Objectively and Subjectively

A friend of mine had suggested me to write my own post on the recent viral video about Ricky Lo, a well-known showbiz reporter interviewing Golden Globe's Best Supporting Actress Anne Hathaway. The said interview is part of the promotion for the movie, Les Miserable in which the latter played as Fantine. My friend, in his part, got annoyed for how the showbiz reporter had interviewed Anne. As he quotes, it is "humiliating" since he is interviewing a Hollywood actress. I guess those who have already seen the video would have the same reaction as he is.

To begin with, the first question thrown out by Ricky about Anne's losing weight and gaining it back as she was taking the role of Fantine,  may be the very awkward first question to ask. Supplied with the serious tone and Ricky's stiff English accent, she cannot give her answer. She was asked the same question from another US-based Filipino columnist about Fantine diet. But this time, in a jolly and light atmosphere in the middle of their interview. Same with Ricky Lo, he was not given a straight answer, however, she added that it is not recommended. In the Philippine setting, when stars are asked how they lose weight, they would openly answer that question. But it was not the same case as Hollywood. With speculations of dirty diet secrets, anorexia and bulimia, saying eating right healthy food, staying away from eating rice and exercise may not be sufficient answers.

In the middle of the interview, Ricky Lo namedropped Lea Salonga and let Anne aware that she (Lea) is one of his friends. He showed her a text message and added that Lea couldn't wait to watch the movie version of Les Miserable. She was known to have played Eponine and later on, Fantine in the Broadway version, a few years back. This is yet to be one of those examples of Pinoy Pride that Filipinos tries to be associated with celebrities (who have a shared a common ancestry) who made it in the international scene. The star responded positively and elicit her admiration to Lea Salonga. However, Ricky, with a question rooted on Anne's interview from Vogue Magazine and a flattery, had put up an indirect comparison between the two. Fortunately, the actress had made it clear to him that there she and Lea are different, that is, she is an actress while Lea is a singer.

Anne Hathaway as Fantine

When he asked her, how did she able to be identified with the character Fantine, it signaled for the downfall of the whole interview. Obviously, she had already answered it when she was asked on how did she prepare for it. And when he added if she ever experienced to be hungry or to be poor, he slightly stepped into the privacy of the celebrity. When a Filipino actor or actress was asked with the same question, if she experienced to be hungry or poor, nonetheless, he/she might brag about it. Besides, their audience love rags-to-riches story either it is reel or real. Ricky intercept that question with another: what is her favorite and hardest scenes and putting up about her early nominations with Oscars and other musicals that she wants to undertake in the future. The usual questions that celebrities were asked by reporters. When he brought up again Lea to appease that embarrassing question a while ago, she reminded him that they've already talked about Lea. With the request on to promote her film to her Filipino fans, the same formulaic request that local showbiz reporters asked to their interviewee so as to end the whole interview, it didn't worked out on Anne.

Let's set aside the stiff English accent of Ricky Lo, the poor interpersonal communication that Lo tries to cover it up with flattery, the rude and mean response of Anne and other factors. Clearly, the interview was a product of cultural difference between the Philippine showbiz setting and the American Hollywood setting. While in Hollywood, celebrities were asked objectively about the film itself and their character and personal life is considered to be sacred and a privilege; in the local setting, artistas were asked subjectively about the film, their character and to the extent, evading their personal life. It is no wonder that, during a promotion of a film or a TV series in the local scene, I can always read a showbiz headline that goes like this, "May namumuong pagtitinginan kina Celebrity X and Celebrity Y?" (Is there a growing affection between Celebrity X and Celebrity Y?") or like this, "Aamin na ba sa kanilang tutuong estado sina Star A and Star B?" (Will Star A and Star B disclose their personal relationship?) Of course, what answer can I get. "Magkaibigan lang po kami," We're just friends. It looks like that the artist center where they had a contract and their own managers trained them well during their Personality Development and Public Relations 101 for those question that would popped up by those reporters. As usual, reporters would asked the same so as their papers would be sold to the general public and to the fans of the star. Not to mention, promotional purposes. The bottomline is that Ricky might have brought that stigma in his interview to Anne Hathaway and because of that, the actress might have felt that it is unusual, eerie and annoying.

Anyway, to be fair with Ricky Lo and to question this comment "his interview is humiliating to us Filipinos", let me point out that Ricky Lo and his interview doesn't represent the whole 100 million people of the whole 7,107 islands located in Southeast Asia. Objectively, the interview is part of the promotion of the film and whatever happened during that interview is nothing and nothing will ever happen even to us Filipinos. However, people focused more on the outcome, took those blunders and criticize Lo, Hathaway and the interview subjectively. People took the whole thing seriously as if the whole Pinoy Pride will fall and destroys our good image to the foreigners because of Ricky Lo's interview. But truthfully, the interview will not negate our image and doesn't affect us, economically and politically. In fairness to Ricky Lo, during the whole interview, he tried his best and continue doing what he needs to do amidst Anne's response to his questions.