People Watch: Vice Ganda - sneak PREVIEW

Last week I finally bought myself a copy of PREVIEW magazine's June issue. If you are a gender warrior like myself, and you love fashion then all the more reason to grab yourself your own copy. As I was leafing through the pages, I was very very pleasantly surprised. Before me, in a look inspired by Lucille Ball began an editorial spread featuring the Philippines' current "it" funny fake lady...

VICE GANDA

PREVIEW is the Philippines' top-selling fashion magazine. It regularly showcases editorial couture, RTW, beauty and lifestyle extravaganza and eleganza that make you GAG (in drag lingo that's a GOOD thing)! So I was absolutely delighted to find a queer personality featured in a spread in one of Manila's top mainstream magazines. I would like to present to you some teasers from Vice Ganda's editorial spread (hopefully sans copyright infringement suits).

The concept of the shoot was to style Vice as icons from the 50's to the 90's. Here are some close ups, but do grab yourself a copy for his complete head-to-toe transformations in the full spread!

Vice love Lucy!

Do you believe in Vice after love?

Sonny with a chance of Vice. I got you, babe!

Don't cry for me Pilipinas!

Like a prayer, Vice will take you there!

Smells like teen spirit!

I must commend the PREVIEW team for making this wonderful shoot happen. It's not everyday that the general public is presented with a queer personality highlighted in a classy, artistic and beautiful and truly respectable way. Oftentimes we, the queer community, are the butt of jokes, laughed at—not with. Rarely does a RuPaul, Isis King or Chaz Bono penetrate the mainstream's gaze and garner a following outside of the queer community. So kudos, PREVIEW magazine—to your open minds and pages.

Seriously. For me, a fashion spread featuring a queer personality may be a small step in gaining recognition and respect for the marginalized LGBTQ community—but it's also a big deal. The clincher for me is that this best-selling magazine chose a queer commedien(ne) for a spread, not as a gag or a joke (despite Vice's being a comedian—sweet irony?), but as a true editorial spread that serves some fierce face, character and fashion.

And does Vice Ganda serve it! Her commitment to the characters in this spread would put many of Tyra's Top Models to shame.

Armed with an unapologetic brand of humor, razor-sharp comedic timing, cunning wit and ability to make fun of himself, Vice will have you gasping for breath. His comedy coupled with his unique mix of hard-edge/sometimes-androge-sometimes-femme style sensibility have catapulted him into the hearts and TV screens of millions of Filipinos viewers (and now fashionphiles' lookbooks). Vice shares more on his comedic and fashion influences in the magazine.

Critics may sometimes find some of his comedy to be too raunchy or tongue in cheek, but how can anyone expect to be groundbreaking without pushing some buttons? And by landing this spread, I think we can safely say that Vice Ganda has mothereffin' broke ground. The Filipino public will need more than a twelve-step program to give up this Vice. 

Recently, rumors have surfaced linking Vice to a well-known mainstream actor. Escándalo! But whether these stories are true or not, all I can say is:

You GO Mama!

Vice's Spread in PREVIEW magazine's June Issue is entitled: SHOWTIME! It's accompanying story is written by Vicky Montenegro (Interviewed by Erika Hoffman); styled by Daryl Chang, Shot by BJ Pascual; Makeup: Owen Sarmiento of MAC Cosmetics; Hair: Buern Rodriguez for Tony Galvez Salon; Art Direction: Vince Uy; Nails: Regie Valencia of Nail Spa.

Other stunning spreads in the issue: The Last Temptation, Genie in a Bottle, and White Lady—visual smorgasbord!

Images From:

http://pinoysgottalent.com/blog/vice-ganda-faces-off-with-ted-failon-in-jan-16-episode-of-failon-ngayon/

Pictures snagged from PREVIEW magazine: June Issue. SHOWTIME!

http://media.photobucket.com/image/vice%20ganda/x-pinkfire/vice-ganda.jpg?o=1

From Where I Sit: One Student Many Voices

I wrote this piece for the Hamilton College newspaper: the Spectator. It was published on April 8, 2010. The section, From Where I Sit, features articles on the experiences of International Students. Enjoy!

I was born to speak many languages. Growing up in a developing country, a post-colonial one at that, I was inundated by the pervasive and destructive mentality that the idea of the foreign other was always better: foreign movies, foreign goods, foreign tongues and foreign husbands. Growing up in the Philippines, both English and Filipino were spoken in my home. Our house was run by a general—I mean an actual military general, a prominent and politically active one. So the need to master the English language was tantamount. My siblings, cousins and I, as the grandchildren of this man, should convey the dignity of our lineage through everything in our carriage, including our appearance, our manners and our speech. Blah, blah, blah.

In the Philippines, it's not just what you say or how you say something that matters. Even your accent could be used as measurement of your prestige. From the way I spoke English, one would assume my gender (feminine), what school I attended (the expensive International School), how much my parents earn (less than they think) and how much my family is worth (to me, much more than they can imagine).

The term slang is given to the 'American' accent some Filipino English-speakers have (or fake). It's classy. When one is slang a direct connection is made—that person has the means to travel abroad, attend prestigious American/International Schools, or better yet—they grew up stateside. Fil-Am. Am-boys and Am-girls. Growing up speaking English, and attending the International School Manila for seven years, here I am: slang.

But you know what's really funny? At Hamilton, the assumptions continued. Accents are relative. My slang accent at Hamilton translates to having no accent. So it was always assumed that I was from any one of these places a) New York City b) LA or c) Hawai'i. Wrong.
"Oh, I grew up in Manila."
"California?"
"You're so fired."


But like I said, I was born to speak many languages. Not only am I linguistically ambiguous, but the language of my gendered performance blurs the edges of my identity as well. Growing up, I was taught a very Masculine vocabulary—one I never mastered. My pidgin performance of gender was often reprimanded. Feminine gestures hushed like cuss words. My mom would comment on my imperfect slang. It was too sing-song-y. Emphasis and vocal flourishes are not part of the Masculine vocabulary. Talk like a boy. Forget about mascara and stilettos.

But you can't forget your mother tongue. My home was run by military men, but my female cousin and I were raised by women—Mommy, aunties and an ever-changing squad of nannies. It's like my Masculine grammar was learned in the classroom, but my Feminine words were learned in the playground. My Valkyrie protectors in effect taught me to speak Woman. In more ways than one, it's my mother tongue.

As English was preferred to Filipino, Tagalog specifically, so Masculine was preferred to Feminine. It was expected—no, demanded—that I speak English and Masculine only. I tried it for a while: BO-RING, and honestly, a little depressing. In time I was ready for high school. It was the time when boys became men, and girls became women. What would I become? What should I speak? English became literature and Tagalog was reserved for gossip.

Throughout high school and now here at Hamtech, I've learned many things, but the most important lessons really were not learned in class. It's this thing called life—living, I mean, really living—that teaches you so much more. I've learned that regardless of how we speak, we all have something to say, we all have stories to tell. Somehow, I managed to muster up the courage and just speak. Speak to my friends, eventually to my parents, speak to the world. Once I started to speak, I simply became.

Now, the language I speak—words, accent, gestures, mascara and everything—let me tell you honey, it's pretty damn romantic.