Here's an excerpt from yesterday's Sunday Inquirer Magazine...

A PALM SUNDAY REFLECTION

Fan and friend

PALM Sunday leads me to reflect on the difference between a fan and a friend.

The dramatic entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday morning was like a Jesus Fans Club Day. The name "Jesus" was already a very popular name in both the rural and urban areas (Caesarea Philippi, Galilee, Judea, Jordan, Bethany). At a time when his people were agitating for a king to liberate them from Roman bondage, this man Jesus entered the urban center during the most crowded and potentially explosive national holiday, the Feast of the Passover.

Images of Old Testament liberator-kings like Jehu (2 Kgs. 9:13) and Simon Maccabaeus (1 Mc. 13:51) triumphantly entering the city amidst shouts of Hossana (which meant "Save us!") and the waving of palm branches, filled the minds of the people who now were also shouting Hossana to Jesus and waving palm branches. They were the "fans" of Jesus (today's Jesus Freaks) who wanted their "idol" to be a king according to their own fantasy. When Jesus demolished his fans' political dream of a violent takeover by riding not on a warrior-horse (symbol of war), but on a colt (symbol of peace), the Jesus Fans' Clubs disintegrated and turned around to become his crucifiers.

Public figures like politicians (especially during election time), religious leaders, community organizers, social activists and movie stars are popular only as long as they have fans and idol-worshippers around them. A movie love team once told me that they already had 27 Jimmy and Janna Fans Clubs around the country. They said, "It's fun having movie fans around us, but movie fans tend to dictate to us what to do and what not to do." Fans, they said, have the power to put you up on a pedestal, and also the power to shoot you down if you failed to fit the image they created for you."

That is why Jesus was a dismal failure during Holy Week. Because he was neither a politician nor a movie star; he did not care about being popular. Because he was a Prophet, all he cared about was to announce the truth about the Kingdom of God even if that kingdom was not popular both with the people and the Temple hierarchs. At that particular moment of truth, Jesus needed a friend, not his fans.

The difference between a fan and a friend...Hmmm...

Before I was a friend to at least one person. Then because of a wonderful opportunity that came their way, they began to rise in their chosen industry. Fans flocked them wherever they went. Last year, I could easily walk into their gigs, even get to chat and hang with them for quite a while before, in between, and after sets. This year, it's hard to even get near them because they're always flanked by fans.

It felt weird, I tell ya. Plus a number of things have changed. Some memories even come back to haunt me as well.

Either way, even if things have changed or not, these people are still humans. "Putting them on a pedestal", be it so high or not, is what fans do. To be honest, it doesn't really help at all.

My favorite quote from the article above:
They said, "It's fun having [movie] fans around us, but [movie] fans tend to dictate to us what to do and what not to do." Fans, they said, have the power to put you up on a pedestal, and also the power to shoot you down if you failed to fit the image they created for you."

These people aren't perfect. To quote a line from the movie Sabrina, "Illusions are dangerous people; they have no flaws." I guess that's why my friend Reiner told me before to look for the flaws in the people I admire. To realize they're human.

I apologize din if may matatamaan na people in this entry, but it saddens me how some would go out of their way to do anything, even become gofers to these people, just to show how appreciative they are of them, or how much they admire them, or any other reasons you can think of. I'm sorry, but if you try looking at it from the outside, no matter how much you say otherwise, it sort of looks pathetic. I'm sorry, friends.

I saw Maika's most recent journal entry. It's funny how we were talking about the same topics last night. Things have become pretty different now.

I've been somehow involved in theater for 10 years now, and I've discovered these little things some people called "withdrawal symptoms".

But that's life. That's also how it is in theatah. Things keep changing ever so suddenly, that you have to learn to deal with it.