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Willing Willie episode sparks criticisms ranging from "poor taste" to "child abuse"

by Mark Angelo Ching posted on March 28, 2011  STATS: 257911 Views | 367 Comments

 

Willie Revillame interviews a six-year-old contestant during the March 12 episode of Willing Willie. This particular segment of the TV5 variety primetime program prompted varied reactions from viewers who perceived it as no less than "child abuse."

Photo By: Screen grab from YouTube

A live episode of TV5's Willing Willie has sparked outrage and re-ignited a hate campaign against the program's host, Willie Revillame.

The March 12 episode of the primetime variety and game show featured a six-year-old boy performing a sexy dance multiple times, to the amusement of the studio audience. (CLICK HERE to watch the video.)

In Willie's words, the kid is acting like a "macho dancer"—or in local parlance, a male prostitute.

The name of the kid is Jan-Jan. His aunt, Jocelyn, accompanied him to Willing Willie's Novaliches studio.

This segment of the episode has been uploaded on YouTube, a video-sharing website, where it attracted a number of viewers. At press time, the video has been viewed 291,889 times.

Many video viewers have posted comments. The majority have commented that the segment was "done in poor taste." A number of others have gone so far as to call it "child abuse." There have been many posts of hurtful name-calling. The viewers who placed blame zeroed in on Willie and the boy's parents.

A few entertainment personalities have already weighed in with their opinions—including Lea Salonga, Jim Paredes, Bianca Gonzales, and Kat de Castro. All of them have said that the incident is nothing short of "child abuse."

TALENT PORTION. Willing Willie is a primetime variety and game show on TV5, aired Mondays to Saturdays. It carries a number of games that aims to amuse the audience and to send them home with attractive amounts of cash.

The main segment is called "Wiltime Bigtime." It pits six contestants with each other, each fitting a chosen theme for the day. The themes determine the set of contestants for the day, and can range from housewives to kids to soldiers to jobless men.

"Wiltime Bigtime" has two rounds: the elimination round "Kantanong" and the jackpot round "Spin a Wil."

Willie introduces the contestants one-by-one during "Kantanong." He also interviews all of them, with the end goal of having them reveal the story of their lives. The contestants are quite willing to share a great deal, too.

The contestants are also asked to show off a talent, which will earn them a cash reward. Willie decides how much money he will give a contestant, depending on the talent shown, crowd approval, and the host's own taste. Talents to be demonstrated can be anything: singing, dancing, acting, or even reciting a poem.

WILTIME BIGTIME. A boy called Jan-Jan was one of the contestants in the March 12 edition of "Wiltime Bigtime." All of the six contestants were children.

[Under this subhead, PEP summarizes the contents of the video from YouTube. The ten-minute video has been edited to include only segments featuring Jan-Jan.]

The small boy carried a blank face when he was called to the microphone. This prompted Willie to call Bonel Balingit, a formal basketball player, from the audience. The tall Bonel then stood beside the short Jan-Jan while Willie said, "Ano Jan? Suntukan, gusto mo? Parang naghahamon ka ng away!"

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367 Comments

  • 207  pepster31

    03/29/2011 | 11:19 AM
    at celinevictoria, korek ka dyan!
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  • 206  proudtobepinoy

    03/29/2011 | 11:08 AM
    Saw the video in YT. Child abuse - plain and simple. Disgusting. Willie, the child's relatives and everyone in the audience laughing - all abusers!
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  • 205  superior693

    03/29/2011 | 11:08 AM
    And dami talagang kontrabida , pakialamera sa buhay ng may buhay un mga magulang ng bata ay tuwang tuwa dahil sa talent ng anak nila , tapos kayo dyan wlang ginawa kundi magreact ang magsabing kung ano ano sa pamilya ng bata eh sa tingin ko mas masama ang pinaparatang nyo sa kanila, bakit di nyo igalang ang kagustuhan nila wala tayong pakialam sa buhay nila bagkus maraming pinasaya ang bata, masyado lang kayong masama ang isip at mahilig gumawa ng intriga , ang hilig gumawa ng issue,mga conservative na di ko maintindihan tingin muna kayo sa salamin bago humusga sa ibang tao un lang...
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  • 204  honeyfave

    03/29/2011 | 10:48 AM
    this is just may opinion... wala namang masama dun sa ginawa ng bata na pagsayaw... talent un... sumayaw... ang nakasama lang kasi eh ung pag tag ni willi ng macho dancer dun sa bata... ano bang malay ng bata sa ginagawa nya? pero dahil sinabi ni willie na pang macho dancer, ayun na yung tatatak sa isip ng mga tao...
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  • 203  blackdiamond0206

    03/29/2011 | 10:46 AM
    TV5 and Willing-Willie, This is what we call entertainment now? Watching the kid dance like a macho dancer ng paulit-ulit while he was crying in humilation? napakababang form of entertainment . Willie was laughing in the expense of a 6 year old kid. Habang buhay na dadalhin ng bata ang humilation nya because of that.
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  • 202  manangdi

    03/29/2011 | 10:38 AM
    lilac, sabihin na nating gusto ng batang mag artista, aba, age appropriate ba yong ginawa nyang sayaw? gusto na agad nyang mag Coco Martin? the boy is 6 years old, pagagawin mo ng act for an adult? the show should have asked him to do something else appropriate for his age! and you didn't find it uncomfortable watching that act? wow, ang wierd nyo, pinatingnan ko pa nga sa American friend ko, she was shocked! it is no better than handing this boy to a pedophile!
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  • 201  purepinoy0815

    03/29/2011 | 10:34 AM
    lillac sige nga kung wala talaga masama sa ginawa nong bata sa show ni willie at walang mali si willie kung may pamangkin ka papuntahin mo sa willing willie tapos pasalihin mo at pasayawin mo rin. kung kaya mong panoorin o kaya anak mo, if kaya mo diy may mali sa iyo. yong paulit ulit na pasasayawin ng macho dancing on national tv habang nagtatawanan kayo tapos nagsasabi pa si willie na ganun na ba talaga kahirap ang buhay ngayon kahit ano gagawin para sa pera
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  • 200  kcprettyangel

    03/29/2011 | 10:24 AM
    Ang daming Willie haters. I dont think this is child abuse at all. Kung hindi ginawang big deal ng mga galit kay Willie,after tahat day nakalimutan na ito. Ano baang masama 'yong ginawa nong janjan o yong mga bata na nasa daan at laging bangag sa glue na kanilang inaamoy?
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  • 199  chillis

    03/29/2011 | 10:19 AM
    katapusan mo na willie..babagsak ka rin.. kaya kayo mga pulitiko na naniniwala kay willie sa popularidad nya.. Gumising na kayo.. Manny Villar kaya ka natalo dahil kay Willie.. Hambog!
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  • 198  geraldethel

    03/29/2011 | 10:16 AM
    I just can't believe that some people find nothing wrong with the whole segment.Di ko nga tinapos panoorin dahil I really felt bad about it.Totoo nga siguro,depende sa morals and upbringing mo on how you look at that show.Di sa nagmamalinis ako pero sinong d maaawa sa bata na umiiyak at sumasayaw na parang macho dancer?I don't care who taught him or how he learn how to dance that moves.Pero iyung tinatawanan pa ng sobra ang batang umiiyak.Iyun ang sobra.Mahirap iexplain sa ibang tao kasi d nga tayo pareho ng values.
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  • 197  geraldethel

    03/29/2011 | 10:16 AM
    I just can't believe that some people find nothing wrong with the whole segment.Di ko nga tinapos panoorin dahil I really felt bad about it.Totoo nga siguro,depende sa morals and upbringing mo on how you look at that show.Di sa nagmamalinis ako pero sinong d maaawa sa bata na umiiyak at sumasayaw na parang macho dancer?I don't care who taught him or how he learn how to dance that moves.Pero iyung tinatawanan pa ng sobra ang batang umiiyak.Iyun ang sobra.Mahirap iexplain sa ibang tao kasi d nga tayo pareho ng values.
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  • 196  clandestine

    03/29/2011 | 10:16 AM
    nge... masyado namang oa magreact.. wala akong nakitang masama dun... exag naman..
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  • 195  DulceCorazon

    03/29/2011 | 10:15 AM
    MTRCB should act on this issue. Parang ginawa mong laruan yung 6 years old na bata. Paulit-ulit mo pinagsayaw. Paulit-ulit mo pinagtawanan. Grabe!!! Dapat parusahan din ang mga magulang ng bata. Dahil lang sa pera. Yan Si Willie and inyong idolo pagdating sa pera.
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  • 194  r2kin2

    03/29/2011 | 10:12 AM
    Hayop ka Willie. People involve with the show.. shame on you.
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  • 193  lilac0808

    03/29/2011 | 10:11 AM
    haha thanks yagit ako... nakakairita lang kasi. Akala mo magagaling wala naman lumalabas sa bibig kungdi puro lang pag mumura. Tama ka... i need to stop. hehe! Thanks for reminding me.
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  • 192  CelineVictoria

    03/29/2011 | 10:10 AM
    And to you celebee..... it is a big deal!!! While it is true that Willie was not in fact responsible to the dance the boy rendered in the show, it is Willie's RESPONSIBILITY though to put a stop to it the moment he saw that the boy was not comfortable! As a responsible host, Willie should have just asked the boy to sing or something, certainly not to ask him to do it again!!! Willie being Willie, just don't practiceor observe TV Ethics and don't know where and when to draw the line! That is why he always ends up in trouble.... because inspite of his misfortunes and past mistakes, he remains clueless, self-absorbed and ignorant!
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  • 191  CelineVictoria

    03/29/2011 | 10:02 AM
    No, lilac0808...... Cristy Fermin is not an honest reporter. She is a fabricating, money-hungry, rude and gossip monger who will declare her loyalty and would pledge her allegiance to ANYBODY, IF, the price is right!!!! And this is a FACT, as her numerous ESTAFA cases will prove.
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  • 190  celebee

    03/29/2011 | 10:02 AM
    its not a big deal!!! why are people making a big fuss about it???? its just a show and there was never an intention to humiliate the child at all!!! gosh!!! grow up you people!!! whoever taught the child to do the macho dancing should be the one responsible, how could he???? if its his talent so be it... he is so cute though...
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  • 189  chuva_kp

    03/29/2011 | 10:01 AM
    Lilaco808.. "passionate sa mhirap"???.. C willie yata ang unang una hindi dpat sbihan nito... Ksalanan ni Willie, show nya yun everything na mangyayari lalo n sa segment n andun cia dapat make sure n walang mae-exploite. Kaawa awa yung bata, kung hindi naisip ng magulng ng bata yun. Sana c Willie ang nakaisip nun for the of his REPUTATIOn.... kung meron nga.. kaso wala so hindi nya naisip...
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  • 188  just_saying

    03/29/2011 | 09:50 AM
    i feel for this kid. his parents and his aunt who are supposed to protect him failed him. willie and the people involved with his show collectively turned a blind eye and continued the exploitation. it's deplorable to see people laughing at and enjoying the sight of a child being forced to do something against his will. isn't it ironic that it's the 6-yr old kid who, based from what i could tell from his facial expressions, seem to realize that what he's being asked to do isn't right nor normal. what has our society turned into? sad.
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