WILL SOMEBODY GRAB DYESEBEL BY THE TAIL, DEEP-FRY HER AND EAT HER?

Marian Rivera is pretty, but of course. She’d probably be perfect for the role. Any man will surely be more than willing to be a siyokoy just to be with her. But I don’t know, the first time I heard that a new teleserye about Dyesebel was in the offing, my first reaction was “na naman?” Iyon din ang naibulalas ko kaninang tanghalian ng makita kong galunggong ang ulam namin. “Na naman?!” Alam kong may omega-3 ang mga isda pero nakakasawa naman kung iyon ang ulam mo araw-araw gaya ng alam kong maganda ang kuwento ni Dyesebel pero ilang beses na ba nating narinig ito? Hindi pa ba tayo nauumay sa mga karakter (Captain Barbell, Darna, Lastikman) na ito ni Mars Ravelo?

Okay, Mars Ravelos’ works are very good. Karapat-dapat lang na i-pelikula ang mga ito at isa-telebisyon. But do they have the right to overdose us with those characters? Hindi ko kabisado ang lahat ng komiks karakter na ginawa ni Mars Ravelo pero sigurado ako na may iba pa roon na puwede ring isalin sa telebisyon o sa pinilakang-tabing.

Okay, I’m aware that this gang of four (Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Darna and Lastikman) are already brand names, meaning they already have a captive market. Inuumpisahan mo pa lang gawin, may nag-aabang na kumpara sa isang proyektong ang pangunahing karakter ay hindi kilala ng mga tao. But the people, the TV audience, always deserve new, refreshing or at least not overused characters. I think people are starting to get tired of it. Or is it just me? But then, Vhong Navarro’s Lastikman did not do well.

Reviving a show like Marimar was a better idea. Kaya lang ay binalahura naman ng mga manunulat nito iyong palabas. Marian Rivera’s Marimar will easily take a niche in the list of Philippine TV’s Worst Soap Operas. Saksaksan ng dami ng butas iyong istorya, saksakan ng tatanga ang mga karakter, wala na sa reyalidad iyong mga nangyayari, sobrang baba ng tingin ng mga writers nito sa mga manonood.

My point is, let these worn-out characters rest for a while. If they think that Mars Ravelo’s creations are all masterpieces and thus deserve to be seen on TV, then, they ought to pick ones that haven’t been done to death. The people in the TV (and movie industry) are obliged to be creative. They earn lots of money and with great money comes great responsibility (Pasintabi po kay Stan Lee). They should not overly rely on formulas and brand names.

But then, alas, it’s business, art has ceased to be the primary reason for creating TV shows. So don’t be surprised, if after this Dyesebel show, Marian will soon fly as Darna. Let’s just hope and pray that her Darna will have a skimpier costume than Angel Locsin’s Darna.

“Ding, ang bato!”

“Ate Narda, itinakbo ng adik!”

My galunggong-eating days will have to rest for a while. Dilis will probably be a better alternative.