What's your favorite disguise? [/meta]

posted by letter shredder @ 11:59 a.m. on 1/20/2006

"Great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love disguised as sex and sex disguised as love..."
                                          -- Lester Bangs, Almost Famous



Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Social Responsibility

posted by letter shredder at 9:30 AM

Well, for quite sometime now, the block has probably imagined and considered being in the Pinoy Big Brother show if it were to have a second season. It is just something that most of us really laugh at.

But given the chance, considering that we won't lose our jobs and still have enough money after the season ends, I would really want the block to be there. Even if not for the house and lot, money, and other prizes that could have been there. Though I'm sure we would consider them if our integrity with regards to conflict of interest is put on the line.

For the purpose of educating the viewers of media literacy, I think all of us would. Then, we'd ask them to bring in Prof. Teodoroand Prof. Arao as guests.

Now, who would agree to have his or her head shaved? If the requests were just to sing, dance, gurgle gasoline, eat (whatever), put up a one-man band, or cross dress, there would be no challenge to that.

From watching TV, I've learned that MTRCB penalized PBB by not airing the program for a week (correct me if I'm wrong). I've not really paid much attention to the program then but I think they did not stop from airing it.

However, from the glimpses I've paid to the television screen when my family members watch it, I noticed that it did change somehow. But I can't say it has improved. One Sunday evening I watched Y Speak Live and the topic was about PBB's penalty. On the anti side were evicted contestants. They were supported by ABS-CBN staff, probably also from the show. I don't really remember who were on the pro side. What I could remember is their argument the show does not educate people properly and that it really made no sense at all (call this selective memory).

ABS-CBN personnel argued that people have the choice to turn off their TVs if they do not like the show.

When will media stop using the reason that they are giving what the people want? According to Sir Teodoro, in one of our Journalsim Ethics class, they are rather giving people what they are forced to want.

It is true that people could turn off their TVs. But how educated are the viewers that they have a choice of watching better programs?

PBB is a strong proof of the substance of Sir Teodoro's address (Against Technicism) in our graduation ceremony in April. As much as broadcast programs are:

Broadcast news is turning into entertainment, and into orgies of voyeurism and bloodlust as it focuses more and more on celebrities in addition to the usual emphasis on blood and gore. Since 96 percent of Filipinos have access to television, and since as a consequence television is the most credible medium for some 72 percent of the population, much of the information Filipinos receive is either in the category of fluff stories on the state of this or that actor’s romantic life... which leave viewers with exactly the impression the state wants people to have: that rather than responses to poverty and injustice rebellions are their causes.

There are so many issues that would eventually arise in educating viewers but all could start by having sophisticated discourses among people. But who shall lead these discussions? How can we expect people to talk about something they don't know they don't know?

Media practitioners should (really x 10 to the nth power) be aware of their social responsibility as much as they are conscious of the business side of the media (ratings, revenues, etc.).

AS for Yeba in PBB Season 2, it would surely rate. But what should the airtime be?

Well, we can probably have EDs in the morning and then "fun" time would be at night, later than the late news.

What if there's only one restriction?

NO SMOKING.

0 revealed their disguise