Press Statement
April 11, 2011
The suspension of Willing Willie show for a period of two weeks starting today as pronounced by TV 5 Network is indeed a temporary measure long overdue to address the disturbing and demeaning nature of the said program. Nonetheless, it is an opportunity not only to improve guidelines and processes but to totally rethink the concept of entertainment and culture of programs in the industry that has immensely influenced the consciousness of the Filipino viewers and listeners.
Nothing is bad with entertainment per se. What is evil is using vulnerable sectors like women, children and our impoverished brothers and sisters–the masses — as objects of entertainment. Humor has never been synonymous with exploitation and abuse. Sadly, this has been an ongoing trend and painfully we needed a six-year old child to remind all of us how insensitive and tasteless our standards have become.
Thus, it is a challenge for us artists, especially those in the mainstream showbiz industry, to truly embrace this call, by taking steps to change this reality.
Looking back, we see how artists and esteemed Directors like Lino Brocka have created something insightful and unifying out of the experiences and daily struggles of the Filipino people. It was beautiful, entertaining and discerning and never meant to mock the poor. The realities of poverty, injustice and oppression inspired him to become one with them and to join and be part of their struggles for a better life. To quote Direk Lino “Our inspiration must come from the struggles of the People. More, we must be part of those struggles.”
With the richness and diversity of our culture, our artists, directors and producers will surely not run out of concepts and ideas to put on the table. With the brilliance and ingenuity of the Filipino artists, we believe there are great ideas just waiting to be unleashed. Well, it is about time to abandon the old formula of entertainment that shouts nothing but the decadent, colonial and feudal character of this industry. It is about time to strengthen the progressive, pro-people and nationalist culture that we are all capable of pushing forward. This is the time to truly showcase what Filipino artists are ultimately capable of doing and that is using art and culture to serve the best interests of the Filipinos. ###
