Wowowee–is it what dreams are made of? and why do I fear?
Posted on August 29, 2008
Filed Under Faith and Spirituality, LIFE, Parenting and Family, Peace amd Governance, That's Entertainment | Viewed 730 times
Why am I writing this?
I am writing this because I now fear for my children, I fear for their safety in the home and outside, I fear for their future, will there be any, while still in our beloved country the Philippines? With the spate of one bad news after another, one scandal after another, one senseless robbery and killing after another, fear has somehow enveloped me. Why Wowowee of all topics? Read on…
Only at Wowowee, Only in the Philippines
Where can you find an ordinary or obscure person from the streets have his/her 1- to 2-minute of fame—through a song or dance number, with or without talent, on national television? world-wide even for people who have access to the Filipino channel?
Where can you find people seemingly adoring one particular individual on television more than the adorers in church?
Where can you find a person, desperate now, then in an instant winning a million pesos or a house/lot or a car, or a combination of all three?
Where can you find hundreds of people come with high hopes, but go home empty handed, still spirits high but the stomachs empty?
Where can you find young ladies in skimpy wear, gyrating, luring, as though it were natural to do so, in prime time, men almost salivating, eyes bulging, hearts pounding, raw animal instincts awakened?
Where can you find mothers, aunts, grandmothers, other members of thee family, and household helpers bond together in excitement at least 2 hours a day, content, united in dance and song with people they do not even know? cheering, jeering, giving answers to questions intended for the show’s contestants?
Where can you experience crying and laughing at the same time? sometimes emotional, sometimes hilarious?
Where can you see the Filipino at its best—the bayanihan spirit? the generous soul? Dollars and pesos pouring to give immediate help. Wowowee has become a tourist destination, an OFW must see and must participate in.
What entertains the OFW in different parts of the world? the nearest they can feel at home?
What else? and where else? but at WOWOWEE! in WOWOWEE!
Willie and Wowowee
The stampede years ago has been forgotten. It just shows how forgiving the Filipino is, and how fast the Filipino can forget. Let’s just look at Wowowee as it is—a mid-day game show. Let’s just look at Willie Revillame as he is—the charismatic host (He could even surpass a Mike Velarde, of praise the Lord fame). For the fans and regular spectators of Wowowee, time stops for a while, two hours at least, Monday to Saturday for their daily fare of entertainment and fun. Fans are mesmerized with Willie, awed to the level of idolatry for many others.
Wowowee is the anaesthetic to the people’s woes, Wowowee is the temporary relief for people who are hungry, Wowowee has become the source of inspiration of the young generation. Ask a little girl what she wants to become wheh she grows up, she will say “Gusto ko pong maging artista”, or “Dancer po”, or even “Japayuki po” (I want to be an actress. Singer. Dancer in Japan). Wowowee has become the people’s dreams—dreams to hit big time in an instant, rather than thinking of work that gives gainful employment.
That’s Entertainment
I am not saying that Wowowee has not contributed anything positive at all. It has—it continues to bring entertainment.
And so, sad to say, this is one of the facets of Filipino culture, “that’s entertainment”, another being “mall mentality”. Oh, how Filipinos love entertainment, when seeing Willy is more important than commemorating the death of our dear Ninoy who died for them all, for us all. When thinking that Wowowie can be the quick fix rather than gainful employment. If Willie were to run for senator at this time—he will win, hands down! Like the movie actors and actresses turned politicians—again, there’s no need for me to elaborate. I’d say Willy is much better than they are. At least, he entertains, he inspires and makes the ordinary people forget about how they are being robbed by the educated elite (the not so educated, too, but are as talented) holding the lowest to the highest positions in government who are so good with their self-serving ambitions—big time robbers, and cheats they are.
Barometer, sugar-laced bitter pill, anaesthetic
Wowowee is the barometer of where the nation is now, the sugar-laced bitter pill of a sick society that could barely catch up with the rising costs of basic necessities, a nation where war just erupts in the South, civilians killed in the process, a nation where kidnappings and sporadic killings just happen on an ordinary day, in broad daylight, those who try to make noise silenced and others thrown to prison, a nation not anymore sure of its moral values and priorities, families in various degrees of dysfunctionality and many more. Wowowee is the anaesthetic to the harsh realities in the life of a Filipino. If Wowowee were stopped today, I am sure people will protest, and pray with all their might that it be brought back to air. But people will never protest, as one, against the violence, corruption, incompetence, etc in government.
High Time
Is it still safe to let our children out on their own in the streets? If we want our children to have a future, it is time for a moral and spiritual revolution. The list on how to change as a nation will perhaps be longer than the list that Barack Obama spelled out in his 45-minute acceptance speech for the Democrat’s candidate for US Presidency this morning. It is time to start on our own, work on our own inadequacies before we can go on a higher level.
It is high time for people to call on the gods, beckon them to save the nation. It is high time to call on Allah and our God to save our nation.
Photocredit: here
Related
- Wowowee–and the children of OFWs
- Prospero Pichay’s Dreams (as depicted in the ads), I Call Empty Promises
- Charice Pempengco in Oprah’s Show (Thanks for making us proud to be Filipino)
- Heavy in the heart, but it is inevitable (Father Domingo Moraleda and Ruth Diane Ferrer)
- Another Dreamless Night, Almost A Dreamful Day
- Previous post: Movie Review–KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez in For the First Time
- Next post: DIY–Training DOG
- More articles at the archives
- Jobs and Business Opportunities for Probloggers @ The J Spot
Comments
19 Responses to “Wowowee–is it what dreams are made of? and why do I fear?”
Leave a Reply
-
Quote for the Day!
“'Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves.”
---James Matthew Barrie
-
Today's Picture of Interest
In Bhutan, the economy is measured by Gross National Happiness -
About Me
Dine Racoma is Sexy Mom, a Filipina doing what she likes best—writing, her passion. She writes freelance, does research, advises on new media, and manages a virtual assistance office for home-based jobs. A mother of 7 (what joy!) foremost, a wife, MIL, grandma to 2 pretty girls and an angel in heaven, sister, daughter, friend. Was in the corporate world for 27 years, the first 5 as Executive Secretary to an affiliate of the country’s biggest drug chain, and the last 22 as an international civil servant in an international development bank with HQ in Manila. Traveled extensively to many countries bringing about rich experiences and lessons learned to share with dear Readers. All these—in The D Spot
Read more. My mission statement.
- My Other Blogs
- My Advocacies
-
Oh Wind(Poems from the Heart by D. Racoma)
the wind I can’t see but I can feel it it is there, I am sure caressing my face almost a kiss enveloping my whole being a warm embrace making me feel alive glow, delight, smile a pleasant rendezvouz
it blows intensely at times and I am swept away bringing me to heights never imagined I forget myself take me, please do, I plead then i go with the flow of the wind to the south, to the north to the east, to the west a dizzying union with the wind, my wind
wake me up, when it becomes too much more than what I can handle and bring me back to earth where I truly belong my feet firmly on the ground be the wind that gently blows the wind that I can feel always there, even if I can’t see always there, never to go away to caress my face, envelop my whole being -
-
Ratified.org Rank
-
Blog Stats Since Nov 2006
-
Top Blogs Philippines
This is a very good article Mommy Dine. I hope you publish this an a national paper for wide readership.
i agree with you 100%. it’s high time for the philippines to change.. there’s still hope, we could still make a difference..
One of my first blog posts was about Wowowee. I think the shows embodies everything that’s wrong with our country. I don’t think it brings anything good at all… even its entertainment value is demoralizing. Worst of all, it brings false hope to the poor that good fortune comes with luck and watching this show instead of perseverance and hard work.
Hi, Ms. D. Thanks for visiting my blog regularly. I’m really honored.
True, most Filipinos run to immediate stardom and instant cash instead of seeking a more permanent solution to poverty. Sad, truly sad indeed.
I totally agree with you.
Noodle Republic.
Basket case.
So many hurtful names being thrown at us. I still think it should be up to us to be able to install the good values that will help us go through these crisis that we are going through.
So you ask: “Is it still safe to let our children out on their own in the streets?”
Is it any wonder why more families are now considering, doing homeschooling, including ours?
sometimes, people are given this kind of never-ending-hopes on luck games coming from these entertainment/noon time shows. great write tita Dine!
Thanks for visiting me lately, mom.
Only at Wowowee!I can still remember that stampede before when I was still working with the poor families in Payatas… It’s part of life, as they say. Good fortune awaits but temporary and just for the chosen few: ang nananalo sa wowowee…
it’s really sad to see scores of people lining up for the show at the crack of dawn just to be able to watch or even have a chance to join the games instead of looking for a job. (i mean if the same people go there all the time. once or twice isn’t bad i guess)
I said it once, and will say it again, and I say this about all noon-time game shows;
“Hanggang kailan natin patatawanin ang ating mga sarili sa kabila ng katotohanang pagkatapos ng lahat, gutom pa rin tayo, walang pang-matrikula at walang kasiguruduhan ang kinabukasan?”
Every country needs to change for the better and also to protect the safety of its citizens but most of the time this aspect is overlooked b/c of the selfish and corrupted political leaders.
How sad, di ba?
Nice read by the way Tita Dine!
i don’t know.. pero hindi ko talaga ma-feel ang sincerity sa show na ‘to. lalo na ang host.. pero bakit marami ang nahahatak?
sad truth.. marami na ang nawawalan ng pag-asa na may pag-asa pa ang bansa natin.
That’s the power of the local noontime shows! Although they say that the Wowowee show give hope to the poor by giving them a chance to prosper in an instant, this may in realty be giving false hopes. Sad to say.
Very nice piece Mommy Dine! Maybe Mr. Willie Revillame should establish a foundation or something so he can help more poor people outside the show…
I left the Philippines before Wowowee became the sensation that it is now. I have seen some of it and I couldn’t get what the appeal is.
i never liked this show. they make fun of the manangs, the lolas – before willy gives them money, they make them gyrate to stupid songs. the show capitalizes on the people’s poverty to achieve high ratings. tsk.
I had already left the country by the time this show came into existence. I’ve seen some of its shows whenever I’m at the home of a relative or a friend. I don’t find this show appealing at all and I guess it has to give away nice sums of money just to gain a certain decent level of viewership.
You have a great blog here. This is my first time to comment here. Thanks.
I never see an episode Of Wowowee but since I know the host it could be worse. He was one of the hosts in Eat Bulaga and I never really like how they way he hosts the show, he’s could be impolite and rude to people! I don’t understand FIlipinos who still patronize his show.
I also noticed how being “rude” has become these days. The atmosphere may be festive on the show – but everything about it seems MORALLY wrong… And I agree with Ms. Gloria Karlos – hope you can publish this in a newspaper or something.
I love your blog by the way – my first time here.
[...] few months ago, I wrote about Wowowee, the anaesthetic to the harsh realities in the life of a Filipino. My mother was watching the show, [...]
I really love watching this show, napapatawa niya ko, napapaiyak.