Tarantino’s Barong is so Wrong

by Leonard Cervantes

This news is sort of old, but worth posting anyway.

The Golden Globes are coming up and the latest news is that they are trying to negotiate to let the show go on via striking an independent deal with writers.

Bigger news to me was that Quentin Tarantino took to the podium before the holidays to annouce the Golden Globe noms — and he was wearing a barong tagalog. The day after, Defamer blog posted comments about Tarantino’s messy un-kept look.

All I gotta say is, don’t blame the barong! We all know Quentin Tarantino isn’t the most ‘kept’ man on the planet. In fact, aside from being a brilliant co-opter (thief) of Asian and other cult film influences, he actually nauseates me. I do have to give him props for rocking the barong though… it’s an unappreciated work of fashion art that deserves to be recognized for its elegance as formal attire.

If you look at the photos online, you can easily tell that Quentin got the barong look all wrong. I should know, I wore one at my wedding and instituted a barong style code for the men — one of the smartest moves ever, garnering compliments from all our guests. For Quentin Tarantino and any other Hollywood fashionista thinking of sporting our national garb, here are a few do’s and don’ts on wearing the Barong Tagalog:

DO

1. Do Wear a Shirt Underneath – No one likes nipplage showing beneath those pina fibers. Plus, your nipples don’t like rubbing embroidered patterns (do they?)

BSmag – Circa 2001

by Leonard Cervantes

In 2001, we at BrownScene Magazine were at our most optimistic time. We were in stores, the website was picking up steam and BrownScene local events were a vital part of the city’s cultural landscape.

About that point in time, a student named Steve Shaffer contacted us for an interview in the Ryerson Review of Journalism. For us, it was another sign that our dream to make our magazine could actually come to fruition.

As you might know, BrownScene ceased to exist barely a year after this article was published. For me, it’s real interesting to read this and look back at what we were trying to accomplish as an ethnic publication. Also, it’s crazy how much the publishing game has changed so much since then with the advent of the blogosphere.

I hope this blog site gives back what the bitter reality of print publishing costs took away from us roughly 7 years ago. It feels real good to be writing again, and I think that’s the reason we started BrownScene in the first place.

Here’s the article:

Uphill Struggle
by Steve Shaffer
Ryerson Review of Journalism
Spring 2001

The founders of the eyetalian wanted to show their community in all its complexity. But commercial realities meant that they could never push their struggling magazine into the black.

To a passerby on Yonge Street, the scene could have been an Italian wedding. The Sunday crowd included not only swanky 20-somethings sporting designer Italian jackets, but also their proud parents, who clutched envelopes stuffed with money.

Gimme More Chicharon

By now you’ve already probably heard Britney Spears’ new single ‘Piece of Me’. If you haven’t, you don’t know that Britney actually bigs up the Philippines in the song. BRRAP BRRRAP!Represent!

First Bombas, now Bombays

Philippines Tourism Invests in Bollywood

The film industry in the Philippines has been on the decline in recent years, that’s no secret.

I’m not sure how tourism is doing in the motherland, but I do know that the country can’t be doing that well — last time I visited, it seemed that it was little by little being sold off to rich foreign investors.

I suppose the latest plan by the Dept. of Tourism is meant to address both the ailing film biz and the need to sell off pieces of the land?

Yessss, we’re cool.

Time Magazine rated the Cebu Thriller Jailbirds in the Top 10 Viral clips of the year.  That’s almost as good as Balut being rated the #1 World’s Grossest food earlier this year.

 Wow.. we really represent, yo! 

look at this video