Wishful thinking

We make New Year’s resolutions, and we wish others would make some as well. Consider this a case of the latter. Here’s me wishing the entertainment industry would make some changes for 2010.

Better entertainment talk shows. The Buzz, and, more recently, SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon, are still my top guilty pleasures, but I long for the day when we’d actually have more intelligent—but not pretentious—talk shows on late night free TV. I’ve had enough of stars and hosts talking down on viewers; I’d be interested to see what the smarter personalities are really like if they don’t dumb themselves down for the masses.

So far, Boy Abunda has been cornering the intelligent talk show host market, but sometimes his questions just make me cringe and the “magic mirror” routine and its variations are getting stale. He can do better; talks shows in general can do better.

Better rewards for everyone involved in the entire showbiz money-making machine. I’m referring to everyone else that’s not a celebrity or a king-maker. Scriptwriters, extras, camera men... The industry’s top-heavy, with the true indispensables not being given the rewards they deserve. The 2007 Hollywood Writers strike crippled the entire industry, even put the fate of top American TV series in peril. That’s how important the writers were—are—to the gravy train. The people responsible for the glitter that we all buy—the stories that make us cry, the designs that make the celebrities look good, et cetera, et cetera—should awaken to the real power they have so they can understand exactly how much they can contribute to the betterment of the industry.

Better documentaries on free TV. I’ve seen nice documentaries on local cable channels; I know we’ve got great filmmakers. I don’t understand why these aren’t more accessible to the masses on free TV. Well, actually, I do. The bottom line is still the industry pandering to the masses. I’d like to see more documentaries that enlighten more than they sensationalize; I’d like to see more documentaries that make us proud in a real, lasting way, to be who we are as a people. No more advertorials pretending to be documentaries, please.

Better publicity stunts. I understand the need for the publicity mill, but must we really dredge up dead scandals or lie about two people falling in love? The “We’re not yet lovers, but more than friends” routine is so 1990s. We’ve wisened up since the days of Bobby Andrews and Angelu de Leon. KC Concepcion and her generation of stars should be respected for what they bring to the table, not for the eye candy that’s supposedly dangling at their arms.

Better casting. Characters are fleshed out, on paper, for a reason. Only real talents deserve to have scripts written for them in mind. While I found the idea of balikbayan characters to accommodate the Fil-Ams or Fil-whatevers more palatable than dirt-poor characters with soft Rs or an American twang, I think that’s been overdone to bits by Sam Milby.

Better mainstream films. I don’t see how the Metro Manila Film Festival is truly helping the industry survive by forcing bad Filipino films on Filipinos on holiday. Sure, they make money because people who want to relax and go see a movie have no other options, but they don’t guarantee the creation of mainstream films that can hold their own against better—yes, better—foreign films. If you want me to keep watching mainstream Filipino films so the industry will thrive, don’t force them down my throat. The solution is simple: Make them better to watch! I also wish more films would be made in other Filipino languages, like Panaghoy sa Suba and Ploning, and showcase other Filipino cultures.

Better access to alternative films. What the world has lauded, most Filipino movie-goers have yet to see, because cinemas don’t screen them here. SM theaters used to screen indie films, but they haven’t been doing that lately. I wish cinemas and distributors would work together to expose the better part of Philippine cinema to viewers who’re starting to think of all Filipino films as bad. Maybe a cinema club?

I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

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