Almost everyone watched Alden on Starstruck. He explained his “kilig” tips to the contestants. And several fans did not appreciate his comments about his true feelings regarding love. The storm has brewed up all over again. With Alden on Starstruck getting stuck between a rock and a hard place, his alleged reputation as an opportunist precedes him again. It’s time to address the elephant in the room.
Here’s the thing after watching Alden on Starstruck. Some people need to be reminded that the KalyeSerye featuring ALDUB is just a show. I have to remind myself of that as well. Because I can get emotional. My earliest Twitter followers can attest to that when I was watching Temptation of Wife featuring Marian Rivera. It happens. And it also happened when I saw Maine Mendoza using “hugot” lines from hit rom-coms at the ALDUB The Voice Within episode of Eat Bulaga. (The rom-coms from which the Dubsmashed lines are sourced are “Maybe This Time” and “Labs Kita Okay Ka Lang?”) Then I have to remind myself all over again that it’s just a soap. Or a noontime show segment, if you like. So to quote Ms. Lea Salonga, why all the hatred?
We have seen it all before prior to watching Alden on Starstruck last 28 September 2015. A love team that captured the hearts of the nation and establishing a rabid fanbase in months. A love team who’s real feelings towards each other are unknown to us because they are actors. And when that love team goes into an unpleasant fallout, it’s bedlam. (I am looking at you, Kim Chiu. I am starting to feel bad about Gerald Anderson’s career. Not because your team-up with Xiam LIm is not as popular as the Kimerald love team, you would resort to underhanded tactics.)
On the other hand, there’s DongYan. And this is where everyone (YES EVERYONE INCLUDING ALDUB FANS) needs to be reminded. It took so long for Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera to admit that they are officially a couple. Because there are repercussions that come with a love team crossing over to real life. You admit that you’re a couple. Naysayers would think that you just have a soap/film/upcoming project to plug. You deny that you’re a couple. And fans would press their “idols” with admitting the real score. You shut up and the tabloid writers start putting words into your mouth. Seriously, after watching Alden on Starstruck, what do you really want?
This brings us back to Alden on Starstruck. GMA must have been very happy for all this buzz. Because it would mean curiosity on the next Starstruck episodes. Let’s admit it. ALDUB is one of the last lifelines left for GMA in the ratings game. So much of the activities in GMA revolve around ALDUB. Alden was upfront about his feelings. So what? Wally Bayola would occasionally remind both Alden and Maine. “Uy! Actingan lang to uy!” (This is just acting!) Not as himself but as Lola Nidora. That even if the nation is so enamored with ALDUB, this is just an act. This is just a segment on Eat Bulaga that keeps the nation preoccupied. Just because Alden Richards was honest enough in his feelings, it merited this kind of backlash? To paraphrase a line from the film “Heneral Luna”, our greatest enemy is ourselves.
Some ALDUB fans are starting to blame whoever is that contestant that asked Alden on Starstruck the relatively generic question. I won’t give him the fame he so badly needs by not mentioning his name. He must work hard for that himself. Whether Alden’s feelings for Maine has crossed over to love and skipped the “getting to know you” part is none of his business. (He should focus on his talents instead if ever there’s any.)
Most Starstruck contestants have a lot of work on their hands. Seeing Alden on Starstruck should help them keep note of the hard work. Alden Richards did not get to where he is right now without the hard work that this industry needs. He did not even make the Starstruck Final 12. And now he’s one of the guest coaches on Starstruck. And this is the best “Sorry. We were wrong in elimination you.” from the Starstruck system? I have written about my problems with the Starstruck system before when I wrote about Steven Silva at FilipinasInShowbiz.com. So everyone familiar with my articles with them knew how I felt about the Starstruck system.
Back to the ALDUB Nation. There’s a good reason why Wally as Lola Nidora would chide about the acting part in the KalyeSerye. Because fans can be so fickle. They have a tendency to overthink about ALDUB evolving into a MaiDen (Maine and Alden) relationship. Then evolving into a TiMeng (Tisoy and Meng) relationship.
The KalyeSerye is great. Everyone is welcome to overanalyze the situation as they see fit. Look at how most fans have overanalyzed Alden on Starstruck. And everyone can get emotional. That includes the Sotto brothers. Senator Tito Sotto snapped when YayaDUB’s car crashed at the ALDUB Most Awaited Date episode. Bossing Vic Sotto almost ran to Alden’s den at the ALDUB The Voice Within episode if not for Boss Joey de Leon stopping him. Almost no one is exempted from emotions running high. And the most obvious case would be the bashers and the haters. With everyone now affected, aren’t we supposed to be happy that the actors in the phenomenal KalyeSerye are successful in delivering their jobs? The task of selling an illusion?
Don’t worry. I don’t see the illusion as a bad thing. There’s no business like showbusiness as seen on Alden on Starstruck. Of course everyone is worried about Maine Mendoza. She hasn’t been in showbusiness for a year. Or six months if you would base the contractual tenure of 6 months. She once wanted to be an actress herself. She is a fan. How can she be that inspired to pull off all those Dubsmash videos is she isn’t inspired to act?
Also that photo of her with Alden Richards way back when he was auditioning in Starstruck Season 1 as Richard Faulkerson Jr must have been one of the most disputed shreds of evidence today of her interest in showbusiness. She knew what she’s getting into in case the Dubsmash videos led to a mainstream showbiz career. She can handle herself. For fans, being overprotective of her has its pitfalls too. The biggest pitfall is obviously the overzealousness of certain “fans” at the expense of Alden Richards’ reputation.
I am not in the position to ascertain whether you are a true ALDUB fan or not. I am not you. You are free to interpret Alden on Starstruck as an opportunist striking again. It says more about you and less about him actually. I love ALDUB. I have managed to follow Alden’s career. And right now I can’t find a copy of his only suspense-thriller “The Road” by GMA Films. (Seriously, GMA Entertainment. When will you ever fix your marketing department? Halloween is coming and no re-release or re-showing of The Road?)
But I know that Alden and Maine are part of a love team. LOVE TEAM. It’s a team that will not function without each other. Maine Mendoza is Alden’s best blessing ever received. No wonder the song “God Gave Me You” has reached a whole new meaning.As the Filipino proverb goes. “Nasa Dios ang awa. Nasa tao ang gawa.” (God provides the mercy. Man provides the action.) To paraphrase Pope Francis, God is not a magician. So instead of speculating whether Alden’s feelings for Maine are for real, why don’t we just let things go organic? Let it happen naturally to interpret Alden on Starstruck. Why don’t we just allow the love between them unfold in case it existed? That’s why most ALDUB fans are accused of not having a life outside of ALDUB. We get a little too preoccupied with the little things that we fail to see the whole picture. Why not divert that energy to more productive stuff in the name of ALDUB?
Speaking of more productive stuff after seeing Alden on Starstruck. 25.6 million tweets generated for the hashtag #ALDUBEBForLove meant more donation possibilities for Eat Bulaga’s “Plastic ni Juan” project. The KalyeSerye commentators make sure to mention the number of schoolchairs made using recycled plastic bottles before every ALDUB episode kicks off. How can we convert the 25.6 million tweets into more schoolchairs? Hopefully, Eat Bulaga would provide details on how donations can be sent over. So that even ALDUB fans that don’t join the Bayanihan portion at Juan For All All For One segment get to donate. Time to mobilize the chapters, ALDUB Nation. Coordinate with Eat Bulaga through Facebook and Twitter to get this potential contribution off the ground. Tweeting Boss Joey de Leon @AngPoetNyo would also help. He might have other ideas too.
Analytical articles come along in between ALDUB episode recaps. Besides, seeing Alden on Starstruck got tongues wagging again after the ALDUB The Voice Within episode. So follow us on our social media accounts to read more about our thoughts. Like our official Facebook page, The Philippines Web. And follow us on Twitter @pinasamazing for feedback and suggestions. We’d be expecting you.
