An alternative route to showbiz

Last Tuesday, I enumerated four surefire ways of entering the movies and television: Join artista searches, be born to movie star parents, get a good manager and be devastatingly good-looking.

Of course, being born to movie star parents isn’t your choice and, for that matter, being devastatingly good-looking.

And so now, you are only left with two choices: Joining star searches and getting a good manager.

However, if you’ve already joined all searches, including this paper’s Lifestyle Pet of the Week contest, but still failed (gosh, I’d hate to lose to a Chihuahua) – and no manager would touch you at this point, don’t think that the ship has sailed without you. There is another way of landing in showbiz: Finish your college education, pursue the field of your interest (next to showbiz, I suppose) and be the best in your area of specialization.

These days we now see a lot of architects doing lifestyle shows on television (I used to see one on ABC 5). Among lawyers, we have Gaby Concepcion in Unang Hirit and in a new show on QTV 11. There is lawyer Joji Alfonso (I don’t know if she is still with RPN 9), who produced the last teamup of Jomari Yllana and Ara Mina. Of course, the most famous among them is lawyer Jose Sison, who was later joined by his son Jopet on television.

In the medical profession, there is, of course, Dr. Vicki Belo. Who doesn’t know her now? Dr. Belo actually enjoys the best of both worlds. She has good practice and is even famous as a celebrity.

Pursuing a career in the culinary arts may also make you popular as a television personality. That was how Sandy Daza became known to the masses – through the Kitchenomics portion in Eat Bulaga (actually anyone will be famous – given a slot in this phenomenal noontime show). In the ’70s, his mother, Nora Daza, already took that route – with her award-winning culinary show, Cooking It Up with Nora.

For most Mass Communication graduates, the fastest way to get into television is to join the news where they have the chance to do on-cam reporting and, if really lucky, even be made to anchor a newscast or their own public affairs program.

Outside of the news, there is something else you can do on television if you are a Journalism or Mass Communication graduate (or even an English major): Host a showbiz-oriented talk show. First you establish yourself as an authority in show business by writing in the papers – which Ricky Lo and I did and are still doing. In my case, I was just plain lucky because I was still very raw when I was plucked to do Showbiz Lingo (and I will be eternally grateful to Charo Santos-Concio for that.)

Boy Abunda is a different case. He may now also be writing for the The Philippine STAR, but he really established himself more as a publicist – and was (still is) one of the finest in this field. With Ricky Lo, well, that is what you call the Authority. The host’s credibility is one of the reasons why Showbiz Stripped (Don’t fail to watch Gretchen Barretto’s steaming interview tonight) is doing well in the ratings game (it fought a good fight even when it was up against Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition grand finals last week).

Unfortunately, among those from the broadsheets, it’s really just us now. We’re a vanishing breed. Our positions are now being taken over by movie stars, who – gasp – are also doing well as showbiz-oriented talk show hosts.

In the field of political analysis, our own Max Soliven was already doing television even before martial law and, sometime ago, in ANC. The late Louie Beltran also became famous both on print and TV and, if I remember correctly, even on radio (I was never a radio buff).

Getting into television through this route – by making a name first in your field of expertise – has its advantages. One, you are mature enough to make your own decisions and you can’t be pushed around just like that by those bullies in the TV network.

Two, you are mature enough not to be a sweellhead (if you do at this point, you will forever be immature).

Three, you are wise enough to handle your own money.

Four, the TV exposure would boost further your profession. You know how visibility counts for so much in this country.

Then, there’s less pressure on you in the looks department because, well, you didn’t exactly climb the stairs to popularity on the strength of your being handsome or beautiful.

Oh, need I say that when you enter television at this stage of your life, you would already have saved enough to go to Dr. Vicki Belo?

And so you see, education has its many uses. Did you ever think that it could be used as a tool to enter show business?