The woeful lack of common sense
I can't understand WHY there had been a stampede in Ultra a while ago due to the effing noontime show that is Wowowee.It's bad enough that they camped out for three days outside the stadium just waiting for what apparently was Wowowee's anniversary to start. Believe me, I pass through Ultra everyday coming from Ateneo, and I know the sheer annoying traffic that the camp-out caused. Hello?? As if Ultra doesn't have enough seats for all of them.
What puzzles me is why people would waste so much effort, and lose their minds over, a stupid show like Wowowee. Why would anyone camp out in the sides of the streets just to be early for a show that features effing dancing girls and a stupid mind-decaying jingle? Does the camp-out show that they have nothing better to do with their time than waste it in waiting outside Ultra for three damn days?
Why would anyone lose their minds over that show to the point that getting prime seats to watch it would be more valuable than the human lives destroyed by the stampede? Does a show like Wowowee justify the cold and uncomfortable nights of camping out, the number of people dead and the children lost?
Are the Filipino masses this uneducated and shallow that a show like Wowowee would be worth all this? Does this incident show the low-grade kind of entertainment that the Filipino would give up so much - even human lives - for?
It's funny, but death by stampede would be more associated with the fleeing of mindless animals from their predators (think the Lion King Mufasa's death caused by wildebeests rampaging from hungry hyenas). It's ironic that although we humans pride ourselves on our ability to transcend primitive instincts and our tremendously advanced mental capability, it seems that there's still a bit of animal nature innately present within us, especially when it comes to competition. Except that this time, the goal is purely materialistic and fueled by a first-come-first-served basis. Adding to the irony is the fact that the Wowowee anniversary show in Ultra was cancelled anyway due to the masses' stampede, thus rendering the camp-out and the deaths useless.
Those people didn't have to die if only the people realized that human lives are more precious than a few hours of watching Wowowee. Use your common sense, people! And more importantly, make better and more productive use of your goddamned time!
No wonder the state of the Philippines is constantly seen as stagnant and hopeless. If this incident shows us anything of the mental state of the masses, it is that they are held under a stupor by fantastical and nonsensical noontime shows just because they provide relief from the harsh realities of poverty. Wake up and smell the coffee, people! Running away from poverty doesn't accomplish diddly-squat; get up and do something productive, for God's sake!
Oh God. If this incident encapsulates the mentally-deteriorating state of the Philippines, I can say nothing else but...God help us.
posted by steph @ 10:37 PM
8 Comments:
hey steph, it's issa, as in issa from spcp.
just passing by...and i wanted to say something about the stampede incident.
it's not so much a lack of common sense as it is lack of hope. the camping out, the waiting, the stampede, they are products of desperation and need for a better life and not really entertainment.
it's not the show per se, but what the show can give them.
yun lang. :D
Hi Issa! Thanks for dropping by!
I guess Wowowee does offer them some respite from the harsh poverty dominating their lives. They do need the money and the prizes, but those won't last for a long time. In the long run, they'd be back in the state of poverty that they were in before Wowowee.
And that's what really bothers me. If they'd really want to rise from their poor condition, why waste time waiting for Wowowee? Why not do something useful, like livelihood projects? Wowowee can only give them so much.
I guess the fact that they need Wowowee this badly shows their unwillingness to fight against the inertia and unproductiveness that keep them in their impoverished state. It's desperation and hopelessness all right...
Yes mia, I am bothered too...
nasasabi mo lang yan kasi hindi ikaw yung nasa mga sapatos nila.
ang maaaring gawin mo na lamang ay ipagdasal ang mga pamilya ng namatayan para macomfort sila at malagpasan ang pagsubok na ito. na sana hindi sila mawalan ng pananampalataya kay God.
God bless!
-blace
Thank you for your comment, blace. :)
oh my goodness. i love your avatar. BOO!!! cute! *squishes Boo* Booooooooooooooooooo!
Um, right. Okay. We were in the middle of some sort of intellectual talk...
Gah. Boo!
Hehe.
Hehe thanks issa. Yeah, boo is soo cute. :D
Do you have a blog? Where are you studying?
Stephie, you really can't blame those who flocked to Wowowee. I've seen how religiously these people watch the show. Wowowee gave them hope, joy and the chance to luck on some money. Yes it seems a stupid respite from reality but it was their way of coping with reality?
See it as something like making time for a show you love to watch except that it's on a bigger perspective. Let's look at people who flock to premieres of highly-anticipated shows? Do they too lack common sense? How about those who audition for American Idol? These people share the similar experience so why say they have lack of common sense?
It was something that gave them hope and i guess that's a more reasonable thing rather than lining up for the premiere of some movie or object you're totally obsessed about.
It wasn't a lack of common sense that did them in but a lack of logistical preparation. So don't be too harsh on them. Just pray for them. :p
yep, i do. hehe. *points to link*
UP. :D
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