The YES! list of the 50 Most Powerful in Showbiz for 2008 starts with a fair advice: "Before you dive into this list, a warning: You may not like what you read."
Listing down the movers and shakers of the local entertainment scene over the past 15 months, the country's premier entertainment magazine—now celebrating its 9th year anniversary—ranks the "industry players who took an active role in shaping the landscape of entertainment."
The list—which may not sit well with some industry players and readers—bravely covers all corners by presenting not just the entertainers constantly seen onscreen, but also commanding personalities who maneuver behind the spotlight: network executives, directors, talent managers, institutions, tycoons, a cosmetic surgeon, and even a renowned scriptwriter.
SNEAK PEEK. Bagging the fifth spot in the Entertainers category is GMA-7's current prized female star Marian Rivera who, according to showbiz insiders, pockets a cool "upwards P50,000 per taping day."
Action superstar and Totoy Bato's lead star, Robin Padilla, claimed fourth spot behind recently named Box-Office King John Lloyd Cruz, whose stock rose even higher with the back-to-back success of A Very Special Love and You Changed My Life.
Actress and game show host Kris Aquino may not be as controversial as she was in the past, but it certainly did not diminish her star value. Landing in second place, the self-styled "Queen of All Media" barged into the list by the sheer grit of her money's worth.
Wowowee host Willie Revillame bested 49 others to emerge as the most powerful in his field. The controversial TV personality recently brandished his uncanny mass appeal when he propelled YES!—in which he was the cover on its January 2009 issue—to publishing milestone by selling an enormous amount of copies unheard of in the local glossy-magazine market.
"But the man has mojo," the article states. "After ABS-CBN snapped him up again and reinstalled him as king of its noontime programming in 2005, he turned his life around—image, finances, lifestyle, work ethic, even daily routine—to become the king of Kapamilya land.
Even more interesting is the Executives list wherein the power heads of the entertainment industry were unmasked for the public to know.
As expected, the top brass of the two largest networks were pitted head-to-head against each other, breaking down their enormous influence and power not commonly known to outside spectators.
Eyebrows will surely rise as the April issue offers an extensive summary of ABS-CBN and GMA-7's overall earnings, investor desirability, market reach and advertising revenues.
"Which of these two heavyweights would win the rounds of expenditures and profits—and which would be down for the count?" YES! asked before laying down the facts as presented by an expert analyst.
Grab a copy of YES! April issue-now available at all leading bookstores and magazine stands-to see the entire list.
CLICK AND VOTE. As mentioned earlier, the final result—as deliberated and voted upon by the YES! team with the help of seven entertainment editors and reporters—may not cater to everyone's taste and liking.
And with modern technology just a click away, YES! gives the public a chance to come up with its own power list. Voting on a whim, however, is not encouraged as you, dear PEPsters, are asked to justify your list by stating the reason behind your choices.
"We may not be able to please all of you, but we give you the chance to have your say. Let us know who you think should have been included through our online affiliate, the Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP, www.pep.ph)," editor-in-chief Jo-Ann Maglipon writes.
To vote, click here: https://www.pep.ph/forum/index.php/topic,3335.0.html