TV must educate, not just entertain

Philippine TV’s more recent golden age came in the months and the couple of years after EDSA I. That was the period when the then sequestered IBC 13 had the sitcom Happy House, the gag program Sic O’clock News and the political talk show Public Forum.

GMA 7 had Viewpoint, but that was launched a year prior to EDSA I. The network could also be credited for giving Vilma Santos a new home for her musical/variety program that is already listed as among the very best in its genre.

Over at the newly reopened ABS-CBN was Zsa Zsa that proved to be so expensive to produce that it failed to reach one season (but it was a divine musical during its short run). Channel 2 also provided The Probe Team with its first roof before it moved to GMA 7 where it was hailed as an award-winning docu series.

However, ABS-CBN also came up with tabloid TV via TV Patrol that sensationalized news and also encroached on showbiz turf. But that was what democracy was all about.

When hard times came (there was the Gulf War in 1989), TV began resorting to cheap entertainment to cover the soaring cost of production. Crap began creeping into the scene and there were viewers willing to lap it up.

And now we have a garbage heap and it’s all over TV and Monique Wilson is pleading for change.

But reforms have to come from the bosses. The viewers eat what TV feeds them. I don’t see change coming in immediately, especially since there is a lot of cost cutting being done by networks today. I also understand where they are coming from: the continuing increase in fuel price, for instance, is enough reason for production to cut corners and give audiences watered-down quality.

I believe though that as industry members, we can individually bring about change. Directors, writers and especially superstar actors and other major on-cam talents are the key players here.

Unfortunately, those acting for drama can’t do much. I don’t, for example, expect Marian Rivera to insist that she be made to do Sister Carrie for her next teleserye (although this Theodore Dreiser novel has drama, deception and even sex to make for a good soap). But perhaps she can use her clout and start pushing for fresh, good material. Enough of Dyesebel.

Even Channel 2 now has its own pre-pubescent Dyesebel in Mutya where the lead character only swims and wails. Oh, one time, she was made to sing the theme song of Happy, Yippy, Yehey in a desperate attempt to promote and improve the sagging ratings of the network’s noontime show.

Instead of Dyesebel, how about Jezebel, which is about a selfish-turned-compassionate woman ahead of her time?

Actors in gag shows can actually help clean up the filth that we’re accustomed to watching in comedies. Ogie Alcasid and Michael V. — the big stars that they are — can refuse gags that do not teach young viewers positive values.

Even Angelica Panganiban — if she is still in Banana Split — can now make demands for more responsible scripts. The other year, I saw in that show a very backward depiction of the stereotype farm boy (the probinsyano) to elicit laughs. So crude. A star of Angelica’s stature can help push for change.

The on-cam talents who can do the most, however, are those handling live variety programs and especially talk shows.

In the more than a decade that I’ve been doing TV, I still buckle with my spiels from time to time not because I am so dumb that I could never perfect the art of facing the camera (in our case, we play with around five or six). I am just being careful all the time with what I say and I process everything in my head first before blurting it out because once spoken — it’s there.

What you say on TV can ruin other people’s lives. With the wrong message sent, you can slowly corrupt young minds. Even with grammar I make sure my tenses are correct. To add to my burden, I am always in-charge of issuing apologies on behalf of celebrity guests whose language become too colorful for afternoon TV or even for a seasoned emcee who offended advertisers one time.

I’ve long been aching to be less cautious — and carefree for at least two reasons: 1) It’s more fun being careless, reckless, nasty and even crass. 2) I’d be more popular (but not necessarily famous, which is different) because the masses prefer those on TV to be speaking everyday people’s language and there is so much to fine-tune there, especially when it comes to sensibilities.

I have no idea if I am making even a tiny dent with the kind of effort I am exerting on camera. Maybe no one even notices that.

But I will still keep charging on in my own little way. I may just be a mere showbiz talk show host, but I am trying to do my part. I can only hope other industry members would finally realize that they, too, have a tremendous responsibility to the public. Being on TV is not just all about providing fun and entertainment. Those on TV can do a lot in disseminating positive values and in shaping correctly the impressionable minds of a whole young generation.

I know this should not be coming from a host who tackles showbiz gossip on TV. But even gossip show hosts can help improve the current situation on the local small screen.

We may not see another golden age coming in soon, but at least we can all contribute in bringing back basic decency and civility on Philippine TV.