Thursday, January 24, 2013

InterAksyon: Jessica Zafra, Analyzing Anne Hathaway, dissecting Ricky Lo

Image courtesy of www.interaksyon.com

Why are we frothing over Ricky Lo's interview with Anne Hathaway? When I watched the video my first reaction was embarrassment. But who exactly was I embarrassed for: Lo, Hathaway, or myself?

As celebrity interviews go, this is not the most dumbass we've ever seen. On the scale of inanity, it's average. Granted, we are connoisseurs at the cringe-making interview. (We remember the one where a local TV host talks to a Brazilian model and discovers that she is of German descent. "Heil Hitler!" he exclaims. And he does the Nazi salute. On television. I’m not sure, but there may have been a laugh track to go with it. Note: Never do that in Germany.)

What went wrong with the Hathaway interview? It doesn't sound that different from the veteran entertainment editor's other interviews, and they did not elicit this level of Internet execration. There was the one where he was talking to a British musician who was a former soldier and his question was: "You're a licensed pilot. Have you ever flown a plane?" That incident flew - haha - under the radar; the musician is not as popular as Anne Hathaway and Les Miserables. (Of course Pinoys love Les Miserables, it’s got singing and crying.)

Lo's first question to Hathaway is a doozy - if it makes it onto a T-shirt, I'm buying one. Recite it with me: "You lost 25 pounds for the role of Fantine. How did you do it and how did you gain it back?" I'm sure Lo meant the question to be an expression of his admiration.

Weight is always a highly charged issue in show business: actors are slammed mercilessly when they put it on, and suspected of anorexia when they lose it. Movie stars win Oscars by gaining/losing a lot of it (Charlize Theron in Monster, Christian Bale in The Fighter. Fine, they were brilliant, but the weight got them noticed). At this point Hathaway is a lock for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and her weight has something to do with it.

Unfortunately when Lo poses the question to Hathaway, cultural differences come into play and it sounds like he's calling her fat. That's not going to put her in the mood. Bad enough that she probably had to do 50 of those interviews in a row. (It's like the "Horse and Hound" scene from Notting Hill.) Not being Pinoy, Hathaway is not used to strangers greeting her with, "Uy, ang taba mo ngayon, ah!" (Hey, you're fat now!)

Then they discuss how she prepared for her role, and she mentions researching the "emotional toll…of being a sex slave." He does not inquire if she has ever been a sex slave. However, later on he asks how someone like her who is perceived as privileged could identify with her character (i.e. wretched and oppressed). "Have you ever experienced to be hungry? To be poor, and you know, just like the character?"

In the Philippines this is an acceptable question to ask an actress. Entertainers are expected to divulge their deepest, darkest secrets. We’re an inquisitive people. Ask for directions on the road, and you will be asked why you’re going there, who you’re meeting, and whether you’re married.

In places where acting is regarded as a serious profession, it can get you slugged. Actors are a very sensitive lot; it comes with the territory. You do not need to be attacked by acid-spewing monsters on a spaceship to play Ripley in Alien (although Method actors would find some equivalent). It would seem that Lo is challenging Hathaway's credibility at playing a miserable waif who is dying of consumption.

"That's a very personal question," Hathaway replies rather testily. Lo laughs, probably from embarrassment. I’m only watching a computer screen, but I want to run away and hide behind the sofa.

Then he mentions his "friend from the Philippines", Lea Salonga, who has played Fantine onstage to great acclaim. This is very Pinoy, name-dropping the famous, although we can't claim it only happens here. In the presence of foreigners we’re eager to mention internationally recognized Filipinos, American reality show contestants of Filipino descent, anyone we can claim as our own. This is a potentially embarrassing situation: if they don’t know who we're talking about, it may feel like our entire nation has been snubbed. I suspect we do this because we get very little attention in the global media, although that seems to be changing.

At least Lo didn't show Hathaway his photos with Lea and other celebrities or make her promise to accept his friend request on Facebook. He does show her a message from Lea on his phone. Hathaway is profuse in her praise of Salonga, and basically says she can’t compare with the Filipino singer. She is self-deprecating: "If you think of me as an actor who sings, rather than a singer, I would probably be more impressive." Well played. They talk about Hathaway's mother, who had also played Fantine onstage, favorite scenes in the movie, Oscar chances, etc. (Anne Hathaway definitely deserves that Oscar for The Dark Knight Rises, where she was the only one who seemed to be having fun.) Give Lo some credit for not asking her to sing a line or two from "I Dreamed A Dream".

But as the four-minute interview draws to a close, Lo brings up Lea Salonga again. "Would you like to say any message for Lea, who's looking forward to watching the movie and meeting you in person?" Perhaps he has run out of things to ask Hathaway. Perhaps he thinks that she has been answering the same questions all day, and talking about Lea is the only thing that differentiates him from the other reporters.

"Well, we've already talked about Lea," is Hathaway's reply, and I scurry under the sofa and cover my eyes. At which point Lo says, "What about inviting fans from the Philippines to watch the movie, showing January?"

You have to understand that this is how every celebrity interview on Philippine television ends. The host asks the celebrity to issue a personal invitation to the viewers to watch her movie or buy her album or watch her concert. (Pinoys like the personal approach, we have to feel that we have been acknowledged. Consider how listeners call radio stations to ask the DJs to greet them on-air.) And then the host gives the celebrity a big can of Birch Tree powdered milk and a pack of YC Bikini Briefs (For the man who packs a wallop. Kuya Germs interviewing Hugh Jackman: I'd pay to see that).

"Why don't you invite them?" Hathaway says. "I think they'd much rather hear it from you." Aray. Fortunately the video ends before I have dug a hole in the floor to vanish into.

In sum, the Lo-Hathaway interview is littered with cultural landmines, all of which Lo stepped on. If it were a Filipino interviewing another Filipino, we would not be foaming at the mouth. But he's talking to a foreigner, a world-famous actress whom we admire. And every time a Filipino speaks to a foreigner in an international setting, he automatically becomes the representative of the Filipino nation (He makes us look inarticulate and inane!). We think the whole world is looking on and judging us. That's why we're embarrassed.

Why do we get so worked up over stuff like this? That's another column.

155 comments:

  1. As usual,may point c ms.zafra.

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    1. LOL sa "as usual". Hehe. But yeah, nobody could've said it right. Hehe. Hashtag Cultural Differences.

      -OptimisticGurla

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    2. Before when i was working on a cruise ship, i jokingly told a canadian colleague of mine that he's gaining weight. Kumbaga sa atin sabi ko na parang tumaba ka ata. Then he said and corrected me na sa kanila daw ( westeners) di daw tama na babatiin ko sila whatever abt the weight. Personal daw iyun.

      Napahiya ako at I'ved learned my lesson well :(

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    3. If you look at other interviews of Ricky Lo, they all come out as boring because he comes out as boring. You wonder why he gets to interview these celebrities. Luis Manzano or Boy Abunda will do a better job.

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  2. As usual, well-said, Jessica. I look forward to the next article you promised.

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    1. I love Jessica! She's so smart and witty!!!

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  3. Brace yourselves, comments from people who didn't even bother reading this post and just bash-away filled with ignorance and arrogance are coming!

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  4. Agree. Watched the interview and in my opinion, Lo was asking some stupid questions.

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  5. Pare parehas lang tayo ng nafeel while watching it, Lo did nooooot! He did. Sadly.

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  6. Lo brought embarassment to Filipinos! Pls whoever is paying Lo to go for interviews..pls think twice! Duh!

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  7. I agree. I mean, yes may pagka-bitchesa nga si Anne, as stated by Ricky Lo dun sa isang post ni FP, medyo rude din si Anne sa ibang Asian reporters na kumausap sa kanya. At bakit kailangang may hanash pa tayo sa accent nya? Nahiya naman ako sa mga perfect accents nyo. If you listen to other true intellectuals, hindi rin naman perfect ang accent nila eh. As opposed dun sa mga nagpupumilit na magka-accent kahit na hindi bagay like a certain Giddy Horse.
    On the other hand, baka nga nairita lang si Anne dun sa weight loss question nya. Diba she has declared publicly na wag na syang tanungin sa weight-loss nya kasi ayaw nyang gayahin sya? Sana Ricky was able to research that before entering this interview. In my POV kasi, hindi yung accent nya, or yung association with Lea ang nagpainit ng ulo ni Anne, kundi yung weightloss question lang.

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    1. iba po ang accent sa diction. when you speak or learning to speak another language it is very important that you pronounce it with the correct diction, example speaking in korean, chinese, japanese french and italian. the momment ou pronounce it with a different diction iba na ang ibig sabihin. nasanay kasi tayo dito sa pinas ng english with filipino accent. thats why sometimes even if we are talking with the right grammar and all, eh ndi tayo maintindihan

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    2. nainis c anne sa weight loss question pero ang pinakainisan nya ay yong about lea, sabi nya kay Lo, if you think of me as an actress who sings, i might have been more impressive. Doon sa sagot nya kita mo na feel nya na naicompare sya kay lea. Pero c Lo parang hindi nakuha ang msg ni Anne. Mas interesado syang makakuha ng mensahe para kay Lea. Naging polite pa nga sya at nagbigay ng praise kay Lea. Yon ang last blow, anu ba naman pakialam ni Anne kay Lea. About sa movie nya ang dapat pag usapan doon hindi ibang tao. Naintindihan ko kung bakit sya naging rude in the end. Nagkandhulog pa ang celfon ni Lo. Tinapos pa nga nya interview kahit inis na cya. Hindi cya nag ala Ruffa G.






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  8. pero let's admit it. medyo bastos si Anne hathaway oo may mali din si LO. look at the other interview she had. they talked abt her diet, Fantine diet, tawa lang sila ng tawa....

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    1. you miss the point ni jessica sa article? duh! i saw that interview that manny did. he did not get into the details of how anne lost the pounds. that's why she was not irked by his question. and he interviewed her about the movie, not about anne per se. that was the difference from both interviews.

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    2. basa basa din kasi ng article!!!

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    3. To be honest, Anne didn't come across as rude to me at all. If ever, she was civil and guarded with her answers (no thanks to Lo who didn't make her feel comfortable). The thing is, I think a lot of Pinoys are used to celebrities acting "feeling close." Just because an actress isn't falling over themselves to make you feel like you're their new BFF doesn't mean they're rude.

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    4. I asked all my smart friends if they found Anne rude. None of them did. Yung mga mahina ang isip ang nagsabing rude si Anne because they could NOT read between the lines.

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  9. Inaabangan ko yung comment ng mga hampaslupang aawayin lang si Jessica Zafra sa itsura nya imbes na basahin at intindihin kung ano pinagsasabi nya.

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    1. makahampaslupa naman to. papansin. so ikinaganda mo yan? ikinatalino mo ganon?

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    2. O diba, ayan isa ka na dun sa atat lang mag-comment at hindi man lang nagbasa. And yes, kahit hindi ako matalino pero if I keep an open mind oo ikinaganda't talino ko. Eh ikaw?

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    3. 12:49 hey ikaw ang nagsabi nito

      "aawayin lang si Jessica Zafra sa itsura nya"

      mukhang ikaw ang naunang pumansin sa itsura

      ikaw pala ang hampaslupa e.. teka, bakit hampaslupa? alam mo ba ibig sabihin ng hampaslupa? ano kinalaman ng hampaslupa sa pag away dahil sa itsura? wala ka ba adjective na mas tama?

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    4. hahaha whatever u say. aminin natin, he embodied the country. actually i felt sad for them both. Ricky being dumbfounded and Anne being rude. Had he asked more intellectual questions or had she answered back nicely (though irritated) then ther's nothing to fuss about. It's not that Ricky asked uncalled questions, it's also about Anne showing indifference towards him. She could have been nicer if she wanted too.It won't make her a lesser of who she was.

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    5. Anne was never rude. She was graceful all throughout the interview. People saying she is rude are plainly out of their mind!

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  10. magkamukha si jessica at yung muning

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    1. Hahahaha anu b yan! Dito ako natawa eh!

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    2. Hhahahahha! You nailed it right!

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    3. stick to what she wrote. otherwise, you'll be accused of having a brain as small as that cat. worse, even smaller.

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  11. Who cares????ZGet over it

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    1. Who cares? Lahat ng nagreact sa interview, kahit ikaw. We Care!

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  12. Hay naku, move on na nga tayo. Nag bigay na din ng message si ricky lo. Di daw cya affected. Yeah right!

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    1. HAHAHAHA...nabasa mo ba teh? di raw siya affected, pero sa ending, bitter na bitter ang lola!

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  13. Ms. Zafra is spot on with her take on the Hathaway-Lo encounter. Very objective yet true to the subjects. I think Mr. Lo's write up on his interview was dellusional and very out of touch with what we all saw (for those who have seen it), not to mention a deliberate "cover my a$$ by being in denial" attitude. How and why he thinks there was "nothing wrong" with it and even found it "amusing" is beyond me..

    -jh

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  14. Replies
    1. dapat mabasa niya yan. Both of them are from Phil Star!

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  15. Ive yet to see the interview, but taking ms. Zafra's points here made me wonder did mr. Lo even prep up for that one?

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  16. Ricky Lo has been in the business for quite sometime. He has interviewed countless celebrities - local and international. I'm sure he's fully aware of the american culture as far as asking sensitive issues, i.e. what and what not to ask. I saw his interview with Anne H and obviously, he did not prepare enough. It's very disappointing and embarrassing that he had to fly for this interview unprepared. What a waste of time and money.

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    1. I agree, Lo should've prepared for the interview... i'm fat and yes, I'll get irritated with that weight-loss question!

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    2. obviously di umepek ang startalk approach nya

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    3. startalk talaga yung approach niya. pang kamuning lang yun!

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  17. One has to be a Jay Leno, a Conan O'Brien, Katy Griffin, a Colbert and the like to get away with those kind of questions.

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    1. Katy Griffin??? She's crass and a disgrace.I can't believe sinama mo sya sa list. And the people you've mentioned, all have their share of awkward celebrity interviews. That's a fact.

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  18. wala na ba ibang topic! kaumay na teh!!! ;)

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    1. Eh bakit mo binass kung umay ka na pala? Labo!

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    2. sorry ka bakla title lang binasa ko.. ;)

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  19. Hay nakoh Jessica, tru ka jan teh!

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  20. masabi lang teh na nagiisip at nagsusulat ka?anong akala mo samin at sa mga nakapananood ng video , TANGA?sayang oras mo teh..magpaganda ka na lang.. u badly need it

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    1. lupit mo naman, bat ka galit ?

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    2. kakatawa naman comment ni anon 2:30 am obviously di mo alam ang body of work ni jessica zafra.

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    3. aba Diyosa siguro ito na nasa internet cafe. Sobra kang perfect! Ikaw na!

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    4. anon 2:30 obviously you have no idea who zafra is. magbasabasa ka din minsan at tigilan mo na ang kakateleserye mo nakakabawas ng IQ yan!!

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    5. Yeah cguro sikat sya sa internet or any taboid whatever.. But still wala p xa n napaptunayan , i didn't know her until now, and most likely the majority so she has yet to prove herself... And criticizing other writer will not prove her worth ...ricky lo is ricky lo bulol nonsense, unprepared he definitely blew up the interview but whatever he is he is what he is today and you miss zafra instead of hiding on the sofa gumawa k ng mga bagay n mas productive pra may mapatunayan k no need to write this article because the world already know what happen and base frm ur article wala nmn ako nabasa kakaiba sa mga nababasa ko n ngcocomment dto sa fp ... #justsaying

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    6. @anon 2:56 sorry pero dapat cguro minsan lumabas ka sa mundo ni fp para may iba ka pang makilala. nakakaawa ka nman di mo kilala c jessica zafra.

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    7. si jessica sikat sa internet o tabloid??? haler ikaw siguro ang ignorante....palanca awardee si jessica...o baka naman hindi mo alam ang palanca awards.... best selling author din sya...mas madami syang productive na bagay na nagawa kesa sa inyo ni ricky lo....

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    8. Pulitzer prize alam k lols ....

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    9. Me indont know her, maybe bacause she doesnt work for gma or abs... Maybe tv5 pero d m nanonood ng tv5 eh...cguro kya mas sikat c ricky lo. Well palanca awardee pla xa sorry wala aq list ng mga palanca awardees every year ehh... Hehe

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    10. Lol jessica zafra dn lmg ang peg ni anon 2:30 am

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    11. @ OP try m bumisita sa bookstore baka sakaling makilala m n sya. or kung di kaya ng powers m na umalis sa estante ng mga chika magazines, may google naman. sana ginamit mo yun bago ka nagreact.

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    12. Teh, may pinagdadaanan ka? Manood ka na lang ng Be Careful with My Heart habang nagluluto at namamalantsa...lol

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    13. Geez why are this people affected when oneZ says di nila kilala ung isang tao? Well kung sabihin nyang d nya kilala c boy abunda or c kris aquino pwede pa but this jessica? People didnt have to make an effort to know this person...because if your popular u dont need to go to such bookstore to know them .... U just see them everywhere. Well if they are indeed famous lmfao

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    14. problem is...ang alam lang ng iba na sikat eh yung artista or pang masa sa tv o tabloid....try to read some books both local and foreign....no doubt you'll encounter her books...and i mean book with 's' at the end....nakaka tumbling lang na isnag kilalang filipino author di mo kilala ..baka kayong mga di nakakakilala ang may pangkukulang

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    15. Anon 12:18 no point in answering this pinapaulit ulit lng nila post nila denying to accept the point . Kya nga sikat kc alam ng masa may sikat b n only few ang nkkaalam ...

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    16. si christy fermin lang kase kilala nia day hahaha

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  21. Very well said, Jessica Zafra :)

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  22. Well said, Jessica,u should have been the one to interview Anne H :) Mr. Lo ain't that smart and should not be doing interviews with foreign stars but we have to admit, there was an air of bitchiness with the way Anne answered Lo's questions,

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  23. blah, blah, blah.Enough of this already. This is of no importance. This is about show biz fluff, not worthy of any debate. Enough already.

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  24. The danger of social media nowadays eh lahat ng tao, kahit gaano katanga, may "boses". And if you spread stupidity around enough, kakalat yan. Kesyo uso, kesyo yun ang voice ng majority, kesyo kikita ang kabobohan sa takilya tuwing MMFF. Ayan, naglipana tuloy ang mga taong wala man lang sense of critical thinking at ang habol lang eh maki-uso. Pati tuloy ang mga intelektwal na tao, nahahawa. Yun na lang participation ng isang hinahangaan kong babaeng talkshow host sa recent kabobohan movie eh proof nyan.

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  25. FP, if I may I ask, were you hoping ba na your readers would bash this woman or applaud her? For that matter, were you hoping na lahat ng mga nagtanggol kay Ricky Lo eh mapahiya, just like how he's ridiculed by Netizens? Kasi reading much of the comments here, it looks like may matatalino ka pa naman pa lang mga readers at hindi lang puro pambabara ng kapwa at pang-ookray ng artista lang ang alam. Either that or mga tulog pa sila.

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  26. Have any of you watched "Inside the Actor's Studio?" In that show, may mga artistang ini-interview tungkol sa craft nila, kung papano nila ini-internalize ang roles, kung ano'ng mga maipapayo nila sa aspiring actors, ano'ng lessons ang natutunan nila sa mga past actors, etc. Ano'ng mali sa mga tinanong ni Ricky Lo? Ang mali eh yung reaction ni Anne na masyadong rude. Sana kung hindi nya bet magpa-interview eh di sana nag-decline sya. Bakit naman yung ibang ininterview ni Lo from the Cast of Les Miserables eh hindi ganyan? Oh wait, lemme guess, hindi nyo pinanood ano? Busy lang kayong panoorin yung kay Anne Hathaway at nag-jump na agad sa conclusion na Lo is a bad interviewer. Congrats: you are officially stupid.

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    1. You should have congratulated yourself as well.

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    2. Lo is not always a bad interviewer, he just did not prepare for this one!

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    3. Ricky is that you? Affected ka masyado

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  27. Sorry, mas maganda pa sa kanya ang pusa.

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  28. Sa mga nanglalait kay JEssica make sure lang po na magaganda nga kayo at kasing talino niya hehehe... Kung mKapanglait naman...

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    1. if Ms. Zafra doesn't care about people calling her ugly, bakit naman mashado kang affected, teh?

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  29. Ahmmm... Siguro na StarStrucked si Ricky. Even me... Matataranta ako kung si Anne Hathaway kausap ko :)

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  30. I pity Ricky Lo. I honestly think Anne was a bit rude in that interview. She could've just answered the questions but she just bashed Lo in the face. Poor Lo :(

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  31. I miss reading my Jessica Zara books all of a sudden.....FB, in case you are reading this, I hope you can pass this message to Jessica....met her years ago dyan as Philippines....not sure now if she still writes books?

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    1. she still continues to write columns :)

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    2. Anon 2:30pm, thanks for the advice, will look up her columns online....

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  32. WOW! Jessica Zafra how did you lose weight?

    im pretty sure you looked different before.

    and those glasses... only someone with your bone structure can carry glasses like that. amazing!

    i see you're carrying a cat, do you love dogs? Coz I love dogs and how they chase and bite a cats head off .. look here i even took a picture of it on my cellphone.

    Jessica, do you know there was a contestant from American Idol who's named Jessica too!!! She's half filipina MABUHAY!


    about the cat, does it eat rats?


    Jessica please invite everyone to read your blog!

    - Ricky LOw

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    1. LOL! I read it with Lo's accent and diction that he used in the Les Mis interview hahaha!

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    2. HAHAHAHHAHAHA this is very funny!!! =))

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    3. Hahaaaa... Dami ko tawa. Galing mo teh!

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  33. oo, just like william (hugh grant) interviewing ana scott and her co actors for horse and hound


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  34. why do we give a shit kung kesyo palpak ang interview kay anne or bitchy xa or past his prime na si ricky lo or hindi siya movie critic.. there far more better things to discuss than this..pinapakita lng nito may colonial mentality pa rin tayo. hindi si anne ang basehan ng intellect ng pinoy..

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    1. oh really? sino? si cristy fermin?

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  35. I am compelled to react on those people bashing Jessica on the way she looks. I had been reading her books since 1999, and YOU people do not have any idea of intelligent and witty this woman is.

    Not that I agree with everything she's saying, and I bet she's not writing to make people agree with her either, but if you are here to comment on her face, that's kinda low.

    I bet her UP diploma and countless worldwide recognitions are evil laughing at your desperate attempt to convince yourselves that you are better than everyone else's.

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    1. tomoh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    2. I so agree with you. Down with these imbeciles!!!

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  36. oh thank you FP for featuring Jessica Zafra here. lordy I miss this oneheckuva woman! How I wish Lourd and Jessica would have a show of their own. But I digress. Anyways, very well put.

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  37. Agree. As Pinoys, we are proud of our fluency in the English language, of how articulate we are. So it is natural for us to expect that a VETERAN entertainment journalist would ace an interview with an actor like Anne Hathaway considering his vast experience of interviewing Hollywood actors (no matter how awkward and funny is his English). But he made most of us cringe. It was embarrassing. And there was also the cultural divide factor so the interview turned out to be such a blunder. Mr. Lo should learn from this. If he says that he is not affected by it then so be it. But he better not MESS up next time. That is, if he will still have one..

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  38. Opinions are like asses. Everybody has.

    -- Unknown

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  39. Marami ng ginawang stupid interview si Ricky Lolo na talagang I cringe. Ngggiiii ano ka ba Ricky napakabakya ng mga tanong mo? Kahit ano pang education ang narating mo pero kung ang style ng interview mo is so baduy e talagang kukutyain ka ng taong bayan. Maski pa sa mga articles e obvious pati ang mga tanong. Your interview about male celebrity is very bakla like What is your shoe size? Boxer or brief? Do you sleep naked or with clothes? Para bang puro bakla lang ang nagbababasa ng Philippine Star. Don't forget napakaraming edukadong tao ang nagbabasa ng newspaper kaya huwag mong gawing katawa tawa ang articles mo? You are a public humiliation!! Magbutihin mo ang trabaho mo. Tutal kung manglait ka rin naman ng mga celebrities na hindi mo type e below the belt. You are being paid to do a good articles because we are the one buying the newspaper and magazines.

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  40. old issue... Jessica your a week late!!!this interview fiasco already done... Its already a fish wrapper lol!!!

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  41. the cat is more interesting to talk about than her lol

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    1. because you're a birdbrain, that's why!

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  42. Jessica Zafra writes for Interaksyon? How did i miss that? Anyway, as expected she'd tell it like it is. The sad part is that, Ricky Lo's reaction about his bashers is that he is "Amused". Swak na swak sya sa, You can't teach an old new tricks.

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  43. we may not have seen the interview with other cast members but weve seen Los other interviews anfd they are all as inane and mundane and as ill-prepared as this one.

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  44. Thank you, Jessica. It was a bad interview, sure, pero it's not a cause for people to burn Ricky Lo at the stake. Mas marami nga stupid interviews kesa dyan pero di na-Youtube o kaya nasa ANC kaya di pang-masa. Nakakatawa kasi yung colleague nya sa Philstar ang isa sa pasimuno na pagtawanan sya. When it first aired sa Startalk, wala naman paki mga tao then suddenly a week later kung anu-ano na pinupunto ng mga netizen. Pati accent nya tinitira. I thought he dropped Lea's name kasi si Anne mismo ang nag-compare sa kanya kay Lea sa earlier interview nya kay Ruben Nepales. Tapos sasabihin feeling close. And for Christsakes, it was a junket interview. And yes, the questions were pre-approved by the Les Miz team.

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  45. anak po ba ni ricky lo si tim yap? parehong beks.. parehong awkward mag-english.. at magkamukha po sila..

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    1. At dahil nagtanong ka na, pahabol din.. anak din po ba ni ricky lo and kapatid po ba ni tim yap si DJ durano? kase magkaka face po sila.. may angle po.. thanks in advance sa makakasagot nito!

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    2. I lurveeee Jessica Zafra.. wit, sarcasm and all! Brilliant writer. And the cat in the photo looks cute. That's all.

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  46. ang cute nang pusa!

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  47. And professional na writer, hindi magpapakalat ng picture na may kasamang pusa..kung gusto nya respetuhin at di sya gawing laughingstock pwes umayos sya...walang pakialam ang mundo sa iniisip ng pusang yan....at wla akong pakailam kung anong educational background ang meron sya..in real life, hindi diploma ang kailangan para masabing matalino ang isang tao..kung madalas pa kung sino ung achiever sya ung bobo..matalino oo sa books pero sa diskarte, NGANGA!!!Pagawa mo muka mo teh lol- Ako pa rin eto Anony 2:30

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  48. basta bulol at very bad ang accent ni Ricky LOw,di maintindihan diction,probinsyanong probinsyano, that one for one is another reason why he should stop interviewing foreugn stars, besides not knowing how to react to impromptu answers of celebrities, so whoever is at fault, si Anne or Ricky, to sum it all up, tama na kakapadala ke Mr Lo sa foreign countries to do an interview!hirap akong intindihin accent nya and boring sya!magsulat na lang sya, di sya rin puede na host.

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    1. probinsyanong probinsyano? against ka saming mga tagaprobinsya? OA ha.

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  49. Different strokes for different folks thne. Hope we all learn from this.

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  50. Nakakahiya naman talaga ang kaganapang ito haha. Next time dapat iba nalang ang ipadala ng pilipinas.

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  51. Why I dont understand is how many times he has to mention leah's name. Anne was nice enough to tell the world that she adores Leah Salonga but it doesn't mean that she want to meet leah in person. All she cares is the movie that she is promoting and that is the reason why she granted those interviews! And Ricky Lo's first mistake is bringing his cphone on the interview not mentioning glancing to it many times which most people find it rude! I reckon its one of the many reason why anne is pissed off!

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    1. Ang Lola mo, gusto kasing magpasikat!

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  52. I think we are being PINOY again and being too emotional about this issue. We get irritated with the fact that Ricky Lo had bad accent and yet we try to disregard that Anne Hathaway was a bit rude. You have to also look at other perspectives with this issue. This happened during a press junket. If you've seen the movie Notting Hill, you will understand that more than a hundred reporters are asking the exact same question over and over again. It's not RL's fault that he asked shallow questions because those were screened and pre-approved by the Le Miz production. Did we think the production team was that shallow as well to approve those stupid questions? Maybe RL was just unlucky to have interviewed AH when she was tired and fed up with answering the exact same questions over and over again.

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  53. Firstly, Anne wasn't really "irked" initially. If you've watched any of her OTHER interviews she is ALWAYS asked about the weight loss and she never mentions how, she always cut it short (I saw three). There was one interview where she discusses what she did but all others I'd seen, she always diverts attention away from it simply because she wants to avoid copycats. Her first answer was nothing personal and nowhere near rude. I think what annoyed her with Ricky Lo was the way Ricky called her spellbinding as the interview started but said it in a not so sincere way because he sort of cuts her off as she said thank you, in order to start the interview. He seemed to have just given her a customary praise rather than a sincere compliment. It seems during the interview he isn't having a conversation with her but rather, rattling off questions he'd prepared. When Anne mentions I dreamed a dream, it would have been an opportunity for Lo to praise Anne's performance (because I'd watched it and I was just astounded by the magnitude of Anne's acting prowess in those scenes.) rather than move on to the next question because if she was, as he'd earlier mentioned, spellbinding, it would have been noteworthy to discuss. He doesn't take cues from her answers. Also to mention Lea to an actress like Anne, it's a bit of a putdown. Sure Lea is Lea, but this is ANNE HATHAWAY! She may not be as wonderful a singer as Lea but she is no less talented and no less recognized. Again, why mention getting pointers from her Mom. Anne has been Anne for a long time. Her version of Fantine when she sang I dreamed a dream, the emotions were so raw. She personified pain. She made it this tangible emotion. Maybe Anne didn't want to be the one to invite the Filipinos to watch because it would be like tooting her own horn, perhaps it'd have been more appealing if Ricky had invited the Filipinos since it's a form of "vouching" for the film and for Anne's performance. The first thing i'd have done, had I been the one interviewing an Anne Hathaway, was to watch a few of her other interviews, read up about the actress (mention major joyous milestones in her personal life that are well publicized such as her wedding), read up about the movie or the process, basically just show Anne I came prepared for the interview that I did some research. I think that's why she liked that other Filipino interviewer bec he at least wore a Les Mis iron on shirt. It showed dedication/preparation. Something Lo didn't seem to have done at all. Also I didn't really find Anne that rude. She was very pleasant but what could she say to Lo asking her to give Leah a message when she already had given Lea a message? Also, Ricky mentioned that there's talk of an Oscar, THIS early. He in no way mentions he agrees. He should have at least praised if not her performance in a more detailed manner (to make his spellbinding comment more concrete) and how it moved him, then at least her dedication to her craft.

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    1. I think it's okay to ask a star to invite her fans to watch their movie (just like what Ricky did). But i think, Anne was not willing to do so as she was already irked from Lo's previous questions. She wants to keep the interview gracious, but at the same time, she wants to send a message to Lo that "hey, you got me pissed you know.", hence her sarcasm on the last part.

      - J

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    2. Anon 7:25, it's not usual for actors to invite fans to watch their movies here in the US. Dyan lang yan sa Pinas. Ano ba!

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    3. Ay nako sa pinas lang yan talaga. Pls watch our movie or pls buy our album whatever... Kakaloka.. naman eh!

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  54. Apparently, other fellow journalists is siding with Lo.

    I heard yesterday when I was tuned in to Dzmm, Julius Babao's female co-anchor believes that Lo's question were not personal as Anne has answered about the weight loss in a Vogue issue.

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    1. Did they (fellow journalists) even watched the video? Anne answered "it's personal" to the other question, not to the weight loss question where she just refused to answer saying she don't talk about it. I read tweet from Cristine Babao where she tweeted Anne rudely answered Lo on the first question. Girl, that wasn't rude. She declined politely.

      - J

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    2. Eh wala namang alam yung asawa ni Juluis Babao na yan! Tamo at nasa TV5 na!

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  55. Wrong ms. zafra! The reason why anne did not answer the first question is because she already made a statement before that she doesn't want to talk about it because the "Fantine diet" is life threatening. She may have revealed that method to one of her magazine interview, but she doesn't want to talk about it over and over again. There was a yahoo article about it before and it is also posted in IMDB under Trivia for Les Miserables. It doesn't have anything to do with cultural difference. Pfft! Smart-ass. Maybe anne got pissed from the first question because she felt that as a media, Lo should've known that already.

    - J

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  56. Ako si Anony 2:30... Ang point ko is anong pakialam ko sa iniisip ng Pusa na yan.. or para mas malawak..anong pakialam ng mundo sa thoughts nya..tapos na..di na kailangan ng analysis.. Di tanga ang mga netizens para may explanation pa..self explanatory ung video..masabi lang na may maisulat at masabi lang na matalino sya..kung nagsulat sya ng comments about politics, corruption, poverty etc..mga makabuluhang bagay, siguro mas interesting pang basahin..pero para magbigay pa sya ng paliwanag.. WHO CARES?

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    1. dear,nagagawa na nya lahat ng sinasabi mo na dapat na i-comment nalang nya. try browsing through some of her books...it covers from movies to life... to society... to politics...and in between. she doesnt have to prove na matalino sya...her awards and educational background screams it all without her saying a word.....i guess the reason FP posted her reaction is because her comment may matter to filipinos who reads books and who knows her. if you dont know her that's fine, just don't make a personal attack on her.

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    2. I care because I like this Palanca awardee and one of the Philippines' most respected writers. Palibhasa puro chismis at blinkd items lang ang alam mong basahin.

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    3. Galing mo din.. Anon 2:30... Who cares? You cared.. u bitching out here telling people you didn't care about her opinion but u already judged her not knowing she's a respectable writer. And the fact lang na you read her article and come back here to this blog to comment so many times are evidence that u can't move on from this. Mahaderang chismosa ka lang.

      Btw, di ko napanood ang video ng buo but since evrybody's talkin about it kaya nagkainterest akong basahin ang mga comment here. Mahirap mag judge, pero sa first question p lng ni ricky lo. I felt uneasy na. So di ko na sya pinanuod.

      Thanks fp.. naaaliw talaga ako sa blog mo. Good Luck

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  57. Hey anon 2:30, we already know how irked you are by the cat. And if your brain cannot comprehend Jessica's analyzation, it's no longer her problem. And give yourself justice, stop publicizing that you have a fish brain.

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  58. I wanna read more articles from jessica zafra mapapahawak k ng dictionary sa mga voc words used!

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  59. Alam ko graduate si Jessica Zafra ng philippine Science High school at UP diliman. nanalo ang sinulat niya na Dog eaters sa palanca...

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    1. I've read Dog Eaters when I was in the US. Americans were talking about it so I got curious.

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    2. LOL Si Jessica Hagedorn ang awtor ng Dog Eaters.

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  60. Among Ms. Zafra's awards are 1991 Palanca Award, 1st Place, Short Story Category for "Portents"
    1993 Palanca Award, 3rd Place, Short Story Category for "Bad Boy, Robin, Baad, Baad Boy"
    1994 Palanca Award, 3rd Place, Short Story Category for "Black"

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  61. 1.) Rickey asked her how she lost her weight.
    - Anne has been very vocal to all her interviews about it. She was even asked at Good Morning America, and other talk show hosts about it and she always say "You dont want to know". She didnt want to encourage young girls to do what she did in losing weight. It was very frightening if young ladies will even learn about it. It is a very dangerous drastic weight loss.
    so, when you asked her that question.. she just said "Thats too personal".

    2.) Ricky asked her about "how can she relate to the character Fantine".
    - There were photos of her about the wardrobe malfunction that's all over the interne now. She mentioned in her interview that people were trying to associate her with Fantine because she's vulnerable and so as Fantine, and Fantine is a prostitute in the movie and so as her when her pictures were taken without her underwear (showing her vagina). She felt really bad about it.
    And then guess what? you asked her that question.

    Maybe Ricky should do MORE research next time before firing out those questions. After claiming that he had interviewed 205 hollywood celebrities, he should have known better.

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  62. Anne was also asked in "The Morning Show" about weight lose. She answered it nicely. At first she said, she's rather not talk about it. But then she explained why. According to her, it's just something that she thinks anyone should not try. I think it's the way how the interviewer asked the question and how attentive he is on the interviewee's answers, so he'll be prepared what to ask next or how to react properly.

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  63. I agree with everything you wrote, Miss Zafra! Ricky Lo is such a bad reporter/interviewer/what-have-you. Even when he's interviewing local/filipino celebrities, he manages to ask the most stupid questions. I dunno why he's on TV...he's so painful to watch. He needs speech therapy of some sort...and brain surgery! He also needs to ask sane questions!

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