AN OPEN LETTER TO THE OWNERS, MANAGERS AND STAFF OF PRINT AND BROADCAST MEDIA OUTLETS, INCLUDING TV ENTERTAINERS We are groups and individuals alarmed by entertainment media’s increasingly cavalier treatment of women. The most recent example of this is the offensive rape joke of Vice Ganda in his widely publicized and well-attended concert. Lest we be perceived to be engaged in network war, we also cite as example a 2011 episode of “Bubble Gang” that reportedly earned the show’s creative team a reprimand from the network management. We will no longer attempt to reply here to charges of our being humorless, literal and incapable of appreciating comedy. Instead, we reiterate our indignation over any attempt to normalize or trivialize rape. We likewise reiterate our firm belief that as an institution with tremendous power to shape public opinion, media cannot be party to a celebration of violence against women and children. As one of the most important socializing institutions that influence society’s values and conventions, along with the Church, School and State, Media cannot take the very real, almost intractable, problem of widespread abuse of women and children and comedify, let alone commodify, this until Society is so desensitized it is no longer revolted by a scenario of rape or any other form of gender violence. No, we will not stand by any attempt to belittle the importance of rape and gender violence as the crimes that they are, and reduce this disturbing trend we have observed in media to mere cultural differences or “flexibility” in the public’s appreciation of Comedy as Art. We applaud the recent, but barely publicized adoption of “The Gender Equality Guidelines in the Development of Media Policies and Implementing Programs to Promote Gender Mainstreaming” initiated by the Philippine Commission on Women under the Office of the President. We convey our appreciation of the Movie and Television Review Classification Board’s reminder to the ABS-CBN to adhere to the laws protecting women and children, and exhort the performers and executives of GMA7, TV5 and other studios to do likewise. We know private media outfits, especially television studios, to be strong supporters of professional development. We are aware of the numerous skills workshops they require of their talents. We call upon them to initiate Gender Sensitivity training as part of such professional development. The Pinoy humor is legendary. Let this strength of ours instruct us about tolerance and diversity, not prejudice and violence. Signed: CCOMEDIA (Concerned Consumers of Media) 1. Abad-Sarmiento, La Rainne 2. Adviento, Carol Bautista 3. Aquino, Edna 4. Belarmino, Marichu 5. Caagusan, Flor 6. Cabrera, Marion 7. Concepcion, Maria Gianna 8. Cordero, Adelinda 9. Cruz, Merceditas 10. De la Cruz, Edna 11. De la Cruz, Emmanuel 12. De Jesus, Gou 13. Galvez, Arlene 14. Galvez, Leilani L. 15. Gonzalez, Minerva 16. Fabros, Merceditas 17. Gaerlan, Itty 18. Lara, Susan 19. Leyesa, Daryl 20. Mercado, Lan 21. Montreal, Lani 22. Raquiza, Marivic 23. Rodriguez, Joel 24. Santos, Aida F. 25. Santos, Rolando F. 26. Santos-Padagas, Lolita 27. Saracho, Joel 28. Sobritchea, Carolyn I. 29. Tanedo, Rochit 30. Tagle, Susan V. 31. Torres-Cortes, Damcelle 32. Valdez-Fabros, Corazon 33. Lisa Jedrick (Elisa Dolor Fruto) Please add your name then post if you support violence against gender
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:35:48 +0000
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