I remember a game I once saw during a noontime show where contestants were made to hold huge blocks of ice. The object of the game was simple; whoever could hold the ice the longest without getting frostbite wins a small cash prize.
Because huge blocks of ice don't melt easily in air conditioned television studios, the entire program continued with the hosts periodically checking in on the contestants at the side. The poor contestants with their numbing hands continually being soaked by dripping ice water all faked smiled for the camera while they were being asked how they were holding up.
Honestly, I was not surprised that someone was able to come up with a game like that, I'm sure we've all heard of stupider bets or dares that would top that. But what does concern me was that local noontime shows actually think there is entertainment value in televising poor people willing to numb their hands in exchange for cash prizes that would only be enough to get them through a week or so.
But you might ask, what about Fear Factor? Aren't participants in similar reality shows more or less subjected to the same physical, psychological and often times humiliating challenges in exchange for the chance to win large amounts of money?
Yes, but there's a difference.
Of course majority will say that it's about the money, but a good percentage of the people in the states who join reality shows like Fear Factor do stunts and challenges also for the experience of being able to measure their own limits of endurance and strength. Even more, a huge percentage of participants in similar US reality shows are actually lower to middle class professionals (or at the very least hold on to regular day jobs). That is not exactly the case here in the Philippines.
When I heard about the tragedy that happened last Saturday morning at the gates of ULTRA, I was really disheartened. People who lined up at the stadium to be part of the first few participant of the local noontime game show "Wowowee" got trampled upon when the gates opened. The stampede resulted in the injury of 400 people and the unfortunate death of 74 others. I felt sad. But if you really want to know the truth, I was actually more upset and embarrassed at what happened.
I keep hearing how people say that no one meant for this tragedy to happen. Of course that's true. However, it could have definitely been prevented. Desperate poor people gathering in fronts of a gate days before the actual event is an accident waiting to happen.
Though nothing less should be expected, I will give credit to ABS-CBN for taking full responsibility and accountability for what happened by responding immediately to the victims with what ever support they could extend. During a radio interview, Wowowee host Willie Revillame (the epitome of tasteless entertainment) said he spent most of his time visiting victims in the hospital giving out morale as well as financial support, as he should.
But what really upsets me is how people from ABS-CBN continue to advertise how they are helping out poor people with the show. I beg to disagree. Whether they want to admit it or not, the game show is exploiting the poor. The ABS-CBN Foundation has definitely helped a lot of people. But Wowowee is not Bantay Bata (the company's child protection arm) or any of their outreach programs. The decision to announce how this anniversary celebration will be one huge shindig with all the money and prizes that will be giving away to the early patrons is due only to one reason; that is to surmise television network ratings. Giving a handful of contestants large amounts of money in exchange for ratings is not helping the poor. In a word, it's exploitation. I wouldn't mind winning the lottery, in fact I could spend an entire day dreaming of the things I can do with the money I could win. But I would not leave to chance or luck what hard work and perseverance was designed to provide an individual.
I'm sure this incident made its way in the international news, and like I said, I am quite embarrassed about it. We may be third world poor, but it's not that we don't have knowledge of crowd control measures or emergency protocols and contingency plans for events like these. What makes this tragedy really stand out was that this was not a stampede brought about by a theater fire, a rock concert, a natural disaster or an angry mob of protesters.
The crowd that gathered there were some of our poorest countrymen and women. Some even came from far away provinces, some lined up and even camped out at the gates of Ultra as early as three days before the hyped up first year anniversary celebration of Wowowee in hopes to get a shot at winning cash and other prizes that would alleviate their poverty.
Members of the opposition who say that this tragedy is the fault of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo may be stretching it too far. But it doesn't take a political analyst to come to the conclusion that it has come to this: our poor would rather place their hopes on a noontime show that promises quick fixes and light cures to their problems rather than count on a lying government that blatantly pockets millions of allocated funds intended for the very people who they claim to be serving.
Empty promises does nothing to the empty stomach. And as long as the government continues to lie, cheat and steal, and as long as noontime shows continue to capitalize on the poor for what they refer to as "entertainment-slash-assistance", we will continue to see people flock these events and venues, willingly depositing their dignities at the gates.
