Media/Society - 8_De los Angeles

“Relasyon. Kerida. Kabit. Number 2. Mistress. Relasyon”:

Media Representation and Portrayal of Infidelity and Mistresses

by Zyril Jeff De los Angeles- BA (Sociology) III

With media being one of the most influential and powerful social institutions today, it has become an integral facet of people’s daily lives and a resource of how the world operates. As an institution, its function extends as an agent of socialization wherein individuals attempt to make sense of themselves and about the society they are living in through looking at the world of media. Media, on one hand has eventually transitioned into more accessible channels which made the detachment of human life and technology barely possible. Nonetheless, it is a complete turn for a society without media especially, that our personal and social lives are deeply ingrained with it. Croteau and Hoynes (2019) shared that people would have a lot of free time if there was no media, and they would presumably spend it connecting with other people face to face, much like previous generations. In the absence of media, our social lives and relations would alter dramatically. There would probably be formation of more intimate ties while losing contact with folks who live further away.

On the other hand, aside from appreciating the advantages and addressing the issues brought about by the media, there is also a necessity to look at how gender is related to the media. Most specifically, the media history is parallel to the history fought to attain gender equality and liberation—the liberation of women, along with class and race from the repressive social standards which are controlled by patriarchy. In all forms of media, women were frequently marginalized. The early years of mass media were dominated by simple, plainly stereotyped images. Consequently, the persistent women struggle and movement, which eventually gave birth to the women’s rights and recognitions some women are enjoying today, a diversity of images and representations of women in media were also adapted by media.

Romance, which includes family and heterosexual relationships is the most common genre shown on various media forms and from which women are regularly included. Despite the fact that women are frequently represented in the media, males are far more likely to control the development and production of media content. According to Lauzen (2018), women made up just 11 percent of directors, 11 percent of writers, 19 percent of executive producers, 16 percent of editors, and 4 percent of cinematographers in the top 250 domestic grossing films of 2017. Since women's power is outnumbered in the media, this situation is also a large reflection on the quality or kind of media images shown in their outputs. It can be argued that media content produced by majorly men media crews are drawn through a sole patriarchal perspective.

According to Ingham (2007), television shows and films symbolize and promote Western culture's dominant patriarchal ideology. Women in conventional roles, such as housewives who are devoted to their husbands and families, have shifted to represent career women who are excellent for both managing reproductive tasks and careers. Furthermore, feminists have highlighted to the media as a role in influencing women's image, such as teleseryes. According to Santiago (2021), the building of women's images in literature and other forms of media remains a troubling phenomenon. Women are frequently portrayed in the media as being neat, attractive, and compassionate. Whereas, in contrast to contemporary culture, current situations pushed women to stand firm and be emancipated in their roles and responsibilities. Thus, this brief paper aims to present a few media materials analyzing the portrayals of women in media as “mistresses” and how it actually represents the women's conditions in the real world.

In discussing the media representation of “mistresses”, it is also important to extend the discussion on the themes of marriage and infidelity which commonly are plot conflicts in television and films. Films and shows, either foreign or locally-produced, are patterned from a narrative that a married man commits adultery and his wife catches him. The legal wife confronts the mistress and the story concludes with mistress left alone and lost. This certain plot pattern is replicated across TV teleseryes and films. According to Musni- Tagaytay, et al. (2016), Filipinos are enthralled by television shows in which the other woman intrudes into a married couple's peaceful lives.Mistresses are always viewed as women who deserve to be slandered, and sympathy is always directed toward the legal wife. Men are now utilized and objectified in this post-feminist society, according to Contreras (2014), and there are no longer rivalries between two women to be a man's sole woman. Rather, it's a game between the women and a man, with the former being fully aware of and reclaiming ultimate control over their bodies.

One of the popular films about infidelity and mistresses is the Chito S. Roño and Star Cinema’s 1994 classic hit, Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin. The strong friendship between Terry (Maricel Soriano) and Melissa (Zsa Zsa Padilla) is put to the test when Melissa falls in love with Terry's husband (Gabby Concepcion). This film was popularized with Maricel and Zsa Zsa’ confrontational scene where Maricel spit the lines, “Relasyon. Kerida. Kabit. Number 2. Mistress. Relasyon” with a perfectly-controlled temper and anger towards Zsa Zsa. Moreover, there is another contemporary film starring Angel Locsin, Maja Salvador and Jericho Rosales which likewise talked about mistresses and infidelity, The Legal Wife. Monica (Angel Locsin), who grew up with her father and two brothers showing little love for her, finds her true value when she meets Adrian (Jericho Rosales). Monica and Adrian's marriage is jeopardized, however, as Adrian's and Nicole's (Maja Salvador) paths continue to intersect, kindling a fire that will lead Monica to battle for her legal wife's rights.

By examining the similarities between the two films, it is possible to deduce how the narrative led to the conclusion that the conflict between two women characters frequently becomes the main focus of the conflict and provides enthralling entertainment. The struggles experienced by men in these stories, on the other hand, are commonly internal which are less-highlighted. From this particular point, it reflects a facet of the social reality of infidelity that women are more strongly condemned than men by entering into an extra-marital relationship. The society, strengthened by religious institutions expects women to be gentle and silent and being involved in these “taboo” conditions, which are commonly accompanied by sexual acts are worth condemning. Nonetheless, this understanding does not suggest that women are always clueless or innocent while being involved in these relationships, except for certain situations.

In addition, men, in these TV shows and films, are less condemned by the fact that men mostly determine the social norms or the measurement of what can be accepted or condemned. The patriarchal society helps to shape an understanding that men only commit adultery or become unfaithful because they are no longer satisfied with their wives or their wives cannot fulfill their “reproductive or sexual functions”. Thus, men look for and find what is lacking from their households or relationships with other women. There is also another notion that men is innately polygamous and having multiple partners can foster a sense of pride and masculinity.

In conclusion, it should be emphasized that critical understanding of media representations and portrayals are significant to look at how these situations mirror real-life phenomena and unfortunately, perpetuate a gender-biased and restraining media illusion. This plot pattern which is replicated in various foreign and local movies are detrimental and perpetuates wrong and traditional understanding about relationships which is regrettably, absorbed and normalized by its viewers. The images that the media broadcasts have an impact on how society functions, and most people aspire to be like their favorite actors, with whom they may identify on either the journey or the values. Thus, along with other institutions, the media should also go progressive.