Do they know it's Christmas?

One of the wonderful perks of working for MTV is that we have the TV on the whole time while we are working in the office. Actually, it’s not really a perk. It’s mandatory that we have it on. It’s part of the job. Our product is TV entertainment and so we have to keep the TV on to know what’s on our channel. Which is great because as a kid, I used to love watching TV. And I still do.

However, the disadvantage of MTV playing in our office TV monitor is that sometimes, my age shows. You see, in MTV, most of the staff are young. You can tell because whenever a new music video comes out, everyone starts talking about it and they all start raving about it or criticizing it. Last year, I couldn’t join in these types of discussions even if my life depended on it. I was absolutely clueless as to who was in and who was out. Up until last year, I thought Nirvana was still a big band. I didn’t realize their lead singer had died years ago.

But now, after working in MTV for more than a year, I’m proud to say, I have gotten to know a lot of the new acts. In fact, I have had the privilege to meet some of them. So nowadays, I can join in hearty discussions concerning John Mayer, Enrique Iglesias, Incubus or Blue. So, to a certain extent, I can pretend to be "one of the guys." But then, when Classic MTV goes on air, bam, that’s it. My true age is revealed. I start shouting like a lunatic, "Hey, it’s Spandau Ballet! Wow, look – Echo and the Bunnymen! Hu-wow, Frankie Goes to Hollywood! Hey, that’s the Cure!" And then I realize everyone is staring at me. And they all ask, "Echo and the Bunny-who? Frankie goes to where?" And it dawns on me. I belong to a Jurassic era.

Oh well, it’s OK. I still think the ’80s were the best era to grow up in. We had great acts at that time. And this personal view was further reinforced when I recently saw the video of the classic Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid. Band Aid was a group organized by a guy named Bob Geldof of the ’80s band Boomtown Rats. Actually, it’s not really a group per se – but a collaboration of popular singers and acts. The group included Sting, Paul Young, Boy George of Culture Club, George Michael, Bono of U2, Duran Duran, Bananarama, Spandau Ballet – all of whom are amazing artists. They were at their peak at the time the record was made(1985). Band Aid recorded Do They Know It’s Christmas? chiefly to raise funds for people dying in the famine of Africa. What’s amazing about this record, however, is not so much the stars that were involved, but the wave it created after. After Band Aid, there were many other star-studded recordings for a cause – such as USA for Africa (which was a group of American artists singing We are the World) and Northern Lights (composed of Canadian singers) – all of which were organized to raise funds for Africa. And then, after that, the famous Live Aid Concert happened. In that concert (held in the US and England simultaneously), every major artist performed and gave their share in the fight against hunger. Up to this day, it still amazes me how one man – Bob Geldof – was able to create such a huge impact on a cause he truly believed in. It truly showed the Power of One. Geldof was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Seeing the video of Do They Know It’s Christmas? somehow reactivated a nerve ending in my now-jaded consciousness – a nerve ending, which, through the years, has forgotten the feeling of Christmas. I was talking to a client recently – and I told her, "You know what? No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get into the Christmas mode."

Until a few days ago, I struggled to find that old Christmas feeling. Despite the Christmas lights, the yuletide decor, and the NPA’s call for a Christmas truce, I just couldn’t get out of the funk. Maybe it was because of all the tragedies that are going on in the world. We are all too aware of all the bad news that’s happening because CNN, BBC, and Fox News are just one click away. Or maybe it was because I was just too engulfed by the corporate world – where the concerns are not "What Christmas means to me," but rather, "Are we going to meet our targeted sales for the year?" Or maybe it was just a function of age – that is, through the years, Santa Claus and Christmas presents just don’t have as much appeal anymore – mainly because most of us are beginning to have that dreaded "Santa Claus figure" – and, we feel the pressure of giving a Christmas present to everyone listed in our hand-held electronic gadgets.

I really don’t know. But you know what? I didn’t give up hope. Despite Christmas’ diminished appeal, I wasn’t about to throw it out of the window. Not just yet. Somehow, even if "that Christmas feeling" always came later and later every year, the good news is – eventually, the Christmas feeling did come, even for just a while. Sometimes it crept in just a few hours before midnight Mass. There is certainly one point in the season when we all know – and we all feel – that, yes, it is indeed Christmastime.

This year, the time came unexpectedly early. And under unexpected circumstances, too. I was in a stress-filled meeting in a restaurant, negotiating some details for an upcoming event. Christmas was the farthest thing from my mind as I was facing the enormous task of convincing MTV’s partner to agree to a concept that I had already committed to a sponsor. Our venue partner wasn’t too keen on the concept at first. But eventually, thing turned out OK. I was relieved, to say the least – but I was really tired from the stress. At that point, I just wanted to have a massage.

After the tense meeting, our partner unexpectedly invited me to have lunch with her at a press conference. It was a press conference for an upcoming musical play to be staged by the Ayala Malls and TalentWorks Asia (led by Girlie Rodis) during the coming holidays, entitled He Came Upon a Manger. I wasn’t too keen on attending as (1) I was gatecrashing; and (2) I had a lot of stuff do at the office. But since I had a good meeting, I figured, "What the heck – I’ll have lunch and go." I had lunch indeed. But I didn’t go. I got stuck in my seat. During the press conference, excerpts from the play He Came Upon a Manger were performed by the cast, led by Epy Quizon, China Cojuangco, and Lee Robin Salazar. And while they were performing the songs, it just happened – BAM! – that "Christmas tingle" suddenly went up my spine – and I got those nice-feeling yuletide goosebumps all over again – the ones I used to get whenever I would hear the Carpenters’ or Ray Coniff’s Christmas songs. It was a great feeling to have all over again. And the great thing is I realized why I had a hard time getting that "old feeling" again: I didn’t have my "eye on the ball." I was focusing my attention on other things – the peripherals, so to speak. During the presscon, Winnie Nazareth said something that struck me – "Amid all the commercialism, we can get lost as to what Christmas truly is." Man, that’s so true. Especially when you’re in a mall. Or in the corporate world. Somehow I think it’s "divine coincidence" that Ms. Nazareth delivered that nice opening line regarding a musical based on the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

This coming Christmas season, if you do shop at the Ayala Malls, try to catch He Came Upon a Manger – it’s guaranteed to bring back that nice "goosebumpy" feeling that you’ve been waiting for. Believe me, it’s worth it. You know why? Because it’s free!

So boys and girls (especially you boys and girls who have been naughty in the corporate world) – get your eye on the ball – it’s that Baby Boy – born in the manger 2002 years ago. The Baby who, just like Bob Geldof of Band Aid, (but in an infinitely bigger way) showed us that the Power of One can change the world. The Baby who grew up to be a Man and taught all of us that we could all be like Him – a good example to the world. And if that doesn’t give you a nice tingly feeling, I don’t know what will.

So now, let me ask you – do you know it’s Christmas? I certainly do.

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Thanks for your e-mails, you can write me nepomucenor@mtv-asia.com.