NO OTHER WOMAN: AN ANALYSIS ON THE REPRESENTATION OF MARITAL INFIDELITY IN FILIPINO FILMS AND TV DRAMAS

College of Mass Communication University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City

NO OTHER WOMAN: AN ANALYSIS ON THE REPRESENTATION OF MARITAL INFIDELITY IN FILIPINO FILMS AND TV DRAMAS

Final Term Paper for Communication 100 WWX under Ms. Jeannica Mae M. Rosario

By: Hazel Marie A. Perez

25 May 2016

It is no wonder that the theme of marital infidelity is a big hit to us Filipinos. It can be seen in TV dramas like: The Legal Wife, Temptation of Wife, Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real, and films such as: No Other Woman, A Love Story, and The Mistress. No matter how unfortunate, we must admit that infidelity is one of the major reasons relationships are ruined, hearts are broken, and Filipino families are destroyed. Despite our country being predominantly Catholic, a society that upholds the sanctity of marriage and the family, the Philippines is no exception to the worldwide phenomenon of infidelity. Infidelity, also known as adultery, having an affair, unfaithfulness, or cheating was defined by Solomon and Teagno as "any action taken by a partner in a committed love relationship that violates the agreement of sexual and or emotional exclusivity” (as cited in Mendoza & Recuya, 2016, p. 2). It is the breaking of marital vows. According to Medina (1991), "In Philippine culture, infidelities or extramarital relationships range from casual relationships to the keeping of a querida or paramour" (as cited in Gonzales, 2003, para. 5). The prevalence of marital infidelity in the Philippines can be proven by the many terms or phrases

associated

with

it.

Alano

(1995)

lists

some

Filipino

terms

referring

to

infidelity: pakikiapid or pangangalunya (used in legal and scholarly documents), paglalaro sa apoy (playing with fire), pamamangka sa dalawang ilog (rowing up two rivers), pagsusunong ng uling (carrying of burning charcoal), pangangaliwa (turning left or going against the expected direction), pagkulasisi or pangtsitsiks (catching chicks or birds), and pambababae (collecting women). Kabit (clinging attachment) and querida or kirida (Spanish word for beloved, refers to the mistress). As one of the state apparatuses that create an impact on the public sphere, media reflects the trends and current situations in the society (Mendoza & Recuya, 2016, p. 4). We can all attest that media content about infidelity became more rampant in the industry today. Does this mean that cheating is now so common in our country? I don't really know. But if there's something I am sure of, it is this. Extramarital relationships are really happening today but the way we see it is already affected by the different stories we see on TV dramas or films. Media is so powerful. It has the ability to influence the audience's beliefs, opinions, preferences, and actions. Thus, we can say that media is partially responsible for shaping our social attitudes about how to view a “deviant” behavior such as infidelity.

The first thing that we can all notice about infidelity themed programs here in the Philippines is that men are always the ones cheating on their wives. Why is it that we so often hear about men cheating, but we rarely hear about women doing so? Perhaps it's because societal structure combined with differing motivations for infidelity mean it's simply easier for men to cheat. The gender issue behind infidelity is well-entrenched in Philippine culture. Vancio (1980; 1977) as cited in Gonzales (2003) reports that: 36% of the males of the 368 respondents admitted to extramarital relations while only 2% of the females did so. Jocano (1994) indicates that "to most men, many of their flings or affairs are just pastimes and should not be taken seriously" (as cited in Gonzales, 2003, para. 22). Alano (1995, 1994) highlights the gender excuse of husbands for infidelity, without feelings of guilt: "Unfaithful husbands assess that sex outside of marriage is appropriate and extramarital relations are okay should one be able to afford it and or provided the material needs of the legitimate family are met." Moreover, some men even think highly of themselves when they reach a certain degree of attainment that enables them to acquire objects, in this case, mistresses, that further boosts their egos. Some men are even proud of being in extramarital affairs because for them it serves as a testimony to their manhood and increases macho image. Men who are not caught cheating are idolized by their peers who feel sorry for his family. "Among the reasons for infidelity of men include a renewal of one’s youth, lack of children, plain temptation, or even peer pressure (tuksuhan o kantyawan)" (Mendoza & Recuya, 2016, p. 6). Wives are less likely than husbands to engage in extramarital affairs. According to encyclopedia.com, although men are willing to consider sex without emotional commitment, women view romantic attachment as a prerequisite for sex. Hence, women regard sexual infidelity as a greater threat to marriage than men do (Blumstein and Schwartz 1983; Wellings et al. 1994). Also, women here in the Philippines avoid infidelity because of fear of judgments and rumors. This could be an explanation why men are more likely to be seen cheating in Filipino films and TV dramas than women. Filipino films and TV dramas also proliferate stereotypes especially to the roles of women in marriage and infidelity. The mistress featured in media programs always catches the attention of someone’s husband because of her looks, voluptuous figure, and oozing sex appeal. She is the representation of something new, exciting, and fun – perhaps an experience the husband hasn’t had for a long time. "For the man, she is a breath of fresh air, she is

pleasure, and she is a game. For the wife, the other woman is an animal in all forms – a reptile, a poisonous sea creature, an insect; the wife sees her as an enemy, a competition in a game and, worse, a cheater" (de Guia, 2012, p. 22). With regards to mistresses, Bautista's (cited in Go 1993) survey of one hundred single queridas, aged 21-30, in Metro Manila showed that the main reasons they chose to be mistresses were financial dependency and reciprocated love. About 69% of the female participants came from large lower class families. 68% attained some level of college education while 69% worked at low-paying jobs. On the contrary, most of their married lovers enjoy “high occupational status, being in executive and managerial positions.” Most of the respondents agree that their lives changed for the better. But as the industry progressed, the once impoverished and gold digger kind of mistress turned into a well-educated, elite and high-class other woman. Today, they are represented as empowered and liberated women who often have unfortunate back stories to somehow justify their desperation for love and attention. If there's one thing that hasn't changed in the concept of mistresses, it is their femme fatale (fatal woman in French) personalities. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the femme fatale as a mysterious and seductive woman whose beauty often captivates lovers into undesirable and compromising situations. "By objectifying the women, they become sex symbols, desirable icons that compel lustful longings" (Bengusta & Gancayco, 2015, p. 69). On the other hand, legal wives in media programs were commonly characterized as passive, calm, submissive, and innocent looking. They range from the pathetic and boring housewives to successful businesswomen or employees. No matter what role wives play, it seems like they always have their own forms of shortcomings that result to their husbands' search for an extramarital relationship. However, some things have already changed in the industry. "Before the 70s and 80s women either had no knowledge about their husband’s affair or they knew about it but did nothing about defending their marriage" (Bengusta & Gancayco, 2015, p. 83). In today's films and TV dramas, wives already turned into strong, brave, and competitive women whose aim is to win back their possessions. "To the wife, the infidelity of her husband is caused by her insufficiencies so she needs to transform herself into someone who she is not, to be domineering rather than submissive and to confront the enemy rather than protect herself from it

as her husband usually promises" (de Guia, 2012, p. 22). Most of the dramas and films shown today cannot be considered complete without a fight scene between the legal wife and the mistress. Legal wives are also shown going to the extent of taking revenge, going psychotic, leaving their husband, and expressing a great deal of anger. "A woman usually revives her lover’s interest by gaining confidence, taking control of her life and establishing herself as a socially-dominant female" (Bengusta & Gancayco, 2015, p. 83). However, some of these changed women no longer tries to bring back their relationship with their husbands or does not give their husbands a second chance anymore. This can be seen in Monica's character (played by Angel Locsin) in the TV series, The Legal Wife, wherein she chose to part with her husband rather than save her marriage and keep her family intact. According to de Guia (2012), marital infidelity is represented as a dispute among the elements rather than a relationship. In the movies and TV dramas, "the concept of marital infidelity is constructed as a competition between the wife and the other woman over the husband" (de Guia, 2012, p. 22). "While he is shown to be a valued property or a prize to be won to both women, the husband ultimately holds the power to end the battle by choosing who he wishes to continue his relationship with" (Mendoza & Recuya, 2016, p. 8).

Another observation in the representation of marital infidelity in films and TV series was presented by Jessica Kane in her article for Huffington Post entitled The Most Popular TV and Movie Plot We Never Talk About. She says that all of the films and TV shows we see fail to give us a realistic portrayal of the repercussions such selfish acts (infidelity) induce. They allow us to indulge in a romanticized version of extramarital affairs. Yet there seems to be little to no consequences for the cheaters. They are shown to be involved in a fight or two with their wives and then they are forgiven, often times for the sake of saving their relationship or keeping their family intact. "By withholding some of the ugly truth about infidelity, we’re allowing unmarried or uncommitted people to alter their idea of commitment and have a more fluid concept of marriage or monogamous relationships" (Kane 2014, para. 9). According to Director Paolo Magsino, "the industry has evolved more into business and they wanted to deliver what the society demands with movies giving emphasis on one-liners, scandalous confrontations, happy ending stories and stories that many people can relate to" (as cited in Bengusta & Gancayco, 2015, p. 83). In real life, not all ruined relationships brought out of infidelity will be resolved. And personally, I don't think legal wives in real life would go to the

extent of devising a very intricate plan just to get even with their husbands and plot revenge to the mistress. We can say that media no longer projects true reality. "Films and television programs typically rely on exaggerated and unrealistic portrayals of romantic and sexual relationships to appeal to their audience (Committee on Public Education, 2001; Jowett & Linton, 1980; Ward & Rivadeneyra, 1999)" (as cited in Bengusta & Gancayco, 2015, p. 12). And if we fail to recognize this and continue believing in unrealistic portrayals seen in media, we may fall victims to an inaccurate perception of the world we live in. Worse, we can even view these representations as cultural norms and adapt these in our daily lives. In the end, it all just boils down to being media literate. Media literacy is the ability to apply critical thinking skills to the things we see in mass media. And as media literate audience, we must recognize that not everything we see in media is true. Some, like the violence and drama in infidelity themed programs are just there to entertain us and keep us hooked with the programs media companies produce. We should also keep in mind that most media messages are organized to gain profit or power because media after all is still a business enterprise. And as a business enterprise, it will always cater to what their customers want even if it no longer represents the true reality. We should learn how to be more competent, critical and literate in all media forms so that we can have the power to control the interpretation of what we see or hear in media rather than letting the interpretation control us and forever change the way we view and live our lives. Why analyze the representation of marital infidelity in today's Filipino films and TV dramas? I believe that knowing the explanations behind this phenomenon is important to prevent us from passively believing everything that is shown in media. When we analyzed infidelity themed programs, we somehow understood why elements of these programs had to be represented in certain ways. This infidelity phenomenon reflects who we are as a society. Maybe the reason why this theme is such a big hit in our country is because a lot of people have also experienced the same thing and can therefore relate to these stories about infidelity. Our dislike for boring programs could be the reason why intense and sometimes exaggerated fight scenes are included in these kinds of programs. The happy endings in most of the mainstream films and TV dramas serve as a proof that the Filipinos are always in search for light and happy stories in the entertainment industry. Also, they are always bound to like stories that inspire hope in them -- hope that no matter how difficult things can get, everything will soon be okay and resolved. This analysis also proved how powerful media is. This can be seen in the influence of Filipino films and TV dramas in the way people view infidelity. Some people are now

treating infidelity as something that is just normal because they now see it being openly discussed and represented in media. For some, the representation of wives as brave and competitive women inspired them to also be strong and fight for their right as legal wives. Because of this analysis, I appreciated the media's role in helping us better understand the current conditions of our society and the different ways people in this society behave. In conclusion, I believe that the media, despite its sometimes inaccurate, unrealistic, and exaggerated portrayals of reality, still reflects our culture and the current conditions of our society.

References Bengusta, A. V., & Gancayco, J. B. (2015). The representation of the concept of infidelity from the selected Filipino films. De La Salle University- Dasmariñas. De Guia, R. (2012).The husband and the wife and the other woman: Metaphors and the construct of marital infidelity in filipino films. Bataan Peninsula State University. Go, Stella P. (1993). The Filipino family in the eighties. Manila. Social Development Research Center, De La Salle University. Gonzales, T. (2003). The Filipino context of infidelity and resilience. East Asian Pastoral Review 40(2). Retrieved May 23, 2016 from http://www.eapi.org.ph/resources/eapr/east-asianpastoral-review-2003/volume-40-2003-number-2/the-filipino-context-of-infidelity-andresilience/. Infidelity. (2003). Retrieved May 23, 2016 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Infidelity.aspx Kane, J. (2014, July 7). The Most popular tv and movie plot we never talk about. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-kane/infidelity-moviestv_b_4995275.html Mendoza, G. V., & Recuya, A. P. (2016). Kabitserye: An analysis of marital infidelity in Filipino films and television soap operas from 1970-2015. University of the Philippines Diliman.