AS our regular readers know, our reviews of show biz productions attempt to be temperate but honest, not pulling punches when a jolt could effect much-needed improvement or change. We try to be as objective as possible, and yet some stars? or fans? feedback is anything but similarly circumspect.

Recently, we criticized some musical specials on TV, as well as the stridently ?birit? proclivities of some big singing stars. Oh, what a tsunami of scathing retorts those negative notes engendered! Fans of the superstar singers vilified us for ?daring? to criticize their pluperfect idols, who in their passionately partisan view could do no wrong.

If the whole world was heaping paeans of praise on their be-laureled brows, what right did an insignificant insect like us have to point out that their idols sometimes had feet of un-musical clay?

Not just our taste was assailed, but also our credentials, ?hidden? motives, ?K??and even our parentage. And some of those comments were couched in the most vituperative language that should never otherwise see the light of day in polite or even impolite society.

To make things worse, some of our attackers conveniently hid behind anonymity, which they must have felt gave them the license to say anything they wanted, no matter how biased, vicious and irresponsible?and get away with it.

This isn?t cogently thought-out feedback. It?s kneejerk, cowardly ranting, and the fact that more people appear to resort to it these days shows just how debased our standards for discussion and analysis have become.

Happily, some show biz and media people take our critiques as intended, as hopefully objective viewer feedback, which by rights should be an important part of the production process. Even when we ?hit? them, they go out of their way to express their appreciation for our notes, some of which they then proceed to act on.

For instance, a talent manager with many stars under her wing reached out to us after we had critiqued some of their shows, and urged us to keep on reacting to their work, because they urgently needed the feedback.

She acknowledged that some of them had become too smug or lazy for their own good, so they needed the occasional ?knock on the noggin? to make them realize that they were turning in inferior work.

More recently, we reviewed Ditsi Carolino?s latest documentary, ?Lupang Hinarang.? While the review was generally upbeat and appreciative, we noted that some confusion was generated due to the repetitious use of certain footage.

Forthwith, Carolino called to affirm the boost that her documentary had gotten by way of our review, and she also agreed with our editing note and told us that she had reedited the potentially confusing section, for greater clarity.

We wish that other show biz and media people could be as open to viewer notes, because (like it or not) they really are a key part of the two-way communication process.

We assure everyone that we have no so-called ?hidden? motives, and that we?re simply exercising the right of members of the audience to react to what they?re watching or listening to.

If the stars and production people involved ?learn? anything from our notes, that?s a bonus. What?s important is to make our viewer-readers realize that they too should become a part of the process, instead of just passively assimilating whatever the industry throws their way.

Only when the Filipino audience shall have become sufficiently enlightened and objectively opinionated can our entertainers? standards and work really improve.

?Surging Cities?

Last June 18, Discovery Channel began the telecast of ?Surging Cities,? a two-part special on megacities Dubai and Istanbul. Dubai, the unofficial mascot of the Middle East?s startling development, aims to become a world-class hub of business and tourism.
For its part, Istanbul straddles Europe and the Middle East and has emerged as a shining example to developing nations. Famed as a cultural crossroads, it?s determined to join the global platform and is looking more Westernized, due to increasing foreign influence. Encore telecasts on Sunday at 4 p.m.