Be a part of the solution, not the problem

The local performing arts and media scenes are beset by many issues, conflicts and limitations—made worse by the fact that members of the audience are sometimes a part of the problem.

Our “deathless” colonial mentality, with our continuing preference for “imported” over lokal, is a big and corrosive reason why our productions have a hard time getting the support they need to really develop and progress.

These days, our colonial mentality has been exacerbated by the surge toward globalization or “world-class competitiveness,” which mistakenly espouses “thinking global” and thus forgetting our own stories, songs and ways of creating and expressing them.

Instead of adding to the problem, we should strive hard to become a part of the solution. This means first recognizing that colonial mentality still exists, albeit in cleverly sophistic and “sophisticated” form—and “reeducating” ourselves by making it a point to prefer local productions over foreign works.

This is a radical shift, since foreign entertainment material is currently preferred by viewers here, 80 percent to 20.

Just look at the top ticket prices for concerts of visiting bands and singers (P20,000 per) and local talents’ shows (P3,000), for proof of the gaping, gasp-inducing and telling disparity.

If we all decide now to patronize one local show for every foreign production we favor (50-50) when it comes to theater and other shows, it would transform our homegrown artists’ prospects for growth and improvement.

So, why can’t some of us take that big, sariling atin step? Because we’ve been “carefully taught” that “imported” is better, just because it comes from a “more superior” culture. But, to really make a positive difference from here on in, we have to “force” ourselves to “detox”—and love our very own.

Another big change and improvement to make is for viewers to stop being passive and weakly obliging when it comes to their reactions to mediocre or downright bad TV-film productions.

Many of us seem to think that TV is a “harmless” and insignificant medium, just there for mere shallow diversion’s sake—which is why incompetent and irresponsible TV people feel gleefully free to do their worst, because we ostensibly don’t give a darn, one way or the other.

But, we should protest and defend our and our children’s right to good and balanced programming, because TV has been proven by psychologists to have a deep and pervasive subliminal effect (for good and bad) on viewers, especially the impressionable and vulnerable youth.

Just think of it: Advertisers spend billions to sell their products in TV commercials, and senators and presidents get elected depending mainly on how well they “project” on television—so, the great convincing power is there.

Thus, to make a big difference for good TV programming, we should realize that we too have a still-untapped collective strength of our own in our Viewer Power, which we should proactively use to get the improvements on TV that we want—and deserve!