He may not be as popular the world over as the other Jerrys Lewis, Springer and Seinfeld–not yet anyway–but to the mass audience of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, those three others may not even exist. Ask the guys in the street and chances are Yan Cheng Xu, 26, is the only Jerry they know.
A lady comments that his first TV drama series was such a big hit and asks if he was concerned that he might be typecast in playing this part forever. Jerry, who plays one of four rich students in a television comedy-drama series who terrorize their exclusive prep school, mutters: "Yes. I hope that I will not always act as an idol."
But he does. And the same goes for his three male buddies. And many have declared that they always will. You may probably still be wondering who or what this is all about, but rest assured that everything will be crystal clear in the next paragraph.
It all happened so fast, as if they just crawled out of the woodwork overnight. And with the recent success in local TV ratings of the "chinovela" (a new term coined for Chinese telenovela) Meteor Garden, it has almost definitely assured the four young men from Taiwan a pretty spot in the big leagues–at least for now.
The Flower Four or F4, as they are more popularly known, has arguably become the hottest foreign commodity since Thalia, the Mexican telenovela sensation. And while some people (especially Filipino males) balk at them for being "just another flaky boyband" and "advertently corny", their lanky frames and undeniable good looks have endeared them to a lot of TV viewers.
Enter the world of Jerry and his friends Ken Zhu Xiao Tian, 24, Vaness Wu Jian Hao, 25 and Vic Zhou Yu Ming, 22. As of today, they are among the most recognizable faces in local media. Aside from great TV exposure, posters of the group are spread out in almost every market stall in Metro Manila. Their music albums, original and pirated copies, are selling like hotcakes out of record shops and sidewalk stalls. Students rush home after class to catch the 5:30 pm flick, and office workers who have a long commute between work and home have begun to take notice of the timer/recording button on their VCRs for the first time. All this hoopla is not without good reason, fans–and they are legions– insist.
F4 is said to be the total entertainment package. Apart from acting on Meteor Garden and shooting commercials, the group dabbles in sound recording–singing poppy songs that usually become overplayed tunes on radio (never mind that Filipinos don’t understand a single word since they sing in Chinese–except, perhaps, for the occasional "baby, baby"). The group’s third offering, Fantasy 4, is said to be the no. 1 selling title in many music and video stores. They also hold concerts in their spare time–if "the price is right".
But just like anybody who has "made it", they had to start somewhere. Jerry, a pineapple-haired model who got a break by winning a magazine model search, used to strut around in his underwear to earn some cash. Ken, with his squeaky-clean features, lived and studied in Singapore before returning home to his native Taiwan and once dreamed of becoming a sushi chef. Vic, the youngest member, is usually soft-spoken and calculated which goes rather well with his boyish looks and supposedly killer grin. While American-born Vaness, whose locks rival most female shampoo models, usually got homesick when he first came to Taiwan to work.
To make a long story short, these men were four unknown actors leading ordinary lives until they were cast in a little drama series on television called–somewhat inexplicably–Meteor Garden, a TV pilot adapted from a comic book entitled–still inexplicably–"Men that are better than flowers". The show was a hit, and nine months later, the group was dodging the paparazzi in a supermarket. And so goes the line: The rest is history.
Filipino TV viewers have been stuck with the tried and tested Spanish and Mexican telenovelas since 1998. And since we tire of everything easily, the arrival of Meteor Garden on abs-cbn, no matter how formulaic and cheesy, was almost a guaranteed phenomenon. To date, it has garnered the network millions of pesos in advertising revenue. Is F4 the reason behind the show’s success? Maybe. Maybe not.
PO3 Rogelio Esteves of the Central Police District in Quezon City, is an unlikely viewer of the series, but he gives quite an insight when asked to give his thoughts on why Filipinos are obsessed with Meteor Garden. "The show is fast-paced and cute. And Pinoys always root for the underdog and the bida. Kaya no matter how predictable the plots are, we’ll always watch it," he says, and adds, "Besides, feeling ko kamukha ko si Dau Ming Shi (Jerry’s character)."
Miriam College student Carrisa Martinez smiles and shakes her head when asked about the TV show. And before you start thinking that she is daft, let it be known that many other high school and college girls react the same way. "Wala lang. Cute kasi sila, eh," is her answer when asked why she likes F4.
But for ust graduate Kristyn Valencia, her love for the show has nothing to do with the F4. "Yes I try to catch it everyday, but I just like the story. And I pretty much know what will happen in the end, but I would still hate to miss it. Personally, I do not care for F4. Jologs sila, eh. Baduy pa."
With the exception of PO3 Esteves and a few others, most males stick their tongues out and complain that Meteor Garden is becoming a nuisance. "Meteor Garden really gets my goat. It’s just about four arrogant idiots living it up in school. Oh, and then the rich guy falls in love with a poor, helpless, chick. Very creative! Pwe!" stresses a sarcastic Philippine Airlines employee who asked not to be named.