One night, I called out an acquaintance over her defense of infidelity-themed TV shows. Flustered and clearly offended when I stated that it may be worth looking into other genres and themes, she said that movies and series that talk about infidelity expose people to the truth about two-timing and other unsavory facts about married life. While I can certainly agree with the idea that our media needs to be truer to its audience, simply focusing on themes like infidelity and immorality gloss over more important issues that plague the country.
Look, to be honest, I can agree that infidelity is indeed a problem in our society today and needs to be addressed sooner or later. Unfortunately, when you really think about it, there are issues in our society that needs to be addressed first. On a personal note, I can say that I too was a victim of infidelity on a number of occasions but I think that pales in comparison to some of the troubles that plague my countrymen today. I mean come on, getting cheated on sucks, but it’s not going to suck as much as starving to death due to poverty, getting beaten up because of discrimination or being sold into slavery. Of course, getting killed probably won’t hurt as much because then, you probably won’t feel anything anymore afterward.
Anyway, here are 3 themes that I think our media should explore if they really claim to want to expose the darker aspects of Philippine society:
Political Corruption
Let’s face it ladies and gentlemen. While political corruption isn’t the only reason for the Philippines’ poverty, one has to remember that our government is actually accountable for much of the troubles we now face as a people. From the weakness of our military to the rampant illiteracy that has gripped the masses, the government has had a hand in just about all of these even if it may be small in some cases. Indeed, we must demand more from our government if we truly want the Philippines to develop into something more than what it is today.
I think it’s time our media started portraying corrupt politicians realistically. Show off stuff like how politicians often pay off desperate or dumb voters during elections. It would also be a good idea to display just how they often try to manipulate public sympathy in order to get more votes in.
Here’s an idea:
Why not televise a comedy-themed mini-series or sitcom that tells the story of an immature and childish man who becomes president because of the death of his parents who were also politicians? Showcase him as an unmarried middle-aged virgin who time and time again refuses to take responsibility for the problems of the country and simply blames others for his incompetence. When finally caught, said president will rely on his friends in the media to make him look good or at least make him look “less guilty” before the masses.
Terrorism
Whether we admit it or not, terrorism remains to be one of the country’s biggest problems. I have heard from many of my friends in other countries that they fear coming to the Philippines because of the threat of being kidnapped or worse by the many terrorist organizations found in the country. What saddens me the most is that very few shows even delve into the problem of terrorism in the Philippines, let alone explore it. Well, there was that indie film Bagong Buwan, if I recall the title correctly, but I doubt few even remember it now what with titles like No Other Woman or Etiquette for Mistresses being all the rage.
While yeah, mistresses are potentially dangerous individuals in a sense, I still think a heavily armed gunman with a determined willingness to kill and die for a cause will definitely have more impact. Yes, the are both moral threats in a sense, but a terrorist is dangerous both morally and physically. A suicide bomber, for instance, doesn’t need to spend time with his or her victims and seduce them; they just need to be in the right place at the right time with a fully functional explosive or any other similar device and take the lives of just about everyone around them.
I remember writing a spoof article a while back but that’s just scratching the surface of the problem. The grim reality is much more complicated, horrifying and altogether depressing to be put together in one article. I wish our media would address the issue of terrorism on a deeper level so that we might be able to better understand the inner workings of a terrorist mind and, hopefully, prevent it from worsening. Indeed, if people were as sensitive to affairs as they are to terrorist threats, I’m sure things like the slaughter of SAF 44 and the plight of the Lumads could have been prevented or at least addressed early on.
Genocide
There is no real way to put into words the horror of genocide. It is perhaps one of the greatest evils human beings can commit against one another. It’s surprising how ignorant of the topic typical Pinoys are.
The Maguindanao Massacre in 2009 might not be considered genocide but only because of technicality because there were not enough corpses on the scene. When one thinks about it, what if the crime had been witnessed by a small town? Would the suspects such as Andal Ampatuan go as far as to butcher every resident of the town?
I can think of few other things that can be as terrible and monstrous as genocide. The idea that so many people could die at the hands of their fellowman is a very disturbing thought indeed. Can you imagine yourself being one of the civilians at the site of such an atrocity, watching helplessly as other people (people you may even know) are beaten, raped and mercilessly killed? Can you imagine being one of these victims yourself, being marched or dragged of to die by an armed faction fully prepared to simply end your life?
A genocide could be taking place right now as we speak. The Lumads of Mindanao are under threat and what little information is being released about them is far from reassuring. However, I strongly doubt anyone will really care as they have no real idea of how utterly dehumanizing being the victim of a genocide is.
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