My wife and I had an argument last night, and it was about, of all things, ABS-CBN’s variety show ASAP. See, one of our flowergirls is a family friend who happens to be a child actress, and appeared in several soaps in both ABS-CBN and GMA. My wife’s cousins usually tag along and watch ASAP on any given Sunday they feel like doing so.
We’re supposed to go there this coming Sunday to accompany my wife’s balikbayan cousins, but unfortunately only 6 slots were given to the mom of our childstar friend. With the big probability that we couldn’t go anyway, I told my wife that we can just go there some other time, and admitted that I’m not really excited about it anyway. She took offense with what I said, saying that she’s just more in touch with her jologs side. For me, it appears that she’s implying that I just don’t want to go because I look down upon the whole “jologs” and “masa” psyche.
That really bothered me. Am I really apathetic to the likes of the common tao? Am I becoming elitist myself, despite my ramblings about the social climbing attitude of some family members and the elitist nature of our government? Am I starting to become jologphobic?
On one hand, I do have my prejudices against shows like ASAP. I’m one that believes that pop culture damages true artistry and artistic expression, and shows like ASAP deteriorate it further by letting Star Circle Quest loveteams sing love songs and ballads despite the lack of singing ability. I find that as an insult to Filipinos, who love their singing and dancing tradition. You can’t even find a single clan of Filipinos who doesn’t have at least one member who can’t either sing, dance, or play a musical instrument. Shows like ASAP insult Filipino artistry and bastardize music by letting musically-challenged actors sing.
On the other hand, maybe I really just have a lot of contempt against our supposed “kapamilya,” ABS-CBN. For one, ABS-CBN wields too much power, not only politically, but also culturally. Think about it, who is it really that defines jologs? It’s them big media outfits (and that includes “kapuso” GMA as well). They are the ones who put musically challenged stars into recording studios and promote their bland albums. They are the ones who come out with cheesy, shallow and overly melancholic soap operas which helps deteriorate the masa’s emotional maturity, self-esteem, and intellectual capability. They are the ones who have earned millions upon millions of pesos from the patronage of their poor viewers, whilst their news and public affairs outfits continue to trumpet the shortcomings and failures of the government. They define the opinion of the masses. They dictate the path the jologs subculture, and earn a fortune in the process while those that are part of that subculture suffer.
So will I still accompany my wife to watch ASAP in the future? Probably, if only to show her that no, I am not jologphobic. Besides, it’s the perfect opportunity to have pictures of myself taken with the Viva Hot Babes.
15 responses so far ↓
1 bugsybee // Jul 28, 2005 at 7:52 pm
Hi Jon - you must forgive my ignorance but although my (former) students often used the jologs term and I also saw the Jologs movie, I could never quite grasp what it means.
As for ABS-CBN or GMA, for that matter, I don’t really know which came first - did the media create the jologs subculture so they could exploit it or was it already in existence and the media outfits just exploited it?
I think that sometimes the masa itself creates something and the media just blows this up to take advantage of the money it brings. On the other hand, the “Star Circle Quest” mania is a creation of ABS-CBN.
As for promoting musically-challenged actors, ha ha! I propose that this be made a criminal offense.
2 Jon Limjap // Jul 28, 2005 at 7:57 pm
It’s true that that’s a debate within itself.
If we look back in the 60s and 70s, the term then was “bakya,” and it pertained to the Noranians and Vilmanians. Whether it was Nora’s and Vilma’s popularity that brought them about or there had already been easily-starstruck entertainment-hungry people around before they came is anybody’s guess.
Nevertheless, the advantage-taking is there. ABS-CBN has been doing it *since* the time of Guy and Pip.
As for the musically-challenged actors… it should even be made a heinous crime punishable by death! :p
3 Jon Limjap // Jul 28, 2005 at 8:04 pm
Oops, I forgot to define jologs. In the old days it was called “bakya.” To put it simply, it means “without class or style.”
It is generally associated to the subculture by which the lower class masa abide to, including but not limited their acts wherein they try to imitate the fads that were once limited to the upper class. More recently, it also came to mean the subculture that tries hard to imitate the American (black) ghetto attitude (punk, metal vs. hip-hop, etc.)
The term is, most of the time, derogatory.
4 Sidney // Jul 29, 2005 at 2:55 am
It is the same thing all over the world…
The people who invented Star Quest, Big Brother, Temptation Island,etc. are now millionaires (in USD :-)) because they sell their “formats” to TV stations all over the world. The “jologs” are the same in the USA, Europe or the Philippines.
Bottomline it is all about MONEY and not about CULTURE. You hardly make money with culture !
It is sad but it is a fact of life. ABS-CBN is a company and at the end of the day it must make profits. I am not sure you can blame them.
5 Jon Limjap // Jul 29, 2005 at 8:47 am
sidney,
Unfortunately, you’re right.
What’s even more frustrating is that they have the power to choose which opinion or which idea to promote and emphasize. When they do that to culture, they degrade art to a sales pitch. When they do that to politics, they shape opinion and thus wield power.
I probably can’t blame them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t complain either.
6 Trosp // Jul 29, 2005 at 11:16 am
All I can say is Ch 2 -pwe! Specially their mornig show (MUB). Saan ka ba naman nakakita yung bata nasa sinapupuna pa lang - artista na. Pinakikita na yung ultra sound nasa tiyan pa lang yung bata.
7 Jon Limjap // Jul 29, 2005 at 11:22 am
Trosp,
Deins ko nakita yan… but that is indeed absurd. Anak yan ng artista ‘no?
Whenever I watch MUB I just wait for the news parts. I switch to Unang Hirit to wait for news tidbits as well. Otherwise I switch it to CNN or BBC. Or ANC if something bad is really happening.
8 eClair // Jul 29, 2005 at 11:55 am
Jologs, I think, is more than “bakya” - I mean. Ang hirap talagang i-pinpoint kung ano yung jologs. I think it’s something that is so ingrained within a subculture na pag nakita mo yung subculture na yun, yun na yun.
Gets mo ba?
I know that the two major networks are capitalizing on this thing. It’s horrible. Nakakawalang ganang manood ng TV. But I suppose that these shows on these channels are popular because in each person there is a certain kind of appeal. I mean, one doesn’t have to be jologs per se to watch these shows. Minsan may fascination tayo at how fans react to whoever is on stage. Sometimes my sister and I watch SOP to criticize what Regine Velasquez is wearing (ugh!) and nothing more. I remember a friend telling me that there is a jologs person in each of us - to a certain degree I suppose.
Malabo ata ako. I will write about this one time on my main blog http://clair.pinoyweb.net — not on my tech blog http://clair.free.net.ph
9 Jon Limjap // Jul 29, 2005 at 12:41 pm
Sige clair, I’ll wait for that one
10 eClair // Jul 29, 2005 at 4:24 pm
But for now, meron pa akong pending na write up about the librarian thing on my main blog *laughs*
Speaking of ka-jolog-an, I watched Mr Dreamboy on VCD. Slightly jologs pero may social relevance. Can you imagine? *laugh* Man, nagulat ako pero I guess the writer wanted to make it more socially relevant kaya lang paano kikita ang Star Cinema kung ganun ginawa niya di ba? *laugh*
It’s not that good a movie, IMHO. But you could use it in class as an example. If you are a teacher that is
11 Jon Limjap // Jul 29, 2005 at 4:31 pm
Clair,
You’re actually right. I haven’t watched “Dreamboy” but I’ve watched “Milan.” The lovestory wasn’t too cheesy, and it’s set against the backdrop of the plight of OFWs in Italy (and the rest of the world). Maganda yung movie actually; I highly recommend it. Too bad it IS also from ABS-CBN. I guess their filmmaking side is much much better than their TV side.
12 Trosp // Jul 29, 2005 at 5:05 pm
Jon, Anak ni Tintin Babao.
13 Ate Ems // Jul 31, 2005 at 4:12 pm
Hi Jon, this is my take on that matter –
this line [of yours] catched my attention –
“They are the ones who put musically challenged stars into recording studios and promote their bland albums. They are the ones who come out with cheesy, shallow and overly melancholic soap operas which helps deteriorate the masa’s emotional maturity, self-esteem, and intellectual capability”
– While it may be true that they make bad movies and tv shows, you have to also understand that there are, in fact, some filipinos who love those kinds of stories… those that you labeled as “chessy, shallow and over-melancholic” soap operas. And i think it’s quite inappropriate to use the phrase “intellectual capability” i dont have anything against your post, in fact i agree with you on that. But maybe it’s how you conversed your ideas and worded your arguements that made it sound (or look) bad/offensive, especially to the “masa” as most of them are quite sensitive. I remember i had the same arguement with my mom before… and she said that was hurt with what i said (funny, they are mostly similar with your statements here heheheh ). THen i realized that yeah, it wasn’t right to label those soap operas as a disgrace to filipino’s intellectual capability. Hehehe… Maybe what we can do is to start encouraging them to watch “deeper” and more “sensible” tv shows/soap operas/movies. Then, we could probably get them to see and understand our point of view without having to hurt their feelings… what do you think? *wink* I miss you bro! Hope to see ya again!
14 Jon Limjap // Aug 1, 2005 at 7:23 am
Ate Ems,
I totally understand where, you’re coming from, but that’s part of the problem.
See, part of the masa’s problem is that they believe that the “elite” are out to get them. They’re overly sensitive about the comments and thoughts of the intellectual and economic elite. They think that these people are the “enemy.” They think that these people are always out to insult them.
You wouldn’t wonder why they think that way though — the soap operas ALWAYS portray the upper class as a snotty, evil and abusive bunch! As for the intellectuals, a lot of times they don’t (want to?) portray them at all — especially because soaps rarely contain progressive ideas.
I have a separate rant on soap operas, a bit generalizing although I have one commendable fantaserye in mind (yun nga lang tapos na yung series).
15 Trosp // Aug 8, 2005 at 11:16 pm
Sirit na kayo sa jolog - JOLina magdangal OrGanization. Sabi ito ng isang madalas bumisita sa bahay tuwing Sundays. Kasabay daw na lumabas ito nang papasikat si Jolina.
He he he…
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