No one is born a singer, a boxer, a leader, etc.These are leaned.

Calling her Filioino is anothet piece of BS Filipino ethnocentricity.

You were definitely not misunderstood with your earlier point. My ‘unforgiving’ comment was born from a head-shaking disbelief and awe at the same time about how the masses end up owning a celebrity as theirs. I can’t blame them as they spend on these artists and perhaps millions even live vicariously through them.

I was describing more of the masses’ general tendencies rather than your point of view, which is very valid in every sense.

As I live in a society with a very progressive point of view about homosexuality, I can’t help but feel disdain for people and societies who can be very judgmental of a person’s sexual orientation/inclination.

I’m not a fan and I never followed her career, but I don’t like the way she’s being made fun of because she no longer fits the mould that she was.

I can tell from your post that you care about her–kudos to you. I also care. At the end of the day, she’s a young woman who just wants to express herself. She probably doesn’t understand the trade-off because at this stage in her life, it’s not the most important aspect anymore. We don’t really know.

I wish her the best too and I wish that all these sniping and insulting comments on her would stop. Just not right and in such bad taste.

First off, I would like to relate my sentiment, though, within the context of Charice’ career thru various variables attributing to her success. It cannot be denied that FalseVoice factor, StarKing factor, EllenDG, Oprah, Celine Dion and David Foster factors are all intertwined in elevating Charice to the public eye. Those were the peak moments when she brandished this fine and sweet-looking girl image.

Now, that image, together with aforesaid intertwining factors, made her the successful Charice that we had. Who can ever forget Sunshine Corazon and Maila Dela Cruz? This image and her talent were already typcasted to the public and was very much appreciated by supporters and various entertainment reviews.

All I’m saying now is, without the active support from Oprah and DF, her image now plays a key and crucial role in her career. Charice is now exposed to the open market of tough competition, PH, US or global, where image and branding strategies, together with massive corporate marketing dictates the name of the game. Awareness and appreciation for an artist are resultants of good perception and name-recall. Changing her image and staying silent won’t help her at all. That dictates the diminishing limelight.

I can prefer to be silent and give her that personal right to her own gender choice. Others may opt to say, if you don’t want it… leave it. But I won’t, simply because I care and would bravely bring out what I foresee, which others may inadvertently overlooked. Drastic image change from what was typecasted, is a big gamble for her career. Her image is the remaining ally of her talent. Others will surely frown albeit she may prefer to be hated for who she is, than being loved for who she isn’t. And that will be a big risk she has to take. There will be tradeoffs.

In this critical crossroad, it’s practically a choice between her personal preference or her career. I just wish her the best.

We must admit though that her acknowledgement of being gay is not as straightforward as deemed it should be. Remember, behind all the trappings of stardom is a small-town girl who didn’t have a feckless attitude towards what the neighbours will say. There are underlying cultural nuances which can’t simply be broken down.

The fact that just changing her hairstyle and clothing (and ok having unsightly tattoos) are causing much hullabaloo from the hoi polloi, then setting up a press conference ala Mr and Mrs Ongpauco to announce to the world she’s a lesbian is probably equivalent to her getting disemboweled in public, to her opinion.

That, or she’d rather drag the topic and let the public speculate while crucifying her for the awful change of image. That again, or she’s just refusing to give in to what the public wants as she perhaps feels that her sexual orientation is the most personal facet of herself that the public doesn’t own and should therefore not have an opinion of.

After all these, I think that she feels misunderstood; and the constant bashing and slagging off by the media and people on social networking sites don’t help at all.

Hercules, thanks for a very meaty exchange with you. Appreciate your comment