I Think Therefore I Don’t Watch Telenovelas (A research writing exercise for my EnglOne class)

I am relatively fond of the Filipino culture for some good reasons. Primarily because it is mine and I have spent all my life immersed in it. Secondly, because it is the culture that has produced a lot of interesting ethnic characteristics, historical events and social phenomenon that can baffle even the most toughened travelers and zealous cultural dabblers. The Philippines is not difficult to love: we have wonderful cuisine, abundant natural resources, numerous and astounding scenic spots, and beautiful and hospitable people. There is one thing though that I do not always hold in favor of--an aspect of current, popular media: Local television programming.

If one needs to be specific on the matter, my pet peeve in local programming is the ubiquitous telenovela/teleseryes that parade across the screens come lunch time up to primetime. In hindsight, though, I have not always harbored dislike for them. I do remember liking a few (i.e. Isabel, Agila, etc. back in the late 80s or early 90s). But those seem to have come from a totally different era. As Mano Figueras puts it: “Soap operas in the Philippines have gone from true-blue baduy to true-blue Mexican to true-blue powerhouse productions” (2002, p. 68).

Figuera (2002), in his article “The Road to Sudsville,” articulates a skeptical view of teleseryes or telenovelas as legitimate media. The author is doubtful of the purpose of telenovelas as educational or as something that can improve the lives of Filipinos who watch them. In the end he concludes that most telenovela viewers merely patronize these shows to escape from their daily travails or to fulfill a fantasy (p. 68).

Perhaps a few of aspect of local telenovelas that I find most disconcerting are the ones mentioned in a personal essay entitled “Television Torture by Telenovelas” (2009). I agree that sickening melodrama generated by torturous minutes of the camera unnecessarily focused on an amateur starlet’s weeping face, and the stereotypical, double-standard roles that women and men occupy in these shows, render local telenovelas unprogressive (Zytryxx). That is, if progress is measured by the level of mental maturity, capability for critical thinking and the capacity for creativity that products of media can lend to its viewers.

Sadly, so far, I do not see this as a quality of Filipino telenovelas.


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References:

1. Figueras, M. (October 2002). The Road to Sudsville. FLIP: A Official Guide to World Domination (vol. 2 no. 1), p. 68.

2. Zytrexx (July 1, 2009). Television Torture by Telenovelas. October 5, 2010. http://zytrexx.multiply.com/journal/item/256

My Childhood Library

One of the highlights of my week was the trip to my old grade school/high school, De La Salle Zobel. Although I have been back there several times since I graduated in--well, I won't tell!--I had really only been back for some specific events that allowed me only enough time to go to one place--the Zobel theater. This would usually be for the Pacquiao fights.

Last Wednesday, however, Prof. Malu, Prof. Neri and I were invited to check out ZoobTV: DLSZ's radio and TV studio. We walked around some parts of the campus, some offices (met the Bro Pres). All throughout the "official business" though, I have been waiting for the right time to ask Mrs. Balgos (the one who entertained us) if I could perhaps go and check out my most memorable hang out during my 13 years in DLSZ: the library.

She said, yes of course. It's still there, where I remember it to be: at the basement of the main building. Malu and Neri obliged and was more than happy to check the library out with me. I really had one mission there. I was eager to see if all the books I have read as a child were still there.

Well, waddya know?!?





Sadly, a lot of the old Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Dana Girls have been discarded because they were so old and destroyed already (according to the current librarian). I couldn't even find Bobsey Twins anymore, and most of the Judy Blume novels. But I was ecstatic to find that some of the books still had their old call cards and two still had my name on them!!! (WOWOOWOW!!!) \m/ astig di ba???!

Not another...?!?!?!

This must be my 6th blog...I have stopped keeping track a long time ago; not because I didnt want to maintain them, but because I have forgotten my usernames and passwords due to disuse. Most of these blogs of mine currently floating in cyberspace--idle--were made exclusively for some of my classes. Well, here's another one for my current English One (basic college writing) class.

Don't expect that much writing for me, though. I think that reading and commenting on all my English One student's blogs will take up all the time I have. Instead, I'll just be using this to post links to my student's works for everyone to read and comment on, too. Now and then, hopefully, I could get to write something substantial, worthy of this little spot in cyberspace. probably a random journal entry or two.

Maybe I'll start now and share a snippet of my one-week term break.














I spent three days of it in this quiet, peaceful and astoundingly beautiful little town called El Nido. Out jaws dropped the moment Sche, H and I got down from the old, rickety bus we spent 8 hours travelling in. The sight of the town sitting at the foot of a majestic cliff, the amazing horizon at a distance and the crystal, bluegreen water made all the travel hassles worth it. El Nido: paradise.

And we spent less than P2000 during our stay there. Including trasportation, i think.

O siya, that's it for now. Watch out for my students' blogs...enjoy! :)