Reality Check

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging as much is because I  often find myself glued on my sofa chair, doggedly going through the recordings on our DVR. Since most of my favorite programs had their finale episodes weeks ago, I am now mainly left with reality TV viewing. Despite my appreciation for great script-written and cerebral offerings, reality TV remains one of my guilty pleasures. I do  have a predilection for those that are competition driven such as the Survivor, Amazing Race, Project Runway, Top Chef, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, Hell's Kitchen and American Gladiators. Although shows like "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" might be more controversial, salacious and entertaining, I don't  have much interest on the drama-ridden, pseudo-romance saturated mess that are being passed off as "real". If you are a fan of those shows, there's no need to get your knickers up on a bunch. It's just my candid opinion. We all have our own taste and preferences so there's no need to argue about it.

Anyway, as I went through my mindless channel surfing, I've began to notice that there seems to be a conspicuously increasing Filipino presence on these reality shows. Some of the contestants are outrightly obvious about their cultural background while some are not so forthcoming or vocal about it. Of course, it makes me want to root for them when they give a shout-out to their Filipino heritage but just seeing them participate makes me proud enough to cheer them on. In fact, watching any Asian competitor makes me want to toot the horn and claim them as my compatriot as well. My husband thinks it's pretty amusing though.

If not for reality TV, I wouldn't be seeing this proliferation of Asian and ethnic groups on the boob tube. Years ago, there's such a limited representation of the Asian culture, both on TV and in the movies. The rare times you'll see Asian actors/actresses on screen, they were (still are) mostly playing stereotypical roles of  martial artists, illegal immigrants, housemaids, prostitutes, villains, Vietnam war vets/soldiers, and mail order brides. These unoriginal characters  are so hackneyed and not quite the accurate depiction of the cultures they are trying to project on the small or big screen. Hollywood really needs to step up with the times and get a reality check.

The explosion of reality competition shows are bringing more ethnic cultures and diverse personalities to the forefront. They have become opportunities to display that there's more to us than people with almond-shaped eyes, dark (or yellow) skin tone, short stature and weird accents. Just like anybody else in the world, we are from all walks of life, with varying degrees of education and upbringing, and not to mention, with talents and skills. Massive doses of it too.

After a bit of digging up in the cyberspace, I managed to pull up profiles of some of these participants. A few of them didn't claim to be Filipinos in the media but we do have a way of knowing somehow, right? Anyway, don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong in my assumptions.

First up is Ramiele Malubay.   She was one of the Top Ten contenders in the last season of American Idol. Although she was talented, I reckon she managed to stay in the competition for so long due to the collective and concerted effort from the Fil-Am voters/fans.

Dale Talde was a contestant in Top Chef season 4 whom I was a bit ambivalent about. He seemed to be exceptionally culinary gifted with a great potential to win but his attitude reeked of negativity and arrogance. Maybe the pressures of the competition got the best of him but I rooted for him anyway and was disappointed when he got eliminated. Oh, and he was originally from Chicago.

Another Chicago native who caught my attention a few years ago was Jenny Guzon-Bae.   She was part of the initial Asian alliance in the Survivor: Cook Islands. In fact, she was probably the first Filipina I ever saw competing in a reality show. She was quite articulate and she performed really well in the challenges but didn't do well enough to emerge as the sole survivor. A Korean-American named Yul Kwon took the prize home that season.

Another Filipino trying to make his mark on the culinary TV world was Louross Edralin. He's in the season 4 of Hell's Kitchen. Well, anyone who can survive the heat in that kitchen is already a winner to me. Unfortunately, Louross didn't have what it takes to withstand Gordon Ramsay's firestorm and was sent home earlier than he anticipated.

American Gladiators has always been a favorite of mine ever since I was a young girl sneaking out to watch the show in our neighbor's TV. When I learned that the NBC network brought it back, I got so excited indeed. It still has the cheesiness factor but I can't help but be impressed with what the contenders have to go through in those grueling elimination rounds. I was even more at awe when a petite Filipina-looking contestant gave it her best shot on season 2. Melissa Trinidad truly wowed me with her determination and athleticism. What an inspiration! By the way, she's a single mom and her daughter's name is Malaya (which means freedom in Tagalog). I hope she won't be the last Filipina I'll see in this show.

Well, there they are, folks. Although none of them were winners or title-holders in those competitions, I consider them triumphant already from having gone through those demanding auditions. Furthermore, they were able to overcome the hurdles and prejudice that might have trounced others before them. They're paving the way for more people of ethnicity to prove themselves in any match and arena while witnessed by TV viewers all over the world. It couldn't get more real than that.