Category Archives: Network War Culture

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March 21, 2016

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commentary, Filipino TV, Network War Culture

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Commentary: At the Elliptical Road of a Presidential Debate, Rules and #NetworkWarCulture

TV5 Debate

(Elliptical Road, Intersection. At the Intersection of a Presidential Debate, Rules and #NetworkWarCulture. ????)

*puts Media Studies hat on*

Philippine media and entertainment is ripe for critique and analysis. Anyone could write a thesis paper on any number of topics relating to the unique environment that the media has cultivated in the Philippines.

Indeed, look no further than the “Only in the Philippines” reality of #NetworkWarCulture.

Sunday, March 20, 2016 saw the second of three Philippine presidential debates. It was a dramatic event behind the scenes and on the debate stage. In today’s social media-obsessed world, especially in the Philippines, anyone and everyone can give their opinions or make comments, valid or not. And when it came to this #PiliPinasDebate2016 (emphasis on the hashtag because the Philippines loves to trend), there is much to discuss. Continue reading →

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August 20, 2014

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commentary, Filipino TV, Network War Culture

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How Megyn Kelly and Willie Revillame Gave Lessons on Common Sense and Appropriateness on Live Television

I just had to post this. Who would have ever thought a Filipino variety program host would have anything in common with an American news network host?

Well, it happened.

On a special Tuesday episode of Fox News’ The Kelly File airing at midnight ET, host Megyn Kelly spoke with Concerned Veterans for America CEO, veteran and Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth about the video of ISIS terrorists beheading American journalist James Foley. But as the segment began, live video showing clashes between protesters and police in Ferguson, Missouri popped up on screen.

It took 16 seconds for Megyn Kelly, after allowing Pete Hegseth to finish his sentence, to call attention to the incredible and inappropriate disconnect between the images being broadcast and the discussion they were having. Continue reading →

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May 28, 2014

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commentary, Filipino TV, International TV, Network War Culture

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Commentary: The Moment When The Filipino Audience is Too Closed-Minded and/or Dense to Understand a Simple Advertisement

There are a lot of things to be frustrated about with Philippine entertainment. But maybe one of the things that irks me the most is the closed-mindedness of the Filipino television audience. Everyone familiar with Philippine entertainment knows about the petty network war and the blind loyalty people have to their network.

But what’s even worse is when a simple advertising campaign flies completely over the heads of the know-it-all Filipino netizen population, eliciting some cringe-worthy and eye roll-inducing pronouncements about a network, a show and its star.

TV5 is set to premiere Jasmine the Series this Sunday. The new drama stars Jasmine Curtis-Smith as a fictionalized version of herself who becomes the target of a dangerous stalker. The series aims to be both a dramatized look at the ins and outs of Philippine entertainment and a suspense thriller about one fantard who apparently goes too far.

A fresh and interesting concept for a series.

But it’s on TV5, a network that still struggles to appeal to an unwilling audience, no matter how good their shows can be (and are). Of course, that isn’t going to stop them from trying.

From to

And for part of TV5’s advertising campaign for Jasmine the Series, they’ve decided to be creative. Using Jasmine the Series‘ dramatized reality, a billboard of a product endorsed by Jasmine and Vin Abrenica (or his character on the show, Alexis) was mysteriously vandalized this week. Continue reading →

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May 3, 2014

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commentary, Filipino TV, International TV, Network War Culture

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Commentary: The Double Standards of Philippine TV (And Its Current Sorry State)

When Wowowillie went off the air in October 2013, people were celebrating the fact that class would finally be restored to Philippine noontime television. Gone would be Willie Revillame and his sexy dancers, on-air tampos and Filipino sob stories.

It is now May 2014. And in just the last week, Philippine noontime has seen indignant hosts, gays choking after getting polvorons stuffed into their mouths and being insulted and an old man feeling up a pretty young thing.

No, Willie Revillame isn’t back on television. But by those descriptions, you could very well be thinking of Kuya Wil, right?

And yet, barely a social media peep out of such so-called entertaining displays. But why? Because we all know if it really were Willie Revillame talking back to his director or network, making inappropriate jokes or making sexual advances toward a pretty young girl, you’d definitely hear about it. The MTRCB would be involved. All-knowing celebrities would tweet their sanctimonious disapproval.

Actually, that did happen. It regularly happened. But you don’t see the same faux outrage against the likes of Vice Ganda or Joey de Leon.

Wowowee, Wowowillie and everything in between was trash. Pure garbage. Unclassy. Nonsense. Waste of time. Yet Eat Bulaga and It’s Showtime are both beautiful pillars of the celebrity-based Filipino society. That’s the popular opinion, right?

Now I’m not writing this to defend Wowowee-tachi or Willie Revillame.

Well, I am. But that’s not my main point here. I’m writing to look at just why such double standards exist. Continue reading →

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October 11, 2013

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Appreciation, commentary, International TV, Network War Culture

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From Wowowee to Wowowillie – The End of an Era on Philippine Television… Again

It’s like déjà vu. Three years after Wowowee was unceremoniously killed on live television by ABS-CBN, here we are again as another Willie Revillame-hosted noontime show is set to go off the air.

Though with considerably less drama and without the hateful vitriol that surrounded Wowowee‘s demise in 2010, Wowowillie coming to an end on TV5 marks what could be the real end of an era on Philippine television. Continue reading →

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September 13, 2013

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Remembering Maria Flordeluna and a Time When Being a “Kapamilya” Meant Something, an Open Letter to ABS-CBN


So, apparently ABS-CBN Interactive, Inc. flagged one of my 25 clips of the great series Maria Flordeluna and now I have a copyright strike. Only that one video, mind you. The other 25 videos are, well, were still fine. But because I do not want to take a chance that ABS-CBN gets my account shut down for good by knocking out two more videos at separate times for my final 2 strikes, I just decided to delete all the Maria Flordeluna videos (really, just clips of the aborted JC & Annie love story) as well as clips of when Wowowee was the crown jewel of the network; fun clips of Carmen Soo dancing with Pokwang, the emotional first winner of “Cash Bukas” and the epic water gun fight between the genuinely happy and friendly co-hosts of the show.

I decided, Continue reading →

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August 3, 2011

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How ABS-CBN Brought About the Resurgence of Eat Bulaga

Since TAPE, Inc., the production house behind Eat Bulaga took the show from its home on ABS-CBN to a new one on GMA, Channel 2 had struggled to find their own noontime staple. That was, until they found Wowowee.

ABS-CBN had its first legitimate contender to Eat Bulaga‘s noontime throne with Wowowee. But what do they do with it? They kill it. Continue reading →

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April 10, 2011

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commentary, International TV, Network War Culture

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Discussion: Child Abuse? Exploitation? Double Standards? What’s Your Take?

Okay class, here is your essay question for today.

This clip has been the topic of heated and sometimes nasty and nonsensical debate. This segment of the TV5 variety/game show Willing Willie features contestants talking a little bit about their lives and then doing a little performance of whatever talent they want to showcase. It can be anything. This particular episode featured children as contestants (as these shows often do). Take a look…


(This is the fullest clip that includes all the boy’s appearances on the show.)

This “moment” has been distinguished as a form of “child abuse” and “exploitation.”

Now take these clips. The first is from the ABS-CBN gag/comedy show Goin’ Bulilit which features an exclusively all children cast (+Dagul) acting out adult situations.

And these particular moments from ABS-CBN talent show Showtime…

So, your essay question for today; What is the difference between these clips? Can one of these examples be called “child abuse” or “exploitation” and others not? Or are all of these examples or not examples of “child abuse?”
What exactly constitutes “child abuse” or child “exploitation” for you? What do you think is acceptable boundary for what children can or can not do on television? Continue reading →

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April 9, 2011

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commentary, International TV, Network War Culture

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Commentary – Want to Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill? Learn from the Philippines.

A Mountain? A Molehill? Maybe a dwarf’s mound.

It took two weeks for someone to notice a child allegedly being abused on live television.

That sounds pretty odd. But it could be one of a few things…

Maybe no one watches the program? But it can’t be that because it is a popular program that gets decent to good ratings.

Alright, so maybe it just took a while for the alleged abuse to be distinguished as such by the public before someone made a fuss about it? That can’t be it either because the alleged abuse has been described as being so disgusting and inhumane and a huge violation of child and human rights.

Yes, so naturally, one would immediately report wait a couple of days two weeks to bring it to the attention of the proper authorities… right? Continue reading →

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March 6, 2011

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commentary, International TV, Korean Drama, Network War Culture

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Mara Clara Could Learn a Thing or Two from The Baker King

Aren’t you glad we’re not on a Filipino soap opera?

Well, ABS-CBN’s Mara Clara continues to delve deeper into the bowels of hell for story ideas. The series is past from being salvageable and this remake shitting on the face of one of the most classic Filipino soap operas will probably be written about in textbooks as “How not to write a television series.”

This week, Mara Clara gets a new timeslot competitor when the planets align and they end up against GMA’s tagalized version of Korea’s The Baker King. Continue reading →