I'm a Baby!

"rey, i mostly agree with what you said. pero i'm still wondering...whatever happened to "making the audience want what they need?" hindi na ba possible yun? para kasing napaka-defeatist din ng attitude eh. na parang, e eto gusto nila, okay fine, kahit na napaka-walang kwenta. it's hard, pero sana may ginagawa pa rin, di ba? and maybe after 5 years or so, we would have re-educated the viewers. wala lang. ayoko lang kasi mawalan ng pag-asa na mababago pa ang ganitong mindset ng tao. ayokong isipin na bobo ang audience. pero napakalaking role ng media sa pagiging bobo ng mga tao. hindi ko kayo tinitira, pero sana lang talaga may magawa pa, instead of showing statistics and saying "we give what the audience wants."

Hindi ko inexpect na matutuwa ako sa pagba-blog pero kakaibang saya talaga kapag may nagko-comment or bumabati sa sinulat mo in person. That's why I make it a point to respond to comments. But my good friend Sunshine's comments on a recent post is just too provocative that it deserves a blog entry. Her comment, quoted in full above, is again an exciting starting point for media content discussions. Here's my take.

The problem with "making the audience want what they need" is knowing who's to say what they need. Sa Pilipinas, unlike, say, in the US (which I chose as an examle kasi feeling ko ito ang foreign TV industry na pinakapamilyar sa atin), developed na ang social system such that hindi malayo ang agwat ng mayayaman at mahihirap. That is not the case sa Philippine free TV industry. Ang laki ng social, economic, cultural at educational disparity between the media producers (ang mga tao responsible for what you see on TV) and the media consumers (the audience).

Example na lang ako: Lumaki akong bawal manood ng Tagalog TV shows, I am fluent in English, exclusive boys' school ako nag-aral, nagtapos ako ng college, never ko pang naranasang magutom dahil walang pambili kaming pagkain, sa isang subdivision ako lumaki, nagkakape ako sa Starbucks, nandidiri ako sa isaw...Ngayon, bilang writer, sa tingin mo ba'y normal na darating sa akin ang mga bagay na panonoorin ng audience ko?

D'yan pumapasok ang research, ang ratings, at misan trial-and-error na lang sa pag-produce ng isang TV show. That's why hindi ako basta-basta magsusulat nang hindi iniisip kung ano ang panonoorin ng audience ko. Baka sa ibang media puwede 'yon. At mas lalong hindi ko i-i-impose ang mga bagay na feeling ko kelangan ('yung sinasabing "need") ng audience. Sino ba'ko para i-impose ang taste ko sa kanila? (Baka araw-araw puro porno na lang ang nasa TV kung ganu'n) At sino ba'ko para sabihin sa kanila na: "Heto ang kelangan n'yo! Panoorin n'yo!" (Baka puro tips on Family Planning ang shows) Sino ba tayong lahat?

Sa lalong paghina ng ibang popular mass media tulad ng pelikula at ng komiks, ang telebisyon ang nag-e-emerge na social tool ng masa. Sila na hindi maka-afford magpakabit ng cable, o kung meron man na-e-alienate sa Westernized content nito, sa free TV nahahanap ang mga bagay na gusto nilang panoorin. Again, it's hard to please everyone. Sa mga taong tulad ni Sunshine na middle-class ang background maaring walang kuwenta ang mga Tagalized telenovela na'yan, ang mga celebrity talk shows, ang mga baklang nagli-lipsynch, at mga reality contests na'yan. But consider, na meron ding mga tao na hindi natatawa sa Friends, na hindi nabibilib kay Carrie Underwood compared kay Sarah Geronimo, at hindi ma-gets kung asan ang Fear Factor sa pagkain ng "balut eggs." Para sa kanila, 'yun ang mga walang-kuwentang show.

A case in point, for the longest time, all our News and Public Affairs Programs were in English. Ang Filipino naman sa Entertainment Programs lang ginagamit. Parang sinasabi na sa mga seryosong diskusyon, mas mainam na gamitin ang Ingles. Pero with TV Patrol unti-unting nabago 'yan. Pero the late-night newscasts and current affairs programs were still in English. Then Saksi came. Ngayon, LAHAT na ng balita at public affairs programs sa Philippine Free TV ay in Filipino. Ratings ang nag-push niya, dahil dini-demand ng majority of the audience na isalaysay sa kanila ang mga balita at pag-usapan ang mga isyu sa wikang pinakanaiintindihan nila.

Kaya na-o-offend ako sa mga well-meaning advocacies to "re-educate the audience," followed up pa ng "naniniwala akong hindi bobo ang audience" dahil hindi man sila sosyal, that doesn't make the audience BOBO either. And hindi man nila panonoorin ang Discovery Channel kahit na isalampak 'yan sa mga TV sets nila nang libre, that doesn't mean they need to be re-educated. Sometimes, in discussions about media content, the educated needs to be educated.

Yes, dapat vigilant pa rin tayong lahat sa kung anuman ang ipinapalabas sa TV. Pero hindi porque hindi nag-a-appeal sa'yong middle-to-upperclass sensibilities ang mga Pinoy sitcoms, noontime shows at fantaserye, eh, walang kuwenta na ito at wala na'tong naidudulot na mabuti sa audience.

Hindi ito pagiging defeatist. Hindi ito ang paniniwala ko dahil nilamon na'ko ng sistema ng komersiyalismo sa telebisyon. Sa limang taon kong pagsusulat sa TV, higit kong na-appreciate ang audience ko na noong halos dalawapung taon kong pag-aaral eh hindi ko nakilala nang mabuti (gayung sila ang majority). Ang pagtindi ng ratings war ay patunay ng patuloy na tumataas ng antas ng kanilang demands at tastes. Hindi kami puwedeng magpabandying-bandying sa trabaho namin dahil hihingi nang hihingi ng mas magandang programa ang audience. At patuloy silang magde-demand na dinggin sila, ang mga gusto nila, ang mga kailangan nila! Sila mismo ang magsasabi, hindi kung anumang sektor na hindi naman talaga gumugugol sa pananaliksik tungkol sa kanila pero push lang ng push ng kanilang sariling konsepto ng makabubuti sa kanila (more educational shows, more religious programs, more whatever!)

Puwede kong pakinggan ang ibang sektor pero magiging mas matimbang sa'kin ang audience ko. Tungkulin kong ibigay ang hinihingi nila dahil 'yun ang gusto nila at 'yun ang kailangan nila. And I am so happy to oblige. 'Yun ang mumunti kong ambag sa bansang ito, if I must say.

Sobra nang daming products ngayon na nabibili sa sachet. Dati shampoo lang. Ngayon corned beef, sardinas, insect repellant, shoe polish, mayonaisse, sandwich spread, pati nga deodorant nasa sachet na, eh!

May advantages naman siya. Sa mountaineering, convenient ang lightweight packaging ng sachet. At sa tulad kong laging may dalang toiletries, ayos din 'to. Pero ang main convenience naman talaga ng sachet eh affordability.

Sa mga mayayamang bansa, uso ang mga supersizes. Ang lalaki ng bote ng catsup, ng pancake syrup, ng shampoo...Pero sa isang bansang mahirap tulad natin, hindi 'yun afford ng karamihan kaya tinitingi-tingi, ika nga. Kailan lang eh napailing na naman ako nang makapanood ng commercial ng isang produkto na available na rin sa sachet. "Tanda 'yan ng mahirap na bansa," I told my housemate Thea. At tumagos talaga sa buto ko ang dagdag niyang, "Ibig-sabihin day-to-day na lang ang existence natin."

I learned that in the shampoo industry alone, 90% of their business comes from sachets. Ibig-sabihin para na ring 90% na rin ng Pilipino ay pang-day-to-day existence na lang ang kinikita? Ni hindi na nasusuwelduhan nang sapat ang mga tao para man lang makabili sila ng bote ng shampoo na puwedeng tumagal ng isang buwan. Lungkot, no.

A UP Diliman freshman wrote GMA Network’s higher-ups to complain about Sis. The letter is an interesting jump off point for a discussion on media content. However, since the letter was not directly addressed to me, it may not be prudent to reprint it here in full. Instead I directly quoted parts of the letter that are examples of common complaints about Philippine Television. All opinions expressed here are personal and are not official statements of GMA.

“There is one particular morning talk show that really irritates me: Sis… recently, I have seen nothing but production numbers and mindless celebrities giggling about their love lives, which, believe it or not, sparks no flame of interest in a lot of your viewers. Believe it or not, not everyone in the Philippines want to listen to Gelli and Janice de Belen tease each other on national television about their past flames…You could use your network to educate the Filipino television viewers rather than dulling their minds with senseless ramblings…imagine how much better our country would be if they saw, instead of dancing men in drag, something that inspires them to reach a goal, something that will actually benefit the masses.”

Sis has gone through dramatic changes through the years - all in an effort to win the ratings war. Nowadays, the show can be described as talk-variety. Airtime devoted to interviews has been drastically reduced to give way to musical numbers. And in the very few talk time, there is a conscious effort to veer away from heavy, serious topics.

Believe it or not, based on our show’s high ratings since we’ve adapted this formula, most of our viewers like it. So I’d rather not believe the letter writer when she says that the production number and talks on love lives spark no interest in a lot of viewers. Which brings me to the first point of this rejoinder. Most people assume that since they don’t like what’s on TV, the majority doesn’t as well. Thus they get irritated with media’s insistence on showing the public what it doesn’t want when as an enterprise, we couldn’t insist on selling a product consumers don’t want.

Media (specifically Philippine free television) does not simply come up with TV shows without considering what people like. We rely on audience research, global trends, and most importantly, on ratings. I’ve expounded on ratings in another blog entry so there’s no need to repeat its significance here. You may boo the following statement but, yes, we just give what the audience wants.

In doing so, the pursuit of higher ratings compel us to study our audience – to be sensitive to what they want and what they need. Now do people really need musical numbers and ramblings about celebrity love lives? At 10:30 in the morning, yes. They want and need an entertaining program that will help them catch their breaths from the busy morning of preparing breakfast, ironing uniforms and sending off spouse, children or amo to work and school. They don’t need serious discussions on cancer and parenting as illustrated by the poor ratings of our episodes that tackled those issues.

Media – and media critics – cannot just ignore empirical data and show what they think is good for the audience. That is arrogance.

“The show’s lack of substance isn’t the only thing that disturbs me. There is a fairly new addition to the show that I can’t quite understand: the drag queen intermissions. Let me make one thing clear: I am not, in any way, homophobic, but the way homosexuality presented here is unbecoming, rude and insulting, even to the homosexual community. This kind of thing is the kind of thing that makes people homophobic – a man, scantily clad, showing not even a hint of dignity, lip-syncing to cheesy novelty songs, or, even worse, mutilating a musical masterpiece. These production numbers in Sis emphasize homosexuality’s “freakiness,” instead of making it acceptable to society. Channel 3’s (sic) Homeboy, is even less gay than Sis, even though Boy Abunda hosts the former.”

There are so many objectionable statements in the preceding statement I just wanna scream. The letter writer identifies as a straight female so she cannot possibly speak for the homosexual community. For the record, many of us gay media producers do not think that the drag queen intermissions (more popularly known as the Raging Divas) are unbecoming, rude and insulting.

Seeing the Raging Divas in their fabulous costumes and performing gaily day in and day out does cannot make anyone homophobic. Close-mindedness and prejudice do. I can only hope that the education the letter writer will receive from UP will make her see the light.

Media has been criticized for promulgating the stereotyped image of the homosexual. Now a more diverse portrayal of homosexuals can be seen on television. Boy Abunda is one of them. But the fact that he chooses not to impersonate female singers does not make him intrinsically a better, more respectable homosexual than the Raging Divas. Nor is he less gay. He’s simply different.

What the Raging Divas do is not easy. It requires a lot of creativity, technical preparations and practice. I say this to give them due credit, not to make those freaky homosexuals acceptable to society. For the longest time, daytime TV has steered clear of drag queens because they do not rate...until the Raging Divas came along. While “society’s acceptance” is no longer the goal of the gay movement, it is refreshing that empirical data suggests that the conservative daytime audience has realized that men in drag are no longer objectionable.

“Please do not dismiss these words as something a (sic) naïve dream, because all things good come from dreams, however small or ambitious they may be. If what your network claims to be is true, if you really are concerned about the people, be a true Kapuso and make an effort to change the trend of deteriorating values.”

In Entertainment Media viewer opinions expressed through mail or phone calls are taken seriously since it is believed na sa bawat isang nagreklamo, marami pa ang ganu’n din ang nararamdaman. Audience preference has a big impact on TV content. In fact, if enough steam is made over an objectionable TV program, media may yield notwithstanding the ratings.

When I auditioned for “Out!” sinabi kong “I can be a good host because I’ve worked with some of the best and the worst.” Needless to say I didn’t get the job. That honor went to JM Cobarrubias (tama ba spelling?), Avi Sawa (na – at the risk of sounding bitter - many friends insist is not gay) and Jigs Mayuga (na nakasama ko sa aking first-ever pictorial, but that’s another story).

Still, here’s my list of showbiz’s best and worst TV hosts “in no particular order” (ika nga sa Miss Universe).

BOY ABUNDA - I had the pleasure of working with him sa “Diretsahan.” I was required to fax my script to him days before the taping, which is unusual since hosts only get to read the script at the studio. And though it’s a request that I would normally not be too pleased to do, naisip kong may K naman siyang mag-demand ng ganu’n. After all, he is Boy Abunda.

True enough, hours before roll, during the customary briefing of the hosts by the writer, Boy discussed with me every point of my script, segment per segment! Was I impressed! He practically memorized my script. Better than memorized, he actually read and understood what I wrote – ‘yung perspective na pinanggagalingan ko, ang gusto kong ma-focus. Nahimay niya ang purpose ko sa bawat segment. I didn’t mind that he didn’t agree with some of them kasi na-discuss din niya kung ano ang atakeng gusto niya. I’ve never experienced such a rich discussion on the script with any of the hosts I’ve worked with! Galeng!

Sa floor, he barely needed the idiot boards kasi naiintindihan niya ang script. Nata-tackle niya ‘yung bawat focus ng usapan in his own words at alam niya kung saan papupuntahin ‘yung show. Working with him was like apprenticing for a master.

In fairness, marami na naman talaga akong naririnig na mga kuwento about Boy and how he got to be this good. Well, aside na rin siguro sa natural gift of gab, he’s one host who does his homework. Sila nga raw ni Kris Aquino hindi kelangan ng script. Binibigyan lang sila ng research material about their interviewees tapos sila na mag-iisip ng mga tanong. When Boy was still host of Startalk, pinapanood daw niya ang mga interviews niya after each show tapos kini-critique niya ang sarili niya – kung saan mali ang bato niya ng tanong, for example. Kaya ngayon, as far as I’m concerned, Boy Abunda is the best host on Philippine television.

JANICE, GELLI, CARMINA - Sige na nga, love your own. That’s why nilista ko ang tatlong ‘to rito. Pero I’ve worked with these girls since Day 1 of Sis (or in Carmina’s case, since Day 1 niya as host ng Sis sometime last year) at talaga namang nakita ko ang vast leaps ng inimpruv nila as TV hosts. Proof na lang ang pagiging number one ng Sis. Admittedly, it wasn’t an easy journey. The De Belens are first and foremost good actresses, but not hosts. Kelangan silang i-guide all the time (batuhan ng questions na itatanong, for example). At nu’ng namamayagpag ang “Morning Girls with Kris and Korina” talaga namang nalalampaso sila ng chemistry, spontaneity at wit ng tambalang Aquino-Sanchez. That’s about the time we had the idea of turning Sis into a wacky mix of music, games and circus freaks. Hindi man makakapag-in-depth interview ang aming hosts, hindi naman makekeri ng dalawa sa kabila ang magpakasaya-saya to the max! Essentially, it was a matter of playing to your host’s strength, instead of molding them into your own idea of what a good TV host should be. Ngayon, pinupuri na ang pagiging comfortable, natural at game na game na hosts nina Janice, Gelli at Carmina.

RICHARD GOMEZ - Nu’ng wala pa’ko sa industriya, hindi ko gusto si Richard Gomez. Still don’t. Hindi ako naguguwapuhan sa kanya, hindi ako nalilibugan kahit sa mga pictorials niyang naka-trunks, hindi ako nagagalingan sa kanya as an actor nor as a singer, at lalong hindi ako natutuwa sa politics niya. Pero he’s one of the most professional TV hosts I’ve ever worked with. Nu’ng bagong lipat siya sa SOP, siya lang ang tanging hosts na lalapit sa table ng mga writers and would ask to be briefed about his spiels. And mind you, since musical-variety show ito, these are usually short spiels (that’s why most wouldn’t bother reviewing the idiot boards before facing the camera), pero Goma would listen to the instructions and practice delivering his spiels. Ibang klase! No wonder he’s a wildly successful man.

MIRIAM QUIAMBAO - For the Araw Awards – ‘yung awards night for advertising – all the hosts and presentors were briefed about the proper pronunciation of the names of the agencies (e.g. Ogilvy & Mather is O-JILL-vee and MAY-ther). They were also warned that since the live audience is composed of a close-knit community that routinely employ dozens of experts and millions of pesos to produce a thirty-second material, they can be collectively mean to the slightest mistake. But I don’t think they were ready for the 1999 Miss Universe runner-up.

Atat ang audience ng Araw Awards sa Cebu nu’ng 2002. We actually had to start the show a lot earlier dahil nakapila na ang mga taga-ahensiya sa labas ng Main Hall ng Waterfront. During one commercial gap, pinasampa ko na sa stage si Miriam and another host Hans Montenegro na boyfriend niya at that time. Then unti-unti nang lumabas ang pagka-mean ng ilang tao. May ilang pumalakpak at humiyaw-hiyaw na parang ginagawa natin kapag masyadong mahaba ang mga trailer sa sinehan. But in true beauty queen fashion, Miriam respond to every “applause” with a sweet “Thank you. Thank you.” Upon hearing this natigilan talaga ako. Hindi ko siya kinaya. She actually thought they were applauding her! But then Hans just had to tell her in a very patronizing tone, “No, I think that’s their way of saying that we need to speed things up.” Now alam n’yo na kung bakit hindi sila nagtagal…At kung bakit first runner-up lang tayo.

G TOENGI - Nu’ng minsang nag-comeback siya sa SOP (hindi na siya regular by the time na nagsusulat ako for the show), sabi ko sa kanya, “G, you make every writer look good.” Ang galing niya kasi mag-deliver ng spiels. I feel the same way about Jaya, Ogie Alcasid and Janno Gibbs when they’re bantering, and KC Montero.

PAOLO BEDIONES - This is one lucky guy. He’s ordinarily good-looking, ordinarily talented, ordinarily intelligent. Para siyang mga generic TV hosts ng mga American shows – they do their jobs well pero hindi sila tumatatak. Quick: ano ang pangalan ng host ng Survivor? O ng Amazing Race? See what I mean. Except for that rather irritating sing-song tone of delivering his spiels, there’s nothing distinctive about Paolo. Puwede mo siyang palitan sa anuman sa tons of shows that he hosts and yet hindi mo siya mami-miss. But he’s a good guy (biglang bawi, eh.)

BERNADETTE SEMBRANO - I’ve never actually worked with her. Pero I remember one time na nag-guest siya sa Sis and I asked her to deliver some spiels. Siya lang sa mga guests ko na mga reporters ding tulad niya ang nakapag-deliver nu’n na para bang galing sa kanya ‘yung mga words at hindi lang niya binabasa. It’s such a joy hearing your words owned by your host na parang hindi mo siya sinulat.

JOEY DE LEON - Ito ang isa pang master. Una sa lahat, napaka-professional. At matalino talaga siya. Babasahin niya ang script mo tapos kapag nakasalang na siya, dadagdagan pa niya ng mga punchline. Minsan nga sinasabi ko na lang sa kanya kung ano ang gusto kong mangyari tapos siya na ang didiskarte. Mas mainam nga naman na I leave the pagpapatawa sa kanya. At ang maganda sa kanya, kahit sanay siya sa TV, magaling pa rin siyang kumonek sa live audience niya. He carries himself with such dignity and credibility, things that are seldom successfully mixed with a sharp sense of humor.

(To be continued…sana)