Affective Silencing and Hegemonic Masculinity: Teleseryes, Male Victimhood, and Emotional Legitimacy in the Philippine Media

This study investigates how Philippine teleseryes construct hegemonic masculinity by disciplining the visibility and credibility of male vulnerability—particularly in contexts of sexual harassment and emotional trauma. Drawing on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis, we examine four high-profile teleseryes (Ang Probinsyano, Maria Clara at Ibarra, Destiny Rose, and My Husband’s Lover), focusing on how narrative tropes, character framing, and discursive silences shape affective norms. Along with analysing the texts, we also used vignettes and interviews with 11 men to see how they understood these portrayals and expressed their emotions in daily conversations. The research reveals that normative affective regimes frequently render male victimhood as illegible or humorous, reinforcing vulnerability and equating legitimacy with stoic masculinity. We propose affective justice as a conceptual lens for assessing media systems, not only in terms of representation but also in their distribution of emotional legitimacy. By focusing on Philippine media as a key area of study, this research adds to larger discussions about gender issues, communication systems, and the importance of emotional acknowledgement in countries that have experienced colonialism.