Monday, February 13, 2006

DOES WOWOWEE ENCOURAGE MENDICANCY?

In the press conference after the ULTRA stampede, a representative of the Philippine Daily Inquirer questioned why Wowowee was encouraging mendicancy. I am sad to say that the question was not answered properly. My family watched wowowee. Contrary to popular perception, the show's audiences are not composed of only the poor section of society. In fact, a large number of the audience and balik-bayans, and they are loaded with dollars. The show does not just dole out money, they give away kabuhayan showcases. This should not be construed, however, that many people are poor and depend on these game shows to survive. The truth is, most Filipinos watch these programs because they want to earn quick money. It is not that they do not have the means to work, but if one could win 2 million by joining these game shows, why not? It is unfair to brand shows like Wowowee as encouraging mendicancy. I find it outlandish for an Inquirer reporter to even ask such a question at a time when people are still getting over the tragedy. Oh well, there will always be people with crab mentality, and I guess she's just one of them. You know who you are. We are better off without you.

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