JUST when we thought he had fallen off the social radar, Brian Gorrell is back with a vengeance. Well, not that vengeance, which is what has made him a sort of hero of the oppressed, but simply with a new look for his much-read six-month-old blog.

He recounted how in 48 hours—the time he needed to cleanse his blog—about 800 mails flooded his inbox, no doubt asking whatever happened.

Well, what happened was, for one, he got rid of what he calls “hideous ads,” which he said he’ll only allow to be posted again if they will be redesigned to his taste. He added that he’ll be of help if the advertisers agree to redesign them, free of charge.

Indeed, the blog has morphed into something more powerful than any advertiser, capitalist, fearless columnist or investigative reporter in the Philippine Islands. Then again, when we say fearless media people, we can count them with our fingers in one hand.

Gorrell’s blog, with its 500 posts of exposés, has become the outlet of legions of people who, at one point or another, have been oppressed, fooled, abused and taken advantage of by the deceptively mighty, rich and powerful.

And don’t we just love to see how social hypocrites fall from the pedestals they created out of opportunism and false sense of reality?

It’s a never-ending sentiment, or what the late President Manuel Quezon called “the fight against social injustice.” In our case, though, it’s sosyal injustice.

It’s the same cause that the 10-year-old jazz-punk rock-spoken word outfit, Radioactive Sago Project, continues to fight for, thus, the title of their last album: Tanginamo ang Daming Nagugutom sa Mundo, Fashionista Ka Pa Rin. 

The sad thing is, despite the exposés and revelations, more people, especially the young and clueless ones, aspire to lead the life not unlike the subjects of Gorrell’s blog.

Be that as it may, at least someone’s brave enough to tell the true life stories that were once spoken only in hush-hush tones, stories that made authentic socialite-editor-writer Kitty Go an overnight sensation. Needless to say, her wicked exposés on the fabulously ugly truths about the very same people that populate Gorrell’s blog have made her a social pariah now living out of the country.

During the Spanish times, there were the writers and revolutionaries who grouped themselves to fight the oppressors and conquerors. They called it the Propaganda Movement.

Nowadays, in the suffocating biosphere that is Philippine high society, at least we have Team Brian.

Revenge of the Baron

BEER lover and character actor Baron Geisler is proof that there’s still life after, well, the battle with the bottle.

Hounded by controversies, mostly caused by his alcohol-induced problems, Geisler has been in the news lately not because of his tussles with the law or anyone. A few weeks ago, he won the Cinemalaya Best Actor award for portraying a gay character in the independent film Jay, which, as of press time, is said to have been invited to the Venice Film Festival as an exhibition film.

Now, Geisler stars in the Maryo de los Reyes opus Torotot. He plays a cuckold husband to Maui Taylor’s character. Having someone like de los Reyes tapping an actor for his film is something else. No doubt, Geisler is a very good actor.

If only he can handle his drinking, Geisler will surely reach middle age with the status of those of prize-winning versatile masters like Joel Torre, Bembol Roco and Ronnie Lazaro. These guys can be anyone you want them to be on-screen. They can be the most despicable villain or the most pitiful beggar, the mad rapist or doting father, the gay beautician or the macho carpenter.

But, unlike Geisler, they have mastered the art of getting out of the dark characters they play. They go home as simple husbands and fathers, with simple pleasures and wants, like perhaps a delicious dinner.

Behind the camera, they get high without the help of alcohol.

And such example of how not to overdo the acting life goes to all the young actors who want to stay long in the business. By actors, we mean those who can act like Geisler, not the cute and hopelessly pa-cute who are on top of the game only because they’re scions of old show-biz families, or they’ve been under the care of a powerful producer-showbiz columnist-talent manager.

So you want to be in ‘pictures’?

FOR someone involved in photography—be it for livelihood or self-expression or both—a good digital camera is just one half of the picture. Having an efficient printer or printing machine is the other half. Still, problems may occur when the final products are already in front of you. How many times should you go back to the shop for a reprint? How many hours should you wait?

Share More, Experience More

MANILA, Philippines—Nokia’s latest e-mail-optimized devices were launched recently at an exclusive media event held at the private dining room at M2M of the Renaissance Hotel in Makati City. 

Harry Potter Fans Are Angry

CALL it “Harry Potter and the Revolt of the Muggles.” A day after Warner Bros. announced that it would be pulling the sixth Harry Potter film off its November release schedule and instead releasing it next July to take advantage of skimpy competition in the summer, fans of the popular franchise were lighting up the Internet with their rage Friday.

Tom Cruise faces a crisis

WHO knew Tom Cruise could shake it like a Polaroid picture? Last week, he rocked audiences with his cameo as a profane, hip-jiggling, Machiavellian movie chief in Tropic Thunder. The role was designed to show the world—and Hollywood insiders—that the one-time king of Hollywood didn’t take himself too seriously and even had comedic chops.

Show & Tell: Go Brian 

JUST when we thought he had fallen off the social radar, Brian Gorrell is back with a vengeance. Well, not that vengeance, which is what has made him a sort of hero of the oppressed, but simply with a new look for his much-read six-month-old blog.

A Triangulation of Artists: Galleria Duemila’s Aguinaldo, De Guia & Robles

Galleria Duemila has always impressed me with its offering of artists shown in their widest context. The massive dimension of exhibits in the gallery is not necessarily in terms of huge canvases, though the gallery has had such exhibits in the past, but in the curatorship, which takes the artist outside the frame and into the social world where art really matters as commentator.