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September 26, 2005
They Should Scrap 'Pinoy Big Brother' Altogether!
Finally the MTRCB did something right and that is to suspend the utterly senseless show, "Pinoy Big Brother." It would have been better to ban the show altogether, but a suspension would surmise for now.
In its justification to air the show, ABS-CBN stated that "'Pinoy Big Brother' represents a new, unprecedented expression of Filipino reality, a microcosm of human behavior that opens valuable studies and insights into social interaction, relationships and discipline."
That's BS as BS can be! "Pinoy Big Brother" caters to the voyeuristic tendencies of Filipinio viewers, period! The 'Kapamilya' station is committing incest once again with the Filipino viewing public. In their statement they try to use psycho-babble as if the intended viewers are psychology students. ABS-CBN's advertisement to watch PBB in Skycable gives them away, however. They invite viewers to watch the show on cable instead where it is live 24/7 and UNCENSORED! (all caps mine). Why will they add the word, uncensored, if they have no intention to spice it up with sexual undertones?
There's nothing redeemable from PBB, social or otherwise. But what can you expect from TV stations that compete for every tooth and nail of the viewing public? Look at the primetime fare. If you don't get lachrymose-heavy Filipino soaps, you get lachrymose-heavy KOREAN soaps. So the next step in capturing precious patronage is the use of sex; but not blatantly. So ABS-CBN bright boys came up with PBB as a subtle medium.
PBB is a European concept, where moral values are almost non-existent. ABS-CBN would now like to bring Filipinos to that same doormat-level morality. All in the name of profit.
To ABS-CBN, if you're not jaded yet, be ashamed; be very ashamed!
Posted by francis at September 26, 2005 03:16 AM
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Comments
i hear you there. it truly amazes me how the people over at that network have the temerity to invoke psycho-babble in order to justify their indelicacy, all to disguise their bottom line, and expect to be able to get away with it.
first and foremost, it is not an apples-to-apples comparison. you're right in that they should not have tried to force the idea of an uncensored viewing of PBB on the Filipino audience. however, this does not make everything in that show useless. it is indeed interesting to see how people from different backgrounds get along under one roof; however flimsy the premise, there is still value in entertainment to be had there.
but i think ABS-CBN's blunder lies in their overstepping of cultural boundaries. say we forget for a second about comparing morals between cultures since that's a tricky area for deliberation. but the fact remains that they did some aspects of the show in very poor taste. they should have been more considerate of all of their audience, which obviously includes the young. this extends largely to their marketing tactics, the way they aimed to pique the curiosity of this segment of their audience. and in reference to the episode which provided the MTRCB impetus to suspend the show, it really was an artless thing to pull. needless to say, despite the quasi-ruckus they are raising over the issue in defense of their position, this kind of thing does not work for the Filipino audience. and this is why they should shove it, instead of inflicting on the Filipino people their profit-driven point of view, around which they expect the latter to mold their viewing habits.
Posted by: fafarrahzzi at September 26, 2005 10:56 AM