"I don't watch such crap," she said.
"It limits my thinking capacities," she finished and switched
channels. The girl was referring to a local soap being aired after the local
news. She has a point. Save for the good production design, there's indeed
nothing to watch. You would even gag at the sight of young stars acting as poor
lasses in full make-up. Digression: Wouldn't it be nice to quarrel and have
confrontations with those dresses and accessories and all the make-up? Slapping
your enemy would be satisfying...but then you would be spending a lot of time
and money going to a salon for a confrontation!
You sometimes admire the talents of these TV soap
writers. You were informed by an insider that they have unfinished scripts.
They depend on the pulse of the viewers. The TV execs would hire survey firms
and people who immerse to the viewing public and record what the viewers
prefer! Then, the segment writers would shift stories and inject subplots to
the point that the avid viewers would really be satisfied with all the things
going on in the story.
But then, you would then be fed up with the
twists and turns. As a constant reader, you like being led by the writer to the
world he created. The dimensions and parallel universes created would enthrall you if not make you awestruck. Why should writers compromise
their creativity with what the viewers and execs want? Isn't it the reason why
one write - to grab the reader/viewer by the collar and let him experience the
world he created?
You were exposed to "Smash" produced by Steven Spielberg. This is a story of two wannabe actresses who want
to play the role of Marilyn Monroe. The musical numbers are consistent with the
plot and the characterizations are real. The concept of understanding Monroe's
character being entwined with the lives of the cast is mind blowing. The way the writers have
that light-bulb moments while groping for words in a song would not fail to
amaze the viewer!
You're not saying that Philippine television is
mediocre. There's Patricia Evangelista's "Storyline" and potent
documentaries of Kara David, but the bombardment of inartistic prods presented
via "It's Showtime" scares the hell out of you. What if all the
creative things will be delegated to the viewers?
Darn...You just have to enjoy the creative
movements of Tabitha and Napoleon in "Mobbed".
(photo: nbc.com/smash)