Schadenfreude : Behind Hayden's Camera

Ok ok ok, since everybody has something to say with this highly publicized Katrina Halili – Dr. Hayden Kho – Maricar Reyes scandal, here’s mine.

According to Psychology Today, Dec. 2008 issue – “We are eager to believe bad things about the people we envy.” – Yes, the people we envy.

“Ah what? I don’t fucking envy them!” you will say. But according to the book “Of Love and Lust - On the Psychoanalysis of Romantic and Sexual Emotions by Theodor Reik, there is a theory called “unconscious envy.”

When we watched the scandal, we can be enthusiastic about how good they do it or how sexy they are and in our daydreams passionately wish to experience it or to have some of their characteristics or their life status. Nevertheless, we would not wish to be like Hayden Kho or Katrina or Maricar because we believe that what they did was immoral or incorrect – which is usually subjective. We would not wish to exchange our reputation for their tragic case. That is I guess, is called unconscious envy.

Aside from the presence of the angry moralists like the honorable Actor-Senator Bong Revilla, this is the other reason why Dr. Hayden, Katrina et. al., are the most ill judged personalities in the Philippines today, aside of course, from Pres. Gloria Arroyo.

But of course the real reason why they are the talk of the town now is because their tragedy is our entertainment.

And also because we sometimes have Schadenfreude (the pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others).

Is Dr. Hayden wrong and Katrina the real victim? I don’t fucking care! It’s their life.

But here is my confession: I unconsciously fantasized Maricar Reyes. I didn’t see her video as a scandal but an art. A real Kama-Sutra artist. Hmmm… cold water please!

Arrivederci!