Cult Fiction: Himala and Bakya Temporality Bliss Cua Lim Star discourse Nora Aunor, the Superstar

cult divinity and fandom in Himala trace movement of motion across various registers cult fandom as masscult symptom opens up questions of cultural hierarchy and temporality in trashy cultural taste (bakya sensibility)

3 cult in Himala cult of Mary cult of Elsa cult fandom of Nora Aunor Elsa as a heretical saint : Marian Babaylan Church failed to fully disclose salvic message apparition: updated info on what divine wants / hunger for direct messages from heaven femal Christ babaylan renumeration from religious works heresy rooted in peasantry accountable to people not church star cult / mass cult actor overshadowed by role babaing martir off screen cinderella superstar poor, small, dark skinned vendor from Iriga elsa: putok sa buho ; nora: negra lower-class, housemaid rise of nationalism nora over mestizas price of movie ticket to make difference cult directed at her not her lms elsa and nora objects of devotion nora's following: bakya (poor's slippers) colonised poor imitation masa cultural deprivation brings bad taste lower class "not yet" ready to contribute to modern nation difference of himala and other nora babying martyr lms himala discloses temporal structure which underpins both secular and elite disparagement of nora's cult following and those aspects of Fil mass culture climatical pivot Elsa and disciples wasn't protected by Elsa ( rape, death of patient) Elsa

stigmata death by gunshot

Himala in history 1967 Cabra Island Berlinda Ishmael Bernal's and Ricardo Lee's Himala as a Postmodern Text Marita Concepcion Castro Guevara study of the postmodern self and its representations in the lm Himala Postmodernism nostalgic longing for the past, coupled with an erasure of the boundaries bet past and present; intense preoccupation with the real and its representations 4 concepts (Steven Best and Douglas Kellner's "The Postmodern Turn") postmodernists reject unifying schemes in favour of new emphases on difference/ plurality renounce closed structures, xed meaning in favour of uncertainty, ambiguity, chaos. abandon naive realism and representational epistemology in favour of perspectivism, intertetuality, relativism retreat from practices of specialisation, move in deconstructing boundaries among diff disciplines Summary establishing authenticity of Elsa as a visionary not a point many contradictions to stress movie's point of reality as unknowable and truth is a matter of one's social locus Postmodern themes and strategies rejection of the grand narratives of scientic progress and religion in favour of discourses of conict modernisation in barrio bring decadence nestoy and Intong (children of along sepa) modernisation on the youth curse pickpocket attracted to prosti death by eating rich people food drug related crimes (camera, cars) from within ( pilo and narding kill mr. chua) from without ( rape of elsa and chayong) aspire for material comfort from observing manila visitors crime, prosti bella nimbi's father, igmeng bugaw, offers her to foreigner exploitative media orly rape death of elsa religion marian movement around elsa and site apostles didn't result in better lives for cupang

chayong raped, lost everything, died sepa neglects children children pickpocketing, prosti died eating rich people food himala debunks grand narratives of progress and religion former engenders decadence, latter engenders passivity presents discourse of conict, crisis renunciation of closed structures and xed meaning himala no xed meaning contradictions point not to answer questions in audience's mind no xed meanings, only socially constructed elsa's vision true or not? hears a voice calling her, audience hears it too stigmata report cured people low status imaginative intelligent elsa feels sorry about cupang's pain increase her value in cupang's people himala is ambiguous = indeterminate nature of reality elsa's killer and motive who is saint/sinner? elsa, nimia, orly use of juxtapositions as lm technique binary contrasts of sacred/profane impeng bugaw's house crucix, genera gin, pin up poster nimia pokes fun at blessed virgin virgin to vamp in seconds name of cabaret heaven as carnal pleasure heaven as salvation after death truth is relative one that would cause more gain/less pain priest: kasinungalingan max may nagagawa kabutihan sa tao conclusion: reality is indeterminate

Rumor, Craze, Panic, Mob Attack and Messianism: A Sociological Analysis of Collective Behavior in Himala Marita Castro Guevara Sociological reading 1st apporach himala as artefact product of particular historical-social conditions of its time impact on his to and socio 2nd approach reality depicted in movie chose this def of sociology study of society and social relations to understand human behaviour (in context of

individual's social life study collective behaviour of baryo cupang folk during and after elsa revealed she saw mary and was granted healing powers socio Theory Neil Smelser's value-added theory of collective behaviour two assumptions people of barrio cupang have same beliefs and behaviours of true to life barrio folk members of community is a typical member of the barrio (similar perceptions of other barrio folk Subelds in socio, 5 main areas of socio concern socialization social organisations basic institutions social problems social change Major theoretical perspectives 4 major theories in socio 2 micro, 2 macro micro smallest social units namely individual (1st) symbolic interactionism interaction between individuals in symbolic level Symbols: words, gestures, objects that communicate meaning to people (2nd) social exchange theory motivations for human behaviour are found in the costs and rewards of human actions cost-reward - reciprocity give something of equal value in return macro larger social units such as groups and organizations (family) (1st) structural functionalism called functionalism every pattern of social interaction contributes to the society interested in purpose/function of structures in society (2nd) conict theory result of karl marx thinking certain position/status are endowed with greater power than other positions Smelser's value-added theory of collective behaviour rests heavily on structural functional theory as well as on symbolic interactionism institutionalised behaviour predictable patterns of group actions governed by social norms bedrock of social order collective behaviour spontaneous outside connes of social norms behaviour that is relatively spontaneous and less regulated by traditional norms of a grp of people who are reacting to a common inuence

kinds of collective behaviour rumor unveried but not necessarily incorrect info transmitted from person to person rapidly great interest to others trying to construct a denition of an ambiguous situation panic collective ight based on hysterical fear craze exciting mass involvement people involved in relatively long period usually economic in nature fashion styles/appearance o behaviour change slowly compared to fashion build up on past fashion fad activity many adopt quickly and enthusiastically short lived craze, fashion, fad indicate interest to advance in economic ladder hostile outbursts acts of violence by emotionally stimulated crowd mob attacks sense of common purpose riot less goal oriented and organized social movement organised grp effort under a leadership to promote/prevent change most goal oriented, most structure most likely to create social change lasts longest common: emerged from societies with disturbance of social forms/ relations, leading to people being deprived of access to resources revolutionary overthrow existing govt reform improve existing govt resistance reverse trends that threaten current system expressive change individual not society millenarian collapse of social order, replaced with new perfect order messianic coming of redeemer nativistic restoration of traditional way of life sects splinter group from larger religions cults small grp offering alternative to dominant spiritual tradition Smelser's theory devise system that can explain how collective behaviour develops and the directions it will take "value added"

economics: raw materials become more valuable and specic 6 stages structural conduciveness presence of element which will produce a collective behaviour incident structural strain hardships that produce discontent growth and spread of generalised belief evolves in response to strain precipitating factors event that moves people to act mobilisation of participants for action concerted action of affected group operation of social control efforts of society (media, police, religious) to deal with ongoing collective episode

Smelser's theory to understand collective behaviour in himala rumor elsa's pregnancy craze and fad elsa's souvenirs panic death of elsa mob attack beat alleged assassin messianic most complex thesis: a messianic movement was emerging in baryo cupang as a belief was propagating structural conduciveness structural conditions in cupang political so-so mayor economical poor drought manila, saudi social no water, health service culture same catholic belief in redemption and damnation baryon cupang fertile ground for messianic movement structural strain drought growth and spread of generalized belief why it doesn't rain ketonging babe precipitatiing factor elsa's alleged vision of mary redemption is imminent mobilisation of participants for action modernisation of cupang role of leadership

visionary, healer siete apostoles operation of social control leaders support elsa mayor lumaki income, reelection mrs. alba resort priest tolerant in the end movement grew because of their support

Conclusion movement will continue site apostles headed by sepang elsa as saint continued support of leaders structural conditions in cupang are still difcult hope