SOME VIEWERS may not be aware of it, but we?re in the midst of a new revolution or convulsion (call it a ?convolution?) that has slowly but surely been changing the local video landscape: Teleserye ?culture? has taken over much of our primetime TV hours, ?entertaining? millions of viewers with one extended series after another, most of them of the romantic, fantasy or ?romantic-fantasy? sort.

Coin another new word and call it ?rom-fan,? if you please. But, however you choose to describe it, the new mega- (and nega-) trend has upstaged many other program types and is well on its way to replace moviegoing as the nation?s communal way of getting its entertainment fix.

We call it a new pop culture or subculture, because of its overwhelming pervasiveness and popularity. But, it is in fact anticulture, because the images it so persuasively sells have little to do with how we really are, or should be.

Emphasis

For one thing, it lulls viewers into yearning to escape from their problems and realities, instead of more purposively confronting them. Its emphasis on idealized romance and ?freaky? fantasy further distances it from reality, seducing an entire nation of disconnected viewers into inaction.

We leave it to psychologists and other social scientists to quantify how much our ?rom-fan? teleseryes have softened our collective backbone as a people, and corroded our national vision into?well, television. But, if you?re sensitive to the signs of irrelevant distraction and escapist rot, they?re all over the place.

When fantasy takes over, all problems can be magically ?solved? by the well-timed appearance of a superhero, diwata or deux-ex-machina device. So, why bother doing anything to resolve your problems, dilemmas and conundrums in the real world? Simply fantasize and they?ll go away (until the next commercial break).

With more than 20 different teleseryes playing on TV each and every day, the essential depiction of reality has been rendered moot and academic?even on ?reality? shows and on newscasts. Some ?news? items are now being emotionally tweaked to come off like mini-teleseryes, complete with sumbatan, confrontations at the police precinct?etc.!

Psyche

What can be done before ?teleserye culture? utterly overwhelms and undermines the nation?s psyche?

First, our TV people should realize the negativity and counterproductivity of this new force some of them have so thoughtlessly unleashed.

And, second, all of us who patronize teleseryes throughout the TV programming day and night should make ourselves more aware of the negative effect of all that fantasticating escapism!