EGE Pop - Philippine Pop Culture

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EGE Philippine Pop Culture

Unit 1: Perspective in Philippine Popular Culture

Concept Digest

The popularity of a person, a phenomenon, a thing, an event, or a place depends on the taste of the
masses. Usually, this taste is considered common. This module encapsulates the definition of popular
culture, the biases people have with it, and how Filipinos define it. The main goal is to establish a unified
comprehension of what Philippine pop culture is. Some aspects of this module are incorporated with
Filipino taste that will hopefully give light if Filipino pop culture is not an imitation.

Motivation Question
What is pop culture? What are examples of pop culture? What are the “in” things right now?

Have you read the article Kabit-kabit by Insoy Niñal? What comes to your mind when you hear the word
kabit-kabit?

Discussion
As stated in the lesson summary, you need to start this course with light reading. It is written by Insoy
Niñal, a columnist in a newspaper company in Cebu City. He is also the lead vocalist of the band Missing
Filemon. He writes and sings mainly in Cebuano. He is quite popular in the Visayas and
Mindanao region because aside from his creative songs that showcase Cebuano culture, his writings are
also witty. Enjoy this piece by Niñal.

Kabit-kabit
By Insoy Niñal
SA MEDIA, mohalin gyod ang tema nga kabit-kabit, kay naa sa kabit-kabit ang mas halin pa gyod nga
tema sa sex ug violence. Kon asa ang kabit-kabit, tua pud didto ang biga-biga ug away-away. Sa iningles
pa, sex and violence sell. Dili lang ni diha sa mga balita. Apil sab dinhi ang mga telenobela ug mga
salida. Way telenobela o salida mahitungod sa kabit-kabit nga way biga-biga
ug way pinatyanay, binugnoay, pinusilay, dinunggabay, siningkahay, ug labing importante sa tanan sa
Philippine television sinagpaay.
Sa kadaghan sa sinagpaay aning mga salidaha gikubalan na tingali ang nawong aning mga artistaha, mao
nga naa puy sinabyagay og tubig aron mohumok pagbalik ang aping ug lami na sab nga sagpaon. Dili ko
eksperto sa sex, ug labi nang di ko eksperto sa violence. Apan sayod ko nga kining duha nakadugtong sa
kalungtaran sa espisye sa tawo. Ang sex konektado sa violence, ang violence konektado sa sex, ug ang
duha konektado sa survival sa human species. Ang kasaysayan nagtudlo nato niini.
May mga tawo nga dunganon ning duha nag-sex na, nag-violence pa, o sa mubo nga pagkasulti, violent
sex. Di pud ko sweto ani, apan sa akong pagsabot, sex ni nga may sagol kinusiay. Kon makakita ka sa
imong amiga nga naay daghang kinusian, nahibawo na ka. Nahisgotan ko ni kay ning bag-o lang,
nabuang ang tanan niining teleserye nga may temang kabit-kabit. Niadtong usang gabii pananglitan,
naabtan nako sa balay ang tanan nga nagtutok sa TV. Importante tingali kaayo to nga eksena kay wa man
ko nila tagda sa akong pagsud sa sala, mao nga ningtanaw na lang sab kog apil.
Ug ang akong nasabtan sa eksena mao nga nag-abot ang asawa ug ang kabit, ug didto sab ang bana. Ug
dayon miingon ang asawa “ Salbahis kang bayhana ka, di gyod nimo undangan akong bana ha!” Ug
dayon gilabay nya’g sapatos ang kabit.
Nasakitan tingali kay nabukol ang ulo, mitubag ang kabit, ug dinhi ako lang Binisay-on. “ Sa pagsugod
sex ra tong amoa sa imong bana ug nausban, ug nausban pa gyod, hangtod di na sex ang among gihimo,
making love na.”
Naglibog ang asawa. Lahi diay ang sex sa making love? Ang lovemaking, lahi pud? Ang making out, lahi
pud? Kon pirmihon ang sex mahimo diay ning love? Kadaghan ba sa words. Nainsulto siya kay limited
siyag vocabulary. Ug sa iyang kalagot iyang gisagpa ang kabit. Ug sa reaksyon nga way kalainan anang
makaigo si Pacquiao og solid left sa kontra, nsgdungan ug syagit ang tanan sa balay. Yesss!!! Da!!!
Mayra!!! Pun-i pa!!!!
Naglingo-lingo ko nga misaka sa kwarto diin naghuwat akong asawa. Nangutana siya. “Ngano na sila sa
ubos?” Ingon ko, ay da sex and violence.” Ug pinapaak ang ngabil, mikidhat nako ang igat.
Gikan sa libro ni Insoy, "Ang Batang Scorpion: Da Best of Eskina ug Uban Pa,"nga mapalit sa Parkmall
karong Aug. 12 hangtod Aug. 18. Sa magpareserba,PM lang.
Source: Niñal, I (2014). Kabit-kabit. Retrieved from Facebook website:
https://www.facebook.com/reinsoyninal/posts/10219839679245949..

Guide Questions:
1. What is your opinion about the article? Did you find it humorous? Informational? Immoral? Why so?
How so?
2. Why do you think kabit-kabit sells in media? Give a concrete example with close reference to the
text.
3. Why do you think violence sells in media? Give a concrete example.
4. Why do you think kabit-kabit and violence, lumped together, sell?
5. What does the popularity of sex and violence tell of the kind of people in the Philippines?
6. Who makes these themes popular: the consumers or the sellers (TV writers,creators)?
7. What do you think is wrong (or right) with Philippine media?
8. Do you consume these kinds of themes? Why or why not?
9. Is the article easy to understand because of the language used? Or do you find it vulgar because of the
language used
I believe that you think the article is quite vulgar since it has words in Cebuano that people seldom use in
academic settings such as kabit-kabi t, igat, biga-biga, and others. The author also mixes the Cebuano
language and the English language, so it gives off the idea that the characters in the news article belong in
the middle-class. The aim of the article is to be humorous first. The exchange of dialogues of the husband
and wife evokes laughter especially the sexual innuendos.
However, the content goes beyond amusement. It also educates you on why violence and sex sell in
media. It is because sex and violence attract people in two ways. First, it is the evolutionary self ingrained
in people. It is intrinsic to people to be wary of violent and sexual content since their ancestors did so to
survive. Second, violence and sexual content are universally understood by many. It does not need for one
to study culture to understand what death or murder is. Because of the latter reason, many writers and
producers create movies and TV series with sex and violence as themes. They gain much more with them
as their content flagship. Moreover, is not to provide programs with quality to their audiences, but to
show them advertisements.
In the Philippines, the themes kabit-kabit and violence are quite common in television programs and
movies probably because of the same reasons as Sagansky states: profit. They are also consumed more
every day than any other themes. For example, many primetime TV series shown on popular channels
from Monday to Friday have these themes. Comedy and educational shows have the weekend slot. Pinoys
enjoy slapping effects and legal wives hurting the mistresses.
Moreover, print media sells the same themes as prevalent in some of its publications: online platform
Spot. FM published on their website the titles Top 10 Craziest Kabit Confrontations in Pinoy TV and
Movies and Top 10 Epic Hair-Pulling Scenes from Pinoy TV and Movies, and Coconuts Manila has the
title In the Mood for Blood: Filipino TV Mistresses and the Women Who Love to Hate Them on its
website.
What the news article presented is somewhat problematic because it shows that the Filipino consumers of
TV and movies enjoy sex and violence.
The themes are a household family member every night. However, despite the staggering studies about
the effects of sex and violence in Philippine and western TV and movies, they are not going to be
stopped. Unfortunately, the reality is business gain overpowers morals. It is up to you as an educated
individual of the country to make a difference.
Popular culture: An Overview
Popular culture is a term that is commonly used globally especially in the entertainment industry. This is
the same in the Philippines. However, many still doubt if there is popular culture in the country especially
since the country is divided into different islands; regional diversity is displayed. In this lesson, you will
find out if such notion is true.
The term ‘popular culture’ holds a different meanings depending on who is defining it and the context of
use. It is generally recognized as the vernacular or people’s culture that predominates in a society at a
point in time. As Brummett explains in Rhetorical Dimensions of Popular Culture, pop culture involves
the aspects of social life most actively involved in by the public. As the culture of the people, ’popular
culture’ is determined by the interactions between people in their everyday activities: styles of dress, the
use of slang, greeting rituals and the foods that people eat are all examples of popular culture. Popular
culture is also informed by the mass media.
There are a number of generally agreed elements comprising popular culture. For example, popular
culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary aspects of our lives. These aspects are often
subject to rapid change, especially in a highly technological world in which people are brought closer and
closer by omnipresent media. Certain standards and commonly held beliefs are reflected in pop culture.
Because of its commonality, pop culture both reflects and influences people's everyday life (see eg
Petracca and Sorapure, Common Culture). Furthermore, brands can attain pop iconic status (eg the Nike
swoosh or McDonalds golden arches. However, iconic brands, as other aspects of popular culture, may
rise and fall.
With these fundamental aspects in mind, popular culture may be defined as the products and forms of
expression and identity that are frequently encountered or widely accepted, commonly liked or approved,
and characteristic of a particular society at a given time. Ray Browne in his essay ‘Folklore to Populore’
offers a similar definition: “Popular culture consists of the aspects of attitudes, behaviors, beliefs,
customs, and tastes that define the people of any society. Popular culture is, in the historic use of
term, the culture of the people.
Popular culture allows large heterogeneous masses of people to identify collectively. It serves an
inclusionary role in society as it unites the masses on ideals of acceptable forms of behavior. Along with
forging a sense of identity which binds individuals to the greater society, consuming pop culture items
often enhances an individual’s prestige in the peer group. Further, popular culture, unlike folk or high
culture, provides individuals with a chance to change the prevailing sentiments and norms of behavior, as
we shall see. So popular culture appeals to people because it provides opportunities for both individual
happiness and communal bonding.
Examples of Popular Culture
Examples of popular culture come from a wide array of genres, including popular music, print, cyber
culture, sports, entertainment, leisure, fads, advertising and television. Sports and television are arguably
two of the most widely consumed examples of popular culture, and they also represent two examples of
popular culture with great staying power.
Sports are played and watched by members of all social classes, but(tautologously) the masses are
responsible for the huge popularity of sports. Some sporting events, such as the World Cup and the
Olympics, are consumed by a world community. Sports are pervasive in most societies and represent a
major part in many people’s lives, showing allegiance to a team as a means of self-identification is a
common behavior. Further, cheering for a sports team or a favorite athlete is a way any individual can
become part of
popular culture.
Many people watch numerous hours of television every day. It is such a prevalent aspect of contemporary
culture it is difficult to imagine life without it. There are those who believe TV is responsible for the
dumbing down of society; that children watch too much television; and that the couch potato syndrome
has contributed to the epidemic of childhood obesity. The globally popular TV show The Simpsons
provides us with an interesting perspective on television. In the episode, “Sideshow Bob’s Last
Gleaming(#137), while doing time in prison, Sideshow Bob becomes a critic of television. Although he
was once a regular on The Krusty the Clown Show, Bob has become obsessed by television’s harmful
effect on society. Bob argues that everyone’s live would be much richer if TV were done away with. As a
result, he devises a scheme to detonate a nuclear bomb unless all television is abolished in Springfield.
Unable to locate Bob, Springfield’s city officials meet to discuss Bob’s demands of abolishing TV. A
panicky Krusty proclaims, “Would it really be worth living in a world without television? I think the
survivors would envy the dead.” Although there are people who would agree with Sideshow Bob the
masses would more likely agree with Krusty: that living in a world without television is not really living.
It is even more difficult to imagine a world without popular culture.
Folk and High Culture
Popular culture is usually distinguished from folk and high culture. In some ways, folk culture is similar
to pop culture because of the mass participation Folk culture, however, represents the traditional way of
doing things. Consequently, it is not as amendable to change and is much more static than popular
culture.
Folk culture represents a simpler lifestyle, that is generally conservative, largely self-sufficient, and often
characteristic of rural life. Radical innovation is generally discouraged. Group members are expected to
conform to traditional modes of behavior adopted by the community. Folk culture is local in orientation,
and non-commercial. In short, folk culture promises stability, whereas popular culture is generally
looking for something new or fresh.
Because of this, popular culture often represents an intrusion and a challenge to folk culture. Conversely,
folk culture rarely intrudes upon popular culture.
There are times when certain elements of folk culture (eg Turkish rugs, Mexican blankets and Irish fairy
tales) find their way into the world of pop culture. Generally, when items of folk culture are appropriated
and marketed by the popular culture, the folk items gradually lose their original form.
A key characteristic of popular culture is its accessibility to the masses. It is, after all, the culture of the
people. High culture, on the other hand, is not mass produced, nor meant for mass consumption. It
belongs to the social elite; the fine arts, opera, theatre, and high intellectualism are associated with the
upper socioeconomic classes. Items of high culture often require extensive experience, training, or
reflection to be appreciated. Such items seldom cross over to the pop culture domain. Consequently,
popular culture is generally looked (down) upon as being superficial when compared to the
sophisticationof high culture. (This does not mean that social elites do not participate in popular culture or
that members of the masses do not participate in high culture.)
The Formation of Popular Culture
Through most of human history, the masses were influenced by dogmatic forms of rule and traditions
dictated by local folk culture. Most people were spread throughout small cities and rural areas-conditions
that were not conducive to ‘popular culture’ with the beginning of the industrial era (late eighteenth
century), the rural masses began to migrate to cities, leading to the urbanization of most Western
societies.
Urbanization is a key ingredient in the formation of popular culture. People who once lived in
homogeneous small villages or farms found themselves in crowded cities marked by great cultural
diversity. These diverse people would come to see themselves as a ‘collectivity’ as a result of common, or
popular forms of expression. Thus, many scholars trace the beginning of the popular culture phenomenon
to the rise of the middle class brought on by the Industrial Revolution.
Industrialization also brought with it mass production; developments in transportation, such as the steam
locomotive and the steamship; advancements in building technology; increased literacy; improvements in
education and public health; and the emergence of efficient forms of commercial printing, representing
the first step in the formation of a mass media (eg the penny press, magazines, and pamphlets). All of
these factors contributed to the blossoming of popular culture. By the start of the twentieth century, the
print industry mass-produced illustrated newspapers and periodicals, as well as serialized novels and
detective stories. Newspapers served as the best source of information for a public with a growing interest
in social and economic affairs. The ideas expressed in print provided a starting point for popular discourse
on all sorts of topics. Fueled by further technological growth, popular culture was greatly impacted by the
emerging forms of mass media throughout the twentieth century. Films, broadcast radio and television all
had a profound influence on culture.
So, urbanization, industrialization, the mass media and the continuous growth in technology since the late
1700s, have all been significant factors in the formation of popular culture. These continue to be factors
shaping pop culture today.
Sources of Popular Culture
There are numerous sources of popular culture. As implied above, a primary source is the mass media,
especially popular music, film, television, radio, video games, books and the internet. In addition,
advances in communication allows for the greater transmission of ideas by word of mouth, especially via
cell phones. Many TV programs, such as American Idol and the Last Comic Standing, provide viewers
with a phone number so that they can vote for a contestant. This combining of pop culture sources
represents a novel way of increasing public interest, and further fuels the mass production of
commodities.
Popular culture is also influenced by professional entities that provide the public with information. These
sources include the news media, scientific and scholarly publications and ‘expert’ opinion from people
considered an authority in their field. For example, a news station reporting on a specific topic, say the
effects of playing violent video games, will seek a noted psychologist or sociologist who has published in
this area. This strategy is a useful way of influencing the public and may shape their collective opinions
on a particular subject. At the very least, it provides a starting point for public discourse and differing
opinions. News stations often allow viewers to call or email in their opinions, which may be shared with
the public.
A seemingly contradictory source of popular culture is individualism. Urban culture has not only
provided a common ground for the masses, it has inspired ideals of individualistic aspirations. In the
United States, a society formed on the premise of individual rights, there are theoretically no limitations
to what an individual might accomplish. An individual may choose to participate in all that is ‘popular’
for popularity’s sake; or they may choose a course of action off the beaten track. At times, this
pathfinders affect popular culture by their individuality. Of course, once a unique style becomes adopted
by others, it ceases to remain unique. It becomes, popular.
The salient points in the article are summarized below and added with examples for you.
1. The different definitions of popular culture based on the article are the following (Delaney, 2008):
It is generally recognized as the vernacular or people’s culture that predominates in a society at a given
point in time. As a ‘culture of the people’ popular culture is determined by the interactions between
people in their everyday activities: styles of dress, the use of slang, greeting rituals, and the foods that
people eat are all examples of popular culture.
Pop culture is the products and forms of expression and identity that are frequently encountered or widely
accepted, commonly liked or approved, and characteristic of a particular society at a given time. Popular
culture consists of the aspects of attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of
any society.
Popular culture in its historic term is the culture of the people.
From all the definitions, popular culture involves people’s common interests, habits, lifestyles, and ideas.
People are the center of popular culture. Without them and their desire for the same things, no popular
phenomenon shall ever exist.
2. The elements of pop culture, according to Delaney (2008), involve the present lifestyle of people,
erratic changes to the lifestyle of people, the standard of living and beliefs of people influence their
everyday life, people
are interested in the same beliefs, art, and practices, and people of the different state share the same
sentiments on things (e.g. art, beliefs, practices). These elements need not be present to identify if a
phenomenon belongs to popular culture.
3. There are many examples of popular culture in the article Delaney (2008)wrote. They are from
different industries. The most common and traditional ones are entertainment the industry, television,
music, print, leisure, fad, and sports. Other examples are from online culture, social media, and many
more. Groups of people unconsciously decide the popularity of these examples.
Sports and television are the most consumed ones. In Japan, its most popular sport is soccer. In the
Philippines it is basketball. Because of the difference of preference, sports items that are salable are
different in the said countries.
In Philippine television, there is a trend. In the 1990s until the early 2000s, teleseryes from Spain and
Mexico were famous. An example is the teleserye Marimar. In the late 2000s, it was anime. At present,
Kdrama tops Netflix. An example of a popular kind of music is pop songs with rap. It was famous in the
90s. An example of print is the popularity of comic books before the internet took hold of the world. An
example of online culture is the popularity of Wattpadd in the early 2000s. This has changed in recent
times. Wattpadd is still available, but its popularity is slowly dwindling. An example
of leisure is the popularity of massage nowadays. An example of a fad is Pokemon Go. A fad is a practice
or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal. Therefore, Pokemon Go is a concrete example of it.
When it was released, people were crazy over it. Some even got injured from playing the game. It was the
game for almost everyone in varied age group. However, it died down as quickly as it ascended. Finally,
an example of popular advertising is the style used by Thai entertainment industry in their advertising.
4. As mentioned, the reason why a phenomenon is part of pop culture is the collective and unconscious
agreement of people to be interested into that phenomenon. In this context, folk culture and high culture
are mixed in. They are equally important to be understood. Folk culture has a similar quality with pop
culture. They are both for the masses. However, folk culture is more stable than pop culture. It is
traditional
while pop culture is not. Change is not encouraged in folk culture. An example of it is life in the rural:
laid back and simple. High culture is something that the elite can mostly understand and be interested in.
It is for a few people only. For example, only rich people tend to like and acquire expensive paintings.
5. Urbanization and industrialization are key concepts in the formation of pop culture. Because of
urbanization, it was possible for groups of people to gather and socialize. This became the reason why
unconscious interest in the same things formed and created pop culture. Industrialization even more
emphasized this event. It was easier for people to socialize and get similar produce especially since
transportation, literacy, and other things made possible the steps (ex. Mass media) in creating collective
culture.
6. The main source of popular culture is mass media simply because it has the ability to distribute
information.
These are the basic things that you need to know about pop culture. Research more readings about the
topic and compare your haul to this lesson.