MANILA, Philippines - They could have lived longer lives, but unfortunately had to die prematurely. We compiled a list of what we wish would make a comeback from the graveyard.
Shining stars
“I wept on that fateful March 2002 afternoon,” says Macy Ruiz. “I was a fan.” Model and actor Rico Yan had a strong following if the box-office returns of his movie Got to Believe in Magic in 2002 is to be taken into account. But news of his death led to an even greater fan hysteria. “I literally prayed to God to bring him back. I prayed novenas for him. He was such a loss,” says Ruiz. Got to Believe in Magic was to be his last movie before his death and remains Ruiz’s favorite. “I wished and wished that I had been Claudine Barretto in that movie.”
Other celebrity pairings are also missed. “I think I want to see more of the Robin Padilla and Sharon Cuneta tandem back on the silver screen,” says Mac Austria, 40, architect. “Their chemistry in Maging Sino Ka Man has not been matched by any couple I’ve seen so far.” Luz Perez, 25, student, also looks back to history when admitting to her idolization of the now more mature Jolina Magdangal. “I miss the Jolens with colorful clips who endorsed Tamagotchi and Zesto fruit drinks.”
Forgotten songs
Who doesn’t remember bands like Smokey Mountain and singers like the late Yoyoy Villame? Smokey Mountain was a group of singers formed by musical giant Ryan Cayabyab. They were often depicted in ragged clothes to represent the Manila dump after which the group was named. Chris Liban, 28, an engineer, wishes there be a reunion concert. “I was a fan of their songs like Paraiso and Da Coconut Nut.”
If it’s catchy hit songs being discussed, Yoyoy Villame’s compositions will not be forgotten. His brand of Filipino folk melodies, simple rhymes, witty lyrics, and the unmistakable Visayan accent were showcased in songs like Mag-Exercise Tayo, Butse Kik, and Magellan.
In the cyber zone
If we’re talking social networking sites, there has been a clamor for the “old” Facebook design, as well as nostalgia over the glory days of Multiply. It might be safe to say that with the number of people slowly but surely unplugging their Friendster and Multiply accounts, Facebook has become the current social networking site of choice. As of press time, the site has just undergone its most recent makeover, including a news feed and live feed in its home page, confusing concerned Netizens in the process. According to the definition in Facebook Help, “News Feed shows the most interesting content that your friends are posting, while Live Feed shows you all the actions your friends are making in real-time.” We hear, however, that there are users who wish for the good old days when the social networking site was young; when there were plenty of virtual gifts being exchanged, and applications mostly consisted of Doodle Friends and Boozemail, and when the home page was simpler and less cluttered.
Multiply, on the other hand, was mostly about photograph-sharing but it did allow us to trade videos and blog posts among ourselves, while still being able to keep our privacy with that little feature that allows us to see who’s viewed our page. These were the days when photo albums were abundant and detailed, and monitored a lot of highlights in users’ lives — debut parties, the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark, and team planning sessions out of town. There are now less Multiply uploads in our updates, and users have now mostly been uploading wares they’ve been selling so we can’t help but miss those days when just photographs were mostly shared.
Surfing channels
Addictive tear-jerker Japanese anime series, campy variety shows, and catchy game shows were all the rage, yesteryear. Karen Simbulan, 25, a high school teacher, remembers watching dubbed Japanese Nippon animation in her childhood. “I would throw a fit if the school bus driver didn’t let me off our house before all the other kids because I wanted to catch the start of Cedie and Sarah.” Little Prince Cedie and Princess Sarah were after-school Japanese anime shows that, in between tears and sobs, taught children the value of compassion, social class and redemption. Nowadays, we still have cartoons like Lupin and Naruto, in dubbed versions showing during the morning. Foreign cartoons like The Powerpuff Girls, also dubbed in Filipino, are shown as well.
For other kids and teenagers, youth-oriented variety shows like That’s Entertainment hosted by the venerable German Moreno, was a daily staple. “I think That’s Entertainment was our own version of American Idol. People were really on the lookout for their very own idols,” says Mike Nepumuceno, 30, a banker. “I remember pestering my parents to get me and my sisters tickets to the anniversary concert of That’s Entertainment at the Araneta Coliseum. Our favorites were Sunshine Cruz and Gelli de Bellen.” Lawyer Silvia Santos, 31, says she loved That’s Entertainment and the groups it spawned. “Tuesday was my favorite day because that’s when the Tuesday group performed. It was shameless — I had posters of the Streetboys and Abztract Dancers in my room. But to this day, I wish I could watch them dance again.”
Trivia games also shared some screen time. Kate Laraza, 35, stay-at-home mother, remembers the show Name That Tune. A band would play tunes to songs with varying levels of popularity, the titles of which the contestants would try to guess in as few notes as possible. “I could always, always, name that tune in less than five notes. If that show was still on, I’d win it hands down.”
Let’s now go to the other end of the television spectrum — shows like Popular and Pushing Daisies were those that got sent to the chopping block too soon. Popular (1999-2001) was one of the shows that stood out from other American high school adaptations by tastefully satirizing the genre. Full of pop culture references, the funniest quips, lovable characters and just the right amount of drama, the show was about popular blonde cheerleader (Leslie Bibb) and a nerdy, plain school newspaper writer (Carly Pope) who initially couldn’t stand each other. The show folded up after two seasons, just when a major cliffhanger was set to unfold. Bibb has now gone on to star in a series of films and TV shows including Nip/Tuck and Ironman, and Pope has also done the same, including shows like 24. Murphy is doing the hit musical show Glee, as well as directing the film based on the hit book, Eat, Pray, Love.
On the other hand, Pushing Daisies — the story of a pie maker who cannot touch anything or anyone lest they fall to their deaths — captured our hearts, and made us all more savvy about the world of pie makers and forensics. A modern fairy tale, full of stunning visuals that made kissing while covered in plastic quite romantic, Ned (Lee Pace) and Chuck (Anna Friel) endeared themselves to us, and girls everywhere suddenly had this pie maker on their dream guy list. Critics praised the show, calling it “funny, imaginative and witty.” Pushing Daisies was cancelled June of this year due to lower ratings after its post-writers’ strike comeback. Talk of a movie has been shelved, but series creator Bryan Fuller said they are working on a comic book novel.
Have your own suggestions? We’d love to hear from you! E-mail melissabagamasbad@gmail.com.