Here Comes The Twister

If his appearance in Philippine Idol over the weekend is any indication, the Philippines finally has found its own version of Simon Cowell. Or shock jock Howard Stern, if you listen to his controversial show on FM radio.

Like a breath of fresh air, DJ Mo Twister a.k.a. Mohan Gumatay (now that explains the dire need for a moniker) has been figuratively twisting nipples of celebrities on air, from Lolit Solis to Erik Santos, with his witty and refreshingly acerbic comments on air. And on Philippine Idol last weekend, his no-holds barred approach to critiquing the finalists’ performances gave life to a mostly drab show peppered by boring and shallow and ignorant comments from judges like Pilita Corrales and Francis Magalona.

Simply put, DJ Mo single-handedly injected new life into the listing Philippine Idol. And he surely won fans and enemies alike with the way he drove untalented finalist Ken Dingle’s face into the ground.

Now here’s something to worry about. Filipinos have a healthy sense of humor, but are at the same time among the most humorless people on earth, pikon, in other words, especially when they find themselves at the receiving end of pointed jokes and comments. And our track record shows that people who air frank and straightforward comments about people in public often find themselves at the receiving end of bullets.

Now that might be a bit of a stretch, comparing Mo Twister to crusading radio commentators and reporters, but really, how poles apart do you think are showbiz, politics, and sports in this country? The lines between these fields, in this country, are not just blurred. They’re non-existent.

The Twister should remember that in the Philippines, many people are just too balat-sibuyas or mabababaw ang puwet. In short, humorless in the face of frankness.

The frightening thing is, they’re only all too willing to do something about it. And Mo should be prepared for any consequences ng kapikunan ng Pilipino.