In cultural studies, contemporary texts are analyzed through the interplay of media, technology, and popular culture. These interconnected fields reveal how modern life shapes imagination, desire, and behavior.
- Media Studies: Examines content (TV shows, films), apparatuses (devices, cinemas), and institutions (networks, production companies).
- Technology Studies: Explores cultural impacts of innovations—from internet and medical imaging to military tech.
- Popular Culture Studies: Investigates mainstream trends and subcultures (fandoms, youth groups, sports communities).
This article dives into these themes using two powerful Philippine examples: Douglas Candano’s short story “A Reply to a Query” (2007) and the groundbreaking noontime TV segment Kalyeserye (AlDub).
Douglas Candano’s “A Reply to a Query”: When Folklore Meets Urban Media Fantasies
Story Summary & Key Themes
In Candano’s story, a student emails a professor about a bizarre case study: teenage girl Innocencia dela Paz disappears for two weeks and returns physically aged into a crone—yet remains unaware of her transformation.
The culprit? A postmodern engkanto—a transnational monster blending Filipino folklore with European Bluebeard, Japanese kitsune, and incubus/viscera-sucker myths. Unlike traditional rural spirits, this urban predator shapeshifts into Juan del Monte, a handsome mestizo heir straight out of Filipino teleseryes.
How Media Shapes Desire
The engkanto doesn’t drag Innocencia away—it seduces her using tropes she already loves:
- Accidental near-car-accident meet-cute
- Rich tisoy (mestizo) falling for ordinary girl
- Church-based “pure” courtship
- Hacienda dream life filled with branded clothes and endless entertainment
Innocencia’s fantasies—fed by TV serials, magazines, and advertisements—make her complicit in her own enchantment. Even when inconsistencies appear (magically changing themed rooms, replica furniture), she rationalizes them as proof of “true love.”
Choice vs. Manipulation in Popular Culture
The story challenges the mass culture vs. popular culture debate:
- Mass culture view: Audiences as passive dupes manipulated by media.
- Popular culture view: People actively interpret, resist, or reshape media messages.
Candano blends both. Innocencia has agency—she chooses to stay despite red flags—but her choices are heavily conditioned by consumerist fantasies. The engkanto’s most powerful trick? Offering just enough illusion of freedom to prevent real resistance.
Takeaway: This literary analysis shows how Philippine folklore evolves in urban settings under media influence, making it essential reading for cultural studies and literary criticism.
Kalyeserye (AlDub): The Phenomenon That Redefined Philippine Popular Culture
What Made Kalyeserye Revolutionary?
Born in 2015 from Eat Bulaga’s “Juan for All, All for Juan” segment, Kalyeserye started as a live street parody of teleseryes. It exploded when Yaya Dub (Maine Mendoza) accidentally showed real interest in studio host Alden Richards, creating the AlDub love team.
Key Features That Captured Millions
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Live Street Setting | Shot in real barangays with potholes, canals, and crowds—no studio polish. |
| Split-Screen Magic | Simultaneous studio-barangay broadcast enabled “long-distance” romance. |
| Social Media Power | Fans broke Twitter records daily with #AlDub, suggestions, and close readings. |
| Dubsmash & Old-School Romance | Lip-syncing + handwritten love letters and fan signs blended new and old. |
| Parody with Purpose | Mocked teleserye clichés while reviving traditional harana and ligaw values. |
Representing the “Kalye” (Street)
Kalyeserye celebrated urban Filipino life:
- Real locations: Barangays with sari-sari stores, tricycles, and laundry lines.
- Human warmth: Neighbors as extras, kids waving, lolas cheering.
- Ubiquitous ads: From Zonrox to 555 Sardines—brand placements turned into running jokes.
Media Technologies Front and Center
Unlike traditional teleseryes that hide production, Kalyeserye exposed:
- Split-screen delays and glitches
- Mobile phones for “text ligaw”
- Live tweets influencing plotlines
- Lola Nidora’s reminder: “Aktingan lang ito!”
Fandom as Co-Creators: AlDubNation
Fans weren’t passive—they were textual poachers:
- Analyzed micro-expressions to debate “real vs. reel” feelings.
- Suggested plot twists that writers incorporated.
- OFWs watched daily to feel connected to home.
- Redefined dalagang Filipina (modest yet witty) and modern barako (respectful, persistent).
Academic impact: Scholars like Soledad Reyes praised Kalyeserye for democratizing romance narratives and proving popular culture’s depth.
Classroom Activities & Research Ideas
1. Create Your Own Urban Engkanto
Form groups and design a female engkanto social media profile targeting a teenage boy. Use current K-drama, TikTok, or gaming tropes. Discuss how media manufactures desire.
2. Kalyeserye Audience Reception Analysis
Browse Eat Bulaga Facebook comments and old #AlDub tweets. Look for:
- How OFWs used the show as emotional lifeline
- AlDubNation’s identity as “may pinag-aralan” yet proud dabarkads
- Gender role evolution discussions
3. Academic Report Topics
- Soledad Reyes’ essays on Kalyeserye
- High vs. low culture debates sparked by AlDub
- Comparison of engkanto in literature vs. teleserye aswang
4. Self-Reflexive Writing Exercise
Pick a shared text (Jollibee ad, Blackpink MV, etc.). Write your immediate reaction, then analyze why you reacted that way. Share and discover how personal backgrounds shape interpretation.
Why These Texts Matter in 2025?
Both “A Reply to a Query” and Kalyeserye reveal that media and technology don’t erase magical thinking—they upgrade it. From engkantos using teleserye tropes to fans co-writing a live love story, Filipinos actively negotiate desire, tradition, and modernity.
Understanding these dynamics helps us answer: Are our dreams truly ours, or borrowed from screens?
Ready to dive deeper? Explore cultural studies programs, read Candano’s story, or rewatch classic AlDub episodes. The conversation about Philippine media, folklore, and identity is far from over.
