Finally, the Pinoy Big Brother reality show concluded last Saturday. Keanna Reeves, an aging Cebuana soft-porn starlet, whose claim to fame was that she slept with some Congressmen, won over a hunky poster boy, a girl-next-door newscaster and an annoying, cloyingly pa-cute teen-age actor. I don’t know about you, but I never got the hang of watching this show. I couldn’t bring myself to sit through an entire episode, really. Watching the ‘housemates’ sleep, eat, or wash dishes is sooo tiresome I usually flick the remote to the Animal Planet channel instead.
It’s like being the protagonist in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, wherein an injured photographer, whose broken leg requires him to be bedridden, spends his days recuperating while observing the goings-on (and a murder) in the other apartments from his rear window. The main difference is that here in PBB, (1) people willingly watch the housemates via cameras attached all over the house, even the loo; (2) that the housemates are conscious of the fact that they are being watched and should make an impression; and that (3) they may win a million bucks if they survive right to the end (an incentive to behave well).
I know a few who’d drop everything just to watch this inane show because of the “exciting” tasks and activities. I have a friend who skips his badminton practice just to catch this show. Imagine that! The “tasks” assigned by the “big brother” are supposed to test the housemates’ capacities to deal with different situations, and in the process, the viewers get to know each person better, whatever.
However, I find the tasks extremely pretentious and phony. Aleck Bovick and that radio DJ Rico, willingly had their hair shaven off in exchange for a hundred grand, which is supposed to go to some relative who needs it badly. Franzen, the booger guy in the first edition (he picks his nose—didn’t he realize there were cameras around?) did this as a tribute to the street kids of Tondo. Sort of like a self-sacrifice in order to help somebody. Yeah, right. What is this, the Oprah Winfrey show?
It’s like being the protagonist in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, wherein an injured photographer, whose broken leg requires him to be bedridden, spends his days recuperating while observing the goings-on (and a murder) in the other apartments from his rear window. The main difference is that here in PBB, (1) people willingly watch the housemates via cameras attached all over the house, even the loo; (2) that the housemates are conscious of the fact that they are being watched and should make an impression; and that (3) they may win a million bucks if they survive right to the end (an incentive to behave well).
I know a few who’d drop everything just to watch this inane show because of the “exciting” tasks and activities. I have a friend who skips his badminton practice just to catch this show. Imagine that! The “tasks” assigned by the “big brother” are supposed to test the housemates’ capacities to deal with different situations, and in the process, the viewers get to know each person better, whatever.
However, I find the tasks extremely pretentious and phony. Aleck Bovick and that radio DJ Rico, willingly had their hair shaven off in exchange for a hundred grand, which is supposed to go to some relative who needs it badly. Franzen, the booger guy in the first edition (he picks his nose—didn’t he realize there were cameras around?) did this as a tribute to the street kids of Tondo. Sort of like a self-sacrifice in order to help somebody. Yeah, right. What is this, the Oprah Winfrey show?
The big brother, by the way, remains faceless- the people inside only get to hear his all-knowing, omniscient voice. He who controls and decides the fate of every single one of them. And yeah, as far as the show is concerned, big brother IS God. The house even has a "confession room" where each can share his or her private thoughts with 'him'.
From the onset, the celebrities who auditioned for the PBB, have one motive in mind: to get noticed. This may accelerate their popularity and revive their sagging careers. Housemates get immediate publicities, because ostensibly, being seen on TV everyday for two months is supposed to boost their image. That’s why you see them jockeying for plum roles or assignments inside the house, mainly to grab attention. Or they resort to gimmicks.
Roxie Barcelo used every opportunity to share her sob stories, and along with it, her tears. The message is that she’ll make a fine dramatic actress because she can cry copiously in a heart beat. However, I think people got tired of her crying fests, it got to the point where the viewers really just couldn’t care anymore.
The most dramatic of all was the highly anticipated coming-out-of-the-closet of Rustom Padilla, who looked so emaciated I thought he might be stricken with some disease. Everybody knew he was gay anyway, I mean for crying out loud, the guy runs a beauty parlor!
And apparently, Keanna endeared most to the viewers because she remained "true to herself", that is, she pee’d in the bushes while Rustom was waxing sentimental and did his oh-so-dramatic coming out declaration. She didn't want to ruin his big "moment".
In other words, they’re simply using the PBB mainly to generate interest in their flagging careers. You really think they auditioned to demonstrate their humanity and their faith in the human spirit in the face of adversity? You’re watching the wrong show.
The concept of the show is one of voyeurism. We love to gossip about other people, be it our neighbors, colleagues, or friends. We love to observe and criticize their every move. It’s in our nature. And reality shows allow us to do that in the comfort of our homes.
I suspect the ratings were lower than what the top honchos expected. The reason’s easy. Despite our voyeuristic tendencies, Pinoy Big Brother is not only pretentious and phony, it is soooo exhausting to watch, I’d rather catch some sleep.
From the onset, the celebrities who auditioned for the PBB, have one motive in mind: to get noticed. This may accelerate their popularity and revive their sagging careers. Housemates get immediate publicities, because ostensibly, being seen on TV everyday for two months is supposed to boost their image. That’s why you see them jockeying for plum roles or assignments inside the house, mainly to grab attention. Or they resort to gimmicks.
Roxie Barcelo used every opportunity to share her sob stories, and along with it, her tears. The message is that she’ll make a fine dramatic actress because she can cry copiously in a heart beat. However, I think people got tired of her crying fests, it got to the point where the viewers really just couldn’t care anymore.
The most dramatic of all was the highly anticipated coming-out-of-the-closet of Rustom Padilla, who looked so emaciated I thought he might be stricken with some disease. Everybody knew he was gay anyway, I mean for crying out loud, the guy runs a beauty parlor!
And apparently, Keanna endeared most to the viewers because she remained "true to herself", that is, she pee’d in the bushes while Rustom was waxing sentimental and did his oh-so-dramatic coming out declaration. She didn't want to ruin his big "moment".
In other words, they’re simply using the PBB mainly to generate interest in their flagging careers. You really think they auditioned to demonstrate their humanity and their faith in the human spirit in the face of adversity? You’re watching the wrong show.
The concept of the show is one of voyeurism. We love to gossip about other people, be it our neighbors, colleagues, or friends. We love to observe and criticize their every move. It’s in our nature. And reality shows allow us to do that in the comfort of our homes.
I suspect the ratings were lower than what the top honchos expected. The reason’s easy. Despite our voyeuristic tendencies, Pinoy Big Brother is not only pretentious and phony, it is soooo exhausting to watch, I’d rather catch some sleep.
1 comment:
Ron, yeah right, you'd rather catch some sleep! But to be able to describe and analyse what went on in BB's house, don't think you even blinked your eyes whilst watching it day by day. HAHAHA!
amen to all what you've said. but i think that's what made me glued on the set to watch it. para manglait. hahaha. eversince we got TFC, well i almost got hooked with PBB season 1 then on to season 2. i watch the show for pure entertainment at the expense of those stupid idiots who want to show off or whatever reason they maybe in for.
sometimes, Ron, you just have to do things without finding reason for why you are doing it. In my case watching PBB, I dont have any particular reason other than pure FUN!!
C'mon, loosen up my friend!
cheers,
MV
Post a Comment