That "Gay Moment" Backlash Over Live-Action "Beauty and the Beast" Movie

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"I was innocent and certain. Now I'm wiser but unsure." – Belle 

My wife and I went to the Beauty and The Beast live action movie premiere dressed as Belle and the Beast.

I'm still a bit pressed for the director obviously didn't watch the original Disney classic...or was it intentional for him to reboot some portions of this classic animated movie?

I just realized the kiddos watching this new Beauty and the Beast version will now know Emma Watson as Belle, and not Hermione Granger of Harry Potter anymore.

But the real story is that the rumors are true - a character is gay. Dozens of children left weeping. Several puked blood. Lol!

This "tale as old as time" movie which originated from an animated movie classic still opened in several Southeast Asian countries amid controversies surrounding a gay character in the film--the first in Disney's history.

The only right way to respond to this whole Beauty and The Beast situation in Malaysia is "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Is the movie ostracizing 95% of faith-driven consumers by pushing LGBT propaganda in a children's movie?

For those who don't know, Malaysia is not showing this movie because they think people will turn gay. Well, I watched Lion King, so now I'm a lion, of course. But why are people more offended by a gay person than a woman falling in love with a buffalo? On the other hand, does seeing inter-species couples on the screen make your kids fall in love, or fuck, with a buffalo?

Seriously, It was mentioned before that Disney refuses to edit the gay content from the movie. At that point, if Be Our Guest wasn't a full-on orgy, many girlish boys was gonna be pissed. Now that we've seen the movie, we are in between cringing and worrying about the future of children's stories. Disney just decided to pull it out, instead of cutting the 4.5 minute scene. Disney isn't budging, even if it means the movie will be banned in some places.

The Beauty and the Beast movie has openly gay characters. Is having a homosexual character bad for the movie? But would you really request it to be banned just because of 4 minutes of "gay" scenes? So undoubtedly people will want to turn gay because of Le Fou (which by the way means The Fool in French). Just like people have wanted to rape, kill, grow claws, shoot spider webs, tear down buildings from watching movies. Is your faith so weak, that for 4 minutes of gayness will make you gay as well?

Was the gay scene necessary? In Twitter, I needed more than 140 characters to vent my frustration on those of you blaming Malaysia over the whole Beauty and the Beast fiasco. The homophobes boycotting Disney's Beauty and the Beast won't be happy with the way Scar is portrayed in the Lion King live-action remake.

Is it our problem if we're too sensitive towards it? Do we stop being petty and let filmmakers make their films however they want? Just because a lot of people agree with something does not make it right. I think we can agree that a dancing scene between 2 guys is not gonna change anyone's life at all. Why make it a big deal? In this case, it's about differing views.

It may not change lives but sometimes mainstream values need to be considered. But should Malaysian mainstream values of censorship of free speech and of differing values and religious indoctrination be considered? Why is it a 'sensitive' and 'touchy' issue? What problems may rise from screening elements of that nature in public?

This is no Indie film where the production or director can be rudely experimental. Is the portrayal of LGBT activities in moviesagainst the LPF (Malaysia's film censorship board) guidelines.

Is it because LGBTs are generally still not the norm for our society? Do you think scenes with gay people should be "snipped" out of film? Many would beg to differ! It isn't a sensitivity issue.... It is homophobic. Homophobia is hatred towards LGBT oriented peeps.

I believe all the proposed revisions are understandable as some people just want to make the film grounded. But don't worry, everything else is still magical.

It was such a small scene, but are we forgetting that it's supposed to be a movie for kids. Yes, adults can watch it anytime, but do we really need to expose children to this at an early age? Well, there's already openly gay kid at the teleserye Ang Probinsiyano.

"Cheer up, child. It'll turn out all right in the end. You'll see." – Mrs.Potts

Eduard Folayang’s Newborn Baby Adds Inspiration to Upcoming Title Defense

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Filipino fighter Eduard “Landslide” Folayang feels extra motivated in his first defense of his ONE Lightweight World Championship title next month as he and his wife have welcomed a bouncing baby girl to their family.

His spouse Genevieve gave birth to their first-born child on an early Monday morning, 13 March at the Pines City Doctor's Hospital in Baguio City. The couple tied the knot in April 2015, with Folayang describing his wife as his lifetime coach.

Folayang named his daughter Yeshuareigns, which means “Jesus reigns.” The 33-year-old mixed martial artist is a devoted born-again Christian and is also known for the public expression of his faith.

As a first-time father, Folayang was at a loss for words when he first saw and held his newborn child.

Quite similar to his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career, Folayang admitted that raising his daughter properly will pose a challenge.

“This is a huge blessing for our family. It felt like I won another world title in mixed martial arts. I am so happy. This is one of the most momentous moments in my life. I hope and pray that I can be a good role model to my daughter. I will be the best father that I can be,” he said.

With over a month to go before he steps inside the ONE Championship again, Folayang stressed that his daughter will be his driving force to win.

“I can truly say that I am super motivated for my upcoming fight in April. My newborn daughter gives me the much-needed inspiration with the challenge that is ahead of me,” he stated.

Folayang will defend his ONE Lightweight World Championship belt against Malaysian-Kiwi sensation Ev “E.T.” Ting in the main event of ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY, which takes place at the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on 21 April.

“I know how exceptional Ev Ting's talent is. I am in a tough preparation for my first title defense. My main advantage over him is my experience as a fighter, especially in the lightweight division. We all know that Ev Ting came from the featherweight division, so I'm more used to fighting in this division,” Folayang said about his marquee match-up with Ting.

Knowing that Ting is driven to make history as the first Malaysian combatant to win a world title in MMA, Folayang vows to do everything in his power to make sure that he keeps the coveted lightweight strap around his waist.

“Ev Ting is an amazing competitor and has obviously earned the opportunity to challenge for the title. He is the complete package, with good striking and a really good ground game. I need to be at my absolute best to make sure I can defend the belt successfully,” he ended.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Top 30 Entries in DPC-PLDT Visual Arts Competition on Exhibit Prior to Awards

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Thirty entries from all over the Philippines were chosen out of 87 art works submitted for the 31st edition of the DPC-PLDT Visual Arts Competition (VAC31) which challenged fine arts students nationwide to interpret the theme “Habang May Buhay, May Pag-asa”.

The finalist entries consisted of realistic, abstract and graphic paintings that depict how Filipinos look at life, what they value and how they remain cheerful and hopeful in spite of adversities that they face.

Prior to the final judging and the awards night scheduled on March 23, 2017, the finalist entries will be displayed in an exhibit at Pasilyo Vicente Manansala at the Cultural Center of the Philippines from March 18 to 23. The exhibit is open to the public and admission is free.

The top three winners will have their works on the covers of the Philippine Long Distance Company’s telephone directories for 2017-18, both for the DPC (Yellow Pages) and the PLDT (White Pages). The first place winner will also receive P100,000 in cash and the VAC31 Grand Prize Trophy, plus a P40,000 donation to his/her school’s fine arts program. Second and Third Prize winners will receive P75,000 and P60,000 in cash, respectively, trophies, plus corresponding donations to their respective schools.