A fish out of water. That was me as I joined a group of reporters from Davao City and Cebu City to cover the final night of GMA Network’s Starstruck, a “reality-based artista search” that had a Davaoeño and a Cebuana in the final five. I received the call on Friday (February 19) that GMA (the network, not the President) wanted to fly us into Manila on Sunday morning to watch the show live at the Araneta Coliseum, and since it was practically a fly-in-fly-out proposition, I naturally accepted. As soon as I met the other reporters, however, I had the sinking feeling that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time: while everyone knew the latest on the five finalists, I was in the dark and was hard pressed to even identify one of them. I kept silent most of the time and bluffed my way out when my opinion was asked.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not denigrating local show business. It’s just that I rarely watch television, and when I do it is either the news or a movie on cable or the Discovery Channel or cartoons (with or without my kids). And it’s not that I’m a cerebral snob who can’t be bothered with showbiz: I like to be entertained, but these days, most of my entertainment comes from the internet, which I like because I control how long I am on a certain site or page. Besides, I prefer reading to watching; always have, always will.
Starstruck hosts Nancy Jane, Dennis Trillo, Dingdong Dantes, Raymond Gutierrez, and Carla Abellana (photo couresty of GMA7)
But I digress. As it turned out, I quite enjoyed the show itself because it was staged in grand fashion by GMA. It was all glamor and glitz, and I got to see people I only read about online and occasionally chance upon on TV. It was also fun to see what goes on in between shots as stage hands installed props for a particular number, then removed them and replace them with something else for the next one. It was as programmed as the song-and-dance routines themselves, and I found an appreciation for the hard work these unsung heroes put in so that the stars could shine.
The audience was also a sight to see: since it was a competition with five finalists on the line, the coliseum was filled with fans of each, and they had their own gimmicks to make their presence felt. Some had huge numbers, others brought in marching bands. All had banners, and they all shouted and danced the night away in support of their idols.
Starstruck winners Sarah Lahbati and Steven Silva (photo couresty of GMA7)
In the end, of course, there could only be two winners, one male and one female “Ultimate Survivor.” The Cebu media were rooting for Diva Montelaba, a dusky beauty whose sultry moves could make men’s hearts palpitate. Alas, she came out only second to Sarah Lahbati, whose singing voice brought her to victory. The Davao City media ended the night much happier as the Davao bet, Steven Silva, sang and danced his way to become the Ultimate Male Survivor.
We were able to talk to Steven after the show and it took me a while before I could sneak in a few questions. The entertainment press was all over him, and they were all asking questions that, in my opinion, were a little shallow. “How do you feel? Did you expect this? What will you do with the money (P1.5 million in cash)? Are you OK with being in a love team with Sarah instead of Diva? Isn’t Diva your crush?”
I, on the other hand, wanted to ask him more serious questions (like his take on the Mindanao situation), but I guess I was expecting too much of the young man. After all, he didn’t actually live in Davao but only spent some vacations here. The longest he had stayed was three months during his OJT at The Marco Polo, Davao after graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.
Steven Silva, Starstruck's Ultimate Male Survivor (Photo courtesy of GMA7)
When he mentioned school, I seized the moment to ask him for his advice to aspiring young artistas on whether or not they should enter show biz before finishing their schooling. His answer was refreshingly mature: “My advice is for them to finish school first,” he said. “Show business and fame can be fickle, but if you have a degree, no one can take that away from you.” He said that was what his mother always told him, and he took that to heart.
Wise words from a young man who is just breaking into showbiz. Here’s at least one up and coming artista whose feet are firmly planted on the ground.
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