If somebody accuses me of something, it better be of sleeping with their daughter. Hopefully, the daughter is beautiful. After all, I have an image to maintain even if it is not true. Two, if it is not true and the daughter is beautiful, she better sleep with me and then, they can accuse me. – Joey Baking, May 28, 2012
** ** **
Hmmm….I assure you readers that this bit of reportage adheres to the lowest form of journalism. It is called gossip. Ehe. What I mean is that, we never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Ehe again. What I mean is, “if the story is good, who cares about the truth?” – Joey Baking, May 28, 2012
** ** **
Am I the only one not having an orgasm while surfing facebook? That explains why some people are online 24/7 on facebook. – Joey Baking, May 28, 2012
** ** **
Friends have called my attention to postings in Facebook by a media character named Joey Baking, he of the PNS (pinabili ng suka) variety whose tabloid is a dichotomy between lust and decorum, a contradiction exemplified by the person himself.
This person (gay, guy?) writes about sex toys, condoms, orgasms, penises, beautiful women and a sprinkling of so-called “sward speak” such as “sus,” “ehe, ehe” and “naku ha!” which could mean etcetera, etcetera, ad nauseam.
The most serious works that appear in his blogs are not his, actually some are mine which he lifted and republished without permission. But I let it in the spirit of tolerance and neighbourly accommodation.
He calls his tabloid Little Manila Confidential (or is that little mania?) and this is again a contradiction in itself because there’s nothing absolutely confidential in its contents and in his thoughts; neither in his writings nor in his photographs. If there were, it is only because he’s preoccupied with things so ribald to conform with human decency.
The best mirror of his ideas are his photos, just as his columns are the graphic reflection of a wandering mind, always on the lookout for the kinky.
I am tempted to warn his photographic subjects, particularly the young ladies, to exercise extreme caution in obliging him for a pose because the risks such a venture entails could be potentially disastrous to their reputation.
He admits in his blog profile, and I let him say it in his own words, that “. . . I’d settle for being close to beautiful women and being seen with them regardless of their fame or not”. That explains his picture in that same blog where he smiles with a white lady who appears to be a beauty contestant.
I do not mean to imply in any way that Joey Baking is a pervert conveniently disguised as a news photographer. I don’t mean to say either that his paper is just a cover to pursue non-journalist adventures.
His photos are far from artistic – to be kind to him – and to my eyes, they are lewd. Excuse me for saying so, ladies; it’s the photography that is lewd, not your persons, and that should be emphasized here.
Joey must either be a lady’s man, were his pictures a yardstick; or a man’s man if his “ehe, ehe, naku ha” language were the gauge. I mean, who else would talk girlish if one’s not a girlie. Please, my good friends in the gay community, I mean no offense. I write only to analyze this media character.
Joey probably thought that he could again get away with what seems to be a license writing offensive remarks about me. He’s friendly, there’s no question about that, but his friendliness exacts some kind of benefits.
The very first time I put out an online blog in 2010 upon my arrival in Toronto from San Diego, I was appalled by the shamelessness of this gay? guy? He lifted entire editorial contents from my blog without as much as a courtesy of telling me or asking my permission.
I was new in the city but quite an experienced hand in broadcast and print journalism. I was prepping up then for digital/online media in expectation of the full shift in technology. The only journalist I knew from way back in Manila is a respected colleague, Tenny Soriano, and that was it.
Eventually I met Joey Baking during a reception at the Philippine consulate on Eglinton Ave. He secluded himself in a corner eating away at jet speed, probably to catch the program before it unfolded. He was filling up perhaps on a thought that it was dinner rather than snack that was being served.
He introduced himself. I responded by telling him my name. Upon hearing it, he appeared quite surprised, then excused himself to go to the main hall where the festivity was to begin shortly.
Once he was gone, I realized that he was the person who had been copying and lifting my columns and stories from my blog to his blog.
The sudden awareness made me think. A self-respecting journalist would never ever do what he was doing then, even if he tried to extricate himself by saying the credits are intact. Indeed my byline was there. But I wasn’t writing for him or for anyone else.
Seeing my articles in his blog was misleading. Some readers might have gotten the impression that he was paying me to write for him, or that I was in his employ. That was wrong.
From that experience, I can say that Joey Baking is not the person he likes people to believe he is. He likes to write to entertain himself, not to inform nor to impart knowledge.
His raunchy photographs could be one argument that he could take pictures, yes . . . the way a peeping Tom does. #
(For comments, the author can be reached at TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail.com).