Wowowee–A phenomenon no doubt (Some may hate it, some do not care, but many love it, and me? I cried.)

November 18th, 2009 by Sexy Mom · Viewed 535 times · 5 Comments

Wowowee—this is all your fault—I unashamedly cried, tears profusely flowing down my beautiful face.

A contestant, a boy of about 10 years old was accompanied by his father. As it has always been in the program, the pattern was for Willie, who nowadays has always been in orange, interviewed the father.

His son, by the way introduced his father as a very hardworking father. The father was jumping with joy, even making antics, because he said, the atmosphere was very happy.

After some blah blah, he asked Willie a favor—if he could bring his parents, 60+ years, to Wowowee. His parents are very big fans who watch the show everyday. He said he may not have shown it at all, or said it, but he loves his parents very much and appreciated his parents’ hard work. His father cuts grass, and his mother does house work, day in and day out. And the truth was, his parents have not been to any big place yet, not even to the mall.

Willie asked when the parents could come to the show. The father said, anytime—they would be waiting. Willie gave him P5th, then changed his mind and gave P10th so that he could bring the parents to the mall to buy them nice clothes to wear at Wowowee. The father cried unabashamedly—a man crying in front of nation television (nay, global TV). Then he has become emotional, cried in fact, face twisted, and later in the verge of breaking down. He was so thankful to Willie. His son was also crying, and thanked his father for the love (I didn’t catch where the mother was—usually mothers accompany kid contestants) and urged his grandparents to continue working hard.

And I was so touched, I was crying, Monica who was also watching must have been crying, and I also sensed my mother crying (and maybe more than half of the millions of people watching were crying, too). These scenes really touch the heart—if Pauline (or any of my kids for that matter) were watching she would have cried more than I did. She has a soft heart for old people, especially those who are very old and have disability.

These are the scenes that one sees everyday in Wowowee—people laugh, people cry, people dance, people sing, etc. Sometimes when I watch, I just listen to what these people, especially the poor, say in their one moment of glory, in their one moment of being in center stage, even for a few minutes. Wowowee is an occasion for people to say “I love you” to their loved ones and to be thankful to them. Most of the time, Filipinos do not say “I love you” to their parents (or parents to their children, especially the older ones). It’s like it’s difficult for most Pinoys to say “I love you”, they would rather show affection by doing good things, working hard, or saying, “Ingat“.

Oh well, Wowowee is a phenomenon—even if people say that the poor are taken advantage of, mocked, derided, or whatever, the bottom-line is, it is “entertainment” as how millions of people see it. It is a venue for some people to win BIG time in inane contests. It is also a showcase of talents undiscovered, raw talents, even a chance for “have-beens” to again be seen and heard. It is a show that brings Pinoys abroad closer to home. Wowowee may be ABS CBN’s mine of gold, and so is Willie’s, but for the poor, it is what they look forward to Mondays to Saturdays, in place of empty stomachs and unfulfilled dreams.

Perhaps, Wowowee is in the same gauge as Jolibee when we talk about the economic status of a town or city in the Philippines. Where there is a Jolibee branch, or where Jolibee expands, it can be co-related to an economic boom in that town or city. And with Wowowee—it is the people’s “escape” from the harsh realities in life.

Tags: Fun · That's Entertainment · Thoughts · Wowowee

5 responses so far ↓

dimaks // Nov 19, 2009 at 1:44 pm

i had a good read tita Dine, thanks for sharing. indeed, Wowowee touched many hearts!
Angie // Nov 19, 2009 at 6:18 pm

i read your blog from time to time and this caught my attention and just can’t help but comment on this. i’m glad you see him and the show this way not like this other blog and the people who made comments – http://chuvaness.livejournal.com/734225.html

i admit that there are times that i don’t like wowowee too but if you come to think of it…why do people idolize willie and his show? giving false hope?...maybe!...but he or the show is seen as their only hope.

it’s easier for these people or perhaps the rich to say such things such as wowowee being banned from their homes because they wouldn’t know what it is like to be less fortunate. some drivers and helpers of these privileged people join the contest in the show too just to help their families.

i am not rich nor poor, but i know where these poor people are coming from, why these ofw’s and their families watch the show.

i often read the other blog too and i must say that she helps people in own way too, it’s just that people must be sensitive to other people’s fortune and feelings.

thanks and more power to you.
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jodi // Nov 26, 2009 at 11:39 am

very well said sis, i think wowowee is the heart of abs-cbn. through this program, many peoples’ lives are touch. it is a healing program also because if you have some problems, and you have the opportunity to watch the show, then you will sing, dance,cry but most of the time i cried through this program
Jhay // Dec 1, 2009 at 2:03 pm

That’s the sad part, it’s an ‘escape’ for a very lucky few. For the rest of the nation who still languish in poverty, they remain in poverty.

The point is not to ‘escape’ but realize that we have the power to change it, instead of looking for ways to escape.

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