When Bigots Dominate

                         (photo: entervrexworld.wordpress.com)

Tactless is not funny.

If I have the time, I view Jessica Soho's magazine show in GMA every Sunday. Aside from its entertainment quality, I would always be fascinated with the featured food, people and events there. I always appreciate the capacities of those researchers and writers in finding human interest stories... A lot of times, I also find the "usual" stories being told in unusual manners.

I am not anti-poor. (In fact, I am poor myself.) But I dislike the theme of heralding something banal as art via the presentations of the so-called "madlang people". The success of Showtime is explainable since the concept of making the show accessible to anyone is a good one. But then, there's Vice Ganda.

Ok, the comedian is successful due to his quick punchlines and funny side notes. Gays copy the way he looks for he is the embodiment of celebrating the uniqueness of the LGBT (lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) community. It's a strong feature of the millennial generation - where everybody is accepted for who he or she is.

Yet, we are still anchored on the universal values. Even if we are into the most democratic society, we still value respect. Also, we believe that success does not entail using others just to be IN. That could lead towards selfishness to the highest degree.

Vice Ganda gave side comments on the candidacy of Nancy Binay. A lot followed suit. The issue was the lack of experience of the latter. But to decide that Binay could not perform legislative tasks because of inexperience could be prejudice. This was not underscored during Loren Legarda's candidacy when she pole-vaulted to become a politician from being a broadcaster. Yet she proved to be one of the senators who wins the heart of the people based on the survey results.

Then, the most horrifying thing that Vice Ganda the comedian did was when he made fun on Jessica Soho. He focused more on the physical aspect of the multi-awarded newscaster (her being plus size, etc.) rather than her capacities as a person. And that could be out of way since he is making fun out of someone who is respected in her field - an intellectual one...

It would be OK for him to be called ugly and horse-faced because he accepts these things. Also, he made self-humiliation as comic. But then again, that would be another story if you cross certain lines. Why only focus on Jessica Soho and not Teddy Boy Locsin? It would be a very interesting situation since Locsin could make irony and satire so hilarious the literati would die laughing when he'd air his side via Tedditorial.

So what's the thing to learn here? Simple. Make fun out of situations not on people. Gone are the days when differently-abled persons are sources of ridicule. The fact that Vice Ganda as a homosexual is being accepted by his madlang people (which is not the case decades ago),  he must shy away from making fun out of Jessica Soho's weight.

If he insist, we would call back the bigots and let him be screamed: BAYOT BUAAAANG!

Creating Ripples

 (photo: nice-cool-pics.com)

You'll get tired when you persistently pursue something without a game plan. Ok, there are things like serendipity and luck but the main game must be well-planned. The effect whether you got it right or the antithesis of the aim is also different. Pro-active people see this as a win-win situation. Even without the aimed outcome, the lessons learned are worth the while. Anyway, there is a future ahead. But the reactive ones will find more things to find fault with...

After the brouhaha of the past election, you sometimes wonder what would become to those who burned their bridges. Are their lives the same? You accepted long before that your life is a continuum of service. You find meaning of spending your time, treasures and talents in building the capacities of others and extending yourself to those whom others consider as the least, the lost and the last. Your friends find your world boring that they continued to lead a life of their own. And that's it. We are here to find the real MEANING of our existence.

You respect people's views. There are those who lambast others and there are those who empower. One way or the other, they probably find meaning on their actions...

* There are those who spend a lot of time with their families, with their children. You were elated to hear from a mother who told you that she has to spend the precious time with her children because when they reach adolescence, their social needs would heighten and they would choose to be with friends rather than with her. She is maximizing her time with them to build a strong foundation of care, love and affection. Her intentions and deep analyses on parenting are things MEANINGFUL to her.

* You were informed that an acquaintance is trying to become a full-time FB person. He would spend his vacant time looking at the timelines of his friends, viewing pictures, giving comments, liking shout outs and even putting a fight on his convictions. That's his way, anyway. His virtual flights are MEANINGFUL to him rather than the real persons around.

* Your friend is trying to climb the corporate ladder to prove himself, another is spending most of his time in his religious community, one is cajoling his high school friends to build a foundation to help young and deserving students, another is trying to find faults of others by spreading vile rumors, some immerse themselves to books to gain more knowledge... they find MEANING on these.

In the end, we are all the same. It is only our knowledge and wisdom that separate us.

For now, you need to confront the inner you. Your intrapesonal intelligence must be honed so that you could confront your insecurities, wants, needs and capabilities. Doing this leads to maturity. What matters most is YOU and how you influence and affect the persons/things/situations in your ecology. Armed with the universal values, you could never go wrong.

Let us create ripples!