Entertainment

Entertainment has become very important to humankind. While many people claim that entertainment is ruining our society because it is mindless, fun, sensational, predictable, and subversive and that it is creating people who are thoughtless and ignorant of the world surrounding them, the truth is more complicated than that.

In fact, on the contrary, entertainment has taught us to be creative and thoughtful of others, it creates a feeling of connection with one another, and it keeps relationships interesting with the influence of entertainment. Entertainment has become more important than ever in this chaotic world that we live in today. It has helped us learn to take a break from the stress of our everyday lives.

But, what exactly is entertainment? What are some of its examples? What entertainment companies are in the Philippines? Discover the answers to these questions and more!

Entertainment Meaning: What Is It, Exactly?

By definition, entertainment is “a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands of years specifically for the purpose of keeping an audience’s attention”.

History. The “ancient craft of communicating events and experiences, using words, images, sounds and gestures” by telling a story is not only the means by which people passed on their cultural values and traditions and history from one generation to another, but it has also been an important part of most forms of entertainment ever since the earliest times.

Stories are still told in the early forms, for example, around a fire while camping, or when listening to the stories of another culture as a tourist. “The earliest storytelling sequences we possess, now, of course, committed to writing, were undoubtedly originally a speaking from mouth to ear and their force as entertainment derived from the very same elements we today enjoy in films and novels.” Storytelling is an activity that has evolved and developed “toward variety”.

Many entertainments, including storytelling but especially music and drama, remain familiar but have developed into a wide variety of forms to suit a very wide range of personal preferences and cultural expression. Many types are blended or supported by other forms.

For example, drama, stories, and banqueting (or dining) are commonly enhanced by music; sport and games are incorporated into other activities to increase appeal. Some may have evolved from serious or necessary activities (such as running and jumping) into competition and then become entertainment. It is said, for example, that pole vaulting “may have originated in the Netherlands, where people used long poles to vault over wide canals rather than wear out their clogs walking miles to the nearest bridge. Others maintain that pole vaulting was used in warfare to vault over fortress walls during battle.”

The equipment for such sports has become increasingly sophisticated. Vaulting poles, for example, were originally made from woods such as ash, hickory, or hazel; in the 19th-century bamboo was used and in the 21st-century poles can be made of carbon fiber.

Other activities, such as walking on stilts, are still seen in circus performances in the 21st century. Gladiatorial combats, also known as “gladiatorial games”, popular during Roman times, provide a good example of an activity that is a combination of sport, punishment, and entertainment.

Changes to what is regarded as entertainment can occur in response to cultural or historical shifts. Hunting wild animals, for example, was introduced into the Roman Empire from Carthage and became a popular public entertainment and spectacle, supporting an international trade in wild animals.

Entertainment also evolved into different forms and expressions as a result of social upheavals such as wars and revolutions. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, for example, Revolutionary opera was sanctioned by the Communist party, and World War I, the Great Depression, and the Russian revolution all affected entertainment.

Court Entertainment. Imperial and royal courts have provided training grounds and support for professional entertainers, with different cultures using palaces, castles, and forts in different ways. Court entertainment often moved from being associated with the court to more general use among commoners. This was the case with “masked dance-dramas” in Korea, which “originated in conjunction with village shaman rituals and eventually became largely an entertainment form for commoners”.

In some courts, such as those during the Byzantine Empire, the genders were segregated among the upper classes, so that “at least before the period of the Komnenoi” (1081–1185) men were separated from women at ceremonies where there was entertainment such as receptions and banquets.

Court ceremonies, palace banquets, and the spectacles associated with them have been used not only to entertain but also to demonstrate wealth and power. Such events reinforce the relationship between ruler and ruled; between those with power and those without, serving to “dramatize the differences between ordinary families and that of the ruler”.

Like court entertainment, royal occasions such as coronations and weddings provided opportunities to entertain both the aristocracy and the people. For example, the splendid 1595 Accession Day celebrations of Queen Elizabeth I offered tournaments and jousting and other events performed “not only before the assembled court, in all their finery, but also before thousands of Londoners eager for a good day’s entertainment. Entry for the day’s events at the Tiltyard in Whitehall was set at 12d”.

Entertainment Industry

Entertainment is a very big business, especially in the United States, but it is universal in all cultures and countries, including the Philippines.

Technological developments in the 20th century, especially in the area of mass media, have allowed for the mass production of entertainment, packaged and sold on a commercial basis by an entertainment industry.

Sometimes referred to as “show business”, the industry relies on business models to produce, market, broadcast, or otherwise distribute any of its traditional forms, including performances of all types. The entertainment industry became so sophisticated that its economics became a separate area of academic study. 

Entertainment Examples

The film industry is a part of the entertainment industry. Components of it include the Bollywood and Hollywood film industries, as well as the cinema of the United Kingdom and all the cinemas of Europe, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Philippines, and others.

Movies are the easiest and most common form of entertainment that most people in the world consume. And thanks to the internet and various streaming platforms, you can just open your streaming app (i.e. Netflix) and watch your favorite movie and TV shows – anywhere, anytime! Movies are the greatest way to escape the stress and tension of the day and get transported into a world of fun and magic.

Books are another form of entertainment. They give you the chance to escape your day-to-day life and step into another place and time. Whether you enjoy the magical world of Harry Potter or want to unwind with the all-time favorite classic, Romeo and Juliet, they will transport you to another era or setting. Books are the easiest way to travel to destinations that you never thought possible!

Another example of entertainment? Video games! Gone are the days when video games were meant for kids. Nowadays, the world of video games is a thriving industry. Playing a friendly round of video games is the definition of excitement. Some people like to play virtual car racing games like Need for Speed, or exploring other worlds like Horizon Zero Dawn, while others immerse themselves on their phones, trying to finish the latest Candy Crush level.

Amusement parks are also a form of entertainment. They entertain paying guests with rides, such as roller coasters, water rides, ridable miniature railways, and dark rides, as well as other events and associated attractions. The parks are built on a large area subdivided into themed areas named “lands”. Sometimes, the whole amusement park is based on one theme, such as the various SeaWorld parks that focus on the theme of sea life.

Are you a sports fan? Then, you must know that there’s nothing more exciting and entertaining than attending a sporting event! This is another form of entertainment for those sports loves. There’s nothing like sitting in the stands and supporting your favorite team. Sure, watching it on the television is fun too, but nothing beats the sound of the crowd and the excitement of a live game.

If you’re a theater buff, then this type of entertainment is right up your alley. The theater allows you to witness the talent and passion of the actors performing on stage. It gives you a much better picture than any movie can. You are able to live through the performer’s pain and happiness and experience the magic on stage. There are different shows in theaters that you can enjoy. If you’re a music fan, then a musical theater performance will cheer you up and fill you with joy. If you are more a fan of the classics, then a great play can give you goosebumps.

Entertainment Speech: What Is It?

In broad terms, an entertaining speech is a speech designed to capture and captivate an audience’s attention and entertain or amuse them while delivering a message. Like more traditional persuasive or informative speeches, entertaining speeches should communicate a clear message, but the manner of speaking used in an entertaining speech is typically different.

Often, entertaining speeches are delivered on special occasions (e.g., an acceptance speech at an awards banquet, a toast at a wedding, a motivational speech at a conference), which is why they are sometimes referred to as special-occasion speeches. However, they can also be given on more mundane occasions, where their purpose is primarily to amuse audience members or arouse them emotionally in some way.

Remember, when we use the word “entertain,” we are referring not just to humor but also to drama. The goal of an entertaining speech is to stir an audience’s emotions. 

Entertainment Companies in the Philippines

Wondering what entertainment companies are present in the country? The two biggest entertainment companies in the Philippines are GMA Network and ABS-CBN.

• GMA Network

GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961.

GMA Network (formerly known as Republic Broadcasting System, GMA Radio-Television Arts, and GMA Rainbow Satellite Network) is commonly referred to as the Kapuso Network in reference to the outline of the company’s logo. It is headquartered in the GMA Network Center in Quezon City and its transmitter, Tower of Power, is located at Tandang Sora Avenue, Barangay Culiat also in Quezon City with regional stations and offices strategically located in over 9 major cities across the country.

The flagship television station of GMA is DZBB-TV (GMA-7 Manila) which carries VHF Channel 7 (analog broadcast) with Channel 15 served as a permanent assigned digital frequency. The network operates across the Philippine archipelago through the GMA Regional TV department which has 5 originating stations and 48 relay stations nationwide.

Its programming is also available outside the Philippines through the Philippine pay television channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International which is available through satellite and cable TV systems worldwide.

Since 2013, GMA has been testing digital terrestrial television broadcasts using the Japanese standard ISDB-T, in select areas in the Philippines.

• ABS-CBN Corporation

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation is a Filipino media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the Philippines’ largest entertainment and media conglomerate in terms of revenue, operating income, net income, assets, equity, market capitalization, and a number of employees. ABS-CBN was formed by the merger of Alto Broadcasting System (ABS) and Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN).

ABS-CBN Corporation owns major of media and entertainment companies in the Philippines and offers services and products such as television and radio broadcast, satellite and cable, broadcast syndication, telecommunications, publishing, content production, and program and film distributor, television production, film production, new media, and digital platforms, talent agencies, pay-TV and broadband internet provider, consumer sales and merchandise, music label and recording, and theater.

The group owns and operates Kapamilya Channel and ABS-CBN News Channel under ABS-CBN as well as the Teleradyo and MOR Entertainment digital radio networks. The Kapamilya Channel, in particular, is the largest contributor to the group’s revenue mainly from selling airtime to advertisers.

The remaining revenue is generated from block-timing with A2Z and TV5 as well as from consumer sales, mainly from ABS-CBN Global Ltd. and ABS-CBN International, which distributes international television channels such as TFC HD, ANC Global, Cinema One Global, Cine Mo! Global, Teleradyo Global, and Myx Global and also from pay-TV and broadband internet provider Sky Cable Corporation.

Entertainment Synonym

Looking for synonyms for the word ‘entertainment? Here’s a definition from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus:

1. the act or activity of providing pleasure or amusement especially for the public

We didn’t stay for the featured entertainment because we don’t care for comedy acts.

The film is purely for entertainment and not meant to be taken seriously.

Synonyms for entertainment: amusement, distraction, diversion, recreation

Words related to entertainment: nightlife, show business, delectation, delight, enjoyment, joy, mirth, gratification, relaxation, relief, satisfaction, exhibition, performance, presentation, presentment, production, show, spectacle, escapism

2. someone or something that provides amusement or enjoyment

What do you do for entertainment in this town? 

Synonyms for entertainment: delight, distraction, diversion, divertissement, fun, pleasure, recreation

Words related to entertainment: escape, pastime, time killer, binge, fling, frolic, gambol, lark, revel, rollick, romp, spree, frolicking, rollicking, carousing, conviviality, festivity, gaiety (also gayety), hilarity, jollification, jollity, merrymaking, reveling (or reveling), revelry, whoopee, picnic, laugh, riot, scream, activity, game. 

Entertainment in Tagalog

The English word ‘entertainment’ can be translated as the following words in Tagalog:

1. aliw – [noun] comfort; pleasure; amusement; entertainment

Walang nakapagbigay sa akin ng aliw. 

2. libangan – [noun] hobby; pastime; spare time activity; amusement; entertainment; recreation

Dapat maglaan ka ng oras para sa iyong gusto na libangan.

Entertainment Name Ideas

Looking for entertainment name ideas? Whether you’re planning to start a small entertainment group, create an entertainment show (movie, TV show, etc.), or if you dream of starting your own entertainment company, here are some ideas to help you get started:

• Entertainment Company Names 

• Entertainment Loop
• The Standard Entertainment Film Company
• Western Global Group Inc.
• Pendulum Film Company
• Edgy Entertainment
• Entertainment Point
• Vapor Film Company
• Entertainment Spotlight
• Entertainment Outlet
• Premier Entertaining
• Medieval Fun
• Entertainment Debut
• Entertainment Redux
• Fun Extravaganza
• Entertainment Saga
• Mind’s Eye Productions
• Giggle Animation Studio
• Off the Spectrum Productions
• Creative Productions
• Entertainment Verse

• Creative Names for Movie, TV Show, and Music Companies 

• Insomnia Studios
• Epic Media Inc.
• Spotlight Music
• Made Music
• Horror House Entertainment
• Film Fatale
• Making Memories
• Dream City
• Hype Movie
• Song and Dance
• Limitless Movie
• Shine Time Entertainment
• MovieDeck
• Showtastic
• Alright Entertainment LLC
• Movie Machine
• Stream Music
• Spark Movie
• Novel Music
• Showlance
• Showfluent
• Movieopedia