Bad taste plain and simple. What was Bench thinking? Sure the much-hyped fashion show The Naked Truth is all about underwear. But just because it is does not mean the show needs to be borderline pornographic.
I mean, get a load of this one by Jake Cuenca. I heard this drew a healthy round of applause and cat calls from the ladies. To be fair, I’ve seen some girls drape themselves all over men who are so obviously more into themselves than into their girl. You can spot them a mile away. They’d walk around like this if they could thinking that men wearing skimpy clothes have the same effect on women as women in skimpy clothes have on men.
That’s just dumb male-centric thinking. And thus the title of this blog (with apologies to benign0 who wrote the originally-titled Kabadingan and kalaswaan in Philippine cinema). Obviously, people who had the wrong idea about what turns women on were the creative “geniuses” behind this show. More likely these were people who planned to have their male models appeal to the ‘boys’ primarily, if you know what I mean.
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Sure, I don’t mind seeing the odd guy or two in their jocks or even less every now and then. But women demand context. Men, on the other hand, get off on just the sights alone. Whatever their sexual orientation.
Admittedly I struggle to put to words why Bench’s The Naked Truth leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Bad taste, like good taste, after all, can’t really be described in words. But you know it when you see it.
Frustrated artist doing geek for a living.
I like your article’s intent but can we please not generalize gay men? My friend is a gay man who also finds this distasteful. And some straight people have also help organize this.
Not all “badings” get off on just sights just like the rest of the straight male species. Many gay men are more “drawn” to men or even gay men who have self respect and equal respect for their fellows, be they gay or straight.
Agreed, poor taste. We’ve stopped attending the Fil-Am golf tournament at Baguio Country Club because the entertainment is not a “class act”. More like what we’d see in a high end bar, very disappointing.
confirmed…. ang daming homophobic bitches in this site…
Hi Kate!
Be prepared for a barrage of comments that will be hurled at you. Kesyo –
– you’re killjoy
– no artistic sense
– prude
– bigot
– narrow minded
– hypocrite
just to mention a few…
Businesses have long realised the benefits of adding ‘shock value’ to their endeavours simply because it will generate buzz. And as we all know good or bad, it is still publicity.
Well, this country is in a sad and sorry state. We can’t seem to find more creative ways to sell products other than to shock the senses and give in to the clamors of the majority.
We are surrounded by shrewd businessmen who know exactly how to create these kind of gimmicks just to get the money-machine grinding…and most if not all, masking their actions as “art”.
I agree with you. We could say the same in the movie industry.
We’re screwed. 😀
Ha ha! Tell me about it. It’s started already.. 😛
So true about the barrage. People who can’t handle disagreement tend to say those things. This country is going further down before it has the chance to go up.
tantanan nyo na ang mga bakla… ur kind of mentality ay sa dark ages pa… moveon…
Rey-An and all your fairy friends,you guys should be burned.
Homophobic? Of course not. We just want to put some chlorine in your gene pool.
Spoken like a true Christian
people should start realizing this by now……
Why Marcos and President before him made stringent laws about media censorship during early Philippine history.
Why Marcos exiled the Lopez in a far far far away land.
Why Marcos killed Ninoy Aquino.
Why KBP was in strong position in those early years
By now, historians, economist can determine where Philippine Law can be applied the hardest.
But the big challenge is this.
How can we change the voting system where the majority are ignorant voters who will put us all in a worse bad future??????
I am really worried where the future of the Philippines will be in 2016.
I feel my future is in the hands of many idiots.
So sad that we cannot correct our future come 2016 election.
We will produce more low class citizens stripping their way out of poverty
@Tamara, honey, im trying to imagine you in a beauty contest being asked to explain Philippine Fashion..
I love your answers… oh, and you forgot to mention “World Peace.”
just kidding sweetie.. peace. =)
Hey….we live in a patriarchal society. Only women are allowed to be sex objects! Seriously, this tends to be a type of thing that breaks down along MALE / FEMALE lines. Most women do not like soft core porno. Men tend to fixate on body parts. Whereas, women are all wrapped up in their feelings. I know it is a generalization. However, that’s my perception. It probably has to do with how we are hard wired to promote the survival of the species.
I’m sorry but this article seems to equate kabaklaan with kalaswaan which is downright homophobic in all angles. I’m a proud gay man and I will not tolerate such bigotry. I Have always seen GRP to be progressive and open site. So what happened to this article? Is GRP going back to the medieval age? Talk about grand disillusionment.
It’s not grp, it’s the author kate natividad. I’ve learned to ignore all articles she’s writing, mostly frivolous stuff or utter nonsense.
Nah, it seems it seems it’s you guys who are out of touch with the times. The words ‘kabadingan’ and ‘kabaklaan’ no longer necessarily refer to homosexual men but are increasingly used more to describe someone’s character whether that person be gay or straight. I’ve met gay people who find kabaklaan and kabadingan distasteful and I’ve met very straight guys who fit the profile of the bading and bakla to a tee. I have more respect for the earlier and only have quaint amusement to offer to the latter.
My comment is not about the article but about the comment of benignO. Are you fucking kidding me? Are you telling us that we should accept the words kabaklaan and kabadingan because its necessarily refer to homosexual men…that it’s okay to say “puro kabaklaan or,kabadingan ang ginagawa ng mga govt officials because palpak ang performances nila”? So we have to accept the use of those words because they have evolved and we can use them to anything or anyone when we find things unacceptable, weak, mediocre and distasteful?!? So you want me to call you bakla?!?! Or your words kabaklaan because they are unacceptable?!? No dude, no! DO NOT AND NEVER ASSOCIATE BAKLA TO SOMETHING DISTASTEFUL OR UGLY OR WEAK OR ANYTHING NEGATIVE. ITS SO FUCKING WRONG!
Tough luck. I’m the guy who calls the shots around here. 😀
“DO NOT AND NEVER ASSOCIATE BAKLA TO SOMETHING DISTASTEFUL OR UGLY OR WEAK OR ANYTHING NEGATIVE. ITS SO FUCKING WRONG!”
Says who Mr Ramirez? Does the word “Kabaklaan” or “Kabadingan” ever refer to anything good or worthwhile?
Last time i checked… those words equate with cowardice (maybe because you guys like attacking from behind… literally.. haha!), faintheartedness, gutlessness,irresoluteness, and best of all “Kababuyan”.
You faggots think you guys should have extra rights because of your sexual preferences.. Guess what? You guys cant ram your beliefs and lifestyles down our throats.
Some of us dont agree with the way you people assault our sensibilities with your overbearing fairy chatter..
A spade is a spade. I for one dont give crap about being politically correct.
Aw…your sensibilities have been assaulted. Get real! You are simply a bigot who cannot stand anyone different than yourself. Toleration is one of the hall marks of civilization. You sound like a simple thug. You want freedoms that you are not willing to extend to others.
awww, I feel sorry for you @Michael The Archangel. You really have the hypocrisy of the Bible. I really feel sorry for those ignorant, bigots and hypocrites but we still need to share the world with them.
@Mylene: The pathetic thing is that Michael doesn’t know how convoluted his thinking is. He wants the freedom to spew his hate speech; but gays should be silent because he finds their chatter offensive.
Thanks for feeling sorry for me @Mylene..but i dont give a flying crap about the bible and its fairytales. You can believe in your pink Elephants if you want. No biggie here..
@Sea Bee.. but i like convoluted..its–complex.. hehe..and hey, yes, we real men dont mind FAGGOTs expressing their opinions..as long as they do it while travelling down a cliff at 9.8 meters per second squared.
I dont mind different. I can live with different.. what gets my goat about YOUR KIND is that you fairies demand respect even if you act unrespectable.
Respect is earned…It can never be asked for. If you and your fairy friends want respect, act respectable.
And by the way, ive got fairy friends of my own..the only difference with these people whom i respect is they do not act like screaming faggots.
But I give you permission to call me a BIGOT. YOu know what they say about sticks and stones right? Just in case you dont..(they can hurt my bones..but words can never hurt me..) nyahaha!
The feeling is mutual, keep your bigotry to yourself.
@Oda,
“I will not tolerate such bigotry”
The bad news is you just defined Bigot..”one who is intolerant expecially of matters of race, beliefs, etc, etc..”
Hahaha!
I also believe that the whole Bench fashion show was distasteful but this one is a better critique! http://www.theplumpinay.com/2014/09/the-naked-truth-about-naked-truth.html?m=1
I’ve read a lot of positive comments from women all over social media and a lot of them are going gaga over the men featured, so maybe they do have an idea of what turn women on. If you find the show distasteful, well you are entitled to your own opinion but you are only speaking for yourself. Do not generalize, you clearly can’t speak for all women.
And by the way, i am woman myself, and i find tom rodriguez and what he did extremely hot. So there.
I don’t presume to ‘speak for all women’. I do just as you do in the above comment — express an opinion about what we consider to be hot (or not). The only difference between the two of us is that i issue my opinion in the form of a GRP article and you issue yours in the form of a comment to it.
It’s really just a matter of us being on different sides of the equation he he… 😉
“Obviously, people who had the wrong idea about what turns women on were the creative “geniuses” behind this show. More likely these were people who planned to have their male models appeal to the ‘boys’ primarily, if you know what I mean.
Sure, I don’t mind seeing the odd guy or two in their jocks or even less every now and then. But women demand context. Men, on the other hand, get off on just the sights alone. Whatever their sexual orientation.”
Read what you wrote again, clearly that is not expressing your own opinion. You were trying to present your presumptions as facts. And those last 3 sentences are clearly generalizations, about WOMEN and men.
What’s offensive is your gay equals lasciviousness analogy. Get real.
Hypocrite conservative who lives in a small island with 100mil populations…”kalibugan”, you,re one of them…rather expose yourself to kalaswaan than kalibugan.
I think benign0 pretty much already clarified the use of the words “kabadingan” and “kalaswaan” in an earlier comment. My use of those words jumps off from that previous article of his on cinema that I cited. Those who are quick to take offense from those words and interpret them as “homophobic” actually reveal their own inner malice.
Dear Benign0 and Kate,
Study semiotics! And study it well!
Sure. I’ll let you know as soon as I graduate. 😀
Oh yes please do.
Gays themselves can become homophobic, too, and that is also one thing we also need to address if we are to move forward as a people. So if you say that it’s okay to use Kabadingan to equate it with lasciviousness as what you are implying here, because anyway your gay friends are okay with it, then you are not helping the cause.
And don’t forget to enroll in Queer, Gay and Lesbian theory, too. You might find the subject a little too enlightening for you.
True. Men and women are really different. They are not “turned on” by the same thing. That’s basic psychology. Men are more visual that’s why they fall for what they see, while women are more “auditory,” so they fall for what they hear. Clearly, in this fashion show, Bench was basically appealing to men and not really women. That’s just how it is even if people deny it. Thank you for this very honest post! Keep it up!
If I used this phrase “ang tanga-tanga mo, para kang Kate” or “ang tanga-tanga mo, kaKate-an mo”, would you take offense? The very association of the word bading to something offensive, and using it in an offensive context is speaks about the writer’s own malice don’t you think?
*speaks about
Meh, not really a good article but oh well, we cannot always be perfect. While I do agree that that particular “fashion show” also leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I don’t think it’s because of this show’s supposed “kabadingan/kabaklaan”. To be honest, I have no idea why you think you can generalize how women and men (no matter what their preferences are) get turned on. Your article reeks of homophobia. And it also leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Ew.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. (NIV, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10) Well, LGBT community can defend themselves to anyone but to God they are already doomed. Sorry but that’s the truth you can deceived man but God no, if you will not be changed into real man or woman then accept hell after death. Let’s go back the issue, my God the show was not just promoting the under-wears but promoting vices such as sexual immoralities.
I guess the producers of the Bench fashion show overrated the sexification of things. Trabahong Tamada nalang. “Let’s just make ’em go almost naked and use that pet thing.” I agree, it came out in poor taste. What really seemed to be the most offensive was that thing where one of the models had a girl dancer on a leash, while that girls was doing backflips or so.
Well, sex sells and apply it to a country where any celbrity sex scandal is at “Fappening” levels when it goes out.
As they say, There’s no such thing as bad publicity. People will still flock to Bench and this issue will bury itself as the next big thing hits.
Filipinos, Filipinos, Filipinos… plenty of us are still living in medieval age.
Nah, I disagree.Filipinos nowadays are under paid, underfeed, and over fapped. 😛
By the way, our statistics show rape cases victimizing minors are increasing in frequency in now. Philippine Media nowadays like ABiaS CBN portrays infidelity and sexism in their latest soap operas. So what’s the purpose of MTRCB PG opening ad? Can we protect our children against sexism and sexual deviancy by the media? Also, I’m also agree that respect is earned, it can never be asked for. LGBT community should also strive to protect vulnerable members of our society, especially children against sexism and sexual deviancy. Better earned your respect from society itself, not due to playing the victim card.
kaya di umuunlad ang pilipinas eh, lahat na lang ng bagay pinapatulan, anong kabobohan yung “bench puts a bad taste in your mouth”? it shouldnt put any taste in your mouth since theres really nothing wrong and nothing right with the show, kabobohan na pagusapan at pansinin at ipost to ng mga bobo ring writers ng site na to, pati tuloy ako nabobobo dahil sa dami ng pumapansin sa show na di naman dapat pinaguusapan, hay, pilipinas, ang daming bobo na puro kabobohan pinaguusapan samantalang ang daming bagay na mas importante pagusapan
English sweetie.. its either straight english or straight Filipino in one paragraph ok?
Also.. its “nothing wrong OR right ” not “nothing wrong and right”
It looks like you’ve been reading a lot of “bobo” articles, it actually shows..
Stupidity is actually contagious you know.. =)
Tell you what…
Go back to reading your Filipino Comics and watching your telenovellas and noontime variety shows..
While you are at it, do call up Eat Bulaga and greet us on air… =)
another “bobo” commenter on this site, i dont see anything wrong with the “nothing wrong and nothing right ” comment, they are both not wrong and not right so if you are using your brain which you obviously dont , you will understand, avoid correcting someone elses grammar or correcting someones use of language since you are an idiot, and i will say again, eto na naman tayo sa typical na kabobohan ng pinoy, kaysa pagtalunan ang mga importanteng argumento, mas tinitira pa ang mga walang kakwenta kwentang mga bagay tulad ng lenggwahe at grammar
Truth be told, the Philippine bakla gives male homosexuality a bad name. Sure, they seem to look like they’re just celebrating a drag party 24/7, but the promoted tactlessness and the crassness is just so fucking irritating. You can still be gay and act respectable. Just look at NPH or Lance Bass. You dont see them running around in women’s outfits all day while shouting obscenities. There is absolutely nothing wrong with human males who just love other males. What they do in the bedroom is their business, which is how it should always be. Just show some self-respect and manners, the rest of society wouldnt label you as loud, foul-mouthed bading scum.
I love how you stated that buddy. You hit the nail right on the head. Mabuhay ka!!!
kakasabi mo lang straight english or filipino tapos “mabuhay ka!” , “long live” dapat , ang bobo mo eh, huwag kang pupuna ng ibang tao kung mas bobo ka naman sa pinupuna mo
A male body gets objectified and it is still a “male” fault? Cant you just accept that women have changed these days? Why else does One Direction, Twilight, and Justin Bieber sell tickets?! I cant remember the last time males were howling at a Katy Perry concert.