Senator Pia Cayetano and 'Pinoy Big Brother' contestant Michelle Gumabao.
Senator Pia Cayetano on Tuesday assailed the ABS-CBN reality show “Pinoy Big Brother” as the Movie and Television Review Classification Board summoned the producers of the reality show to explain why two female housemates were forced to take part in a nude painting challenge last week.
“‘Pinoy Big Brother’ crossed the line,” said Cayetano, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Family Relations and Gender Relations.
“I am dismayed that one of the challenges was for the female housemates to pose nude. This is an assault to the dignity of the women housemates. Asking a woman to consider posing nude in such a situation – where her acceptance to perform the challenge is made in exchange for points or benefits for herself or her housemates – is tantamount to coercion,” she added in her statement.
Cayetano, principal author of the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act 9710), is the second lady senator to take the show to task after the Philippine Commission on Women issued a protest last Thursday.
Sen. Nancy Binay urged the MTRCB on Monday to look into the matter. The MTRCB responded hours later by saying it was “alarmed over alleged gender insensitivity”. The regulatory body summoned “PBB” executives to a mandatory conference on Wednesday.
Cayetano agreed with the PCW’s position that “there is nothing wrong about women who pose nude for art, as long as the decision is voluntary”.
“Clearly this was not the case with housemate Jayme Jalandoni, who was under pressure to follow the instructions of Kuya in order not to be meted sanctions. To make things worse, the bargaining between Jayme and Kuya happened on national television in full view of the public,” she noted.
“We must take note that aside from Jayme, another female housemate, Michelle Gumabao was also forced into accepting the nude painting challenge. Even if their team eventually backed out, the violation had been done.”
“’PBB’ producers should take note of the Magna Carta of Women (Sec.19, Implementing Rules and Regulations) which encourages the non-derogatory portrayal of women in media. The program’s producers need not wait for the MTRCB to take action. [They] should give a public explanation and apologize for that unwarranted challenge,” Cayetano said.
A group of artists called Kabataang Artista para sa Tunay na Kalayaan (KARATULA) labeled what Jalandoni suffered a “form of exploitation”.
“This event was not just for the housemates to win in the weekly task, nor it was intended for the painter’s advocacy as well, but Kuya’s exercise authority over the contestant in the name of publicity and ratings,” argued KARATULA spokesperson Menerva Espanta.
“The tears over Jalandoni’s face were evidence how this form of exploitation was pushed against her. This was a clear violation of human rights,” she added.
She also pointed out that “PBB” had also previously featured letting some of the mothers of contestants enter the house secretly to clean the rooms of the housemates.
“The show reinforces how society treats women and their role in society. That they are simply meant for housework and/or sexual entertainment disguised as art. Art should be reflective of society and challenge it. PBB has used art as a justification for treating a woman like a commodity in a show which targets a young audience,” explained Espanta.
She added that “Kuya has effectively branded himself and the show as anti-women and invasive of their human rights. The crumbling culture that it imposes to the youth must not continue like this. It is not entertainment but a manufactured distraction from more pressing concerns.”
