Summary

The author reflects on their experience in the Philippine movie industry, choosing not to engage in the creation of fabricated publicity for celebrities, preferring the genuine wonder of stargazing and the inspiration from literary authors.

Abstract

The author, a freelance writer and editor in the Philippines, recounts their encounters with the movie industry and the pressure to write exaggerated publicity materials for celebrities. Despite the potential for easy money, they opted out of this practice, valuing authenticity and talent. The piece contrasts the artificial glamour of movie stars with the natural beauty of celestial stars, emphasizing the author's preference for the latter as a source of inspiration and wonder. The author also references their choice to write truthfully and the divergence between their path and that of peers who embraced the show business culture. The article is a response to another piece about stars as astronomical objects and their significance to us.

Opinions

The author views the creation of fabricated publicity for movie stars as a distasteful task that conflicts with their values.
They express a deeper appreciation for the natural world, particularly the experience of stargazing, which they find more fulfilling than the allure of celebrity culture.
The author admires true talent in the entertainment industry, but has little respect for those who achieve fame without genuine ability or through unethical means.
There is a clear distinction in the author's mind between the 'stars' of the entertainment world and the 'stars' in the sky, with the latter holding a place of awe and inspiration.
The author acknowledges the financial temptation of writing for the movie industry but prioritizes integrity and creative fulfillment over monetary gain.
They show respect for their peers who chose to work in entertainment journalism, recognizing that each individual has their own niche in the world.
The author's true admiration is reserved for book authors and the celestial stars, which they consider as sources of genuine inspiration and beauty.

THIS HAPPENED TO ME

Are The Stars Out Tonight?

They were out and about with their glam and glitz but I did not have the heart to design fantasies for them

If you live in a highly urbanised city, gazing at stars may be impractical. Think of the smog up in the sky, obliterating the starry view.

If you live in the countryside, or where there are open spaces, stargazing will be a joy. It gives us a feeling of being with the natural world. It feeds our spirit.

To espy a twinkling star is a double treat.

We might ask: Is it winking at us? Is it giving us a clue that something great is coming our way? Or, giving us a high-five in celebration of a recent good luck?

Celluloid industry stars

But, what about stars in flesh and blood? Those whose faces are quite familiar with the public that adore movie stars?

How would you feel and react when such famous film and TV personalities were in the same room or in the same elevator?

Years before the Internet when I lived and worked in the Philippines, opportunities to be in the same room with movie stars came my way. Not once but many times.

That was when I was editor of illustrated-story magazines, and when I went freelance writing for the same genre, and contributed human-interest articles for women’s magazines.

A number of my not-so-close friends were movie columnists. Two were publicists of sought-after starlets; a few worked in the editorial of movie magazines.

The local movie industry in the country was huge business. Entertainment and gossip magazines did great. Fans in the millions could not get enough of what went on in their idols’ lives.

All the big-name stars are out tonight

There is a four-letter word that freelance writers hate, and that is HOLD. That is to say: submission of unsolicited manuscripts is on hold.

With no serials or columns (yet) assigned to me, I was totally dependent on income from my freelance gig.

Movie magazines, however, did not put a hold on submissions. My not-so-close friends urged me to join their field.

“You’re a creative writer,” one said to me, “you’ll fit in well with your level of inventiveness.”

Another said, “You could easily get a publicist’s job for at least a couple of stars. Write about them — same story, different angles — get paid by the publications, and also get paid by your clients. Easy-peasy.”

I knew about such arrangements, supposedly a secret. But it was an open secret amongst movie columnists and publicists.

“But you really need to use your creativity in generating publicity for your clients. You know what I mean.”

Yes, I knew exactly what was expected by many wannabes sans talent from their PR person. Create a persona that was a Milky Way away from reality.

“Come with us to *Mrs. Juarez’s party tonight. All the big-name stars will be out there to meet and **make nice with the press. Mrs. J. will present the line-up of her big-budget film projects for this year.”

(*Not her real name)

(**Envelopes with money inside would be distributed)

No, I did not jump on the bandwagon to make “easy” money. On the contrary, writing publicity materials that were devoid of truth would be a struggle for me.

Movie celebrities were not exactly the kind of people I look up to. Unless they reached their status because of their talents, without stepping on toes, and with no prima donna tendencies — I could admire them.

So, I’ve no regrets in not joining my not-so-close friends.

They lived in another world.

That was how I viewed show business, which is not my kind of world.

Some of them later became more famous (or infamous) than the celebrities whose publicity they previously managed. They were given their own TV gossip, I mean, entertainment shows.

I could not be happier for them, even if our worlds and our choices of genre of writing diverged.

The stars in my not-so-close writer friends’ eyes were diametrically opposed to the stars whose brilliance make my heart flutter, in silent wonderment as I stare at them above.

(Please note that this is not a taunt on the people I referred to in this article. Neither is this a mockery of celebrities whose sheen could be attributed to their creative PR people.

Each of us has a niche in the world. They chose theirs; I chose mine. Fair is fair.

The stars in flesh and blood that I deem worthy of admiration are book authors whose work inspired me to write.

The stars that sparkle like tiny diamonds in the deep-blue sky — I am in awe of them, especially when I happen to see one twinkling.

At me.

Dreamily, as I wonder whether I can expect some happy tidings. Tomorrow, hopefully!)

This piece is in response to an article by Dr. Preeti Singh, Twinkling Stars In Your Eyes And Love In Your Heart, in which she shared information about stars being astronomical objects, and what it could mean to us.

If you love a beautiful read, don’t miss this piece, Beyond Starlight: Beauty On the Edge of Oblivion, by Hayden Moore. It’s so much like reading poetry as the reader is drawn to the beauty of his woven words.

Srini, meanwhile, shares this article, Are You Tired of Reading Your Emails?, that is guaranteed to make you laugh. You may actually want to hire Joe Reed after reading this piece.