I remember past episodes of pre-noontime show (simply titled “Showtime”) back when it was still not in direct competition with Eat Bulaga and even later ‘Magpasikat’ segment on “It’s Showtime”; Vice Ganda’s comedy-bar brand of humor in “unintentionally” shaming people because of their imperfections have constantly reared its ugly head.
One can defend that this was not done with a bad intention but merely to ‘entertain’. Well, a bully can very well have the same justification when confronted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z8Tt_eUlU8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbPFfgtcduk
Vice should be no stranger for receiving the short end of the stick as he was once came into conflict with another comedian who rubbed him the wrong way, the late Tado.
I would assume that most of you reading this have went to school. Have you ever been bullied before (hopefully not)? If not, do you know a stories about bullying or knew someone who was bullied? What usually constitutes such bullying? What is bullying to you?
Chances are most of these bullies have engaged in verbal abuse on someone who they think is ‘lesser’ than them. Sometimes these bullies don’t even know they are bullying especially when they are kids. Kids who probably happen to be raised watching shows that seemingly states that it is alright to poke fun at someone because they look and act differently than what society tells them as ‘normal’. The problem also lies with the adults or guardians of these kids. When they have the mentality that ‘they are just being irrational kids’ so just let them be.
To let them be until it is too late; the bullied child has developed a serious case of trauma and depression which may even lead to death (usually via suicide). The worst part is that the parents and guardians themselves can’t even distinguish that the humor that their child is being raised into is already affecting the impressionable minds of the young. While further Scientific studies needs to be conducted that would directly associate mass media to bullying, we can let media know that some things should be taken in to consideration to make it ‘right’. Now let us go back and apply what the younger audiences are exposed with Vice Ganda’s show and his brand of humor.
