Face to Face: Savage!

I used to pronounce “savage” as /ˈsæv ɪdʒ/, but I realize that it can be pronounced as /savadʒ/ as in ‘mirage’.

Well, since TV5 was gaining reputation of alternative programing and currently the more innovative local television station here in the Philippines compared to the big ones such as ABS-CBN and GMA-7, they introduced to us and boasts their un-patent invention, a “talak-serye” called Face to Face. “Talak” is a bastardized or a typo of the word talk (and I used to mistype it) or rapid chatter in Flip tongue which we usually encounter on the mouths of fat mommas in the slums and “serye” means series. So technically it is a dirtier version of a typical talk show that when Ophra sees this she will go WTF! A combination of a typical talk show and a reality show, one might say to its rudest of forms.

So the show goes on like this. It is hosted by the ex-Kapamilya Amy Perez (host of the replacement noon time show “Esep Esep” then after the infamous Willie Revillame molested one of the beauty contestant) with a gay bastard and she’ll introduce the two warring factions and their problems, arguments and debates that were usually resulted from the smallest of matter such as gossips, lover’s quarrel due to a third party, envy and anything that can make two lowlives fight to death with the most irrational of the reasons that can be dug. Imagine a supposedly children’s quarrel gaining so much publicity on TV! At the very introduction, you can hear the audience hailed as “sawsawero/sawsawera” (those who adds fuel to the fire) cheering “Sa pula! Sa puti! (On the red! On the white)” like they were betting on a sabong game (cockfight) and lulz at the one that ends up in your Tinola (a type of chicken soup cuisne). And the show’s objective was to allegedly ‘solve’ the problems of the two factions. They also hosts a panel of advisers that gives pointless advice when the subjects duke it out and even bouncers akin to the TUGS TUGS TUGS Selecta Cornetto Commercial to bounce away when things go worse.

Usually the guests and candidates were fat bitches, anorexic manangs, hip hops, jejemons, lowlives who rages over small things, bitter husbands left by infidel wives, obese homos… just simply anyone in the neighborhood or a civilian you could meet at the street! And the problems revolves usually from gossips and lies where the factions would deny the both of them when they faces off. The typical arrangement of the show was the introduction that was similar back to the Roman gladiator days, then tackles the problem of one then another. Then the advisers will advise them both and deem it ‘all’s well that ends well”. The barbaric catfights and Mosley-Mayweather-esque actions were bonuses for the eyes of the sadistic FAILipinos who also enjoys seeing Agua being bullied. I have even seen one commercial for the said show that says the show itself is good, that it helps people settle their pieces of shits despite of direct assaults in shown in TV, it even got fresh episodes during noon! Where children were wide awake and might seek a sick alternative against Showtime! They even got a priest to endorse the said hostile show! Frankly where’s the moral in that? And the show usually ends without tying the lost bonds, or should I say unsettled?

In opinion, it’s the publicized domestic violence aired for the lulz of the typical stupid Filipinos. Look how the audience cheer or ‘sawsaw’ to each the factions’ rage. If they wanted action that bad, they should have watched Avatar, Clash of the Titans and Iron Man 2 instead of this crap. Savage, barbaric like animals. It seems Juan is very fond of it, if so why not switch to Animal Planet? And I am not recommending this show to everyone either. It’s very unintellectual (it only disguises as one) and reflects how bad and uncivil Filipinos were. No wonder we’ve been left behind by Malaysia and Singapore.

Well, here is a segment of an episode from Face to Face:

Ah, it was such a good rant. Till then.

~ Makiel Sapalicio is Super Sawsaw!