Exchanging dignity for money? Eat Bulaga's Suffer Sireyna

          Most of the Filipinos, especially families, are fond of watching noontime shows. These shows obviously have entertainment value since almost all of the hosts are comedians; plus the poor funny contestants make them even better. We watch out for these shows on television because they give us time to relax in our couch, because they make us laugh, and because most of us are not aware that they are not (editor’s note: morally) good in a deeper sense.

           Let us take a look in one segment of the longest-running noontime show Eat Bulaga, the Suffer Sireyna. It is a beauty contest where gays from different barangays are introduced. They do modeling with their costumes, show their talents, and also undergo a question and answer portion. Some say it is good to see that media found a way to empower the LGBT community because it gives chance for the gays to prove their selves. But is it really for empowerment? First of all, it is not a beauty contest. Second, it humiliates the participants. Third, they are using poverty to make fun of other people.

            It is not a beauty contest because it is not meant to show the gays’ beauty but to tell people that they are funny. They do modeling with barbeque smoke, show their funny talents, and undergo a question and answer portion wherein they have to eat unusual food such as fresh onions while answering funny statements with the shows’ nonsense questions like “In what way do you want to die, in the middle of a country war or bombing?” plus they have to pass obstacle race. Maybe there is nothing actually wrong with these because this was really meant for fun.

            But the way they are treated? That is another story. Some say that it is the contestants’ fault why they are humiliated. They say it is because those gays know that they are going to be insulted if they join and they just let the hosts throw bad words or insult to them. That is the point. Almost all of the people joining such noontime show contests are there for money and by that, they do not already have the time to think if they are going to give up their dignity. People who produce the show know that poor people can only hope for the amount they will give because nowadays, joining such contests can be considered as the contestants’ instant source of income.

             As I can see, the situation is really about the humiliation of dignity, but the media’s decision is to still have it as a show. John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism under Teleological ethical theories says it is alright if it harms one as long as a greater number of people are happy. But they are violating the KBP Code of Ethics Article 17 that talks about quiz shows, contests, public participation programs and promotions; Section 3 says that public or audience participation programs shall not ridicule, diminish or demean the dignity of an individual participating in such programs. Even people who are poor or included in the so-called “third sex” still have the right to maintain their dignity.

2012-40511 (1)