It's Showtime Suspended

It's Your Lucky Day will temporarily replace It's Showtime starting today Oct 14 Saturday to October 27, 2023, after MRTCB gifted them with a 2-week suspension that had its origin and stems from the Isip Bata segment where Vice Ganda and Ion Perez were seen licking the icing on the cake that provoked the tender sensibilities of the vanguards of morality and the lily-white MRTCB.

Their contention was that the licking incident was gross and inappropriate ... and should not be shown or done with kids around.

One psychologist Dr. Camille Garcia - CEO and Administrator of the Clinic of Holy Spirit was quick to the rescue and had a very valid comment on the incident and I agree with her partly. I quote: ..." A person's individual experience or circumstance shapes his or her perception ... including sexual activity or malice. In this case, a person especially a child who doesn't have sexual awareness ... will not perceive the act of licking food/icing from one's finger as malicious or sexual.  Therefore, the children present during the subject show (who were seven years and below)... and even the children watching will not perceive the subject's conduct as sexual or malicious."

I agree with her ... although her statement that the child is not sexually aware ... is doubtful to me or it has some loopholes? I did not dream up to be an expert ... nor I am pretending to be one but I have studied children's developmental stages and some experts believe sexual awareness starts with the oral stage (birth to 18 months). Some of them even thought that breast-feeding was their first sexual activity although it's an unconscious process - a mental process that occurs without the infant explicitly aware of it and largely outside of conscious control. In cognitive psychology, it is called the subliminal process. 

Since infants' primary way of interacting with the world is through their mouths, Freud thought this is where the libido is focused. With the rooting and sucking reflex, breastfeeding, biting, and tasting different foods, the oral stage is about satisfying the id's needs through the mouth. 

For children aged 4-6, sexual curiosity heightens (or is it sexual awareness?) Their activities revolve around exploring their own bodies, touching their genitalia, asking questions about gender, sexuality, babies and where they come from, and other sexual concepts. All subliminal processes ... whether these are conscious or unconscious ... one thing is sure sexual awareness is already present ... 

I may be wrong on this one ... but when the psychologist above said: "the child doesn't have sexual awareness to perceive the act of licking the icing from another's finger as malicious or sexual" ... maybe she meant another thing. 

When she said sexual awareness maybe she meant the child's understanding of sexual concepts has not fully grown to fully appreciate or understand the complexities of what he saw (the licking of the cake's crust).  And younger children(Argus, Jace, and Kulot,) will not exhibit malice ... because their reasoning abilities are not developed enough (as proven by their answers to the questions in this segment where sometimes their answers are far-fetched and dubious ... typically Isip Bata) ... unless an overzealous adult introduces malice to them.

Has MRTCB overreached in this regard ... was the whole idea of suspending the show for 2 weeks ... is too much ado about nothing? Did MRTCB overreact, fuss, and make a big deal of something harmless and unimportant? Or were they just using the impressionable kids so they can make an issue out of a non-issue ... and trying to be relevant ... so the public will say at least that they are working. 

At a time when there are no movies in production ... when assignment comes in trickles and no producers in their right minds ventures for quality output  ... where does that leave MRTCB? A board being given salaries but twiddling their thumbs because they are so bored as there is no work to deal with? What is important to them ... in this era when work is hard to find and the cost of living is spiraling and skyrocketing? And what weighs more in their minds ... maintaining their moral high ground ... or kicking people out of work? And do they even care?

What will they say to Argus or Kulot in case they ask why we are suspended ... as the kids obviously enjoy their work and they get money at the same time while they play? ... Were MRTCB a bunch of overzealous adults... too sensitive and punitive ... and even at this time ... some of their members are still doubting and languishing whether It's Showtime deserved the suspension or not?

This is the first time such a Draconian and oppressive decision has been given to a popular noontime show - when they can't even pursue regulating Netflix, Vivamax, and some other lewd shows on streaming platforms where their jurisdiction is very much needed ... that is if they are really the vanguards of morality in the truest sense of the word. We don't need trolls and spin doctors here to give a favorable interpretation of their decision ... as we call a spade a spade when we see one ... and twisting the story to give a favorable slant is just so dishonest.

MRTCB unknowingly contributes to stifling the growth and creativity of the movie and television industry. Instead of helping show business... they looked like they were instruments for its downfall - by making decisions like this. Other netizens are linking politics and malice and the board's favoritism to rival noontime shows ... but that's another story. And it is not my business to delve into that.

It is ironic that the board is manned by no less than showbiz people themselves ... who were content sitting in their ivory towers ... getting paid but are separated, insulated, and out of touch with the harsh realities besetting the industry.