INQUIRER EXCLUSIVE
Reality TV, virtual reality
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:34:00 03/27/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Over a million hits later, Australian Brian Gorrell’s blog has gone beyond idle chatter on movie sets and TV studios.
No longer just whispered about in show biz circles, the blog was mentioned on the ANC show, “Media in Focus,” hosted by ABS-CBN exec Luchi Cruz-Valdez, pinch-hitting for veteran broadcaster Cheche Lazaro.
Show biz folk can’t get enough of the subject, either. Some seem to have infiltrated the blog’s comments section—peppering it with pop culture references, as well as sharp criticisms against local entertainment celebrities.
The question begs to be asked: Why are show biz denizens so fascinated with the supposed indiscretions of “high” society peeps? Randy Dellosa, resident psychologist of “Pinoy Big Brother” (whose “Teen Edition Plus” is currently ongoing), dissects the issue:
“Show biz people are hooked [on the blog] for a number of reasons,” he said in an e-mail interview. “They are tired of the rampant intrigues that erupt among themselves. Fed up with the scandals in their own industry. For them, Brian’s blog is a breath of fresh air because it’s happening in someone else’s backyard.”
He opined that the local entertainment industry was currently experiencing what he called “scandal fatigue.”
Dellosa explained, “Show biz intrigues are predictable, contrived and forcibly sensationalized by media. Brian’s blog is dramatic and suspenseful as it spontaneously unfolds in real life, in real time. In this cyber-reality show, there is no Big Brother to control Brian’s tirades.”
He pointed out, “In the social hierarchy, socialites are deemed notches higher than show biz folk. In this scandal, show biz people get the chance to witness the foibles of people [who are supposedly] of a higher social caste.”
Dellosa also commented that some show biz folk “secretly aspire to be part of high society … [and] wish their names would get entangled, or at least mentioned in the blog and thus be associated with the rich and infamous.”
In his latest e-mail, Gorrell told Inquirer Entertainment that his blog has received 1.7 million visits since its March 4 launch.
Dellosa said there were obvious and not-so-obvious “psychological” reasons for “the blog’s popularity.”
Simply curious
“People are simply curious,” Dellosa said. “But there are unapparent reasons, too. Brian is a fascinating character. He represents our alter ego, our shadow self. We can identify with him. We’ve all felt his rage. But because we are not as daring and uninhibited as he is, he becomes our substitute. He acts out for us, [allowing us] to release our own repressed anger.”
Dellosa acknowledged that, “for the common tao, this scandal proves that socialites are vulnerable, too, in spite of their fame and fortune.”
Gossip, he asserted, is the blog’s primary allure. He clarified, however, “Chismis is a normal and natural behavior, which serves a purpose in society. It’s a ‘social glue’ that keeps people together. It’s also a ‘social lubricant’ that gets people to interact with one another.”
Although deemed “immoral,” Dellosa said, “gossip can ironically deter people from committing immoral acts. It teaches us to keep dark deeds in check and well-hidden.”
Gossip as a means of social control can be observed in previous editions of “Pinoy Big Brother,” he noted. He cautioned, however, that intrigue-mongering can also “encourage anti-social behavior by making it seem ‘normal.’”
Email bayanisandiego@hotmail.com
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