From Belinda Olivares-Cunanan’s column published on June 17, 2010.

I was told I was too partisan against one candidate, raising a number of issues against him. But were all my fellow columnists “neutral” and “nonpartisan”? Let the readers be the judge.

During Estrada’s and Arroyo’s terms, I devoured the Inquirer like crazy. It seemed to me that it fearlessly said everything that needed to be said. I thought it was interesting that Cunanan was one of its columnists, because she was staunchly pro-Arroyo. I thought it was pretty big of the Inquirer, and that it was a sign that it really did strive to be balanced.

But apparently, now that the Inquirer has found its champion, it doesn’t want to hear anything said about him. And so, it would seem that Cunanan has been axed, contrary to the paper’s announcement that she resigned. So much for the Inquirer tagline “Balanced News, Fearless Views.”

For years and years, we see Hollywood celebrities striking their signature poses on the red carpet, puckering their lips, blowing kisses, looking over their shoulder at the paparazzi frantically clicking away with their cameras, with a backdrop bearing the name and logo of the event as well as its sponsors. Thanks to more awareness of these events, it seems like people suddenly took a look at the backdrop and thought, “Hey! We should have that, too!”

That backdrop is what is known as a photo wall, it being the background of pictures taken at an event or a party. The photo wall is no longer restricted to parties for celebrities and the glitterati–everybody’s getting into it, from company parties and even private birthday celebrations and reunions. The photo walls for these events, predictably, bear the name and logo of the company or the name of the person for whom the party is being thrown.

The result of the photo wall’s rise? Well, people can remember where their photos were taken, for one. But more importantly, the photo wall serves to make people feel like celebrities. Witness the growing number of people dressed to the nines and striking their most fabulous poses for the camera. The photo wall could definitely be fun to play with, though one has to think why it should be a common fixture in parties these days. Perhaps it’s because we’re in The Age of the Camwhore.