On the struggles of Filipino Wives
Abstract
Ventenilla, B. (2018). On the Struggles of Filipino Wives and Concubines: An Audience Reception Analysis of Marital Infidelity in GMA‘s ―Ika-6 Na Utos. Unpublished Undergraduate Dissertation, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
Media, as producers of meanings, play an important role in addressing issues like marital infidelity. In 2011, infidelity-themed television shows and movies emerged in media industry causing viewers different interpretations of the topic. This study evaluated how selected Filipino wives and concubines identify with any of the three main characters and situations in GMA Network‘s television serial ―Ika-6 Na Utos‖ using Cohen‘s four dimensions of identification (2001; and how identification leads to audience interpretation of the text and marital infidelity on a larger scope. Limited only to emotional empathy, cognitive understanding, minimal motivational connection, and with no indicators of losing self-awareness, the viewers did not completely identify with the main characters of the story. Even so, their way of identification has influenced their process of meaning-making. Different themes of interpretations of marital infidelity in the show include: violence, stereotypes, prejudices, patriarchy, and normalization. It is necessary to debunk or reconsider these recurring patterns of stereotypical representations as shown in ―Ika-6 Na Utos and other infidelity themed shows.
This research shows that audience identification is an important avenue to
develop interpretation of media narratives and different issues in our society.
Keywords: Betrayal, Other Woman, Legal Wife, Cheating, 6th Commandment of the Church, Monogamy