Reflection on "Woman's Body Power" in Philippine Sex Melodramas by Jamal Ashley Abbas

                The portrayal of reality become the great influence of the reality itself.  

                 I was in a local food chain for lunch when I decide to read the article. With its title I bet you already know how I read it in a public place. But don't get me wrong the article is full of information and explanation about the factors behind the genre Philippine Sex Melodramas. I learned that just like today, in the year 1960's and so on, the Philippine cinema are greatly influence by Hollywood just like how the Political scene in the Philippines is influence by the US. 

               During those times a lot of movement arise according to the article, like the hippie movement with tag line make love, not war and feminist movement. All fighting for equality and respect. Another one is he fight against censorship against the film. However, with all those interesting stuff the article mainly focuses on explaining the factors about the Philippine sex melodrama.

hippie movement picture from: http://www.mortaljourney.com/2011/03/1960-trends/hippie-counter-culture-movement

               The article use three things: (1) Mulvey's male gaze (to what I understand to the article and the discussion the process of a male looking at a woman creates thoughts of desire and this explains the reason behind strip tease) ; (2) Weber's three dimensions of difference - class, status, and power (I learned that these are the factors use for diversity, to my understanding, the factor that separates the privilege to the oppressed); (3)Michael Foucault's "technologies of the self" concept (I actually fail to understand this as I was reading it, so class discussion come in handy. The technologies of the self is the act of a person or a way he/she finds or develop in order to build up himself or as to the article say to be seen, to be notice).

                I just heard it whenever adults are talking, or they would tell us, she used to be a 'bold star' those who became successful film stars of today and the stories of few former 'bomba stars' who end up to be poor. To my understanding the 'Bomba films' era start on the death of star and studio system. It was said that the former love triangles were replace of showing of body, introducing of mistresses and sex workers. Given the concept of male gaze and dimensions of difference the people having desires in them would really look and fantasize about the films. As it was said in the article the "men are fed with 10 sex scenes" in a movie. 

feminist movement in the Philippines picture from: http://www.justassociates.org/en/blog/movement-builders-blood-sweat-and-tears

              Yes, this is the real world. During that time a lot of people entered to relationship prematurely and became pregnant. A lot of smart movies shown this reality in the good way. It just saddens me that I came to know the roots of the present perception of beauty nowadays. I grew up in a word where it is hard to see yourself as beautiful without showing skin. As I learn things throughout the semester, particularly the feminist where women fought for equality by using their sexuality. In the article, it has been discussed that the use of the body as an object of desire to weaken the rich people or the dominant sex. What it used to be a portrayal of reality became the wider influence of the present reality. I am just a student right now, I may fully argue my point. I respect the film industry though, very much respect. I just pray that like what my professor said film practitioners should really study in film school, wider their sense and that more directors and writers would be the one who would care for the people.