COMMfluence

“Let the wild rumpus start!”

This was Max’s first order when he was hailed king of the island where his boat took him, an island where the wild things are.

Such setting was born from a child's imagination but behind furry characters and boundless adventures is actually a reflection of social reality. This entry will look at the film through the lenses of post-Marxist, post-colonial, and post-structuralist ideas which together will hopefully give a holistic view of our society.

The film, Where The Wild Things Are, follows the adventure of a boy who ran away from home, sailed the sea on his own, got giant animals to believe he has powers and eventually became king of these animals. The animals believed Max could change the way things were in the island and make them happy. But a realization will soon hit that nothing and no one can please everyone.

POST-MARXISM

Unlike the traditional Marxism, which puts emphasis on social class as a factor resulting to oppression, the poststructuralist Marxism, or post-Marxism, is a theory which unravels more than economic factors. It views other, if not all, types of social inequalities - may it be gender, race, etc.

Some scenes featuring the individualities of each character in the movie reflect what is happening in the society right now. For instance, the scene where Max arrived at the island and met the 'wild things' for the first time. When they were about to eat Max, the boy shouted, "Be still!" which everybody did. Max then told stories - such as that he is the king of the place where he came from, and that he made the heads of his enemies explode using his power - thereby convincing them that he really is a king and eventually proclaimed him as their new king. 'Ordinary' people, or those in the lower class in the society, are being easily swayed and deceived by words of those who are in the upper class. They easily become minions of those who have and in power, following every word they say.

The movie also showed how people use other people due to their differences in terms of physical appearance, intellect, etc. The scene where Carol uses Douglas to destroy things by throwing him around exemplifies this.

POST-COLONIALISM

Instead of looking at post-colonialism from the term “after colonialism,” we must see that post-colonialism actually recognizes that there are still realities from colonialism that are evident today despite decolonization. We can look at post-colonialism as having “the promise, the possibility, and the continuing necessity of change, while also recognizing that important challenges and changes have already been achieved,” (McLeod 2000, 33). Hence, post-colonialism entails historical continuity as well as change.

Moreover, postcolonialism houses the idea of migrancy which involves a guest and a host where the guest travels or ‘migrates’ to the place of the host. In migrancy, there is a possibility of actual inclusion and integration. Huggan (2008, 44) says “it harbours the potential to transform a historical record of exclusion and discrimination into a utopian aesthetic which suggests that ‘it is the figurative possibility in language itself that makes the future possible.”

To concretize this, we can look at the situation in Where The Wild Things Are where we can consider Max to be the guest, and the giant animals (and their island) are the host. While figuring out what Max is and discussing what to do with him, one of the animals said that they eat up those who do not belong to their group, those who are not like them. This ‘you are different from us’ perspective poses exclusion. However, through some kind of negotiation between each other and with Max, they settled with keeping him alive, and even considered him their king.

Language and communication made such change possible without completely eradicating the animals’ culture prior to Max’s arrival. Moreover, we can see that the animals drew away from the ‘us only’ view by integrating Max to their group--a post-colonialist idea resisting the dominant essentialist view of colonialism.

POST-STRUCTURALISM

Post-structuralism deviates from the rigidness of structuralism as it looks at texts and meanings as complexly interrelated. There is no one absolute structure, no single truth, to a certain phenomena, experience, or idea. Hence, post-structuralism opens avenues of alternative views through resistance of established values.

In the film, the social system in the island as well as the island itself have concepts that can be considered post-structuralist. The film shows how Max rejected (although maybe unconciously, considering he is a kid) the metanarrative or master narrative the society has of the world.

What makes it a post-structuralist society is how it shows an altered view of the social environment that we are very much familiar with. In the island, there is no concept of appropriate dressing, no established daily routine, what can be considered a government is the single person whom they appointed as king, laws are nonexistent, no houses, no family, no social differentiation, no class distinction.

These aforementioned concepts often breed struggle and discrimination and post-structuralism has the power to resist these unfavorable circumstances. However, the film shows that a total lax in these social concepts does not entirely eradicate the chances of discontent of individuals in the society. In the end, the story resorted to a compromise on Max's part to somehow restore peace among the animals.

CONCLUSION

The book where the film was adopted from became a hit for children. The movie is actually good, to be honest, but we think that it is not for children anymore. The creators of the film may not intend to manifest the problems in the society at present in the movie, but unfortunately, they did. This is where communication practitioners enter. They should look into these problems and how to change or eradicate them as mass media is a very powerful tool for communication which can help shape one's concept of reality.

SOURCES:

Huggan, Graham. 2008. Interdisciplinary Measures Literature and the Future of Postcolonial Studies. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press

McLeod, John. 2000. Beginning Postcolonialism. UK: Manchester University Press

As communication students, we are expected to be critical in assessing what is communicated to us and to be responsible communicators as well. One way of achieving this is through being consistently informed about the information given to us not only through reading but through direct immersion in an event, place, or society which may directly give us insights on what we need to be informed of.

One of the particular tasks of a communication student is to be aware of the different sectors of a society as this will be necessary in understanding the society as a whole. One of the sectors mostly talked about is the marginalized sector which is often considered as one of the powerless groups in a society usually because of their low economic status. In line with this, we were tasked to look for groups of people who were considered as parts of the marginalized sector not only to be informed about their situation but also to be able to understand it as well. Our group decided to look into the group of manicuristas who were usually seen at the Igorot Park in Baguio City and who were often overlooked by the Baguio people.

Our journey as a team started during one sunny Baguio afternoon on October 6, 2017, Friday, on board a jeepney heading to Trancoville. The trip was literally a joy-ride – it gave us time to breathe the minty smell of the few pine trees left in Baguio while passing by the timeworn but magnificent buildings along the busy Harrison road after a long day at the university – one of the simple joys in life.

We alighted across Tiongsan and went up the overpass where we got engulfed by people coming from the different places across town carrying plastic bags and groceries, by the usual blind musicians, and some child beggars saying, “Kya, Te, pembarya, pangkain lang, Kya, Te.” We continue to tread towards the stairs of the overpass directly going to Igorot Park where the manicuristas were usually found. When we entered the park, we saw that it was filled with men playing different board games and upon further scanning, we saw the manicuristas seated on biscuit containers or on a mini-bangko. Some were tending to their customers’ hands and feet, so we chose to interview the manicuristas who had no customers. Moreover, some of us decided to avail their manicure and pedicure services while conversing with them.

We observed that some of the manicuristas are in their thirties or younger, but most of them are senior citizens. Upon interviewing them, we learned that they have an association consisting of 24 members which was composed of people from the Cordillera region specifically Bontoc in Mountain Province, Pangasinan, and one from Visayas. They added that majority of them are single mothers and giving manicure and pedicure services are their main source of income. The manicuristas were kind to every one of us and even offered us biscuits while they were telling each of their stories. We learned further that there are other groups of ‘outside manicuristas’ located at the Rose Garden in Burnham Park, Malcolm Square, Rizal Park, and even in some parts of La Trinidad.

Like many of the marginalized sectors, the manicuristas have no stable income and they only depend on the income they get from one to three customers a day. Their hardships were etched on their faces as they continue to talk about the times when they do not get to have customers at all and they would often resort to giving home services to their suki customers. Adding to the instability of their income are their experiences of being forcefully sent away by security guards assigned in Burnham Park who sometimes would even take their chairs or even their nail care paraphernalia because they have no permit to give nail care services in the park. One of the manicuristas said that in 2010, the Baguio city government used to provide them business permits but the effectivity of the permits only lasted for a year. The city government defends the relegation of the manicuristas from the park through Administrative Order No. 20 series of 2015 which states that:

It was known that more than a hundred manicurists, pedicurists and masseurs requested for a portion of Igorot and Rose Garden parks to be allotted them and their clients, which was denied, with recommendations from the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) and other offices. More than 200 self-employed entrepreneurs frequent the whole of Burnham daily.

It was clarified that manicurists and pedicurists use equipment which may wound clients' fingers and toes and may transmit infectious diseases. This would be very risky for the clients, according to the health department, thus the denial of park space.

Enterprising individuals who insist on doing business inside the park even after the CEPMO's denial of their request and warning shall have their manicurist and pedicurists' kits confiscated, it was known. The tourist cops may also confiscate said paraphernalia.

The manicuristas had nowhere to go and they did not have enough money to rent a place for their own salon. Ate Judy, one of the manicuristas said, “Eh, ayaw naman namin na magkanya-kanya kami. Dapat makahanap kami ng lugar na pwede kami lahat nandoon. Ang sabi eh dahil daw baka marumi yung mga gamit na ginagamit namin, siyempre hindi naman totoo yun.” Although a few politicians used to pledge during election campaign periods that the manicuristas would be given job securities by giving them potential workplaces around the city, all of them were lost causes.

We got to meet Manang Augusta, who was called by everyone around the park by the name, August, and was one of the oldest manicuristas found in the park. She had been working as an ‘outside manicurista’ for nine years now. Manang August said that it was really a struggle working as an outside manicurista and despite having three working sons, she continued to work as a manicurista because she did not want to stay at home and do nothing. “At least kahit minsan eh wala talaga kaming customer - pa-isa-isa lang kasi ang dami rin namin - eh kasama naman namin yung isa’t isa at magkakaibigan kami dito,” Manang August added. Despite the efforts of the manicuristas to continuously ask the public officials to coordinate with them, the city government still has taken no action to secure their jobs.

On the brighter side, our nails were nicely done which was worth 70 pesos. Compared to prices an actual salon offers, their service is much cheaper. However, the 70 peso-charge by these mobile manicuristas is still a small amount considering their situation and the risk they choose to take every day.

This experience we had with the manicuristas became more than just an academic requirement to us. While listening to their stories, we could not help but feel the privilege each of us are experiencing. As college students from one of the distinguished universities in the Philippines, most of us were well-off and most of the time we had enough money to buy what we need and what we want. We were greatly inspired because of their resilience on the struggles life throws at them each day just to be able to acquire enough money to feed their families everyday, to send their children to school, and to buy their everyday necessities. It was an eye-opener for us as we unraveled the realities of life by immersing with people who, at one point, live differently from the way most people do. In the end, we believe that the manicuristas, as part of the marginalized sector, should be given proper alternative employment opportunities and proper representation by the government and their non-professional label be eradicated.

We hope we got to bring their stories to you through this blog and encourage you to be more involved on the different societal issues our country is facing because as communicators, we will be able to acquire the information powerful enough to shape a nation.

MANONG CESAR: A JEEPNEY DRIVER IN BAGUIO CITY
The life of a jeepney driver is a colorful one. New faces come and go. Old faces that they’ll never get to know. A static route that’s a staple in their life so much so, like their lifestyle, that they have learned to accept it. It is not easy. Far from it. The people who should protect them makes it a lot harder.

Manong Cesar Lanuza is one of the many who adopted this lifestyle - a lifestyle he was forced to swallow because of the lack of opportunities and societal support. He was forced to fend for his loved ones, ultimately crushing any other path he could have taken. A path that could have had a higher salary, generous benefits or one that he genuinely enjoyed doing. For most of his life, he has been seated in the driver’s seat of a vehicle he did not own but cared for like it was. It is the greatest peek we get at his life—doing a plethora of work inadequate to what he gets in return, all in the place of someone who controls him. It is great tragedy that his creative constraints are pegged on circumstances out of his control.

He and his family live off of a bare minimum. Factoring in the construction of their unfinished home, the school fees of his children, and food on their plate, they can only handle so much. A PHP200 chicken on a birthday is all the money they can squander, as manong Cesar puts it, “once in a blue moon”. The rest, however, are hard pickings, sometimes resulting in them having to resort to eating alamang to put taste in a bland plate of rice.

There are no written contracts between Manong Cesar and the owner of the jeep. There is only a verbal agreement that Manong Cesar would drive, maintain, and repair the jeep; and that he would get 30% of the money earned from it. Manong Cesar says that even during rest days, he has to work to repair or maintain the jeep; all without labor pay. He says that the only bonus that jeepney drivers get is that during holidays, 100% of the money from the jeep goes to them, and even then they have to work the whole day. Instead of attending family gatherings and other significant events, Manong Cesar chooses to spend those days on the roads of Baguio City just so he could provide something for his family. Francisca, his wife, when asked about her feelings on these absences, said that she understands why Manong Cesar can’t be present at these milestone events as she deems it necessary for them to get by.

According to Manong Cesar, jeepney drivers have to wait for weeks or months for the decisions of LTFRB to be implemented in Baguio. For him, government officials do not pay attention to them. They do not have privileges provided by the government, only by the jeepney association he is a part of. Everyday, a part of the whole earnings for the day will be given to the association as an insurance when a member dies and for the overall expenses of the association. The total or what is left of the given contribution will be returned to the members of the association.

Manong Cesar deemed his job difficult. He seemed resigned to the fact that the demerits of his job are perpetual, undeniable, and unfortunately commonplace. 17 years of driving had him accept situations wherein he is placed in the inferior. Accidents, encounters with authorities, and traffic incidents are red lights indicating that, despite evidences otherwise, he is at fault. "Wala tayong magagawa," he says.

Such submission proves how problematic the state of due process is. When you are classified as this kind of person or with this kind of job, it is already inevitable that you can do nothing about it. Even with an association with members that ideally empower each other, when you are the minority voice, it remains a feat to be heard.

Manong Cesar believes he speaks for other jeepney drivers about how authorities turn a deaf ear to them. When conflict arises, it is automatically their fault. Adding to this, the penalties are theirs to shoulder. For an average of P200 a day, it leaves them with very little, maybe even none, to take home to their families.

As students, by simply paying the right fare, we help them live and create a future for their kids. But more than that as UP students it is our burden to take up their cause and speak for them.

Message Design Logic (MDL), proposed by Barbara O'Keefe, is a communication theory which seeks to categorize the messages, or the so-called "sets of logics," that individuals generate and interpret. These categories are: 1) expressive MDL; 2) conventional MDL; and 3) rhetorical MDL.

The expressive message design logic is aimed for an individual to express himself or herself. Through this, there will be an honest and open communication. However, it is also because of this that people who use this type of MDL might be 'too honest,' as everything they say blurts out straight from their mouth without filtering them. As a result, individuals who communicate with them may perceive the message negatively and generate negative reactions, therefore, affecting the effectivity of communication between them.

The conventional message design logic, on the other hand, is concerned at achieving effective communication through appropriateness and cooperation, according to pre-existing conventions. For people who use this type of MDL, their messages are shaped according to what is appropriate under a given circumstance so as to avoid disputes with individuals they communicate with.

The last type is the rhetorical message design logic, which "operates on the premise that communication is the creation and negotiation of social selves and situations" (O'Keefe 1988). People who use this type of MDL aims to achieve a sophisticated communication, and in order to achieve this goal, they have to formulate a message which would benefit all the parties involved in the said communication. In addition, they may either use the expressive MDL if they believe that using it will achieve their goals, or the conventional MDL to adapt to customs, avoid conflicts and eventually achieve their goals.

These types of message design logic would be used in analyzing the comments on a news published by Manila Bulletin on their official Facebook page, about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, being invited to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The news gained mixed reactions from the netizens.

(Click photo to proceed to full story)

(Author's Note: Only the top 40 comments were gathered and analyzed)

(Click photos for a larger view)

According to our analysis, 2 of the 40 comments used the conventional MDL, only 1 used the rhetorical MDL and the rest used the expressive MDL (The numbers? It's for you to find out!).

Three general themes emerged in our analysis:
1) Attacks against Avanceña - some comments say that Avanceña is not qualified to attend the UNGA.
2) Defending Avanceña - some comments defend Avanceña by saying that she is a good person and that it's nobody's business if she is there. They also attacked those who attacked Avanceña by saying that they were just commenting out of jealousy.
3) Attacks against 'Dilawans' - some of the comments attacked the so-called 'dilawans,' a term used by netizens to generalize all individuals who oppose the President.

We also commented on the post based on the rhetorical message design logic.

Our comment generated two likes and one heart or love reaction. What may be inferred from this is that these users agree with the sentiments and content of our comment. However, their reaction is represented merely by a few pixels. No words, just symbols. Hence, it does not provide room to determine their communicative complexity nor does it concretely put them in any of the three categories of the MDL. The MDL requires words -- may it be verbal or written -- to categorize a person's cognitive and logical capacity. Likes and other reactions may convey the user's feelings towards a post or article, but it is merely surface level. It is less inviting of discourse compared to when users comment in words. There is not much to look into when all the users can convey is a symbol of an emotion. In constructing our comment, we looked through the rhetorical lens, meaning, we constructed our comment to be forward-looking, not focusing on the topic as it is in the past, nor as it is in the present, but what aspect of it can be used for improvement of the future. We first stated an observation about the unclear purpose of the invitation to establish a point. This could potentially rouse curiosities of users who would read the comment. To focus on the effect of our reaction rather than merely reacting, we included a suggestion that the government should be more transparent. We backed this suggestion by stating an observation that the government expects the people to be passively receptive of whatever information they release. This is the solution we offered based on the context at hand, still applying the rhetorical MDL, which is all about using communication in problem-solving. Another reaction to our comment is a reply from a netizen who talked about credibility, Ms. Avanceña being Duterte's wife, and Duterte's choice of women -- all of which were not discussed nor mentioned in our comment. The reply was of no relevance to the comment. Based on this, we categorize the reply as an example of an expressive MDL. Expressive MDL deals with simple, uncomplex expressions. This type of logic is only reactive in purpose, which is evident in the user's reply.

Sources:

Caughlin, John P. 2015. "The International Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication." Wiley Online Library. December 1. Accessed September 23, 2017. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118540190.wbeic026/abstract.

O'Keefe, Barbara J. 1988. "The Logic of Message Design: Individual Differences in Reasoning about Communication." Communication Monographs 80-103.

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