Tag Archives: machismo

kultura

Polarization and (un)civil society

There is this famous Spiderman meme where three different spidermen point fingers at each other — except we can’t tell who’s at fault because everyone’s finger pointing and everyone is both victim and suspect. And while all of them are distinctly different beneath the costume, on the surface, there is no telling who is who, and no sense at all how one is different from the other.

We are at this point in our discursive polarization, one wrought by six years of Rodrigo Duterte and the massive propaganda strategy that propped up a governance that undid all that we know about democracy, rights, and justice. This strategy has continued despite his being held accountable at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague for crimes against humanity, because expectedly for all political dynasties, he has a daughter already a presidential candidate for 2028.

It would be easy to dismiss this as just political noise, but it is a propaganda strategy that is so consistent, and so obviously funded, that it continues to affect our political discourse whether we admit it or not. And it’s not because their number is growing (few people at rallies, surveys that say they want the impeachment trial of the Vice President to happen say otherwise), but because they have perfected this strategy and redefined political communications where soundbites are key, repetition is necessary, and content is all.

Yes, we would rather not give them anything. But it seems important to call it what it is: a success. (more…)

komentaryo

machismo according to Malacanang

this comes a wee bit late in the day — as i write this the early morning shows are talking about what can happen today to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. and i’m with you when you think: karma’s a bitch ain’t it.

stuartsantiago‘s got us all covered on the whys and wherefores and gone wrongs in the unfolding of GMA’s arrest. but lest no one else points it out, there is something tragic in the undercurrent of kamachohan, of good ol’ Pinoy machismo, that’s in the soundbites that came from Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda with regards Atty. Ferdinand Topacio swearing on his balls that the Arroyos would return if they are allowed to leave.

i mean Topacio living off of soundbites is expected, that the mababaw-ang-kaligayahan media will lap it up even more so. but for the Presidential Spokesperson to fall into the same trap? for someone like Lacierda to even justify what Topacio swears on, even talking about his wife! and her needs, is not just irresponsible, it also reeks of how petty kamachohan lives in the halls of Malacanang.

and it comes to a head at that press briefing on November 18, where after a good 27 minutes or so of Sec. de Lima seriously talking about the warrant of arrest for GMA, and about where PNoy stood on the matter, Lacierda goes up to the podium only to say:

“I think the decision of the Pasay RTC will allow Atty. Topacio to keep his family jewels.”

and walks off to the tune of male laughter — male laughter! — which ends the press con. it is beyond me why Lacierda even thought it correct to throw in that punchline, at a press briefing that’s so serious, no jokes or puns or soundbites no matter how difficult to ignore, should’ve been on anyone’s mind.

good job Lacierda. you’ve just revealed that in the halls of Malacanang shallow petty macho thinking lives. i hope you know a sense of humor doesn’t mean any more balls than the next Pinoy man.

i wonder what jokes are being said about the RH Bill.