Wowowee Wowowoooooo!!!!!

Wowowee is the center of publicity (particularly on YouTube) yet again due to an incident on a segment of their show. The show is being accused of manipulating the outcome of the prizes. If in fact he is holding the 2M film then there would be no chance in hell that the contestant will be able to win the 2M. Or another assumption is that if he feels like it, he can just stick the 2M film on the chosen coin and let the contestant win the 2M.

Whether you believe that there is a scam or not on this episode (or other episodes for that matter), there is a bigger issue to be addressed about Wowowee and the culture of noontime shows. I chose Wowowee as my prime example because this show just gets to my nerves. I can’t stand this show. I can’t stand the host. I can’t stand the stupid songs. I never really cared for Wowowee. The only time that I watched it was when my cousin was a back up dancer at the Chicago episode of the show. I really hate this show for that fact that it’s like a freak show. I pity the people who are desperate to be a contestant. They are made to embarrass themselves on national (or worldwide even) to be able to join. I mean, if you really have compassion for the masa that line up at your studios, why put them through humiliation? Isn’t it enough that some of them camp out the studio, wait for hours just to get in?

Culture of Fatalism

According to IBON Foundation , some 65 million Filipinos or 80% of the total population are making ends meet on a measly P96 or less. In another survey this year by IBON, more than three-fourths of Filipinos or 76.8% considered themselves as poor. No wonder then that lines for noontime shows are always long. In the case of Wowowee’s (tragic) 1^st anniversary, 30, 000 people turned up at the Ultra to get a chance to be included in the audience. Because of the chronic crisis in the country, one turns to games of chance in the hope of elevating oneself from poverty in a blink of eye. Shows such as Wowowee, which rely on games of chance (vs. skill) as a come on for their contestants, leads us to the culture of fatalism albeit unintentional to some of those who are part of the these kinds of shows (To some because some producers, hosts etc actually exploit the masses’ fascination with the wheel of fate to get higher ratings or sponsorships.). Unconsciously (or is it?), they are teaching the masses that we can escape poverty if we are just lucky enough. What about some other means of alleviating ourselves from our plight? Good for the show if they helped hundreds of people through a one-time-big-time jackpot they won on Wilyonaryo. What about the remaining 85 million more? Are we going to tell them, oh well, you’re just not lucky enough. Too bad. You’ll be poor for the rest of your life.

Macho-shit Host

I also never cared for Willie Revilllame ever since he started hosting noon time shows. I hate his macho shit humor and sexual innuendos on his female co-hosts and contestants. I can never forget that whenever I watch “Calendar Girls”, I cringe. I pity the women who had to wear bathing suits while being “interviewed” by Willie Revillame and John Estrada. By the end of the segment, I would always feel, as a woman, exploited even though I was just watching from the television. How happy I was when we and the rest of his macho shit buddies got the ax from the network because of repetitive suspensions from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). Imagine my horror when I learned that Willie returned with his own show. For me, he essentially did not change his style of hosting at all. He is still the same chauvinist pig that I saw back in the 90’s. If less sexual overtones, he still thinks that he’s better than everyone else. Have you seen how he makes fun of his audience and contestants? Bigot.

Stupid songs, poor performances

These noon time shows have a knack for popularizing catchy yet meaningless songs. Is this art? What does this contribute to the people? Mao Zedong said that we must popularize what is NEEDED and can readily be accepted by the workers, peasants, at the same time we must advance art and raise standards in the direction the proletariat are advancing. At the rate we’re going… we must advance, advance, advance! Please, it’s like regressing as a human race. I’ll say it now : NAKAKABOBO. It’s like watching Teletubbies with my pamangkins when at their age I was watching Batibot. (May I say that those pamangkins developed speech difficulties: my niece has a lisp and the other stutters.) Another peeve are artistas “dancing” or rather stomping, gyrating or simply making a fool of themselves. I’m so sick of programs parade their extensive network stable of artistas thinking that showing sexy moves and a cute face makes a good show. For the artista, take time in practicing your dance routine or songs you have to sing or lip sync. As beautiful as you are, it’s still grueling to watch a person fumbling and bumbling during a performance. To the networks, please don’t force your artistas to do something that they are horrible at. If they can’t sing, please be honest with them that they can’t sing and just give them something else to perform. Please do not exploit them by pushing them beyond their capabilities. It will save your artista from the humiliation.

I’m all for helping the poor and I think everybody can claim that. Wowowee claims that. But please, be sincere about it and show true compassion to your audience. Don’t humiliate them. Don’t give them a substandard performances. Don’t brainswash them with a non-coherent songs. Don’t take a messianic stance, and don’t take the masses for fools.

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Written by Diane

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