Community News No.01
A queer party like no other, an exhibit about tenderness, another Barbie movie review, and an all-Filipino music event!
Hello, friend.
First of all, thank you for the wonderful feedback you have given me on my piece about Pura Luka Vega. When I published the slide set, I was fearful of the backlash it could cause. Though I am no stranger to people on the internet dragging our coverage, it still stings to see negative reactions.
But all that is in the past now, and we can only take what we want from the issue. Still, thank you for being here.
I can’t really think of what to write about next. I was thinking of writing about the State of the Nation Address (SONA) happening today, but I will need some time to process that. And I’m afraid that my writing skills will atrophy again if I wait for another heavy issue to talk about. So I thought that maybe I can lend this platform for the benefit of others: to our community, partners, and friends who need the spotlight.
So here we go.
This is the first edition of COMMONER’s Community News: a collection of updates, events, happenings, and short reviews.
Happening on June 29, Saturday is Elephant’s Evening Gown Competition at Kowloon House, Quezon City. It’s a gathering of queer folks from all around the metro with a beauty pageant as its highlight. As usual for Elephant, performances are abundant: from Jason Dhakal, Inah Demons, Kieffy Nicole, Kumare Jarvey, to Joven, and DJ sets by Hideki Ito, Showtime Official Club, Gubwubs, Alvaro Talavera, Jem, Dignos, and Karlo. The event will be hosted by Supestarlet XXX and Mr. Celeste Lapid.
Elephant is a special space because they make queer folks feel safe and comfortable. So bring your best attitude, your craziest outfits, and some money to spend. Tickets are available on Elephant’s Instagram page.
T en d e r n es s, an exhibit by artists JL Javier and Apa Agbayani is running until July 28 at Everything’s Fine at 14 Tordesillas, Makati. The exhibit features JL’s photographs of queer men undressing accompanied by Apa’s writings. Awkward yet charming, the photographs are an experiment that peels queer men to reveal their physical and emotional vulnerabilities, confronting the spectators that they, too, are soft flesh and hard bones like everyone else.
The Barbie Movie premiered in cinemas last July 19. Directed by Greta Gerwig, it’s a film that attempts to pack lessons on patriarchy, feminism, and materialism inside a colorful plastic set.
But it’s also more than that. Barbie understands that, beyond sentimentality, the viewers are expecting a surprise. And Gerwig, to her credit, skillfully wrapped this surprise by taking us through a detour to meditate on existential questions. Why does being a woman today often mean living a life of ironies? Are the complications of the real world a form torture or a gift? Is perfection worth giving up in exchange for learning to be whole?
The movie could certainly have been more incisive. It could have been a less abstract incritique of its own role in undermining the feminist movement, or how its execution of its philosophies pushed, instead, for certain standards on women. But we appreciate what it offered. The movie, after all, is a marketing ploy–expecting it to be radical would set us up for disappointment.
Still, the movie did what it could with the limitation in place–which, to me, is a great testament of Gerwig’s creativity. It’s a visual fanfare, as expected. But its self-aware scripting gave layers to what could have been just another corporate propaganda movie about a beloved commercial product. Instead of thinking too far outside the box, she thought inside the box by pushing the walls as far as it could and digging the surface to uncover Barbie’s story. It is, overall, a brilliant take.
And even if the film does not go down as canon, that’s okay. After all, Barbie tells us, we don’t really have to achieve anything or be anyone to be significant–just being a willing participant is enough.
[Partner content]
The Rest is Noise PH (TRIN), is staging a show in time for its 8th anniversary on August 12, 2023 (Friday) at the Balcony Music House, Makati City. The show will highlight the rich and diverse backgrounds, cultures, and styles of music artists from the Philippines.
Performances include Dilaw (Baguio), who will be performing for the first time on the TRIN stage. They are joined by alt-rock band Sandwich, indie faves SOS and Oh, Flamingo!, and Davao-based hip-hop crew PLAYERTWO. Neo-R&B boyband KINDRED, known for the distinctive and playful take on sound, will also be there.
TRIN will also spotlight one of the most exciting record labels that came out during the pandemic ECLECTIC KISS. They will feature a special performance featuring its all-women ensemble inluding AMSS, MOONWLK, and PIKOY.
Pre-sale tickets are available for Php 700 (limited quantities) and regular tickets are priced at 800. Tickets are available through this link: bit.ly/trin8thanniv.
Thank you for reading!
We would love to feature more initiatives from small communities and businesses through our community news. So if you have any leads, feel free to reach out through mediacommoner@gmail.com and jpcampos.ph@gmail.com.