Willie Revillame and Willing Willi: What Really Offended Us Twitmocha!

Is Willie Revillame the kind who will successfully launch a class war? Yeah. His abundant belief in himself and his charisma makes him err on the side of unreasonableness. People like Adolf Hitler, Mussolini or PolPot waged class wars during their times.


For Willie, people who are "snooty" and socialite, they can't understand the language of the poor. Indeed, Lea Salongas will definitely not. They don't have to. The Lea Salongas and the Monique Wilsons of this world belong to a totally different genre, the kind that puts you back thousands of dollars for just one act. 


The Salongas and the Wilsons became rich not because of the poor--they became rich acting before the rich that rendered them excellent and gave them their monies in appreciation of their talents. 


But, we are not talking about Lea Salonga being offended--we are talking about an Aiza Seguerra, a former child superstar like Nino Muhlach. 


Aiza performed those Madonna dance-alike when she was very small, like Jan-Jan. Yet, she was competing in a contest of skills, that's why people accepted it. 


Seriously, had Jan-Jan danced like that in a kid's dancing contest, many would really mind this anyway. 


UNfortunately, this was not the case. 


When Jan-jan did that, he was just showing off his talent. Fact is, it is a requirement for every single contestant to at least show some talent. 


Revillame, honestly, is not a member of this class which he supposedly leads or represents. He has become, some say, another Bro. Mike Velarde, who, with just a sway of his hands, commands a response to his millions coming from the unwashed people. 


For Revillame, people of high society, those who criticize him, simply don't understand the meaning of "entertainment." Revillame thinks that he discovered a formula that worked for him and that put him in the billionaire's row. The formula is:

dancing half-naked women+mediocre but emotional singing+give cash to those who performs and extra to those who performs the best+ give cash when unexpected

Revillame always refer to Oprah Winfrey as the one who started this all. I disagreed.


Oprah never gave cash when someone performs rather poorly in public. She tells it like it is. She never tolerated any form of nudity nor exploitation of those with disabilities or the like. 


Revillame, seriously, is a class act. He is an act all by his lonesome. 


For Revillame, there was nothing wrong with that scene---they were just having a good time. He says that boy was never exploited. He was crying because he saw Bonel Balingit, the 7 footer giant lurking infront of him when he was dancing. 


But, that was just it. Surely, the boy was tormented still when he was dancing. His face says it all. 


The second video which TV5 used to deflect the effects of the first one, was even worse. It showed Willie asking the boy to rectify the public's impression and even used his parents to shield him from the controversy. What made it entirely unacceptable was when Willie asked the young sister of Jan-Jan to dance ala bar dancer.


We must ask ourselves---what was really offensive there--the age of the one dancing or the dance?


Some would say it was neither. The abuse was simply, Jan-Jan was coerced by Revillame to dance. 


Jan-jan, the alleged victim, already denied that in public. So, what's the beef?


We are all too familiar with young kids mimicking adults. It is not that surprising to see a 6-year old kid dancing a la macho dancer or a 5-year old dancing ala Madonna or Sex Bomb dancers.


What offended us was the perception that the kid was forced to dance. This was really all perception. 


Had Revillame quickly handled the issue and avoided being snooty or haughty like how he criticized Lea Salonga or Aiza Seguerra, this would not have become as offensive as this one.


What was soo offensive was when Revillame even lambasted the world--even his advertisers--even telling them that if they leave his show, those who love him would stop patronizing these products.


Really, superegos like Willie always gets it every single time.


Willie has himself to blame. He was so engrossed with himself, his new found popularity and his ever increasing flocks of cult followers that he still thinks nothing can harm him.


He mauled his wife before, his first wife, Princess Punzalan, and he escaped the fangs of the law. He remarried and did it again to his second wife.


And because he's a celebrity, the law was very kind with him. 


When that stampede happened he escaped that. He was never really jailed. 


Now, I believe that despite what the Commission on Human Rights say, there was nothing wrong with the Jan-Jan episode for two (2) reasons: (1) it is very hard to prove that the child was coerced by Willie or the show's producers to prove child abuse and (2) the crime is personal and is not a public one. Therefore, the only proper party to complain about against Willie would have to be the parents of the kid, who, again, saw nothing wrong with the act.


So there.