It is ironic how strict the MTRCB is in rating movies and TV contents while the internet is replete with all sorts of sordid materials. If a movie is R-18, that would mean that those below 18 would not be allowed in the cinema. If the movie is aired on TV, Basic Instinct would probably only run for 30 minutes and the series True Blood for only one episode if censored. These measures are intended to protect the minds of the minors from contents that people may consider as inappropriate for their age.
But consider this: those below 18 are those who are probably in school. They are students who see the internet as something indispensable to their studies, as pointed out by my classmate Kate Lomoljo in her blog. These students, through the internet, have unlimited access to the same materials the MTRCB seeks to regulate. I wouldn’t be surprised if “sex” is the most commonly searched word in Google. Since people are not able to see it in their local channels, they would resort to other media. YouTube, I imagine, contains a profane amount of obscenities as well, cloaked in different titles and tags. Content neutrality would allow unscrupulous uploaders to do so until they are discovered. What makes it worse is if it is on the internet, viewers can always play them anytime, anywhere, even on loop.
Although I’m well aware that not everyone has access to the internet, I’m merely pointing out that to a large extent, the function of the MTRCB has been rendered useless, especially now since there are now shows which are tailored specifically for internet viewing. Government agencies would have difficulty screening materials online.
What was wrong with Rosanna Roces' statement again?
- Evangelista, Emmanuel Benedict C. (Blog Entry No. 9)
Image source: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2010/08/19/true-blood-vs-if-i-can-dream/
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