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Willing Willie, the most popular game show in the Philippines, is no more. Yesterday the program, hosted by Willie Revillame, was yanked by broadcaster TV5 over international outcry following six-year-old Jan-jan being egged on to “gyrat[e] in front of the camera like a ‘macho dancer’ in a gay bar would.” The scene horrified Queerty readers, and for good reason. Worse, Jan-jan’s aunt, who was paid $230 for the performance, was standing just off camera urging the crying boy to continue dancing.
Now who thinks the show’s cancellation had more to do with social welfare activists crying foul, or major advertising dropping out?
The outcry led major sponsors to pull out, including Procter & Gamble Co., Del Monte Pacific Ltd., Unilever and Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. The March 12 episode also has prompted soul-searching discussions about the quality of TV entertainment in the Philippines. TV5 network said it wants to improve the program and work with television and advertising industry stakeholders on guidelines for the participation of children in all game and reality TV shows.
Philippine-born theater actress Monique Wilson, in a widely circulated email carried by local media, argued that such TV shows “dumb down audiences (and) disempower them by creating a mendicant society with game shows that promise ‘quick money.'” Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman last month condemned “the emotional abuse and humiliation” the boy suffered and said the program violated a law against child abuse.
Revillame, meanwhile, will being going on holiday for the next two weeks before he considers whether he wants to return to television. And whether audiences will have him.
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Ogre Magi
just what is the host saying? Can someone translate?
Red Meat
I would just like to point out here how big corporations are more gay friendly than small businesses, this just proves it. This area is insignificant enough in generating revenue for P&G that they can act the way they want to without compromising the company goal.
Companies like P&G would love to bring most of FOX News shows down but sadly they can’t.
Scott E.
That’s horrible. That poor kid. He doesn’t look happy at all. And that guy’s laugh. It sounds almost taunting.
maryann
The video is spliced to make it appear offensive. That is not how it really is. Watch the whole show first before judging. And whoever did this is an enemy of Willie, who is out to destroy Willie no matter what! This person is responsible for putting Filipinos in a bad light.
dianne
If the person who uploaded this video wanted a stop to this, he should just have contacted the proper authorities. But why put this in Youtube? For the main purpose of destroying Willie and putting a stop to the show….especially when another TV network has been trying so hard to destroy this show host. Makes people wonder as to the motive of the video…
The sane Francis
Um, there is no defense of what happened here. The kid was forced to dance in a suggestive manner solely to be mocked by adults, even though he was clearly distressed and sad. That is beyond unacceptable. Glad that action was taken.