news articles 25 June

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Celebrity World
Crispina Belen

MTV Pilipinas ’04 honors the best in Pinoy music video

Once more, the best in Pinoy music video will be showcased in the forthcoming MTV Pilipinas 2004, the country’s version of the MTV Asia Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards. The exciting awards night is slated at the PSC Philsports Complex (formerly ULTRA) in Pasig City on July 1. This is the fourth year in a row that MTV Philippines is giving awards to 10 categories in Philippine music. Winners will come from over 30 nominees.


And in addition, three new awards will be introduced. For the first time, MTV is giving an award for the Best Indie Video, Favorite International Act and Favorite International Video. And of course, the MTV Pilipinas 2004 won’t be complete without its outrageous special awards. Last year, MTV gave out awards for the Best Cameo Appearance and Best Dance Sequence. This year, they are expected to come up with other special awards.

Fans and music lovers are reminded that they can vote for their favorite artists in the following categories: Favorite New Artist, Favorite Group, Favorite Male Artist, Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Song. A jury composed of members from the media and music industry will vote for Best Director and Best Video.

For a chance to get tickets to the MTV awards night, there will be auditions today, June 25 ( 10 p.m. at Padi’s Point Araneta Center, Cubao) and on June 26 (10 p.m. at Aruba Bar and Restaurant in Libis, QC) for all "throat screeching, headbanging and booty shaking music lovers."

The MTV awards night, as expected, will also feature the country’s hottest musical acts. And with Michael V. and Randy Santiago as hosts, music aficionados are in for a really fun-filled evening of musical extravaganza. What more, there will be an international artist who’ll join Michael V. and Randy in hosting the big musical event. She’s no other than Tata Young, the Thai pop princess who’s now in the country. Special performers will include Bellefire, the hottest all-female pop group from Ireland, and the Australian Idol champion Guy Sebastian. The celebrity presenters will likewise be as interesting as possible.

By the way, the theme of this year’s MTV Pilipinas is about mysticism.

MTV Pilipinas 2004 is presented by Smart Buddy, Juicy Fruit and SMB Play with the participation of Addict Mobiles, MTV Debit Card by Equitable Card, and Moby Hotdog. Also supporting the event are The Manila Bulletin, PDI, SM Supermalls, Music One, Tower Records, Odyssey, Sidebar Café, Club Centro at Libis, and PSCPhilsports Arena.

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Makati Cinemanila set July 1


Originally slated to start today (June 24), the 6th Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival will instead kick off on July 1. This is according to Amable "Tikoy" Aquiluz Vl, the organizer and director-general of the annual international filmfest which brought to the country last year famous Hollywood celebrities such as Lou Diamond Philipps and Tia Carerre, among others.

The filmfest will run from July 1-12, but premiere screenings and sneak previews of some acclaimed full-length features will begin today. The screenings will be held as usual at the Greenbelt Cinemas.

Tikoy said that they are featuring an even more interesting lineup of films than last year. To have their Philippine premieres are more than 75 award-winning and critically-acclaimed international films led by "Zatoichi," the latest movie of acclaimed Japanese director Takeshi Kitano. "Zatoichi," which will open the 6th Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival, is a Venice International Film Festival Silver Lion awardee. The opening night on July 1 will be sponsored by the Japan Foundation Manila and Teriyaki Boy-Glorietta.

Other foreign films to be premiered in the Philippines include Afghanistan’s "Osama" (by Siddiq Barmak), 2004 Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Film; Israel’s "Broken Wings" (Nir Berman), Brazil’s "Contra Todos" (Roberto Moreira) and "Bus 174" (Jose Padilha), Cuba’s "Seven Days, Seven Nights" (Joel Cano), and UK’s "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" (Peter Webber) and controversial film "The Mother" from "Notting Hill" director Roger Michell.

Other films to be screened are "The White Balloon," "The Mirror," "The Circle," and "Crimson Gold."

The local movie industry’s participation will be through the following: Jon Red’s "ASTIGmatism," Mario O’Hara’s "Babae sa Breakwater," Jeffrey Jeturian’s "Bridal Shower," Mark Meilly’s "Crying Ladies," Lav Diaz’s "Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino," Maryo J. de los Reyes’ "Magnifico," and Clodualdo del Mundo’s "Maid in Singapore." Filipino-American filmmaker Ramona Diaz is also joining through her Sundance Film Festival winning documentary "Imelda."

Sweden’s "Evil" (Mikael Hafstrom), 2004 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Films, and Finland’s box-office hit "Bad Boys — A True Story" (Aleksi Makela) lead 10 other films in the Nordic Lights program featuring films from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.

The chair of the Main Jury, which will choose the grand prize, the Lino Brocka Award winner among the films in competition, is Cannes Film Festival winner Jafar Panahi.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, June 25, go to actor Efren Reyes, Tempo entertainment editor Nestor Cuartero, McDonald’s Philip Cuazon, Jr., Nini Chipeco, Jennifer Nicolas, Mrs. Marilu Slotta of Jamaica General Hospital in New York, USA; Ryan Josua Belen...Happy wedding anniversary to Dick and Flora Orense...Belated b-day greetings to actor John Lloyd Cruz (June 24)...


www.mb.com.ph/ENTR2004062512611.html

[locomotive]

Reality TV hits Senate
By Marcus Casey
June 23, 2004
The Daily Telegraph



REALITY TV will invade the federal election campaign, with a national contest to elect six independent candidates for the Senate.

Dial in democracy ... Senator Amanda 'Fro' Vanstone and Senator Bob 'Condo Kid' Brown

Channel 7 announced it was going ahead with Vote For Me, where 18 serious candidates will be chosen by political experts, before the audience votes for a final six.

The winners will then get $10,000 and regular air time by Seven in their quest to be elected to the Senate.

The contestants will run for Senate spots in Queensland, NSW, Victorian, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

The panel will comprise former top John Howard adviser Grahame Morris, ALP heavyweight Barry Jones and Seven network social commentator/journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

"The network will not be involved in politics - instead we'll be facilitating viewers to get involved in politics if they're so inclined," Seven news and public affairs director Peter Meakin said yesterday.

The project initially will be contained in the breakfast show Sunrise, which discusses politics daily with viewers in a feedback section.

Sunrise will run the press conference plus daily stories following the 18 contestants so viewers can judge who they think has the political goods, via SMS voting.

"This is Sunrise listening to its viewers and answering their call for the average Australian to be heard," Meakin said.

Mark Latham's office was approached, and while the Opposition Leader liked the idea, it would would not take part. PM John Howard's office declined to comment.

[Inside Australian Idol]

Fri, Jun 25, 2004


Shannon Noll to join Buller snow celebrations




SHANNON Noll will be at Mt Buller this weekend for the start of the winter school holidays.

Noll will be a guest judge at a karaoke competition tomorrow night.

Lift manager Laurie Blampied says the conditions will be ideal.

“With more snow forecast on top of last weeks substantial falls, its shaping up to be a fantastic July,” he said.

www.bordermail.com.au/newsflow/pageitem?page_id=748082

[Inside Australian Idol]

Sexy results propel Ten
Alice Clarke
25jun04

RECORD third-quarter revenue and earnings prompted the Ten Network to declare 2004 would see its "best ever" financial performance.

A better-than-expected, fully franked, second dividend of 8.5 will be delivered to shareholders after group revenue soared 11.7 per cent to $208.3 million for the quarter.

Television revenue rose 12.5 per cent to $188.9 million and group EBITDA rose 39.5 per cent to $59.2 million.

"Given the intense competition in the first half of the survey year, Ten's ratings have been exceptional," chief executive John McAlpine said.

He said Ten was set for a ratings win in its core 16 to 39-year-old demographic, its fourth consecutive win, and, for the first time, would win second place in the 25 to 54-year-old group. Better ratings were tipped from Big Brother, the AFL finals, Australian Idol, The Panel and Sensing Murder.

Mr McAlpine said Ten had extended program supply deals with Universal, which makes Law and Order and Monk, and Paramount, maker of Charmed and NCIS. Ten will also acquire re-run rights to Sex and The City.

Executive chairman Nick Falloon said a buoyant advertising market had aided Ten, but Seven's Olympics telecast could dent growth. Operating profit for the nine months to May 31 rose to $216 million from $624.5 million revenue. The second dividend will be paid on July 14 for those on the record on July 5. Ten shares fell 3c to $3.


www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,9944730%255E664,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

The metrosexual myth waning
By Damien Woolnough
June 25, 2004

WHILE the war against terror is lasting longer than a John Farnham farewell tour, one battle is finally coming to an end.


All man ... Shannon Noll's rugged style is preferred to metrosexuality.


For years Australian men have been assaulted by overseas designers and advertising campaigns urging them to get in touch with their inner-Anna Wintour and embrace the world of high fashion, such as we can expect to see on the Paris catwalks next week.

Under the guise of metrosexuality, bashful blokes have been asked to slip into something less comfortable, such as Helmut Lang bondage pants or DSquared jeans, and face the world with male-friendly (Jean-Paul Gaultier) make-up.

And now that Shannon Noll has been declared one of Australia's beautiful people and David Beckham has quit flirting with sarongs and started dressing like a penitent Bill Clinton, is it time for the metrosexual to wave his white 2xist g-string in defeat?

"It's definitely a little bit blokey," retailer Belinda Seper says of the current Australian male mindset. In stocking her new store in Sydney's Paddington, Belinda Menswear, with Marni, Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, Helmut Lang and Carol Christian Poell, Seper was careful to avoid some of John Galliano and Gaultier's excesses.

"Australian men don't want extraneous details. They're looking for cut, colour and quality as well as a way to express their personality."

Initial response to the store has been encouraging.

"Men are getting it," Seper says. "There's a certain level of customer who is appreciating the sort of shopping experience they could once only get overseas." But Seper stops short of calling her clients metrosexual.

"There was a time when that term gave men a chance to talk about clothes. Once upon a time there were only two types of men - you were either a yobbo or gay. Metrosexuality became another type of man, but really, why do we need it?"

While Belinda Menswear's target bloke has more fashion nous and a larger Hermes wallet than his mates at the pub, Vogue and GQ publisher Grant Pearce says that all men are becoming fashion friendly, without needing to be branded metrosexual.

"I just hate that word," Pearce says. "It was invented by someone who noticed than men are beginning to dress better. Why do we need a label for that?"

As a sign of the growing influence of designer menswear, Pearce points to the presence of international labels in David Jones and Belinda Menswear. "(They're) particularly popular with young men who have an incredible awareness of overseas brands and overseas designers," he says.

Even men who are older than 25, and don't know their Jil Sander from their Miu Miu, can't avoid the influence of fashion on their lives.

"There are labels like Calibre and AG that are growing and even Herringbone, which deals in traditionally conservative shirts, is getting men to experiment with collars and patterns," Pearce says.

The ante has even been upped in conservative bastions such as Sportscraft, once safe for budding blokes looking for basics before entering retail retirement in Fletcher Jones.

"I've just seen their latest collection and Sportscraft is taking a fashion-forward approach without betraying their brand," Pearce says.

"Last season they took the step of creating some highlight pieces in a collection for the first time and discovered that they were the first items to sell."

Sydney designer Andy Amos is another keen spectator of the changing attitudes towards men's fashion. For his label Andysoma, Amos sent male models down the Australian Fashion Week catwalk covered in more make-up than Paris Hilton.

"It was a comment against this whole metrosexual business," Amos says. "Of course men are becoming more interested in grooming, and becoming more comfortable with talking about it. But that word 'metrosexual', I hate it."

While Amos enjoys the product of Galliano and Hedi Slimane's vision as much as the next fashionista, he questions their relevance to the Australian man.

"I mean, how many Hedi Slimane jeans could you sell in Australia," Amos says of the garments that challenge people with thighs larger than their calves.

"We are doing something different here. The focus is on wearability and details that make clothes a little bit different without scaring the customer off."

While Australian men have become comfortable complimenting their mates on their Prada slides or Diesel jeans, Amos says that they feel more at ease sticking with big, familiar brands.

"Men still need a brand to validate what they see as a big investment, so the challenge for people like me is to grow the brand."

One successful path towards brand growth is celebrity endorsement and Amos says that dapper dudes will continue taking their cues from what their favourite sportsmen and musicians are wearing, rather than the Paris and Milan catwalks. "You can't deny the impact of Beckham. He would get a hair cut and weeks later men would quietly adopt it."

While Amos attempts to build the Andysoma brand, there is one label he's happy to let wither and die. "This is not a metrosexual revolution," he says. "It's just the menswear evolution."

With some department store sale racks groaning with drastically reduced designer menswear, Seper is cautious about the pace of that evolution.

"I'm just going to sit back and watch for a while before thinking about expanding the menswear. The men's market is very different to women's clothing," Seper says. "But after one week, well, never mind the frocks." As for those metrosexuals?

"I mean, really," she says, "what has sexuality got to do with wanting to look your best."

The Australian


news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9943556%255E13780,00.html