Fool us twice

Estrada stars in Palace rerun

Poor folk hail bid of their idol

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A funny thing happened last night.

Deposed President Joseph “Erap” Estrada proclaimed his intention to join the Presidential race in the 2010 elections before thousands of his hordes in Tondo, Manila. Believing he is still qualified to run, Erap again exhorted his usual rhetoric about being the poor man’s leader and this nation’s savior.

The Constitution says “the President shall not be eligible for any re-election.” Nobody could sanely argue that this provision would not apply to an ex-President. If Erap insists otherwise, on the prodding of his advisers, then he is also constitutionally prohibited from running as President because he can’t “read.” Erap can’t understand what the Constitution says. Well, he can’t even comprehend the terms of a contract. His pardon contained a whereas clause that he would not seek any public office as one of the conditions for his release and yet here he goes trying to vie for his old post.

The funny thing is Erap is disillusioned by his own make-believe world that he uses to fool the Masa into thrusting him again to public office.

You know what would be even funnier than this? If people would still want to vote for Erap.

The Errors of Comedy

Movie Review: Kimmy Dora: Ang Kambal sa Kiyeme

I hate to be a Grinch but there is something about Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme that leaves me grumbling despite somehow enjoying the movie.

First, my observations:

• The comedic prowess of lead star Eugene Domingo is undeniable.
• The plot is quite interesting.
• The funny scenes make the audience laugh out loud on their seats.
• Everyone exits the cinema happy.
• The film board and media reviews gave the movie a positive rating.
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What could possibly be wrong then?

The thing is: Kimmy Dora employs the same comic formula that time and again has been the trademark of Filipino movies – full of slapsticks, spoofs, and unintelligent humor. The film offered nothing really new and yet was successful in eliciting guffaws among the audience.

What could be funny, for instance, about reciting “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pekpek” or the mannerisms of a mentally-challenged adult? Sadly, a lot of people enjoyed those scenes in the movie. No wonder the Filipinos are top in the list of happiest people in the planet – because we laugh at the most shallow display of humor.

While this kind of movie is beneficial to the industry because of its commercial success, its negative impact is that it contributes to the degradation of the Filipino’s understanding and appreciation of film as an art and media form. Fact is most Filipinos only see film for its entertainment value. Proof is that the top-grossing Filipino film of all time is Ang Tanging Ina Nyo and not Rizal or any of the Lino Brocka masterpieces.

There is a lot that a movie can actually offer. It can educate. It can inspire. It can be critical. It can be smart. It can be deceiving. A comedy should not just be comic, just like dramas need not always be a love story.

The challenge is for the creative segment of the local film industry to offer something that tickles not just our funny bones but also our curiosity; something that would make us laugh and think at the same time; something not insulting to our intelligence.

It is about time we upgrade our humor and take comedy seriously. And I mean seriously.