Who does not love the word: serendipity (Kate Natividad’s Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza rock!)? It sounds like our Tagalog word: ‘suwerte’. Who wouldn’t want luck coming one’s way? I will be grateful to take it anytime. We should be grateful that from time to time we are afforded the opportunity to meet serendipity. I guess we couldn’t say hello to it all the time, or life might be boring. Yes, life is a bitch most of the time, and that might as well be where the excitement comes from, but if there is serendipity, then life could also be something beautiful in its totality.
Good for Eat Bulaga, and its many fans, if finally there is something wholesome to be found in it, whether it was found by accident, or by design. Still, I am not sure what is going on. I am one of those who have to earn a living and don’t have time to watch noon time shows. But, I just came back from a trip to Seoul, and one of my Korean hosts was curious about Aldub since it has been trending worldwide on Twitter. He was puzzled when I said I knew nothing about it. “How could you not know what is happening in your own backyard?” Thus, I had to do a little research that night in order to satisfy the curiosity of my host the next day. Still, I think I disappointed him for the best I could do was to point him to Wikipedia. “Looks cheesy and cheap, and it is trending?”, he queried. I asked him to read Kate’s article. His reply: “You, Filipinos, are a mysterious lot.” Mysterious? Funny that.
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I hid from him Grimwald’s article (Philippine Media And The Masses: A Cycle Of Stupidity And Madness). I wanted my Korean host to retain in his mind our mysteriousness. (It’s more fun in the Philippines) Grim touched some raw nerves, and I wasn’t in the mood of exporting to Seoul and explaining the hornet’s nest stirred. I was there for business, and the comments to Grim’s piece might have been the quickest way to shoo away serendipity if I expanded the topic.
Thing is, I am not about to break a house rule me and my wife set a long time ago just because something is trending. Noon time shows, Wowowee, showbiz tsismis talk shows, and Tagalog drama series are banned from the house, especially when the children are around. Call us some derogatory names as being elitists, or whatever, but I don’t want my children making heroes out of Tito, Vic, and Joey, or the repulsive Vice-Ganda, or that arrogant guy who is alleged to beat his wives — what’s his name, again?
Said personalities and many in showbiz have too much of colorful lives for our taste. There are already too much moral and ethical challenges in our ordinary lives, why add some more? Yes, we enjoy good movies, and if they are really good, why bother us with the private lives of the actors and actresses? Good movies, if they are good, should stand on their own merits. PR campaigns and promo blitzes that try to include something that is private and controversial about actors and actresses, even If they are widely practiced in the industry, does not take away from the fact that they are still of poor taste, if not desperate gimmicks.
Noon time shows in the Philippines are a genre of their own. They are, at their base, advertisers’ paradises. If consumerism is the main objective, we can understand why they can’t be blatant about this. Thus, they mask such by labeling them as variety shows or game shows. I heard that they have further justified these shows by now including segments for public service. Hope these are not about continuing and amplifying the promotion of mendicant mentality. It is really the shows’ condescension of the poor which has characterized them from the beginning. So, my cynical self could only surmise that these must be public service offerings with large strings attached.
In any case, if the shows are still selling, why not? Ours is a market economy; so, let the networks and everyone involved earn their money. Who are we to stop the networks and the market if the market continues to get entertained by the shows, even if we can see the market is taking it gladly from behind, bent over? But, what a way to take advantage of the gullibility, the naivete, the depressing conditions of the poor and the hopeless. Obviously, they ain’t selling me these shows. Even if I know we are just a few, we still prefer to be discriminating.
For sure, I am no longer a good judge of the contents of these shows for it has really been ages since I watched any of them. But, I still have a recollection of how they disrespected their audience. What was the purpose of all those skimpily dressed girls who were ever present in the stage? I was sure those girls won’t be able to walk the streets even for five minutes without having to go back and change. So, where was the decorum? Were they promoting impoliteness in a society where impoliteness already rules?
Sure, sex sells. But, that means all the other contents of the shows are about vacuousness. Were they thinking that the audience should be interested in what are being shown in honky-tonk places? If I am feeling animalistic, then I would go to the nude beaches in France, but then I won’t take along my children. If I feel like going to the honky-tonkies, then I wouldn’t go noon time, much less with children. And yet, they rate them as General Patronage (GP) shows??? (Who remembers Pepsi Paloma? Were Tito, Vic and Joey involved?) Still, I would be very glad to hear these shows have changed.
* * *
For instance, all we can infer from primitive legend, and all we know of barbaric life, supports a certain moral and even mystical idea of which the commonest symbol is clothes. For clothes are very literally vestments and man wears them because he is a priest (of the created world). It is true that even as an animal he is here different from the animals. Nakedness is not nature to him; it is not his life but rather his death; even in the vulgar sense of his death of cold. But clothes are worn for dignity or decency or decoration where they are not in any way wanted for warmth. It would sometimes appear that they are valued for ornament before they are valued for use. It would almost always appear that they are felt to have some connection with decorum. Conventions of this sort vary a great deal with various times and places; and there are some who cannot get over this reflection, and for whom it seems a sufficient argument for letting all conventions slide. They never tire of repeating, with simple wonder, that dress is different in the Cannibal Islands and in Camden Town; they cannot get any further and throw up the whole idea of decency in despair. They might as well say that because there have been hats of a good many different shapes, and some rather eccentric shapes, therefore hats do not matter or do not exist. They would probably add that there is nosuch thing as sunstroke or going bald. Men have felt everywhere that certain norms were necessary to fence off and protect certain private things from contempt or coarse misunderstanding; and the keeping of those forms, whatever they were, made for dignity and mutual respect. The fact that they mostly refer, more or less remotely, to the relations of the sexes illustrates the two facts that must be put at the very beginning of the record of the race.
— “The Everlasting Man” by Chesterton
* * *
A good many say: why bother? It is one of those things that the Philippines tries to import from Hollywood?
….Moreso why we should be bothered. Yes, Hollywood remains the standard for quality films, but Hollywood is also very much about money, and it is profit by hook or by crook, and anything in between that that promotes hedonism, and not just fantasies. And, the Philippines importing these things? Philippines, as is wont, wouldn’t know if it is importing form or substance, or just a semblance of any of these.
I have American friends who buy showbiz magazines. But, the thing about Americans is that when they encounter juicy gossip, it is more like about schadenfreude being triggered. They feel that even if they are not making a mountain of money as those in Hollywood, they are happy they are not living such disturbed lives as those of the famous stars.
Not so in the Philippines. Most Filipinos, more often than not, would idolize the famous, the moneyed, and the mestizo, talented or not, competent or not, nitwit or not, degenerate or not. Thus, in this Third World, the showbiz industry and the media still make billions because they have become experts with ease on when and how to switch on and off the bandwagon effect. And the fans? They can’t even earn ten dollars in a day when they work. They are like herds being led to a slaughter.
US Ambassador Harry Thomas caught flak from our leaders when he said that the Philippines has only honky-tonk places and prostitution to offer as far as tourism is concerned. One lawmaker had to ask if Thomas thinks we are a nation of perverts. Maybe, this is the reason that Grim got a barrage of comments, because he talked in part of perversion. It may be his article, or the picture of Aldub? Either way, it does not look good. If it is the picture, then, here we go again. Once again, it is a demonstration of the personality cult ever present in the culture. Don’t they realize that this is what is bringing the country into trouble? (Hope they read some of the articles of Ilda, FallenAngel, and ChinoF on why Filipinos are ignoramuses.)
Well, if it is about Grim’s article, I have not seen in the commentary a comment refuting his assertion that we are a nation of perverts. Maybe, it is difficult, for we pervert the law; we pervert the culture; we pervert religion; we pervert politics; we pervert anything we touch. And as Ambassador Thomas hinted, we pervert sex, and thus, our very being as humans and persons. There was a time when no one would ever want to be called a pervert. But, pornography has now become a multi-billion industry, and the words pervert and perversion, among others, have somewhat been euphemized. Still, it is worth noting that there are statistics saying that there are ten million crazies in the USA urgently needing medical help. I wonder how many there are in the Philippines?
But, parody seems to be the only way to get a message across in the Philippines. And, if Aldub is really now penetrating the Filipino minds, then there is every reason that it should be wholesome; otherwise, imagine its adverse impact. Sincerely, or should I say patriotically, I do pray it is wholesome — it’s been a long time the archipelago has not seen serendipity.
GRP Featured Comment hall-of-famer. Former executive of the Far East Regional Office of a US-based multinational company living out of a suitcase covering the market from Tokyo to Mumbai to Melbourne, and all the countries within that triangle. Got tired after logging 300k air miles per year. Now, I just have a little trading biz on specialty chemicals.
I have 2 questions: What is bulaga and why would I want to eat it? What is aldub and is it edible?
Hi, Jerry.
I don’t know if bulaga has a meaning, but it is a word used if you want to jokingly startle somebody. It is actually “it bulaga”, where the it is not the English it. They just change it to eat, because Eat Bulaga is a lunch time show.
Aldub = Alden + YayaDub, the names of the actors.
Hi Add. I hope you also know who this arrogant guy (who beats his wives) is because I don’t, really.
Wowowee
“Eat bulaga” is actually the Filipino version of “peek a boo!” as far as I know.. It’s not literally eat as in eating, but more like hide and seek (peek a boo). “Bulaga” can be interpreted as show,hence, bumulaga or gumulintang..
your only after food but your not praying to god
reposting my comment. “Eat bulaga” is actually the Filipino version of “peek a boo!” as far as I know. It’s not literally eat as in eating, but more like hide and seek (peek a boo). “Bulaga” can mean “show.” Al-dub, just 2 persons from a love team that clicked massively with the locals.
One detrimental ways we Filipinos destroy our social fabric–through movies, television shows, and beauty pageants–is by favoring foreign-born mestizo actors and actresses over local (kayumanggi) talents, because the former is guaranteed to draw more patronage while depriving the latter the same opportunities.
We Filipinos are so hung up on trying to project a Caucasian image of ourselves, that we are willing to accept the lies being told to us by the entertainment industry, just so we won’t have to face the truth about ourselves and our appearance.
Has anyone ever seen a Derek Ramsey farmer or an Ann Curtis maid in real life in the Philippines? Let’s Get Real Filipinos and start facing the truth! Our imagined (aristocratic) image of ourselves is part of the reasons we are failing as a nation.
Now that you mention it, I have a Brazilian friend who is quite probably one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met but she’s every bit as brazen-skinned as your typical Filipino. What’s more is that she’s even proud of it.
Yup, Aeta. It’s puzzling. On one hand, a good many Pinoys are xenophobic. On the other, they seem to like the colonial past. These are forces pulling in opposite directions.
Must be, because maybe we don’t have a clear definition on who and what is a Filipino. It is a nation still in search of its identity. And that is why, maybe, we don’t know our potentials.
@Add,
Filipinos may have been xenophobes when foreigners first set foot on our soil centuries ago. Now, whatever xenophobic behavior our people display, it is done strategically to make ourselves appear naïvely innocent, old-fashioned (“Mahinhin “or “Makaluma”), or immune from foreign influence (“Ugaling Pinoy pa rin”).
But we all know better than to fall for that crap. Filipinos today are more modern and socially sophisticated (“sosyal”)–and know more about the latest worldwide trends and technologies–than people from other countries.
As far as having a racial and ethnicity complex, Filipinos know who they are and where they came from. They just prefer to be associated with certain racial traits (tall, lighter, and sharp features) than the opposite. This is why we poke fun and look down at our own countrymen (i.e., Aeta and Igorot) who are short, dark skinned, and have broad features.
We also look down on other ethnicities, like the Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai people to name a few, because we’re convinced that we are more effective in dealing with westerners because we have been heavily influenced by them than any Asian countries.
The only reason we have not—and I doubt we ever will—reach our full potential, is because we’ve allowed our delusions of everything I’ve mentioned get to our head (ego), to the point that it metastases like cancer into our culture and corrupted our moral values.
Aeta
Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
How true, how true.
Thanks, d_forsaken — our philosopher on the house.
All I can say is I’ll let things speak for themselves!
“Looks cheesy and cheap, and it is trending?”
(Can we save ourselves from our stupidity with this korean show?)
C’mon, Juan. The Koreans are not trying to compete. My friend was just thinking that the Aldub thing was something similar to that Korean fellow who also went viral with his Kangnam… (Oh, I don’t even remember the complete title of that song now).
I can assure you the query was harmless.
I actually hide a lot of stuff from my foreign friends anyway… No point in getting them involved in my shenanigans after all…
Wow, here’s the man of the hour. Hi, Grim, how you doing man? I can see you are on the roll.
Yup, we can’t tell our foreign friends Pinoys are irresponsible, etc etc, can we?
Anyway, nice going, man.
50 tausann pises po at isang latang karne norte..
Pasensiya na, pero hindi ko gets comment mo. Paki-expound lang please.
You are what you watch and read. Garbage in – garbage out.
Worthless programs that only serve to degrade the minds of the masses should be taxed heavily, to offset the damage it will make on Phil society and culture.
You need not wonder why Pinoys are so corrupt and perverted.
Better yet, we need a righteous incorruptible dictator to rule with an iron fist to clamp down on the unbridled flow of useless shows that go on air.
Oh man, your first three paragraphs were just perfect. Then, comes your last paragraph. I don’t know if it is a punchline, Zaxx. But, you certainly made me laugh.
But, you made me think too. Hope other commenters will weigh in on your suggestion in the meantime.
you sound very much like a Pharisee!
I just found the blog a few days ago and I have been very surprised. I have spent a great deal of time in the Philippines in the past year and was shocked I what I have seen. I was expecting a very different culture. I have a huge number of Filipino friends here in the USA and they are very different. They are clean freaks, more family oriented than Americans and proud to be Filipino. 8 have to say, everything you are writting here is completely true.
When I arrived there I was expecting to find the society that I have always longed to be a part of. Instead I have found that most Filipinos are more corrupt, more selfish and more ignorant that Americans. I have been sadly disappointed.
I am married to a Filipina who still lives there awaiting her visa to come to the USA. She is very different than the general population there. So much so that she refuses to get cable TV or even watch TV unless it is the news. Her family is the same. They are incredibly family oriented and wholesome people. Unfortunately, I see them taken advantage of and cheated by other Filipinos every day. My views have change drastically. I wish I could share my experiences from a foriegner’s point of view.
We were planning to live permenantly in the Philippines when I retire, three years from now. But now, I am not so sure. I dont know if I can deal with the ignorance, stupidity and corruption of the people there or the filth and stench that is always around where ever you go.
It is so sad to see so much potential wasted.
I think, PDChuck, we have a pretty good idea about what you are saying — you are not the first one from whom we have heard such complaints. It is a cultural shock for you. Next visit may not be as much as you already know what to anticipate. Still, our advice is that you be very, very choosy of the company or crowd you mix with here, and the places you visit. Very, very choosy are the operative words.
Thank you for your feedback. They are useful for us.
Mr. PDChuck, people’s perspective of seeing things varies with every individual. A glass of water can be seen as being half-filled or half-empty, as they say. And so with the Philippines and its people being “Third World”, it can go the either way depending on the appreciation of the varied individuals.
So the choice really is within you. If you don’t have an open mind and carry your prejudices with you when you come to the Philippines, you can not be truly happy here. I guess you have to examine yourself first if your ready to embrace both the good and the bad.
Having read the Filipinos of this GRP blogsite who hate their own, you can learn something from the Foreigners’ perspective who love the Philippines for balance.
http://twomonkeystravelgroup.com/2015/01/foreign-travel-bloggers-who-love-filipinos-and-the-philippines/
http://www.choosephilippines.com/specials/people/2157/foreigner-visited-every-province-philippines/
Multiply,
Why make excuses for our people’s shortcomings, by giving what is going on in the Philippines a new twist to soften the blow of reality?
Aeta
I hope you can be more specific as to why it gives you the impression of whatever “excuses” and “new twist” that in your end “soften the blow of reality”.
Multiply,
Okay, I’ll be more specific. The blog sites you are referring for foreigner “PDChuck” to check out is a travel blog, created for a single purpose: to promote the countries these bloggers have visited to generate “hits” and income.
The contents of those travel blogs will always be positive. If you surf Yahoo website and read bad news about the Philippines, you can almost guarantee that Yahoo Philippines will follow with propagandize articles of all the beautiful places to visit in this country, to ‘soften the blow of [the harsh] reality’ of what’s really going on.
You have no ideas how many times I’ve engaged in heated debates with Filipinos—and some foreigners (usually men) romantically involved with Filipinas—who tried to compare, and downplay, the problems of the Philippines to other Third World countries as not being that bad.
These defensive Filipinos, and foreigners, are retaliatory because they don’t want to dispel the popular notion that they’ve will eventually get used to the corrupt way of life, or, simply accepted all the bullshits in this country because there is nothing they can do to change them.
This mental affliction is called learned helplessness, and our people have been living with this disease for a long time without realizing they have it.
Aeta
Aeta, I think the fine lady in the video addresses your concern!
Multiply, it is not a question of choice of how you view things. If you view things in a positive light in this idiotic country, then you are one of the idiots.
Like no one choses to get cancer. If you have cancer you will view it as a positive thing?
Stop making excuses. This country is hopeless.
PDChuck,
“Instead I have found that most Filipinos are more corrupt, more selfish and more ignorant that Americans.”
Your observation is what I have been saying along, and it’s not just limited to our corrupt government; it applies to ALL FILIPINOS because we all came from the same lot:
‘The Philippines is corrupt because the people are corrupt; the people are corrupt because the culture is corrupt; the culture is corrupt because the value system is corrupt.’
Aeta
Hollywood has also its own perverts. Actors and actresses, who are perverts, in real life.
In our country; there are : sex perverts; moral perverts; religious perverts;political perverts;intellectualy perverted people, etc…we have perversions of all kinds.
Aquino, Roxas, Binay, Grace Poe, Escudero and other politicians are all perverts. They pervert the truth, about themselves. And also, pervert the Truth, on the real situation of our country. However, we still elect these perverts.
Show Biz will do anything to earn tons of Box Office money; gain sponsors and ratings.
They can pervert your brain; so that they can turn you into a “star struck ignoramus”. Turning you also, into a showBiz addict; trying to win prizes in their shows.
Remember, when Revillame’s Wowoowee show had an stampede of people; just to get into his Wowoowee show to win prize money. There were some fatalities. They call that Wowoowee Show: “a show that is worth dying for…”
How stupid can Filipinos get…
Yup, almost forgot that stampede, when he had a gallon of crocodile tears.
oh yeah? well they rape here in the philipines not much but we know alot of languages awhile these guys dont we can learn every LANGUAGE these guys are arrogant stupid plus filipino only works for food not money money is just a piece of wood made paper burning it is like nothing to me since people in the hollywood are mercyless in the philipines we give money to the poor sometimes food
also prays to god alot people always goes to church n helps people
UKNOWN,
This is bullshit. “also prays to god alot people always goes to church n helps people.”
Praying doesn’t help the Filipinos change their self-serving and aristocratic ways. In fact, praying validates how Filipinos see themselves, and justify what they want to do or have done.
Just look at the Philippines and the Filipinos’ relationships with one another. The evidence will tell you if prayers work.
Aeta
I hope you would not mind me asking… but, what is exactly “Not bullshit” in a buddhist prayer as oppose to others?
Sorry I couldn’t help it ’cause I’ve read in another thread your suggestion of the practice Buddhism to Mr. Grimwald.
Mantis,
No, I don’t mind you asking at all. First, Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy (a way at looking at life).
We do not pray to any god or deities, but look at life on earth in its entirety and relativity—that everything we do in this world affect us, everybody, and everything directly and indirectly.
Buddhist practice requires that the mind looks at life through reality and not through one’s concept of “self” or “ego.” That life is full of Suffering—not through the pain of being born, living for a little, getting sick, and dying, which are the natural processes with all living things—but through the “Attachment”—or “Grasping,” according to Buddhist terminology.
The personal meanings we put into our thoughts and actions, by our “self” and “ego,” cause Sufferings. In short, we suffer—and everyone and everything around us do the same–because we feed the desires of our “self” and our “ego.”
Why do I say “praying” and “helping” others do not work for the Philippines and its people? The answer is simple. We are still too attached to the concept of “self” and “ego,” and the goals we want to achieve that satisfies no one in the end but ourselves—at least temporarily.
In other words, ‘don’t do what is right to achieve something; do what is right because that is what we all should do.’ Everything that has happened in the Philippines have always been goal-oriented and egoistical, masked only by the thin veil of pretentious religions (Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam) that our people practice, while the end results are always chaotic and inconclusive.
Why not forego all these religious props and just do what is right by becoming ‘genuinely’ more selfless (not selfish) and compassion towards our country and each other, to lessen all of our sufferings?
This novel approach might just change the wayward directions the Philippines and its people have been going for a long time. Which is nowhere.
Aeta
Yeah right just keep on praying and always expect that God solves all of your problems because you hate moving your ass. What are you a mindless lemming?
The Philippines doesn’t have much in the way of culture and if the only offering they seem to have is the idiotic noon-time TV shows: Whose fault is that ?
AND HEY, what is the matter with sexy girls dancing? NOTHING, as far as I can say! Rather see that than some drug-addled mess on Dr.Phil in the USA/EU.
Well, let us just say that there are pictures that could be discerned as pornos, and there are nude paintings that are beautiful and uplifting that they are called art.
The Philippines doesn’t have much in the way of culture and if the only offering they seem to have is the idiotic noon-time TV shows: Whose fault is that ?
Those who patronize the shows
A Lot of Pinoys Are Treating Entertainment As a Need, Not As A Want!
Sean Akizuki,
That’s because most Filipinos are too lazy to “want” to read and exercise their minds; so they “need” to to watch Filipino movies and television programs to keep their mental muscles from developing atrophy.
Aeta
Sorry to disappoint you Mr. Add, but the earlier post is not even intended for the koreans but us filipinos!
I bet your korean friend wasn’t joking (deep in his heart) when he said, “You, Filipinos, are a mysterious lot.”
No offense and my apologies also for finding it strange that you devoted an article for something that you, by your own admission, have no complete idea of your subject-topic at hand!
– “Still, I am not sure what is going on. I am one of those who have to earn a living and don’t have time to watch noon time shows.”
– “For sure, I am no longer a good judge of the contents of these shows for it has really been ages since I watched any of them.”
The slight hint to the urban legend rape of Pepsi Paloma, without mentioning any possible truth to it, is tantamount to engaging in “Showbiz Chizmiz”. This is disturbing considering this is GRP, the home to the Intelligent!
– “Who remembers Pepsi Paloma? Were Tito, Vic and Joey involved?”
I have read this from an Anonymus commenter:
“Pepsi Paloma must be turning in her grave with all this talk being ressurected about her past. If there is anyone who wants to run after those bastards who “raped” and “strangled” her it should be her family or her mother.”
No entry of the supposed rape by TVJ was even mentioned in Pepsi Paloma’s diary at the time of her death:
“Pfc. Willy Borgonia of the Quezon City police investigation division, however, said a diary he found at Pepsi’s room disproved her manager’s claim. The diary said she was so depressed for not having had any movie offers lately. “Wala akong masyadong pelikula. Maraming gastos,” she wrote in her diary. “Ako lahat ang gumagastos sa bahay, pati pang-tuition ng mga kapatid ko.” She also complained about her mother in Olongapo City: “Hindi ko alam kung itinuturing akong tunay na anak ng nanay ko.””
http://video48.blogspot.com/2009/03/bold-stars-3-cruel-world-of-pepsi.html
As far as content in TV shows are concerned, I think it’s only fair to qualify what is and what is not.
– “So, my cynical self could only surmise that these must be public service offerings with large strings attached.”
– “But, what a way to take advantage of the gullibility, the naivete, the depressing conditions of the poor and the hopeless.”
We can not speak for every Pinoy TV show but we definitely have to give credit where credit is due! (And I do hope that this post will not be deleted again!)
@All4Juan
1. It’s typical legal defence: muddle the issue. The suicide has nothing to do with the rape issue, which obviously they were successful in suppressing at earlier date. But, there is no point in arguing that for obviously the statute of limitation is already in effect.
Obviously, tsismis can’t be a part of an intelligent discussion. Obviously, it can no longer be considered tsismis when there is an alleged criminal act involved.
Example #1: US Congress tried to impeach Clinton because of his illicit affair with Monica. At the time, they could not get evidence of this, but proceeded with the impeachment anyway because Clinton was caught lying in the deposition. So, the impeachment was not about the affair, but about a lie. But, people continued to talk, even to date, about the affair; were they engaging in tsismis? Remember the book of Monica admitting the affair only came many, many years later. #2. The 2nd wife went to court to sue Revillame who was beating her. Nothing came out of that because the wife appears to have withdrawn the case. But, it was also the time the 1st wife took the opportunity to admit she was also beaten by Revillame. People stop talking about this because it seemed bordering on tsismis since nothing came out of the case. It seems they just stop patronizing him as the ratings of the show started declining. It may be that or people and the networks may have started to notice his abrasiveness thereafter.
Why is there a point in talking about this? Well, let’s see. One example: the pro-Binay camp is saying that the on-going investigation is all about tsismis re Binay. It seems to be a good defence. Do you agree they are mere tsismis?
****
2. Following your argument, then we should also be impressed by the scholarships sponsored by SM, Ayala, RCBC, and Lucio Tan. I know for a fact that the one by SM already graduated close to 32,000, cumulative through the years to-date. Or, should we understand this as a good way of reducing tax — might as well that such go to good use instead of going to the pockets of corrupt officials.
What about the scholarship program of Pagcor? If you are against gambling, would you stop your advocacy because they have started giving scholarship?
Obviously, if one is a recipient of these scholarships, obviously, one has to be very thankful to these companies and entities. Obviously, the same goes for those who received scholarship from EB.
Now, as an advocate for better shows, does one stop one’s advocacy because all of sudden scholarships are being handed out? What seems obvious?
As a businessman, should I be impressed by these charities by business? Yes, if I am naive. No, if I know they are all just about tax shields. Why should I be impressed by a practice in business, where there is nothing obviously extra-ordinary about them?
****
You see there are people who don’t need to watch a show to see what is obvious, but there are also people who don’t miss a show, but are still blind to things that are obvious.
Very well said Juan For All! Couldn’t agree more.