The Struggling Blogger

It was indeed a sad day for the hosts of Eat Bulaga as one their co-host, Francis Magalona passed away yesterday. Needless to say, the news that broke out while the show was just starting definitely affected everyone - hosts, audiences and even those who were watching at home. I was even wandering how they can continue with the program because I can feel their grief even though I was only watching on my TV… I know, cause I felt it too.

But theirs is an industry that always go with the cliche “the show must go on!” And being professionals and all, Eat Bulaga went back to their regular program, making people happy… in spite of the sad news.

Down the latter part of the show, at the jackpot portion of “Itaktak mo!” the contestant got the jackpot prize of P1 million when the roulette wheel stopped at the EB logo which signifies the jackpot prize.

Joey de Leon even kidded “Nagbiro si Kiko!” implying that Francis M had a hand or helped the contestant win P1 M jackpot prize. Perhaps he did… his way of making them feel that he is still, and very much, a part of Eat Bulaga.

Shampoo’s are to women while beer are to men? I’m talking about how nonsensical TV commercials can be. Yes, you guessed it right. This is another take on today’s advertisements being flashed on our television as we watch.

I am actually gathering materials for my second installment of Commercial Muna, but this particular one made me think and decide, it can be posted by itself. It doesn’t need any accompanying subjects as it’s a topic on its own.

I’m talking about the latest commercial of a beer, you know the one where a giant bottle of the said beer ‘falls upon the man’ who doesn’t know how ‘real men’ act. Really now, how should real men act?
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(Taking a break from daily events, I dig up on my old works and found this one which was written way back 2004. A factual view on TV commercials, I’m planning to have an updated version, but I can’t find the time yet. I hope you still remember them. My apologies to those who may not be able to relate to this, as these are mostly commercials from the Philippines. Thanks)

It’s been ten years since you last saw your high school classmates! Ten LONG years! And tonight you’ll finally get to see them again. Because tonight is your reunion! You’re very excited to see your classmates again after so many years. You went to the reunion, full of expectations. As you enter the place of the party, you saw your former classmates, and as you approached them, even before the hi’s and hello’s, even before the beso-beso and kumustahan, the first thing that they asked you is, “San ka nagparebond? “ What?!!! Honestly, is that the way to greet someone whom you haven’t seen for quite a long time? I think a simple “hi” would suffice.
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We see a mother giving her son a dozen donuts in a box, and told him to share it with his playmates. The boy then counted all his friends who are busy looking for a place to hide as they were playing hide-and-seek with the boy being the it. As they show his playmates one by one, hearing the boy’s voice on the background… coincidentally, there were twelve of them, including the boy!

Quickly he called all his playmates from hiding and announced that he has donuts to share. When they approached him, the camera showed all eleven donuts gone and just one remaining which was divided into 12 pieces. It seems the boy have consumed all eleven pieces and have left just one piece to share with his friends. Cute… or is it? I say it is an obvious display of greed and selfishness.
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For those who didn’t know it, the television was also referred to as an idiot box. Because as they say it turns people into idiots! Instead of reading, they just watched televisions. Reading as we all know is mind-stimulating and admittedly a better mental exercise than watching televesions.

Nowadays, the way I see it, shows on TV has given a new definition to the word ‘idiot box’. I’m referring to SOAPs which are also popularly known here in the Philippines as TELENOVELA. It gives me the impression that it is indeed an idiot box because it contains idiots inside. Now before you react and throw tomatoes at me, as I’m sure that most of you watched these telenovelas, let me explain it to you why I can say this.

I really don’t understand how stupid lead actresses can be in a telenovela. Just imagine being slapped in the face - at the least, and not even trying to fight back. And the villainess? Beautiful, intelligent and all and yet without logic when it comes to the lead actor. Willing to wage war just to get the man of his life. More often than not, the lead actor would choose of course the lead actress, it doesn’t matter if she is as ugly as Betty la Fea!

These idiosyncrasies, together with storylines that are often illogical and highly impossible sometime, gives a whole new meaning to the word idiot box. I really can’t elaborate as much here without the risk being marked for assasination… or at least my blog. But what’s even sadder is that, people buy them and patronize them. This causes me to ask a very important question… Is the idiot in the idiot box really within or without?