An ‘insufferable’ spectacle

“SUFFER SIREYNA.” Fun romp encourages ridicule and lack of respect

It’s both instructive and cautionary to note that some TV shows have different features that end up contradicting each other. It’s as if their left hand doesn’t know what their right hand is doing.

A perplexing example is currently being offered by “Eat Bulaga”: One of its most popular features is its “Super Sireyna” beauty, talent and personality tilt for lovely cross-dressers, some of whom look even more feminine than a number of real women. Thus, the feature is a positive showcase for members of the so-called third sex, and has been praised as such.

On the other hand, another “Eat Bulaga” feature compromises that beautiful advantage, by “comically” showing gays at their worst. This is the “Suffer Sireyna” “beauty” tilt that is staged when the show visits barangays to distribute goodies and cash prizes. The “sharing” impulse is great, but the “Suffer” tilt? —Uh, not so!

The spoofy “Suffer” tilt (which really lives up to its title) makes it a point to feature plain and even downright ugly gay “contestants,” who are made to look even more garish and cartoony by having them disport themselves in lurid outfits, wear very thick makeup, smile without their dentures, reveal and display their armpit hair—etc.

It’s all “harmlessly” meant to elicit loud and cheap laughs—but, at whose expense? It’s easy to say that it’s just “comic relief” for its own sake, but the focus on ugliness and ridicule clearly has a negative effect, because it makes viewers look down on the “undeserving” aspirants, and holds them up to scorn.

This isn’t very far removed from the bad, old days when neighborhood gays were bullied, ridiculed and even beaten up by nasty tambay types, for real or imagined depravities.

Big step backwards

Surely, these are more enlightened times, so the “Suffer” show’s mentality shouldn’t be encouraged, because it’s a big step backwards in terms of the acceptance of gays, no matter how they look, in society.

Yes, it’s “a fun romp,” but it also encourages ridicule, lack of respect and even hatred—primal and animal impulses that have no place in an enlightened society. There are many, less demeaning ways to generate laughter.

Quite ironically, during a recent “Suffer” tilt’s interview portion, the contestants were asked what wrongs they would set right if they were the leader of the country, and a number of them zeroed in on everybody’s need to be given the respect and lack of discrimination that is his or her right to enjoy as a human being. —Was anybody involved in the show even listening?

Finally, there are quite a number of gays on “Eat Bulaga’s” cast and staff, on both sides of the camera. Why do they actively or passively participate in this “funny” practice of demeaning the members of their own gender?