MANILA, Philippines ? The recent ?Ondoy? disaster has severely affected millions of Filipinos, many of whom are still reeling from its tragic aftermath. Conversely, the shared trauma has brought out the best in many people, some of whom have been hailed as heroes due to their courageous acts of succor and self-abnegation.

On the other hand, some sour notes have been struck by the less than enlightened actuations of some celebrities, whose self-centered behavior has rubbed quite a number of flood victims the wrong way.

Observation

Their first general observation is that TV-radio coverage of the disaster has been slanted to highlight the celebrity factor to an excessive degree.

This is a rather complicated issue: On one hand, the focus on celebrity storm victims serves to ?democratize? the suffering. And all those shots of stars and starlets helping out can inspire viewers to be similarly generous and helpful?and that?s a very good thing.

Excessive focus

However, whether intentionally or not, the excessive focus on celebrities has also subliminally created a ?we? and ?them? dichotomy: If you?re a celebrity victim, some of your radio-TV friends will urgently ask for you to be rescued ahead of ?unknown? victims. In addition, right after you?re rescued, you are interviewed in detail, break down on-cam, etc.

In the meantime, the ?unknowns? have to wait for their turn to be saved?with much less avid and emotional media attention, naturally.

Other turn-offs include starlets who visit flood victims to distribute relief goods?and subliminally remind them that they?re running for public office next year. Or tangentially plug their new projects. Or express their extravagant commiserations for their ?suffering? celebrity friends.

Behavior

Some viewers and victims are really ticked off about this, and hope that such unenlightened behavior will go away?never to return. They hope that, for once, starlets and stars will forget that they?re ?special,? because when a massive disaster strikes, we?re all victims and nobody is better or more deserving of attention and help than anybody else.

That?s why we trust that, when disaster strikes next, the media, especially television, will bend over backwards to minimize the inclusion of celebrities and quasi-celebs in their coverage.

Yes, some celebrities can inspire viewers to lend a helping hand?and wallet?but some others call too much attention to themselves, muddle up the TV screen with questionable motives, and deflect and distract the disaster coverage from its proper and much more important focus?on the disaster?s many ?unknown? victims.