Live Show
The Philippines is in the midst of a fiery
censorship debate
over the locally produced film Live Show, which "explores the sad and desperate lives of several
impoverished boys and girls who put on sex shows." The country's Movies and Television Review and Classification
Board originally passed the film with an adults-only rating. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assailed the
MTRCB for approving the film, banned the film herself, and pressured the MTRCB's liberal chairman to resign.
These events have sparked worries about freedom of expression and the Catholic Church's influence over
Macapagal-Arroyo's policies. In sidebars to this article, TimeAsia's Tim McGirk interviews both the
newly appointed MTRCB
chair, who says Gandhi was the last decent film he's seen, and the
previous chair
who resigned because "I refuse to be an instrument to suppress the freedom of expression."
TimeAsia
ARTICLES
Macapagal assails MTRCB approval of Live Show (3/20/01)
Live Show ordered pulled as MTRCB chief
resigns (3/21/01)
Chief censor faces Sin's ire, GMA's ax (3/21/01)
Gov't pulls sex movie as chief censor
resigns (3/22/01)
Live Show director urges Macapagal to watch
banned movie (3/22/01)
Tiongson claims receiving 'harshest words'
from Sin (3/22/01)
Sin defends banning of Live Show
(3/22/01)
Chief censor quits; Church meddling hit (3/22/01)
Gloria orders Malacañang appeals body to
review Live Show (3/23/01)
Tiongson not blaming Church but its
'moral terrorists' (3/23/01)
Gloria names new censors chief (3/23/01)
Last full show for Live Show (3/24/01)
Palace to review ban on Live Show
(3/24/01)
Live Show ban stays –- Gloria (3/25/01)
Enforce laws, don't censor, says Puno
(3/25/01)
Actors, directors denounce Macapagal ban on
Live Show (3/26/01)
Live Show backlash (3/26/01)
Live Show sizzles (3/27/01)
Live Show is porno —- Roces (3/27/01)
COMMENTARIES
Rina Jiminez-David, "Beyond the movie and
the controversy" (3/23/01)
Behn Cervantes, "Freedom of expression threatened
anew" (3/24/01)
Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, "Is Live Show pornography?"
(3/24/01)
Carolina P. Araullo, "On censoring a truthful
depiction of bleak social realities (3/24/01)
Alben B. Manuel, "Live Show: Freedom and
responsibility (3/25/01)
Kris Aguino, "Live Show is very depressing"
(3/26/01)
Conrado de Quiros, "Lessons" (3/26/01)
Michael L. Tan, "Moral Panic" (3/27/01)
Ed Lapiz, "Church's meddling and Live Show"
(3/27/01)
Randy David, "Live Show: a mishandled affair
(4/1/01)
Amado D. Valdez, "From art to obscenity"
(4/1/01)
