Now, this is really interesting. The Manila Standard Today announces that the infamous columnist Malu Fernandez is back in their roster or writers. This, after an earlier report that she submitted her resignation letter to two publications — MST and People Asia.
In a recent copy of the Manila Standard Today, a section displays a picture of Malu with the headline — Divalicious will resume next Monday. See picture after the jump.
{ Photo from Bryanton, via Freedom Watch. Original story from Smoke. }
So, why is she back? What’s the real story about her alleged resignation and comeback?
Here are some possible theories:
- Malu Fernandez does not exist. She’s a figment of a creative imagination. If the US had their Fake Steve Jobs, we also have a Fake Malu Fernandez.
- This is some publicity stunt by Malu, her editor and/or the publication to generate buzz. Google returns 69,200 results and on Yahoo, 94,800. Technorati lists 900 blog posts about her too. That’s a lot of buzz for just two very vapid articles.
- She never really resigned. That page on GeoCities was put up by someone else. She’s still enjoying her fortnight’s celebrity status. Even the really bad guys in the movies and TV are celebrities too.
- She resigned but then Manila Standard wouldn’t let her go. They didn’t find any editorial reason to do so. Besides, people say she has connections, way way up there. If the lack of public response by the publication about this brouhaha is an indication about their official stand, looks like they’re just waiting for the issue to subside then go back to business (as usual).
Your guess is as good as mine. But one thing’s for sure, she’s making a bold statement — no amount of rambling on the blogosphere or by any sector for that matter will pull her down from her position.
I’m going for Reason No. 3. She just went on hiatus, I think. And anyone could create a Geocities account.
ayee! what can we do to shut this woman up? (or at least tame her down) i just hope that all this hullabaloo will make her think twice about penning down her thoughts, or would it?
she ate too much last 2 weeks and decided to hibernate heheheh
Twitter: momblogger
says:
I wonder why. Maybe she wants to redeem herself by writing good things or something.
Down with Manila Standard! wehehe!
well, my guess is that this is just a PR stunt and it might be no. 4 as there’s no “irrevocable” word in the letter.
People in the Philippines could go scott free despite “bad things” more so with this “simple” OFW bashing. Might be only in the Philippines!
I choose no. 4. well, shes just human naman, i guess she could learn from her “mistalk or miswrite” kaya nga lang the hard way. and I guess other should learn from her experience, the message is clear… “DONTMESSWITHOFW”.
lets just forgive her for being clueless(stupid) kasi kasalanan ang magmura.
i guess her comeback is too soon for everybody that was offended. she could have hibernated longer, for her own sake.
Try these for reasons:
1) Nobody reads Manila Standard Today nor cares about Malu Fernandez anyway, so it doesn’t matter if she comes back or not. Her column exists to fill out blank spaces in the paper.
2) Malu Fernandez and Manila Standard Today exist to sink the quality of journalism in the Philippines much, much lower than it already is.
3) Malu Fernandez pays Manila Standard Today to print her column.
[...]3) Malu Fernandez pays Manila Standard Today to print her column.[...]
Well if she is as rich as she claimed to be, pwede nga!
steel’s #3 reason seems interesting.
maybe they’re just trying to perpetuate the issue. bloggers flame up again, then they’ll say she will resign… again.
it’ll be a vicious cycle.
I think I should go with the first possibility. Lol.Just kidding.
Annalyn Jusay at Annalyn.net had a confirmed response from Manila Standard about her return. It says that Malu has indeed submitted her resignation letter but MST did not accept it.
Another chapter in the Malu Fernandez Issue.
Twitter: jmtuazon
says:
Wow, in that case it’s not Malu who’s to be condemned, but the goddamn editors and owners of MST who’re out to milk Malu of her popularity! A boycott now would be appropriate, if you read MST at all. LOL. =P
She wrote something offensive. She said sorry. Whether this was sincere or not, we will never know but she already apologized and I suppose has learned her lesson about it all — hence, will never write something like that again.
I cannot see why she cannot write again, especially if she and the editors in question will be more vigilant with what she comes up with.
So… what else do we want from her? Blood?
My two cents. Am sure many of you have other opinion. This is mine. And yes, you also have yours
[...] now, Yuga reports that Malu Fernandez is back with Manila Standard [...]
Twitter: filipinovoices
says:
As I’ve said, it may be just a case of print before resignation, but as per insider information via Ajay, management has not accepted her resignation.
We can’t verify any of this of course, because Manila Standard Today remains silent to this day, an act which I can only call irresponsible at the least.
Your #4 is probably the most logical of all the reasons, her resignation letter was real, but I doubt the sincerity.
Benj will be on Media in Focus along with Connie, hope everyone can watch and give their two cents after the airing of the show.
The number 4 reason is an insult to the Filipino public. I really hope people aren’t this stupid. People who think that the public are stupider than they are are usually very stupid people, or sociopaths.
[...] by her (or as many other bloggers stated possibly not her but was perpetuated by another writer or editors/writers in the paper she is working with). Her apology could be a ploy to temporarily pacify the seething anger of the Filipino people, [...]
#3
We can’t rely on a random Geocities page. If she resigned indeed, I think they would publish it on the paper.
A simple response from the newspaper would’ve mollified the people. But they choose to remain silent, apart from columnists Austero and Veneracion. Maybe they think this will all blow over soon and everyone will forget about it. Kasi nga naman ang Pinoy daw madaling makalimot. But this media unfolds in real-time, available for all and sundry to read 24/7 non-stop…in theory, until kingdom come. Or until US servers are nuked. That is the difference between old media – newspapers and TV spots. The messages they give are fleeting, once delivered they are gone. But our blogs? They deliver the message and the message is there to stay ’til we decide to close shop. Ah well. Sagutin ang hamon ng Manila Standard Today.
if this is a publicity stunt, it sure worked! the increased traffic surely translated to money for everyone behind Malu. i guess you can say they all got what they wanted.
down with Manila subStandard
Oh, and one more thing:
Reason #4: Malu Fernandez is a drama queen, that in order for her to get attention from anyone, she has to create a racket by insulting OFWs and bloggers. when she gets the attention she craves, she resigns to further achieve notoriety.
MST’s decision to retain her reflects that way the paper and the writer would sink to ever so much lower levels to gain attention from the PDI, BusinessWorld, Manila Bulleting, and [INSERT NAME OF BETTER-KNOWN PAPERS HERE]-reading public.
MST management is either desperate or they really love Pugnacious…I mean, divalicious
I think number 4 would be the reason. I watched Media in Focus yesterday. Cheche invited bloggers and print media personalities. Manila Standard Today declined the resignation of Fernandez. I forgot the reason they gave.
@Nick, I wasn’t able to go to the taping. Sore eyes.
It’s just a matter of publicity.She’s a socialite as you know..