Opening a can of worms, R&B singer Jay-R painted an unglamorous picture of showbiz commoners have no knowledge of — exposing a web of corruption by talent managers and discoverers.

Unapologetically, the singer exposed the fundamentals by which some managers abide — with their insatiable avarice for money coming to life with pulsating beat.

Default contract

Jay-R, together with wife singer-actress Mica Javier, made an impromptu exposé of showbiz corruption by initially revealing the one-sided management contracts.

“Parang (It’s like) they have a default contract. Four percent, five percent lang minsan (only sometimes),” the singer revealed in his interview on the Think Talk Tea podcast show hosted by Kring Kim, referring how new artists and songwriters were duped by their talent managers.

“That’s impossible,” Kim wailed. 

“Yeah, yeah,” the singer countered, revealing that the artist is “paying for everything,” including the “promotion, food.”

Mafia

Being in show business for 37 years (this columnist started on 19 October 1989 as a writer for a talent manager), I’ve observed that talent managers are working like mafia bosses. They have structured procedures anchored on avarice, deception and corruption.

Under the talent manager’s payroll are well-trusted movie writers who transform into warriors when the need arises.

If one of their artists is relentlessly bashed through publicity or social media, the la biradoras in their payroll strategize to get even by ganging up on another rival artist.

Sexual favors

Newbies are the ones who usually fall prey to these alleged predatory acts by talent managers. Most victims are young male wannabes, struggling starlets of microscopic proportion who agree to be their managers’ lovers.

In exchange, everything is provided for by the manager — from house to car to luxury shoes and other male accessories. They’re dressed and paraded on important occasions.

Tax evaders

Most talent managers reportedly don’t declare their rightful income.

This is easily achieved, as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) does not have real access to the real number of talents a manager handles. They don’t have figures on how many projects the talent managers have booked for their talents, how many commercials, movies, concerts they’ve signed up for them.

Discreetly, a talent manager can avoid declaration of their rightful income when they field off their talents in provincial sorties, mall shows and fiestas.

They also can avoid declaring their earnings during campaign elections where their talents are most sought-after to attract thousands of audiences.

Pimps

Not all managers come from a respectable background. Some talent managers, of the fly-by-night kind, have shady history.

These career handlers offer more than talents in acting and singing. On the side, the more lucrative ones allegedly offer escort services or for gratifying sexual trysts, which do not necessitate paying taxes.

These transactions usually amount to hundreds of thousands, even millions especially if the actress or the actor is very popular.

Prone to this scheme are rich gay executives and politicians who’ve seen better days.

Deceitful, some talent managers have mastered con artistry with characteristic aplomb even if they’re punished with impunity.

Still and all, these predatory showbiz creatures continue to thrive, lurking in unseen corners and waiting for the most opportune time to meet a newbie, take advantage of his/her vulnerabilities and milk him/her dry for whatever it’s worth.