GMA Teenifies Lupin, Rips Off Sailormoon, Indiana Jones, Lara Croft

For years, ailing Philippine TV network GMA has gotten away with blatantly insulting the intelligence of the lower classes with their tasteless drama and fantasy offerings. This year, that strategy will backfire.

First, they give the classic role of Lupin III to a kid far too young and inexperienced to play the globetrotting noble scoundrel. Richard Gutierrez is way out of his depth here. It’s like having Justin Timberlake portray James Bond. Even the unwashed masses of this third-world country have long held expectations of Lupin’s look and feel; there’s no way a kid like Richard could deliver on those.

Second, they literally stuff two girls into Sailormoon costumes and call them Super Twins. Even starving shanty-dwellers of this third-world country know who Sailormoon is.

Third, they send Robin Padilla and Angel Locsin in Indiana Jones and Lara Croft costumes to chase Asian Treasures. Wow, a blatant double knockoff of two global pop culture icons — GMA’s getting extreme with that one.

I’m a big cosplay fan, but this is just stupid. If you heap insult upon insult on your audience’s intelligence, no matter how ignorant your particular audience may be, you eventually reach a point where they actually feel insulted. If an alternative is popular with your audience (in the case of Philippines, YouTube), and that alternative amplifies your audience’s intelligence instead of insulting it, chances are they’ll ditch you for that alternative.

The point at which enough of their core audience feels sufficiently insulted could become the tipping point for the fall of Philippine TV. What a great way to greet the New Year.

(Via Jepoy Bengero.)

Like This Post: Share This Post: Tweet This Post Share on Facebook Stumble This Post Post to Reddit