Push yourself because no one will do it for you. Be your own motivation. —Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
Days after Vice Ganda dished out the highly offensive, racist joke, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has ordered the producers of “It’s Showtime” to submit, within seven days, their joint position paper in response to complaints of racism and other inappropriate scenes from their “Memerimar” skit.
The government “censors” acted promptly when they conducted a meeting or hearing on the issue, along with the producers of the show, on July 29. The on-air incident involved Vice Ganda spitting water on dancer Johaira and making a remark about her dark skin.
“Anong nangyari sa ‘yo? Ba’t nagputik ka?” the host asked.
A large part of the audience found the remark insensitive and racist, calling it a humiliating form of colorism.
In reaction, the MTRCB committee also directed the show’s producers to appoint an on-air compliance officer—an additional member of the production staff whose function seems irrelevant in a live program, although important in a taped one.
There is no denying now: Vice Ganda has this vice of offending a lot of people through his jokes, and it is not pretty.
In a May 2013 concert, she made a controversial gang-rape joke targeting broadcast journalist Jessica Soho, combining jibes at her weight with an explicit reference to sexual violence.
“Ang hirap nga lang kung si Jessica Soho magbo-bold. Kailangan gang rape palagi. Sasabihin ng rapist, ‘Ipasa ang lechon.’ Sasabihin naman ni Jessica, ‘Eh nasaan ‘yung apple?'”
The joke sparked a firestorm of criticism from netizens and women’s groups, including Gabriela. Vice Ganda later apologized, and that was the end of the controversy.
The nationwide television audience is generally not too picky about the kind of entertainment they get during lunchtime and the early afternoon, allowing Vice Ganda to get away with unfair and out-of-bounds teasing, such as his remarks toward Karylle, as well as questionable public decorum in segments with Ion Perez.
Some critics have argued that whatever they do at home, however weird or unconventional, should remain private and not be shared with the public.
The most recent transgression of community standards is the insult directed at Johaira, which many consider a serious offense.
The MTRCB said:
“Following the hearing, the Agency’s Hearing and Adjudication Committee—composed of Committee Chair Board Member (BM) Atty. Ricardo ‘Jojo’ M. Salomon Jr., and Committee Members BM Atty. Pedro Cesar Gabriel ‘Chet’ A. Solidum and BM Wilma V. Galvante—issued an Order directing the respondents to file a verified Joint Position Paper within seven (7) calendar days from receipt of the Order, in accordance with the Board’s rules and procedures,” it said.
“The Committee likewise directed the respondents to submit a Joint Undertaking outlining concrete measures to strengthen compliance with MTRCB standards, particularly in relation to live, improvised, and comedy segments. In addition, the respondents were instructed to designate an On-Air Compliance Officer who shall be authorized to monitor live broadcasts and immediately intervene, when necessary, to prevent potential violations of MTRCB rules and regulations,” it added.
Among those present during the hearing were representatives and legal counsels from the TV show, ABS-CBN, GMA, ZOE Broadcasting Network, and ALLTV.
I agree that the Board should issue a show-cause order to Vice Ganda and his producers, and even suspend the show because Vice has become something of a recidivist (Memerimar, bomb jokes, Jessica Soho, and others).
However, the authority of a compliance officer to monitor live broadcasts and “immediately intervene, when necessary, to prevent potential violations of MTRCB rules and regulations” places the burden of decision on a single person.
Moreover, the reference to “potential violations” smacks of prior restraint, which runs contrary to the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.
The Board should not overstep its mandate and powers, just as it did in the case involving Darryl Yap’s Pepsi Paloma movie.
