I had one thousand and sixty.”
— Imelda Marcos, 1987
Here she is world, here she is boys!
Dubbed the “Chubby Mai-Tai Marie Antoinette” (by our beloved staff member Stinky), Imelda Marcos is set to get an Evita:The Rock Opera treatment this coming March at the Adelaide Music Festival in Australia.
Entitled Here Lies Love, the musical will concentrate on the Filipino First Lady’s mania for disco music, Studio 54, and, of course, Italian shoes (actual pair, left) — the one thousand and sixty of which she had to abandon when she fled the presidential palace in 1986 after her husband, the dodgy Ferdinand Marcos, was toppled in a popular revolt.
Talking Head David Byrne will co-write the spectacle with, appro- priately, Fatboy Slim, whose world-wide techno-hit a few years back, Praise You, featured spastic dancers from an out-of-shape community dance group. This sort of twisted surrealism, we think, is the only approach possible for a retelling of the life of this wacky autocrat, who once said,
“It is terribly important to do certain things, such as wear overembroidered dresses. After all, the mass follows class. Class never follows mass.”
and
If you know how rich you are, you are not rich. But me, I am not aware of the extent of my wealth. That’s how rich we are!”
and
“When they see me holding fish, they can see that I am comfortable with kings as well as with paupers.”
and
“In the material world — where everything is valued — when you commit yourself to God, Beauty and Love, it can be mistaken for extravagance.”
and, of course,
“I have only ever dreamt of a small house with a picket fence by the sea. But how can I stop what I am doing? It becomes a romance not only to a president and a husband but a romance of principles and commitment. A romance for humanity. This is perhaps what makes me so controversial. I am beyond logic and rationality.”
A former Filipino beauty queen, (dubbed “Muse of Manila” in 1950), Imelda, on the arm of her husband, took an active, tireless role in the government, building hospitals for the poor, promoting scientific programs to increase rice production, fancying herself “the Mother of my Nation” — while somehow finding a spare moment or two to amass $650 million in ruby necklaces, emerald bracelets and embroidered dresses with those relentless little angel-wing demi-sleeves.
Though she once said of herself (do strap yourselves in for this, children) “I was born ostentatious. They will list my name in the dictionary someday. They will use Imeldific to mean ostentatious extravagance,” she, and her husband, will more likely appear as illustrations under the term kleptocracy — a government so outrageously corrupt that no pretense of honesty remains.
Sounds perfect for Madonna Tom Cruise.
Personally, I hate it that Imelda Marcos has been trivialized as a joke. I don’t know how this new musical will treat her story. The fact remains that she plundered our country and I see her walking around the city free. By the way, Philippino should read “Filipino.”
Like the rest of the world’s celebrated figures, if history will be kind to Imelda Marcos, only time can tell that now. “Here Lies Love” is warmly welcomed as a musical, alright, but if it will be presented as “another Evita”, where lies the relevance? Face it, she may not be well-loved by the ingratiating lot but she is “style personified”!
i agree with ardee she is style personified
The true story of Marcoses has never been really told to the public. There are many corrupt politicians around the world that will rival the Marcoses, even worst. At least, Philippines was better off during their regime than today. BTW, her grandson is very cute..he’s a hunk. I wish he will pose for a naked pictorials.
Imelda is a very interesting character. We have met several times. She still lights up a room when she walks in.
Yep, it’s a shame that she hasn’t been brought to justice for her massive theft and corruption, but she’s a woman and a former beauty queen and a glamour-puss, so no wonder she’s a celebrity and people obsess over her! The Filipinos are, in any case, an extraordinarily forgiving people. When living and working there recently, I was at first astounded too that she walked freely in Manila, since she’s undoubtedly a crook of massive proportions. But she has quite the cult following in the Philippines, and even those who acknowledge her crimes admit a grudging respect for her. In the Philippines, if you are a beauty queen, you can, quite literally, DO ANYTHING. She could have dined nightly on roasted infants from Mindanao and she’d probably still be free to shop and dine at the finest establishments.
One other thing–PJ is right, her grandson is divinely gorgeous! And a model. Manila has some nice, huge billboards with his naked torso displaying tight, sexy jeans. Shwing!