Excessive catfights on TV

“Face to Face” videograb

There are two shows on local TV that hew closely to the “confrontation” format made popular on American television by the combative “The Jerry Springer Show.” “Face to Face” is more faithful to the American model, which has been roundly criticized for featuring and even encouraging verbal and physical violence.

As a result, the Filipino version has been made to tone down its in-your-face confrontations somewhat, and has even added a panel of advisors.

Despite these modifications, however, the catfights and dogfights on the show are still excessive, hence some parents and educators’ concern that the show may be teaching young viewers to be pugnacious and foul-mouthed.

Now comes another “forum-reality” show, “Personalan,” which shows viewers that there’s a less pugnacious way to go about resolving conflicts. We turned into both shows again recently to make our comments timely, and these are our comparative, updated notes:

On “Face to Face,” right at the start, the offended party rushed across the studio, lunged at her foe, and tore at her hair. Only the timely intervention of the program’s burly resident bouncers prevented likely injury.

The opposing parties got all heated up, because they were arguing over money owed and the questionable fidelity of the man they “shared.”

From time to time, corroborating witnesses from both camps were brought in, and their testimony added to the show’s level of bile and vitriol. All too soon, the members of the studio audience were vociferously taking sides, raising the level of Roman coliseum-type histrionics and hysteria.

“Personalan” on GMA7 seems to be doing better than “Face to Face” on TV5.

To be sure, counselors were occasionally consulted to arrive at a less emotional and strident appreciation of the contentious issues involved, and the show ended with the combatants agreeing to give each other another chance. But, the rancid feeling that comes from seeing dirty laundry being tempestuously washed in public still wouldn’t go away completely.

Ironically, even Jerry Springer, who created the combative, in-your-face reality TV format has of late made his own image less bilious by cohosting a dance competition on TV, where he’s no longer nasty, but actually quite nice! So, it is possible for some TV people to change.

Responsible deportment

For its part, “Personalan” started with its host lecturing her guests about reasonable, responsible deportment in front of the TV cameras—no shoving or shrill screaming, and cuss words would definitely be blipped out!

As a result, the show was more equable and focused on facts, not on subjective emotionalizing and tearfully playing to the vociferous peanut gallery.

So the new program showed that confrontations on the tube could be done without the contending parties physically assaulting one another—and insulting and shocking the viewing public with their crass language and behavior.

The question is, can this more equable and responsible approach match the ratings generated by in-your-face assault shows?

We hope it does, because this will prove that local viewers aren’t as Neanderthal as some TV people believe. And, the less emphasis is placed on emotional violence and ululation, the better can viewers focus on the relationship issues raised—and really learn from them.