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!