Bulagaan..

With flu comes the doctor’s advice to stay in bed, not a fun thing to do especially if one’s single. I have seen all my favorite movies whether on laser, DVD, VCD or VHS format, I have read my favorite books all over again, I have surfed the net and thank God I don’t have a working credit card thus I am powerless to buy anything. I have seen Eat Bulaga almost everyday, and I can’t believe the longevity of this show. It even outlasted “Sesame Street”, which of late has problems with fundings, with PBS pulling out the plug from the show. It has seen the rise and fall of major TV networks as well as Philippine Presidents. . It has placed one of its own into the Philippine Senate and another one is already a vice-mayor in Paranaque. Originally from Channel 9, it has moved to other channels that have tried to topple its reign for the past 30 years. Competitors such as Student Canteen, Lunch Date, SST, Kalatog Pinggan, SangLinggo NAPO Sila, MTB, Pera O Bayong has either signed-off the air after a few seasons while Wowoweee and Game KNB is still trying to overcome it in the rating-game. Hosts of competing shows have joined Eat Bulaga as well such as Helen Vela, Coney Reyes (both from Student Canteen) and Toni Rose Gayda (Lunch Date), proving the axiom, if you can’t beat them, join them. It has remained the only powerful blocktimer in a profitable timeslot in this era of station-produced shows. I have even tried sending my comedy skits for Bulagaan when I was in high-school, when Aiza Seguerra was still a lovable tot prancing in her “bibi” dance (duck dance). Aiza has already blossomed into a full-bloodied lesbian, one of the disadvantages of hanging out with Tito, Vic and Joey, too much male hormones. Now, Bulagaan is still much around, with BJ Forbes, him of the Tide’s “Tolits” fame, as the new mascot. I am really afraid as to what the triumvirate of TVJ could impart to the little kid, will he be the next male lothario like his Tito Vic, the next politician like his Tito Sen, or the next funnyman like his Tito Joey. I must admit that I grew up with TVJ in my mind, I even had a cassette tape of the trio and listened to it a lot of times while growing up. I still laugh at Joey whenever I watch “Nuts Entertainment” and I still long for the days of “Iskul Bukol” as well as “T.O.D.A.S.”. I am really a product of Eat Bulaga’s inanity, a mixture of senseless entertainment and pinoy’s penchant for shallowness. And yet, to come up with the same fare for six days for the past 30 years is an exceptional feat. Or is it a reflection that the reason we are not getting anywhere is because we are serving Eat Bulaga for lunch? What if we served “Batibot” instead of Eat Bulaga? What if we have “Ate Sienna”, “Kuya Bodjie”, “Manang Bola”, “Ningning”, “Pong Pagong”, Kiko Matsing” “Kapitan Basa” as role model than Allan K, Jimmy Santos, Toni Rose, Jose, Gladys or the “Sex Bomb” dancers? Will the Philippines be a better country? I am lucky that I got my fair share of watching “Sesame Street” and its local version, “Sesame’ which later on became “Batibot” as my breakfast and merienda, even if I got “Eat Bulaga” as my serving for lunch, at least my impressionable mind had a ‘balanced diet” of good and junk. I feel sorry for the kids of today especially those who have no access to cable TV, they are stuck with Eat Bulaga. Come to think, TV is not called as “idiot box” for nothing. I am surprised why people who come to my place will always look for the TV, which I make sure is hidden from sight. As much as want to hide the fact, I am a TV addict and ask me any trivia about pop culture, I learned it from the ‘idiot box”.