GAYLE DIZON... MY STAR IN A MILLION

The first time I saw Gayle in the eliminations of Star in a Million, I immediately DISREGARDED her. Yup, I was rooting for Kobe Wee at that time. In fact, I was a little annoyed at her because, when interviewed for a VTR on "Who should be the next to be booted off the contest?", she answered Kobe and said that, "Kaya lang naman siya naandito kasi guwapo siya."

Time went on, Kobe got eliminated, and Gayle eventually emerged as the 2nd finalist of SIAM. That was when I first noticed that there was something about her. It wasn't something obvious, although everything about her was great. She's cute, she has a fantastic voice and she seemed to have a great personality. But that was not it. I questioned myself why I suddenly admired Gayle. Although I never missed an episode of ASAP Mania or SIAM, I resolved to especially watch whenever a brand new batch of candidates would come in, since the finalists would have a number with the new people. And every time I see her, it gets a little more fun watching the show.

And then SIAM eliminations drew to a close, and the 10 finalists were introduced. They also informed the viewers that SIAM would have it's own TV show.

I was very happy and excited. Not only would SIAM have a longer airtime, I could also start seeing Gayle again every week.

I rabidly watched out for programs where the finalists would make an appearance, hoping to be able to see Gayle. I saw her in Sharon and in Morning Girls. And her voice seemed to be getting better and better.

Finally, Star in a Million's pilot episode aired, and I got to see Gayle perform again. But I was severely disappointed by the scores the judges gave her. She only ranked 7th out of the 10 finalists. Why? I personally thought she was great. But it occurred to me that the judges were from a different era of music. They grew up with a different slant on music and they might not connect with Gayle's style. But for a judge to be impartial, he or she must not look on whether the song sounds good to him or her, but whether it is good, period.

I had higher hopes for the 2nd episode, but my hopes were dashed to pieces when they eliminated Gayle from the competition. Once again, the victim of the judges' ears.

But I didn't feel glum the whole night. Instead, my admiration for Gayle grew when I saw how graciously she accepted the judges' decision. Not like Czarina who felt bereft and pitied herself, thinking that she was the worst of the finalists. But Gayle went out with dignity and with her head high. She tried not to cry, but the outburst from the other finalists (especially Erik) affected her. That in itself proved that Gayle is a good person, because the others wouldn't react that way if she was snobby or had an attitude. And in the end, it seemed that Gayle was happier that way.

By the 3rd week, I waited for the update on Gayle. She was smiling and told everyone that she was back to normal, doing things like going to school and attending choir practice. I felt happy for her. And I didn't feel so bad. I got a copy of the Star in a Million CD and look at her pictures and listen to her song and watch her music video. Now I can watch Gayle 24/7. And if she's happy with the way things turned out, I owe it to her to be happy for her.

I'm still not certain why I admire Gayle so much, but I have an idea. Maybe it's because Gayle is the type of person I want to be. Being humble despite success, using my talents both for personal growth and to entertain others, accepting defeats and setbacks graciously and with gratitude. Gayle deserves to be called an icon and an inspiration. And in the end, isn't that what being a star is all about? Inspiring people and encouraging them to be the best that they can be? Gayle did that for me. That is why she is my Star in a Million. And she's really a winner all the way.

PJ
December 2003