Of Art VS Trash: A Dive in the Ocean of Clout Chasing

Of Art VS Trash: A Dive in the Ocean of Clout Chasing

In the craving for popularity and the desire to entertain, would you rather sell your onus and dive in the ocean of bandwagon or would you rather execute the appropriate norms and conducts? In the platform of toxicity, how will you define art vs trash?

Education’s drastic change has been the root of VinCentiments' controversial series named “KPL” that reaped numerous backlash. One of their videos from the KPL series is the “Online Class”.

The aforesaid video grasped the problem of online learning that the DepEd impelled. It entailed the difficulties of a student under-going online class who met several distractions while conducting her report. Frustrated by the teacher’s compulsion to finish the report, the student commenced a rant that tackles how it is absurd to push through virtual learning.

While its sole purpose is to voice out the student's clamor for education, how it was done was too problematic. It's rudeness, insensitivity, and wrongfulness can be trailed from its profane words. The use of words was too inappropriate that will mislead viewers whose thinking is not that broad and profound. There were scenes where the actress cursed and stripped—a thing which is very common from KPL. This vulgarity should be controlled as they are a public figure, which gives a free ticket to everyone who wants to watch the video.

Moreover, it uses exaggeration as a tool, to be heard at the expense of accuracy! And clearly, this group just craves nothing but publicity to monetize their content. While they celebrate their 5M views, they dismiss the fact that you are offended by the content that should not have been an attack against you. (Habijan, 2020)

If the “artists” behind the video would really want to make a powerful art, at the very least, they must be able to produce what Herbert Marcuse described as a "Verfremdungseffekt," or an estrangement-effect. But this requires overcoming their limited vision, distancing from their particular worldview, to build a wider one anchored on solidarity. On their own, the youth, especially the intellectual youth, is powerless. (Imbong, 2020)

Darryl Yap, it's writer, keeps on reiterating that they are slamming the system. However, that is too vague. If they surely want to hit the system, why don't they lash the incompetence of the government rather than criticizing the teachers directly? It is like saying that the teachers should be held accountable in this matter when in fact, they are just victims of this rotten regime.

Indisputably, our teachers do not deserve such disrespect thrown to them. Amidst these catastrophic times, their roles are significantly immense and challenging as they try to sieve quality education despite hindrances. They also have been in depths of hell and experienced a series of mental breakdowns. These exertions and rigors should not be debilitated by a video crafted out of insensitivity and carelessness.

The video also distorts the image of teachers by portraying them as ruthless and nescient with the agony of the students.

Although the team initiated to provide two videos highlighting teacher’s and parent’s reactions to online classes, still, the bottom point here is the improper execution of the video focusing on the student’s point of view.

How hard is it for them to perform the proper conduct of content creation and art in the context of social media? Their mind and eyes are obscured by the clouds of fame as to the point that they will just produce a trash that deserves nothing but censure. A trash that yells nothing but travesty. A trash of negligence and blatancy.

Furthermore, there was also a now-deleted post from Darryl Yap which stating “Huwag ka mag-teacher kung makitid ang utak mo, kung manipis ang balat mo...”. This particular post pertained to those teachers who felt guilty and threw criticism towards his short film. Clearly, this just manifests how toxic he is on dealing with his critics. Of course, as someone who carries the pride of being an 'artist’, you must be willing to embrace censures as an act of professionalism. You must be liable for whatever damages your art yields.

The idea of the short film is good as it tries to yell every student’s resentment on virtual learning, however, it was done too abhorrently. The issue was presented superficially. A critical projection of issues requires handling it meticulously. VinCentiments certainly failed to represent the youth. They must remold themselves to be a better representative and outcry in an ethical way the woes of the learners, otherwise, their so-called 'art' will only be recognized as trash. It is bad publicity that needs to undergo the rigors of rectification to make it viable and relevant.

Photo: VinCentiments