Many media platforms considered the Dec. 30 Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera wedding so important that pressing news on life-and-death matters was relegated to the sidelines.
What is so significant about the wedding of two actors that it was dubbed the “royal wedding,” attended by no less than the President of the Republic himself?
The affair was so heavily hyped that pushed to the side were news about the death toll from Tropical Storm Seniang’s onslaught (53 as of this writing) and the commemoration of Rizal Day.
Also receiving minimal attention that day were the finding of the crashed Air Asia QZ8501 off the waters of Indonesia and the Air Asia Z2272 flight that overshot the runway in Boracay, forcing passengers to deplane using the emergency slide.
Meanwhile, local news platforms were flooded with trivia about Marian’s dress (it cost P2 million, as much as a fancy SUV or a modest house-and-lot in the suburbs), Dingdong’s Ducati motorbike that he rode to the church, and photos of the lavish flowers, ribbons, lights, and other decorations at the church and at the reception (they shut down no less than the Mall of Asia Arena, where sporting events and huge concerts are usually held).
An article that was posted online and that I read on Dec. 30 garnered mostly negative reactions; when I re-read it yesterday, all the comments had been deleted.
Many found the extravagant event offensive and insensitive in a country where 54 percent of the population self-rated themselves as “poor” in 2014.
Commenters pointed out that Dingdong wore no helmet while riding his motorbike, in violation of a law that is strictly enforced otherwise, showing clearly that there is one law for the common folk and another for the rich and famous.
Others questioned the appropriateness of President Aquino’s presence at the event while people were dying in the Visayas and Mindanao because of the storm.
About the over-the-top display of consumption: everyone will agree both actors are top earners in their own right, while Dantes also belongs to a wealthy family. The event might have been tacky and tasteless and the money better spent, but it’s their money and they can spend it however they want to.
Think of it as having contributed to the economy and the sustainability of the wedding industry: event organizers, florists, lighting contractors, photographers, caterers, and other suppliers and service providers benefited from the couple’s largesse.
It was dubbed a “royal” wedding, not only for the fame of the couple and the sumptuous display but also because the couple are the top talents of a television network with a huge fandom that lined the streets for a look and vicarious participation in the occasion.
What was definitely in poor taste was for many media platforms to tout the event as if it were meaningful and deserving of an entire country’s attention.
As for President Aquino’s attending the wedding – he is entitled to grace such events, including guesting on Vice Ganda’s show and other showbiz happenings. There is nothing to prevent him from doing that.
But the kind of institutions we need—leadership, media—are those that sacrifice spare time and leisure to attend to the needs of the country, that are sensitive to the sentiments and concerns of the many rather than the few, and that can look at the big picture and prioritize properly. Is that asking too much?
Perhaps the new year will bring better things. We can only hope.
To the newly-weds, my congratulations and best wishes as they embark on this next stage of their lives. To my fellow Filipinos, expect all this hoopla to happen again at the birth and baptism of their first baby.
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We start a new year today! It’s a chance for fresh beginnings and starting over. May 2015 bring you all peace, abundance, and all manner of good things.
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Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Blog: http://jennyo.net