PBB 737 and MTRCB: My Two Cents

PBB 737 is one of the controversial editions of Pinoy Big Brother, what with the issues that it has spawned courtesy of the teen housemates themselves which has led to the intervention of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) as of late. 

Allow me to give my two cents on the proposed measures to even out the program, which was badly shaken by recent controversies.

Parents as coaches

This proposal I think stems from the idea that if there are people who know the housemates very well, then that will be their respective parents no less.

However, will this not taint the objective of the program which is to show the natural character and behavior of the housemates? To begin with, the housemates are not supposed to be in touch with the so called outside world, right?

If the parents will become regular fixtures in the program as coaches, then up to what extent will their coaching responsibilities be?

May I remind you that in a reality show, what we want to see are participants in their natural disposition. If their parents will be around to coach them, then we cannot expect naturalness from the housemates, for their actions will surely be very guarded and scripted.

In this case, it is not a reality show anymore, but a factory with robots.

MTRCB’s intervention: timely or not?

The alleged “bromance” between two male housemates has caught the attention of many viewers. It was then highly sensationalized in social media which prompted the station to immobilize the live streaming of the show. 

The MTRCB got wind of it of course, and summoned PBB executives to discuss the controversy. As a result, the executives were asked to create and implement self regulatory measures that will safeguard the well-being of the teen housemates.

MTRCB’s intervention was timely in a sense that it has nipped in the bud the potential proliferation of other issues that may arise from the behavior of those inside Kuya’s house.

On the contrary, it would have been better if at the onset, MTRCB already gave the station a few reminders, considering the fact that the participants are all minors (except for one or two).

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Should ABS-CBN continue with the show?

Business is business. Hence, the station will continue with the show. Should the station put a halt to it sooner than expected, then a lot of things will be at stake such as the contract with advertisers and more importantly, the contract with Endemol (the original producer of Big Brother).

I am not abreast of the recent goings-on inside the famous house. But since there is no smoke, then there must be no fire. The house I guess is relatively peaceful as of late.

On a personal note, I would rather that the show be terminated soon. I don’t see any relevance in it anymore. I see it merely as a camp with kids doing silly things, as precursors to their potential showbiz career.

Citizens as overseers of the show

People who watch PBB 737 are the best overseers to monitor if the show is complying with its own regulatory measures or not.

But do viewers really care and do they really have a say?

To begin with, people watch the show purely for entertainment. They are entertained when the cute teenagers do inane tasks as per the orders of Kuya. And they get thrilled whenever nomination and eviction nights come.

Hence, viewers really don’t care as to standing or status of the show. Being entertained is their alpha and omega.

~End~