The Idiot Box 2

Unexpectedly, yesterday I bought the Philippine Daily Inquirer for no reason. My feet carried me to the newstand and bought it. Again, unexpectedly there was an article written by the well-known director Jose Javier Reyes that again talked about television; but this time about sitcoms (situation comedy).

He said that slowly sitcoms are dying: the shows are now placed at the wee hours of the morning and sometimes they only act as fillers for that particular time slot unlike on the yesteryears where the sitcoms are on the primetime like John and Marsha, Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata, etc.

He said that then, was the "Real Golden Age of Philippine Television."

Not in this time of ours where the koreanovelas and the flying mutants-with-magical powers rule.

Not in this time where Kris Aquino's pregnancy news is as big as the recent coup in Thailand.

Not in this time where the ratings matters and so-what-if-my-show-doesn't-have-sense-as-long-as-it-has-high-ratings.

Not in this time where the commercials are sometimes better than the actual program being shown.

Not in this time where commercials are longer than the shows and you wouldn't know if you are watching the program or the commercials.

Not in this time where there are a lot of artists out there looking for a particular program where they could fit in.

Not in this time.. Not today.. But yesterday..

I wasn't born during that time but given the fact that most of the programs that are being shown on the TV now doesn't make any sense, I do believe that TV shows are much better before.

But right now, these shows are just giving people false hopes.

Going back again to the telepantasya syndrome that infected television.. and so what that we have seen how Sabina discovered that her real mother was Eloida not Ayesa, and so what that Inggo was chosen to be the next super hero and needs to be trained in an Academy for Superheroes?

And so what?

Stop claiming that these are the "Golden Years of Philippine T.V. unless they started putting those "trash" programs to where they belong.

Make the people think. Don't make them dumb.

Create programs that make the masses 'intelligent' and stop the "bobofication" of the people, as Jose Javier Reyes said.

Gotta go.. Majika is on its final week..

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