Proudly showbiz

I am in the contention that there’s no business like show business and that showbiz is a serious business though it has been hyperbolized because it deals with projection, perception and yes, illusion. But in truth, showbiz is real as real can get.

It makes me uneasy every time I hear people in and outside showbiz say, “Hindi ako showbiz!” In this context, “Hindi ako showbiz” means I am not plastic; I am real. I am not an “artista.”

Admittedly, it’s annoying for someone like me who is proudly showbiz.

I wish to change this pejorative expression, so I am writing about it. Notice that when one describes somebody who is not upfront, he would exclaim, “Ummm, showbiz ka naman eh!” “Iyong totoo, sabihin mo.” “Showbiz mo naman!”

It has become part of the linguistic geography that when you want to stress the point that you are genuine, you would say, “I am not showbiz.” I resent that. But I know most of the time people say it without meaning to diminish or trivialize or deprecate the entertainment business.

The genesis of this expression is the age-old belief that showbiz is flippant, a make-believe world and therefore superficial. It’s bigger than life. It’s dazzling even if only at the surface. It cannot be anything that doesn’t sparkle on the outside, never mind if it smells like dung on the inside.

I am in the contention that there’s no business like show business and that showbiz is a serious business though it has been hyperbolized because show business deals with projection, perception and yes, illusion. Its audience is fleeting, its magic ephemeral. But in truth, show business is real as real can get.

Do I go ballistic when showbiz people like me are labeled duplicitous and superficial? I don’t pirouette in dismay but I certainly don’t approve of this stereotyping. Hypocrites and dummies are everywhere. You would be surprised with the number of “bad-ass” smarties in showbiz.

There’s a social philosopher who asks “if you will lie to save somebody’s life.” Some say it’s a logical lie while other social scientists insist that a lie is a lie. That whatever context it is, it’s still not telling the truth. (I’ll go for the former!)

Here’s my prayer:

I hope in the future, people would find some other line that will not pillage the industry that I love with all my might. I hope that by provoking a conversation about this, people start to realize that by saying “I’m not showbiz” they’re actually derogating a community of people who deserves respect. We have to fix certain parts of the dialogue because words are very powerful and they must be used properly and responsibly.

Am I showbiz? Hell, yes! Proudly showbiz!