Wowowee and Pinoy Mentality




Several days ago, a chatmate in the Middle East left me without a warning because "it's Wowowee time".

Now I realize even TFC-North America has THREE daily airing schedules of Wowowee!

What is happening to us? Na unsa na man ta ani oi? says a Visayan friend.

The Pinoys all over the world have been hooked into what we call back home as a "noontime show mentality". Everyone is rushing to the screen, not bothered by hectic schedules. No one wants to miss Wowowee. What is in Wowowee? If we dissect the program, we would be able to categorize details into interesting chunks: a male host singing a variety of Lito Camu compositions, gorgeous and sexy co-hosts doing stints of slang and mispronounced words, a co-host comedienne fluterring her daily outrageous fashion statement and popular lines like "Habang may buhay, may Arabo!", sexy dancers doing roundabouts of risky steps, and a lot of games that benefit the "poor but deserving".

If we only take a careful look at how the noontime show influences the Philippine society, it would seem that it offers something for everyone from all walks of life. But what disturbs me is the fact that Filipinos in this time and age are still bewildered and subjected to the spell of consumer media.

Are we not capable of creating our own happiness? Why do we have to pay in order to produce laughter?

I don't really plan to destroy the convention of Filipino thinking. Mine is just a reflection of a social situation that, no matter how complicated or problematic, or a social life that is unquestionably difficult at this stage, is being sugar-coated by short-time shows that offer quick relief to problems, and hope to the rest.

What do you think?


Comments

  1. well, I guess it has been part of the culture of the Filipinos and we cannot just easily disregard or remove it. The television is like a member of the pinoy households. For some, it is a way of relating their social and personal conflicts because that could probably serve as an avenue or a new "help". However, if we try to look deeper, the more we see and empathize with them, we are just trying to make them feel low or simply rely on giveaways.

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  2. This comment really kills! Thanks for a different view.

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  3. hahaha. ows? pinagisipan ko yan ng 2 hours! Bwahahahahaha!

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  4. hahaha! I like the way you look at it, though.

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  5. hehe. thanks for appreciating it. =) Vamonos!

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  6. now that's a statement...
    nice one sir.

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  7. Thanks for dropping by, Harvey!

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  8. I share your views and opinions about the "Pinoy phenomenal show" called Wowowee. I cannot also explain really how and why most of Filipinos living abroad are also very much hooked to this show and to Willie Revillame. "Pareng Willie" is I'm sure the highest paid and highest earning TV male host in the Phils today. He earns more than a million pesos daily!! Wow! And I'm quite sure that most of the Pinoys living abroad only subscribe to the TFC channel because of the Wowowee show. And not only that, most of these Pinoys when they go home to the Phils for a vacation, never fail to go to ABS-CBN just to watch live Wowowee, they book this many months in advance in order to be guests (the TFC subscribers) in the show. i know this because I have many friends in the USA who do just this, they watch "Pareng Willie" before even going back home to their provinces. They stay in hotels near abs-cbn because they don't want to be late going to Wowowee. And I have also visited some Pinoy friends in London who also watch Wowowee without fail, from Monday to Saturday. They get "sick" if they can't watch it, whew! I live in Germany for a long time already. I only knew about Wowowee when that Ultra tragedy happened and I read it in the papers where many had died. I had never watched Wowowee on TV then, this show is not my cup of tea. But when I visited my former classmate in Florida 3 years ago, then I got to watch this show for the first time! I was "forced to" since she watched it almost daily. And when we made the "rounds" to visit more Pinoy friends there, also in the West Coast, it was the same scenario, TFC,Wowowee..And to be honest about it, during the times that I was "forced" to watch this show, there were times that I also shed tears when I saw some very poor kababayans there being interviewed by Willie. It breaks one's heart to hear very sad stories. Perhaps it is one of the reasons that this show is still number one even after many years. Now, I am still not a TFC subscriber, I watch Wowowee on the internet perhaps once a month, if I have ample time to spare. But mind you, I made extra efforts to "have" that Yes magazine issue where Willie Revillame and his wealth were featured. I paid ten times the value of that magazine for postage!! Why? Because I was too curious to see what Willie has bought with his milions. Is he mayabang? Yes, he is very mayabang. But well, he bought all these with the money earned through his hard work. He has the talent, and he deserves to have all what he can afford to buy. Why not enjoy life? And I also think that Willie has already helped many poor but deserving people in one way or another through his show. And if only for this, in my opinion Wowowee can go on and on, even without me as a TFC subscriber.

    Best regards to you, atenista. Have a wonderful day.

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  9. Hello Gie! Thanks for dropping by.

    Wowowee is, indeed, phenomenal because it has won the hearts of the majority. Our colonial history has shaped us into people who need to be with each other, no matter what the situation is. 'Kampihan' has championed the Pinoys around the world. And Wowowee is part of it -- "kakampi". The challenge to go with the underdog, the compassionate intent to be with the needy, has made Wowowee extremely popular.

    You are true in your observation that balikbayans flock to ABS-CBN in order to join the excited crowd. Popular culture probably suggests it -- to relive the ones they had before living a busy and painstaking life abroad, a truly Filipino occasion (remember Fiesta?) where every one eats, drinks, laughs, (and sometimes cries) and enjoys every bit.

    Wowowee will really be there for as long as it wins the heart of the Pinoy -- even without some of us...

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  10. I can't help but agree with your post. Programs like this shows how stuck pinoys are in thinking that money is all they need. And this noontime show, along with others ,mainly capitalizes on people's eagerness to get the money that they need, as soon and as fast as possible.

    It's basically "commercializing emotions". A contestant comes on stage with empty pockets, tells the whole world his/her drama, and the audience feels bad for the contestant. But wait, here comes the noontime show host. He/She gives some money to the contestant. Contestant feels lucky and, for a while, may be able to solve his/her short term financial instability. Audience feels relieved and touched by what they have just witnessed. And they need to watch again next time for more of these "touching stories". These shows get more ratings, thus, more sponsors.

    I hate to admit it but I think Pinoys have become more materialistic. And not just simply materialistic - we are merging being materialistic with our own values.


    And by the way atenista, thanks for adding me up. :-)

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  11. Thank you so much for dropping by, pinsan. LOL! Well-said!

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