I love Esquire Magazine. In the format I got used to reading. In the tone that earned my respect. "The best man that you can be," its motto says. So even if their articles are about the politics, business and culture of another country and another nation miles away from Manila in both physical and financial terms, I was always able to relate. This averagely successful young professional with familial responsibilities despite being single coming from a third-world country, but living in a global city, can relate. I learned about wine and beer and how to appreciate both in different settings; with conversation pieces I can enjoy with like-minded friends. I can really, totally relate. Reading Esquire was like listening to an older brother, the one whom you idolized as a kid for his personality and charm and virtues (spirit of rebellion included), who got to travel around while working for a multi-national in one of the world's capitals. Certainly classy, but never aloof nor snooty.
And that is why Esquire Philippines is still far from deserving its brand. It's like listening to this average guy (in academic and athletic terms), educated in one of Manila's private school for boys, who thought he was cool just because he was already watching MTV when other boys outside his gated neighborhood were still peeking into the grills of a sari-sari store just to watch Eat Bulaga.
"...oh, never mind the peso sign - you'll never be able to imagine that much money with or without it anyway..." The PLDT-Digitel Merger.
Wow. If the article was only truly knowledgeable as it pretended to be about business or the merger (is he an insider?) or the telecom industry, I might have been less irritated. The article only elaborates already-discussed and printed gossips about the subject. It does not educate, like what an Esquire article should; it rather conveyed hear-says and pieces of opinion to the reader without original thought. Or if it were original to the author's point of view, well, that's even more sad and worse because his/her points were already pointed out before. Somewhere. And obviously, if the author works in a corporate setting, sadly the business of his company is too small that they're not used to hearing billions of pesos in their reports, forecasts, or in simple pantry conversations.
And the "skills" Esquire Philippines would like its readers to have include playing "Firework" by Katy Perry, wielding a Katana, handling a 20-foot reticulated python, building a raft and making your bed. I thought I was listening to a classy older brother - not a teenage jackass who just recently learned how to jerk off in front of an old copy of Penthouse. Why not talk about the emergence of Cebu as a financial counterweight to Manila? How about feature - being an international brand in a local setting - Filipino men who are known and who command respect (not because they can belt out "Faithfully") globally? Or since we're talking about skills here, why not talk about doing first-aids and quick home fixes - skills that men can use to become men in their homes?
And Man at his best is Ramon Bautista? Is this Esquire or is this FHM?
But fine, Esquire Philippines is still saved by some good articles.
Articles that fed my mind:
The new brew revue - Erwan Heusaff (and why is the glossary under the Appendix?)
Volcanoes Primer
Shared Esquire History
The Minimalist
The Unquiet American
Articles that entertained:
Making love out of nothing at all - Lourd de Veyra
Maturation of Manny - Gary Andrew Poole (though it sounds like it was lifted from previous Manny articles written by the same author)
Man who beat Pacquaio - Patricia Evangelista (I hate her politics, but I love her writing)
Articles that resonated:
These movies shouldn't exist - Philbert Dy
The man who could not grow up - Charlene Sawit
How to be a real man - Tara FT Sering
What is a man (Although the choices are subjective, I expected that the editors could have been more observing and could have done more research. To give our young men more Filipinos to look up to, the list could have been more extensive to include the men of our times -- for example, Midas Marquez, F. Sionil Jose, Ben Cabrera, Fr. Bernas, Adel Tamano, etc.)
Expected sell-out articles written for advertisers are also taste-spoilers:
Gadgets every man should have - Esquire Phil. could have written through a perspective
Things a man should own - Same comment as above
And lastly, does the international version of Esquire curate the ads that get printed in their pages? It would seem so.
Ok. After ranting all these, anyone could say that I'm just practicing the very old Pinoy vice of crab mentality. Totally untrue. In fact, it's the other Filipino vice that got me ranting -- the vice of mediocrity, the vice of "pwede na 'to." Fact is, for its premier issue, Esquire Philippines seems like it was a "pwede na" endeavor. I want Esquire Philippines to live on and set the standard for what the Filipino man should be at his best. Become the rational, tasteful, man that will be the modern voice and opinion for a progressive country.
Esquire Philippines should be true to its promise - become the best that it can be.
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