~ The unfolding summer activities in Toronto would surely give way to the most ostentatious claims again. Numbers would be inflated like soaring balloons. It’s the season of the superlative events. No longer would it be a surprise to see one bash after another being labeled as “the most glamourous . . . “, “the greatest . . . ” “the largest . . . “, “the most stupendous . . . “, etcetera. The socials by the “bleeding hearts” so-called are supposed to be fundraising events to benefit, as Imelda Marcos would say, the poorest of the poor, the downtrodden, the disadvantaged, etcetera. Of course, it you believe the hype.
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Forgive me my nonsense as I also forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense. – Robert Frost
LONDON, England – If Toronto, Canada’s largest city, had, to quote the blurb, what “is now known throughout the world as The Most Glamourous Filipino Ball on Earth”, would the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ The Greatest Show on Earth pale in comparison?
I don`t know if “ball” here is the round-shaped object wrapped in bright-colored paper that`s either kicked, thrown or hit, or the lavish socials where the likes of the European monarchs can be seen.
Well, none of the two applies to the Toronto version. It’s indescribable. The use of the adjective “glamourous” does not make it glamourous although evidently, hyping it up promotes self-conceit to another level.
Pleasures derive from such empty talk are no more than hot air even as it attracts the vain and the social climbers.
Having “The Most Glamourous Filipino Ball on Earth”`consequently rub on its attendees, who thus become “glamourous” in ways we do not know.
On the other hand, The Greatest Show on Earth is every child’s dream to see, for in it, animals, clowns and experienced performers do many things, acrobatics among them, to bring fun and laughter to the family. Amusement is its foremost goal.
On that score alone, it deserves the phrase P. T. Barnum himself had coined in the 1870s to describe his circus – the Greatest Show on Earth. A movie of the same title was produced and directed in 1952 by Cecil B. DeMille also featuring the circus.
Since the latter part of the 19th century, nobody has ever dared challenge his claim as having the greatest show on earth even as he included what Wikipedia calls “celebrated hoaxes” in the name of fun.
A similar-sounding phrase has shaken Toronto sometime ago when certain characters and individuals labeled a social event “The Most Glamourous Filipino Ball on Earth” for no apparent reason than to sound ostentatious. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at least were up front with theirs, and the proof is there to enjoy.
What magic spell did the Toronto event cast on Filipinos as to be called “The Most Glamourous Filipino Ball on Earth”? What made for glamour?
I searched the internet for the phrase and was surprised that Google had only two entries – one is my story in Balita, and another is a picture of four women standing before a candelabra in a blog named Memoirs of a Gaysian. The picture had a caption, part of which reads: “the ‘most glamourous filipino ball on earth’ was pretty fabulous. butterfly dresses everywhere”.
If the party covered the whole planet earth – and already “known throughout the world” – why does the giant search engine have only two responses? Is it that Google is not up to its job crawling over periodicals and online publications? Or, perhaps more plausible to ask, was it that the phrase was simply an empty slogan?
In contrast, “The Greatest Show on Earth” is in every search engine, whether it’s the circus or the movie or P.T. Barnum or the Ringling Brothers. In fact, the show’s on a current tour of the United States.
I have a suspicion that I want to share. And this is that this glamourous ball so-called is another one of those monstrosity of the language habitually being dished out by a pompous, trying-hard secret fan of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
The very idea of “most glamourous” pre-empts the truly and legitimately glamourous events, and there are many. I heard colleague Mon Datol had just concluded his Miss Gay Philippines contest which could be categorized as glamourous too in terms our gay friends know
The glamourous pet dogs that compete annually in a doggie show in downtown Toronto could be having a grand ball themselves, of course, if their owners would agree. I`ve covered that event two years in a row, mildly surprised at the big number of the four-legged animals assembled for the whole-day affair.
Now we`re into a discussion of what competes with the “greatest” in terms higher than the superlative degree. I dread using those words, for without qualification, it makes a laughing stock of the person staking the claim. P. T. Barnum’s is still the greatest of all circuses and his claim has stood the test of time.
On the other hand, a Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian company based in Montreal, is also unchallenged in its claim as “the largest theatrical producer in the world” with its combination circus art and street entertainment. I’ve watched at least two presentations of Cirque du Soleil in the United States and I was truly impressed with the performance.
So, where does that leave “The Most Glamourous Filipino Ball on Earth”? I have a suggestion – just kick it out of the vocabulary and we’ll all be fine . . .unless it bounces back and forth.