oh no, i'm in my 30s

Celebrity complex

ellobofilipino:

eeehlaine:

ellobofilipino:

Earlier today I attended a biodiversity workshop which had in mind a system where Filipino scientists from different parts of the country, would be able to have their research documented and shared with other experts both in the country and abroad.

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Our scientists, more specifically our botanists, are as endangered as most of our country’s species. And they have become that way due to the lack of interest of the youth to go into the field, the lack of funding for research, and even the recklessness of our men in uniform. While we may not directly see the impact of the efforts of our botanists in our daily lives, I think it would at least help if we are able to appreciate their work and take pride in their accomplishments. They are, and should be, as much a source of pride of our country and our people, as our pop icons and celebrity athletes. They are our superstars of science!

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For me, one of the biggest things that bothers me about people in the Philippines is their intense need for the limelight. This is most likely universal in any country. It saddens me how some of my cousins have bachelor degrees, but in the end, they do not even use them. Instead, they go and work in karinderyas or at the palengke because they would rather have that degree and not use it. I do not know their reasoning for why they have a degree, but at least use it. College is not cheap, and I remember my mother telling me that she didn’t even walk across the stage to get her diploma because they couldn’t afford the things needed.

People focus on athletes and pop stars, and truth be told, a lot of the pop stars in the Philippines are not that talented. Most of these actors, actresses, and singers are light-skinned, the entertainment business runs in their blood, and half the time, they simply get by on looks alone.

The endangered species of scientists is everywhere. Without science, where would technological advancements come from? We must all co-exist through different career paths, but there is an off-set. The interest for the sciences is dwindling, and only the few who somehow find an interest in the sciences will only add on to the dying breed of scientists and researchers.

As for me, I love the arts, but I love the sciences as well. There is an inexplicable hunger for knowledge of the unknown within me, and I only want to know more.

I would have to agree with you on the Filipino’s intense love for the limelight. Almost everyone, particularly in the greater Manila area, must be craving for that one. I see a lot of the youth in the nation’s capital fixated with their looks, their clothes, and even their smell, oblivious of the fact that they are having problems with their studies, cannot properly express themselves in English and Tagalog, or haven’t even pick up a book for months (or even years).

And the fixation is not limited to the ordinary people in the capital, it is in the halls of power as well and even in the pulpits. More often than not, you would hear of legislators conducting special investigations of matters which cannot be legislated or which should have better put to court. You would also hear of some men of the robe who also seem to have the need for media exposure, commenting on almost everything that the government does without suggesting any alternatives.

And true! The number of talent-less individuals in the local showbiz industry has been increasing over the past few years. These “celebrities” are Filipinos of mixed marriages who grew up elsewhere, coming back to the country with their looks, and capitalizing on those for a shot at fame and fortune. While there are some who eventually are able to carve out a niche and prove their worth, there are also those who are nothing but irritating.

What is sickening is how most Filipinos seem to worship the “celebrity” status and how everyone (including the politicians) seem to aspire for it. While the celebrities get their faces splashed around in billboard on behalf of brands, politicians put up their faces on tarpaulins (paid for by the people’s money) posted on government projects, as if they spent their own money on these structures and objects. Yes, it’s that bad.

But how can one blame these people if they use what they have to achieved the “celebrity” status? If most of the people in the capital have a celebrity complex, and most aspire for a break in the showbiz industry, then it should be expected that these people would use what they can to achieve the status.

It is lamentable that most of the country’s news organizations seem to focus more on the “celebrities” than people who really give this country something to be proud of e.g. athletes, scientists, poets, thespians, etc. But I guess that also speaks of the contemporary consciousness of the nation, more particularly the people in Metro Manila. It shows how still underdeveloped we are in terms of appreciating the efforts of individuals and the achievements they have. It proves that we are easily carried away by glitz and glamour and not by diligence and hard work.

…but then again, entertainment media also (intentional or not) divert people’s attention from the pressing matters at hand. kris aquino in the headlines saves politician-in-hotseat ass.