission and commission.

On the coverage of the political campaign, some TV channels are being rapped by viewers for what we describe as their “cockfighting” approach to political “debates”: Two rival candidates are made to trade colorful barbs with each other, with their respective cadres of supporters loudly cheering them on, and issues are shunted aside in favor of “more exciting” personal attacks.

The televised “pintakasis” generate a lot of heat and smoke, but precious little illumination, so viewer-voters lose out.

A reader changes the subject and notes that our “diehard faith” in the often forgotten talent of our senior stars was recently vindicated by the thespic triumphs of Nora Aunor and Eddie Garcia at the Asian Film Awards.

We hope that the regional awards will encourage our thespic icons to keep coming up with even better screen portrayals. We trust, too, that they will silence younger stars who have been gloating about defeating their seniors and betters in local acting award derbies. —A little humility goes a long way, kids, so open up and swallow your heaping mouthful of humble pie!

Bone of contention

Finally, a big bone of contention for some people is turning out to be the issue of “singers who can’t sing,” as typified by the success of the albums and/or “musical” performances of stars like Anne Curtis and Daniel Padilla.

Even if Anne protests that she knows she isn’t the best singer around and is just having a lark, her critics aren’t mollified and say her “TH” act is an insult to singers who can carry a tune—but aren’t as popular as she has become.

Our take on the teapot tempest: Anne should take a lot of voice lessons and learn how to sing really well, so she can stop spoofing herself and ruffling the sensibilities of her “diehard detractors”!