But The Jerry Springer Show was something else: Two women having a catfight over a man, two men getting into a brawl over one woman and family feuds and confrontations (complete with expletives – although bleeped at the time of airing) being settled violently at most times on national television.
You know it was exploitation at its purest form from the end of the American TV producers, but as a viewer you sit up and watch out of curiosity because these types of violence you don’t see every day – no, not even if you live in the bad neighborhoods of The Bronx and Brooklyn.
I was only 10 minutes into the show when I tried figuring in my head how this type of format would fit into Philippine television. But no, the MTRCB would never approve of a show like this on Pinoy TV.
But still, I knew this kind of format would be irresistible for the Pinoy copycat.
True enough, we see The Jerry Springer Show format today in ABC-5’s Diretsahan with Amy Perez. (A late morning show tried it for one week in 1999, but failed to bring in the ratings.)
Unfortunately, I’m rarely home at night these past weeks and it took me quite a while to be able to sit through an entire episode of Diretsahan.
One time, I was finally able to catch the middle part of the show about faith healing and this woman who was given a rose supposedly by the Blessed Mother. It was a ho-hum show and I decided not to write about it anymore.
On another occasion. I was returning the call of a friend who wanted to inquire about construction materials (since I’m always building something) and I could hear Amy Perez’ voice in the background. My friend was obviously tuned in to Diretsahan. Immediately, I asked him what the topic was and he said that it was just some bickering between Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos fans. Ho-hum again. I’ve seen more violent confrontations between Noranians and Vilmanians – usually at the Gawad Urian when the two movie queens are competing in the Best Actress race. My friend and I just went on to talk about cement, tiles and bathroom fixtures.
Last Monday, however, I finally caught an interesting topic in Diretsahan: About a GRO dumping her OFW live-in partner for a younger man whom she met last year at the club where she works. The GRO said that she’s no longer happy with her OFW lover because at age 45, he could no longer stand up to the occasion (he‘s impotent, okay) and that he’s old and she had always been just after his money.
That much she revealed on national TV. But while I admire the OFW for keeping his cool and remaining silent, I also wanted to bop him on the head for not strangling the GRO after she uttered those statements. (Seriously, I salute him for remaining calm and collected because I would have been murderous if I were in his place.) To make matters worse, the young lover of the GRO was also brought in and without much provocation stepped on and spat at the ego of the OFW. But the OFW still maintained his cool.
Not getting enough blood and gore from the OFW, the infidel and her paramour, the show introduced a new set of warring people: a man living in with a woman with whom he has a child and the new love of his life, who is not necessarily a Joyce Jimenez look-alike.
With the two women in the studio, the atmosphere became really tense because the two parties were clawing at each other over this man who at that point must have felt like Brad Pitt. So that the two women don’t attack and hurt each other physically, the studio musclemen (in the old days of night clubbing, they were called bouncers) came out from backstage to intervene. Strangely enough, it was the new girl who was more combative and confrontational, while the live-in partner of the feeling Brad Pitt guy tried her best to be decent.
And so we all had our fun and it was time for Amy Perez to call it a night.
What can I say about Diretsahan? Okay, I’m going to give it to Diretsahan with Amy Perez straight–as in diretsahan.
Let’s deal with Amy Perez first. As a host, she had always been very good and I cannot for the life of me understand why she was taken out of her old noontime show on ABS-CBN when she was a big plus factor there. (As a comedy actress, she is underrated and had the misfortune of having been given a straight and conventional character in the now-defunct Palibhasa Lalake because she could have done a lot more in that program.)
Here, in Diretsahan, she is–as always–effective as the show’s host. She always tries to be cool and calm (which can be quite difficult given the program’s format) and above all, non-partisan.
As for the show itself, well, each one of us in television would really want to handle a program that espouses only the positive values. Unfortunately, as it is in life, the good ones die young–as opposed to the masamang damo, matagal mamatay. Try reviving Sta. Zita & Mary Rose now and let’s see how long it will last on the air.
But that is the sad scenario today in television and television is a business. Diretsahan obviously does not bring out the positive values out of its guests and even viewers. Instead it brings out the beast in each one of us. (We cry for the blood when we watch it, don’t we?)
What Diretsahan perhaps can do is to make Amy Perez summarize the entire episode and give an editorial. (The show now has resource persons, but I don‘t think they are properly utilized because even they have to compete for the chance voice out their opinions.)
It is in this editorial where she now can point out to the viewers what is right and what is wrong because believe me, after watching the catfights among the panelists, you’ll forget right from wrong. (It’s the one who has the powerful voice and lungs who emerges victorious in the end.)
And in this age, when our scruples are screwed up, right and wrong have to be spelled out. In this department, maybe Diretsahan can help out.
It’s the show’s chance to redeem itself for drawing out the Pinoy’s morbid fascination for the things bizarre, surreal and scandalous. And yes, for its being a copycat.