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Son of a Dead '80s Bold Star
In SON OF A DEAD '80s BOLD STAR, award-winning essayist and pop culture writer Chuck D. Smith explores a life defined by a lie: he was raised to believe he was the biological son of Pepsi Paloma, a controversial '80s Philippine actress who died tragically in her teens. This collection of personal essays and entertainment reportages chronicles Smith's journey to make sense of this inherited identity, detailing the grief, joys, and self-discovery he experienced while navigating the exciting and tumultuous world of Philippine show business.
- GenresNonfiction
134 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 17, 2026
(typo on page 64)
I liked most of the anecdotes though I wish there had been a stronger intellectual journey throughout the collection.
Personally I wanted a more meaningful and challenging conclusion around Pepsi Paloma. She is a titular figure after all, and the author’s relationship with and perception of her feel like the thread that could have ultimately tied the themes together.
Chuck D. Smith wrote about Cherie Gil and Eddie Garcia - pillars of Philippine entertainment history - and reflected on their influence on showbiz. But somehow failed to confront the tragic story of Pepsi Paloma - an underage girl who was turned into a “bold star”, whose alleged rape and subsequent suicide would come to overshadow her legacy.
As a pop culture writer, what does he make of his own place within an entertainment industry that exploited young women like her? As a man, to what extent did he participate in and benefit from that machine?
As the “son”, I wanted that personal reckoning to be explored more deeply, honestly and brutally. To me that was the biggest missed opportunity.
I liked most of the anecdotes though I wish there had been a stronger intellectual journey throughout the collection.
Personally I wanted a more meaningful and challenging conclusion around Pepsi Paloma. She is a titular figure after all, and the author’s relationship with and perception of her feel like the thread that could have ultimately tied the themes together.
Chuck D. Smith wrote about Cherie Gil and Eddie Garcia - pillars of Philippine entertainment history - and reflected on their influence on showbiz. But somehow failed to confront the tragic story of Pepsi Paloma - an underage girl who was turned into a “bold star”, whose alleged rape and subsequent suicide would come to overshadow her legacy.
As a pop culture writer, what does he make of his own place within an entertainment industry that exploited young women like her? As a man, to what extent did he participate in and benefit from that machine?
As the “son”, I wanted that personal reckoning to be explored more deeply, honestly and brutally. To me that was the biggest missed opportunity.
November 9, 2025
This essay collection by Chuck D. Smith is as bold and revelatory as its title: Son of a Dead ‘80s Bold Star is Smith’s turn to tell the story of his origin—the real one, or at least the truth he chose to believe—and his life thereafter.
In “Origin Story”, the Palanca-winning essay that opened the collection, he tackled this question about his identity head-on. Being the white kid in a brown-skinned family and having an American surname, Smith revealed how this subjected him to people’s inquisitiveness. Though as he was growing up he had no concrete answers to their questions, he “learned that it was easier to volunteer the information myself to anyone who asked” (even though in the end he discovered that what he had been serving was not the whole truth.) This seemed to be reflected in how Smith wrote; with a no-nonsense and straightforward style, the essays here always had Smith driving through the heart of the story, on what he wanted to focus on, right from the very beginning. “Here’s a confession: I am the son of a dead ‘80s bold star.” Or even: “There are only two kinds of people in Philippine show business: those who are incredibly polite and those who are assholes.” It is a style that I enjoyed and it defined Smith’s voice. It was also a welcome presence across essays that had Smith abruptly shift from personal anecdotes to celebrity features.
There was a line in “Developing Story”—what I would consider the strongest entry in this collection—that stuck with me. During a job interview in Hell, the interviewer offhandedly remarked that his lisp was caused by his biological mother’s attempt at abortion. Smith wrote: “Oh, how people saw the confluence of these curious little details about me as an open invitation to solve the mysteries of my life and sum it up in a sad and tidy conclusion.” Perhaps it remained with me because it revealed itself as the thesis of this collection: how after years of people’s assumptions on his origin and identity and after relegating himself to silence and easy half-truths to avoid confronting his lisp and his unknown parentage, Smith had finally taken the narrative and was then telling the story himself.
In “Origin Story”, the Palanca-winning essay that opened the collection, he tackled this question about his identity head-on. Being the white kid in a brown-skinned family and having an American surname, Smith revealed how this subjected him to people’s inquisitiveness. Though as he was growing up he had no concrete answers to their questions, he “learned that it was easier to volunteer the information myself to anyone who asked” (even though in the end he discovered that what he had been serving was not the whole truth.) This seemed to be reflected in how Smith wrote; with a no-nonsense and straightforward style, the essays here always had Smith driving through the heart of the story, on what he wanted to focus on, right from the very beginning. “Here’s a confession: I am the son of a dead ‘80s bold star.” Or even: “There are only two kinds of people in Philippine show business: those who are incredibly polite and those who are assholes.” It is a style that I enjoyed and it defined Smith’s voice. It was also a welcome presence across essays that had Smith abruptly shift from personal anecdotes to celebrity features.
There was a line in “Developing Story”—what I would consider the strongest entry in this collection—that stuck with me. During a job interview in Hell, the interviewer offhandedly remarked that his lisp was caused by his biological mother’s attempt at abortion. Smith wrote: “Oh, how people saw the confluence of these curious little details about me as an open invitation to solve the mysteries of my life and sum it up in a sad and tidy conclusion.” Perhaps it remained with me because it revealed itself as the thesis of this collection: how after years of people’s assumptions on his origin and identity and after relegating himself to silence and easy half-truths to avoid confronting his lisp and his unknown parentage, Smith had finally taken the narrative and was then telling the story himself.
March 19, 2026
Randomly na nag scan lang sa booth ng UST last PBF '26. Then, boom naintriga ko sa title. Also, I love the book cover and the colors of it. Soo, yeahh. I scored this book at PBF '26 and even got it signed with a dedication. Chuck was very humble and kept saying ‘salamat sa pagbili.’ Today, I finally finished the book, and I must say I love how simple yet effective the writing style is.
TW: Yung last section ng book na ito..
TW: Yung last section ng book na ito..
June 3, 2026
(Actual Rating: 3.75) Unapologetic and unhinged; humorous and effortlessly entertaining, Son of a Dead ’80s Bold Star presents the difficult yet rewarding journey of self-discovery and identity. It was a great introduction to who Chuck Smith is—not just as the son of Pepsi Paloma, but as a person in his own right. And oh, what an interesting time it was getting to know him.
November 26, 2025
This book is a well written sleepover with your bestfriend ~ and that instead of sleeping, you spend an all-nighter talking about everything. EVERYTHING.
From unpacking his Origin Story—which is literally as juicy as the book title suggests—childhood traumas, dark intrusive thoughts (because who doesn’t have one?), lovelives, to literal showbiz gossip. This book was so fun to read, it was so easy to love.
Chuck Smith’s storytelling was both vulnerable and funny. And although his essays were immensely personal it was never un-relatable. If you liked Bob-Waksberg’s (Bojack Horseman) Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory, you will LOVE this one.
It’s a kind of book where at the end you wish you were friends with the author. Definitely one of my favorite releases this year.
From unpacking his Origin Story—which is literally as juicy as the book title suggests—childhood traumas, dark intrusive thoughts (because who doesn’t have one?), lovelives, to literal showbiz gossip. This book was so fun to read, it was so easy to love.
Chuck Smith’s storytelling was both vulnerable and funny. And although his essays were immensely personal it was never un-relatable. If you liked Bob-Waksberg’s (Bojack Horseman) Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory, you will LOVE this one.
It’s a kind of book where at the end you wish you were friends with the author. Definitely one of my favorite releases this year.
June 2, 2026
Finally finished reading Son of a Dead '80s Bold Star by Chuck D. Smith. 💖📚
This collection of essays explores a wide range of topics - from the author's personal experiences and reflections on life to stories and insights from Philippine showbiz.
Then came the final essay.
I had to pause.
It’s one of those moments in a book that makes me stop reading for a while.
Not because the words are difficult to understand, but because the weight of what I've just read needs time to sink in.
We all carry our stories, wounds, and experiences that are often hidden from view - things people don’t immediately see just by looking at us or knowing us on the surface.
In the end, it's up to us how we choose to tell our own stories.
Chuck D. Smith offers a collection that doesn’t just recount experiences, but gently asks the reader to sit with them. It’s raw, personal, and quietly affecting in ways that linger long after the final page. 💖📚
This collection of essays explores a wide range of topics - from the author's personal experiences and reflections on life to stories and insights from Philippine showbiz.
Then came the final essay.
I had to pause.
It’s one of those moments in a book that makes me stop reading for a while.
Not because the words are difficult to understand, but because the weight of what I've just read needs time to sink in.
We all carry our stories, wounds, and experiences that are often hidden from view - things people don’t immediately see just by looking at us or knowing us on the surface.
In the end, it's up to us how we choose to tell our own stories.
Chuck D. Smith offers a collection that doesn’t just recount experiences, but gently asks the reader to sit with them. It’s raw, personal, and quietly affecting in ways that linger long after the final page. 💖📚
March 22, 2026
Smith’s essay collection feels like seeing an old childhood box and trying all the stuff inside. As he reflects on his past as moves toward the future, he grapples with the quiet grief of discovering who he is. His integration of Filipino pop culture in his stories reminds us that the figures we usually encounter only on screen are rendered with such care, they’re human too.
April 4, 2026
Sir chuck is a gifted essayist. the words flow smoothly, an east read. I felt like a close friend to him after reading this.
April 10, 2026
honest and earnest. it feels less like a journal, but more a late night conversation with a friend who is out to make you laugh (and cry) and ready to open up--not for you, but for himself. cathartic, revelatory, and tenderly personal.
September 27, 2026
Done with my first book out of my MIBF 2026 book haul.
March 6, 2026
Prior from reading this book, I have read collection of essays from Filipino writers like Jillian Tolentino and Elaine Castillo. These writers have a sophisticated use of language and have a way of entertaining their readers despite their essays being non-fiction. This essay collection is different. It uses simple descriptive language. However, that did not ruin my reading experience. Despite being simple, I resonated with most of the essays. As someone who is queer and who grew up watching Philippine showbiz, this perfectly depicts the interconnection of showbiz towards the lives of Filipinos. Most of the essay in this collection is so personal and it really tugs my heart at some point.
My favorite part from this book is his discussion on how Filipinos put premium on the biological. The author discussed his feelings of not wanting to really met his biological father, he just did not want his identity to be blank so that he can answer the questions for him about his father. Filipinos always put importance on the biological parents and whenever someone is adopted theres a need to meet the biological parents to complete this puzzle. This should not be the case. We, filipinos, should acknowledge that there are circumstances that hinder a couple to procreate and adopting should not be seen as a taboo. It should be an option/choice that should be given equal respect.
3.5
My favorite part from this book is his discussion on how Filipinos put premium on the biological. The author discussed his feelings of not wanting to really met his biological father, he just did not want his identity to be blank so that he can answer the questions for him about his father. Filipinos always put importance on the biological parents and whenever someone is adopted theres a need to meet the biological parents to complete this puzzle. This should not be the case. We, filipinos, should acknowledge that there are circumstances that hinder a couple to procreate and adopting should not be seen as a taboo. It should be an option/choice that should be given equal respect.
3.5
March 5, 2026
Ganda! Congrats Chuck!🏆
September 15, 2026
Exactly how I imagined Jessica Zafra’s fabulous gay son would be.
November 15, 2025
I didn't want to stop reading!
August 30, 2026
”Blood is thicker than water. Am I blood or am I water. Is there a chance I’m neither?”
September 28, 2026
This book felt like reading a best friend's diary. It's funny, raw, and real. Truly one of the best nonfiction and contemporary Philippine literature releases in recent years.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews