If 73 dead people did not bring Willie Revillame down, neither will a macho-dancing 6 year old. Almost anyone who has any concern for the country detests the game shows of Willie Revillame for their degrading effects on society. But he remains the king of the noontime slot because the masses love him. Why do they love him? Is it because he’s funny? Is he iresistable with the ladies (and the lolas)? Is it because he has a heart of gold? Not really. The masses adore him because they think that he’s an everyday Santa Claus. Just show Willie you’ve been good (and that you are dirt poor) and you’re sure to leave the workshop with a treat.
But Willie is no Santa Clause. The goodies he is giving are not his own. It’s coming from advertisers- the commercials that fund his show. A friend who works in media told me that a TV spot on TV5’s Willing Willie costs P150,000 on a weekday and P180,000 on a weekend. That’s right folks, every time a commercial spot airs: kaching, kaching, kaching! How many commercials do you see throughout the entire show? When you compare that to the measly thousand Peso handouts being given to the contestants, you will be appalled.
It’s all good that there are letters being written to TV5. But I think it would hurt a lot more to appeal to the advertisers who fund this machine. Write to your brands and let them know what you think about shows like Willing Willie. Let them know that you are a powerful consumer and a concerned citizen. Ask your brands if they really want to be associated with a show that promotes lasciviousness at a young age.
I cringe at the sight of six year-old Jan Jan dancing this way. Remember how Rizal said that the youth is the hope of the nation? If the youth of the nation is being taught to macho dance for money, even if it is for laughs, then you know exactly where our country is headed.
If only people would stop supporting the entertainment mentality and noontime shows, this country could turn around. Almost everyone is gunning for showbiz, entertainment and the like. I like what Dr. Ting Tinco said on his speech acceptance on TOBAW.
"Then this could be very well our battle cry: ‘idja-idja, aho-aho!’. With this, from ‘outside da Pilipins’ we may be able to rebuild the Philippines, flattened by financial crises, sucked dry by unscrupulous politicians, debased in its own eyes by cultural pollution and disoriented by a demented media that foists the ‘Wowowee’ mentality on Filipinos in massive daily noontime doses."