Courtesy of ABC
This week proved an exciting one for pop culture and Filipino stars around the world.
Filipinos all over the world have a lot to rejoice over this week. Weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz, who bagged the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the Philippines at the Tokyo 2020 games continues to dominate her sport.
At the Weightlifting Federation World Championships this Wednesday, Diaz bagged three gold medals for her weight division; Snatch at 93 kilograms, Clean and Jerk at 114 kilograms, and Total at 207 kilograms. Her sweeping win backs up her bid for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she’s set to make her last lift before leaving the sport to focus on her family.
New Collection
In fashion news, CFDA Award-winning designer Phillip Lim released a preview of his Pre-Fall 2023 collection of his eponymous brand online.
The collection, which is set to release in May 2023, is fronted by Filipina-Norwegian model Maddux Callaway. The rising model has been making her mark in the fashion world, appearing in editorials for Versace and walking for brands like Bottega Veneta and Christian Cowan.
Princess Diaries
Disney fans were treated to a first look at African-American-Filipino star Gabriella Wilson, known by her moniker H.E.R., as Belle in ABC’s production of Beauty and the Beast. The singer-songwriter took to Good Morning America to discuss her feelings about being the first afro-Filipina Disney princess.
“It’s just a dream come true,” she says in the interview. “Like I never thought I could be a Disney Princess. Of course, every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but I’ve never seen one that looks like me.”
Filipino fans were also delighted to see Baybayin on Belle’s apron, a pre-colonial Filipino writing form. The script reads “Bela” in Baybayin. Wilson has previously remarked in interviews that she would work to keep her Filipino roots and heritage alive.
The 24-year-old certainly has her work cut out for her. Despite her young age, she’s already bagged five Grammy wins and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. For Beauty and the Beast, Wilson also reveals that beyond her role as Belle, she also helped produce the music for the show.
She added her own arrangements to the classic songs and worked alongside Alan Menken, the score producer, songwriter, and composer behind the original Beauty and The Beast in 1991.
Royal News
In Royal Family news, Harry and Megan’s Netflix documentary has been making waves online with divisive reviews. The “rebel royals” have incited varied opinions over their $100 million documentary deal.
Commenters are split in support of the pair against those supporting the Queen’s legacy. Despite this, one thing is clear; no one can stop talking about it.
Word of the Year
In an update to your vocabulary, Oxford English Dictionary has named “Goblin Mode” the 2022 Word of The Year. According to Oxford University Press, the term refers to an “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, greedy behavior that rejects social norms.” The phrase shot into the zeitgeist as an effect of the pandemic. Have you ever gone goblin mode?
