Goin' Bulilit goes personal on its political jokes?

            Last 30 November 2014, Goin' Bulilit started the show with its usual segment of jokes regarding politics however this time the jokes are not merely jokes as one can easily tell that the jokes pertain to a particular current issue and/or person. Truth be told, Goin' Bulilit has been doing this segment for years however as the years pass the evolution of the political jokes presented go to a more personal level.

            Examples of the jokes aired on that episode:

“Pulitiko, pinaghirapan daw niya ang pera niya sa bangko....Pinaghirapan niyang nakawin.”
“Security guard na raw ang magbabantay sa Krame at di na pulis...Kaya di nakakapasok ang mga pulis, wala silang ID puro chapa.”

          I believe that the “management” intends to deliver these jokes in order to cater to the changing taste of the society. On the other hand, I see that they may have gone too far for entertainment. Why? The children watching the show could misunderstand the “true” purpose of the joke and may copy how the joke is delivered.

           No particular article or section of the KBP Code of Ethics exactly answers this kind of issue. But if I were to give them some thoughts of mine, I would consider the following:

• Always weigh the jokes’ importance. Would the show do well without including this specific joke?\
• Think about the audience. Don’t always prioritize the business side or the needing to have a stable number of viewers in order for the production staff to keep their jobs. What about the audience?
• Consider the purpose of the show. Did we start the show with the purpose of entertainment or criticism?

        In the end, we now live in a technological age where the children (and adults) are raised by the media in ways we cannot always tell. I cannot tell you how to be a good parent nor can I tell you how to be a good kid. But living in today’s age, one must be critical and observant if one wishes to be the catalyst for change.

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Jollibee TVC: Company Promotions as Peddlers of Hope?

Jollibee, a fast-growing Filipino fastfood chain in the country, recently came up with a promo in partnership with Ford entitled "Scratch 2 Snatch A Ford." Apart from advertising the promo, the TVC¹ also strengthens the company’s value---family.

 However the television commercial, with the intention to showcase and promote the promo, did a rather outrageous thing on the last line of the script. The last line of the TVC---habang may promo, may pag-asa---gave me a different idea of its purpose. The line implied a different concept of hope and promos. This unmindful "claim" of hope could have an impact to some struggling families by changing their outlook towards life. After watching the TVC, they might fall for the subtle message and consider promos as the answer to their daily woes. In addition, the last line was partly delivered by the child whom I bet did not have any idea that she would be a part of this distasteful yet subtle message.

I came up with the judgment that the TVC is unethical by simply putting more value in KBP’s principle of Pananagutan. Although the said principle is intended for broadcasters, it could also be applied to the ad agency of the TVC. As communication students and soon-to-be part of the industry, we should be responsible for all the things that we will make, write, or release because our name is at stake every time we “fulfill” our roles in our society.

2012-50133 (1)