Some Filipinos are really adept at making an immense embarrassment of themselves. This time, yours truly will focus on pathetic Filipino bandwagon “fans”. Specifically, “fans” of anybody who gets some attention from mainstream America whether it be Manny Pacquiao, Arnel Pineda, and Charice Pempengco.
Recently, this foolish person came out of nowhere to dismiss my views outright and claimed that if she wanted to learn about originality and identity, she would rather go to “genuine” sources whatever they maybe. What stands out about that person is that she wasn’t even a Journey fan in the first place. She only became a Journey fan when she saw Arnel Pineda sing the same old songs popularized already by Steve Perry and Journey decades ago. It made me think that either she was too busy seeking “genuine” sources of commentary or Journey wasn’t her cup of rock afterall. Insert a new frontman of the same ethnicity as hers, and she’s in a “whirlwind romance” with the band and Arnel. Oh boy…..
Here’s another bandwagon jumper who claims to be all about soul/jazz/hiphop jams. Yet she feels compelled to show “some Arnel Pineda love” just because she’s a Filipina. If Pineda was not a Filipino, she wouldn’t show some “love”.
Separating the bandwagon Filipino “fans” of boxing from enthusiasts might be harder since boxing has some major roots in the country. Nonetheless, one only needs to check out the PhilBoxing Forum to see the bandwagon jumping. Manny Pacquiao has 49,000 threads dedicated to him while the general/world boxing topic has only 32,000 threads about it. In addition, one could sense that the average poster there couldn’t give a damn about boxing outside of “Pambansang Kamao” (national fists), Pacquiao’s often cited nickname.
Bandwagon jumping is a universal trait not restricted to any race or ethnicity, but Filipino bandwagon jumpers comically highlight their pathetic poser acts. For instance, poser Filipino”fans” of Journey have been known to wave Philippine flags at Journey concerts. That’s right, flag waving at a concert! The spirit of rock and roll deteriorates more and more as Filipinos can’t manage to hide their poser buffoonery. Read more about flag waving here and here.
Despite all that nonsense, there’s a bright side to this. There are a few Filipinos who call out and criticize the Johnny-come-lately idiots. If you consider yourself an intelligent Filipino, do us all a favor and don’t tolerate the embarrassing actions of your own kin. Tar and feather those guilty of such offense. It warms the heart of this writer that there are Filipinos who can look beyond ethnicity in terms of fandom. Instead they focus on the talent and other qualities of the people that they idolize
FINAL NOTE Once again, this writer asks for the 9000th time, would Filipinos even give a damn about Manny Pacquiao, Charice Pempengco, and Arnel Pineda if they were Thai?
YOU’RE PATHETIC! Hahaha. Honestly, you think you’re better than these people who jump on the Filipino int’l success bandwagon? What’s so wrong with that? People do it all the time, regardless of whether they’re Filipino or not. I’ll refrain from further conversing with you because people like you aren’t worth my time. PHILIPPINES SUCK?! No, my friend. YOU SUCK! You live a pathetic life trying to put down others. Bullshit. Go ahead and respond back with your more than predictable responses. I’ve heard it all with you pathetic bloggers; hiding behind your computer, acting like you’re somebody that even matters. You’re the only one that’s embarrassing your own race. You’re a disgrace. Look at the color of your skin, you hypocrite. No matter how hard you scrub, how much whitening soap you apply, you’ll always be FILIPINO.
Cry me a river. Did you even fully read what I wrote above? You missed the point.
she clearly did.
she clearly did. she should prolly have to read it all over again.
Calm Down Jesus He Has A Point..I’m Filipino and this is kind of true No filipino would know about Journey if it wasnt about Arnel Pineda”"
some people are just big ass posers that sometimes i hear people saying ” dont stop believin’ was sang original by pineda , or seperate ways was sang by pineda and i say bullshit u dont know shit about these people ..so im ashamed for those who ruin the word Music Fan when they dont know shit about something….SHAME to all those band wagon jumpers/…..
your genuinely fucked up you know that? its you guys that are making our country a sespool anyway, ever heard of this new app called logic? DOWNLOAD IT BITCH!
You shame me. Rather, you disgust me.
Just looking at your post titles leaves me a bad taste in the mouth. You call your rantings constructive criticisms? Your posts are peppered with bilous hatred for everything Filipino.
How can we lift up the Filipino spirit when there are many ignorami who spit on anybody who appreciates the efforts of Filipino talents. Either you have a pathetic sense of inferiority that you cannot even fathom the idea of a Filipino doing good internationally.
What have you done to upgrade the Filipino status? For all I know, you just masquerade as a Filipino. The Philippines does not suck; you do.
Baka ikaw ang nakakadiri. You fail to comprehend the balanced points of my blog entries. Amid the negative depictions of the Philippines and Filipinos in my blog, you can find constructive criticism and praise for the intelligent Filipinos. Instead of overreacting, I invite you to use your brain. Analyze and use critical thinking.
This article is more attuned to the issue that I’ve been trying to debate about. Most people who criticize Charice, Arnel or they’re fans go about trying to tell them how stupid mimicry is. And then the fans go on about, “It’s my opinion, you can’t tell me what to like blah blah blah”.
Really, people can listen to whatever they want. I don’t care what their favorite color is, what kind of music they like, or the type of person they want to have a relationship with. Maybe they really do like recycled versions of songs that they more likely heard a jillion types THAT much.
People seem to get confused between “criticizing someone for their inherent preferences” and “criticizing someone for being artificial”. I can’t tell people what they should watch or listen to, because it’s pretty much arbitrary. But I’m pretty sure most people WON’T think it arbitrary on whether or not to have a good sense of open-minded judgment or to have a biased selective view of things. I don’t like hip hop. Never have and never will, and no one can criticize me for that. So I’m not going to change my mind all of the sudden just because I found out someone in BEP has Filipino descent. That’s NOT criticial thinking. And I’m not about to preach that Black Eyed Peas (Oh I mean apl or whatever his name is) is the teh greatest musician of all time!11 and get all butt-hurt when people criticize me for being shallow.
I can imagine the bandwagon jumpers itching to cry out, “But I don’t like apl, I think Charice and Arnel have talent cause Oprah and Foster said so!!” And well, maybe that’s when we’re going to have to go back to other articles on how Filipinos would rather support a Filipino who’s very unFilipino (copying Americans) and being endorsed for it by foreigners and colonial mentality etcetc. Seriously, they don’t like apl because he’s apl. And they like Charice because she’s Celine Dion.
But all in all, a bandwagon jumper is a bandwagon jumper. And I think they all do it for the sake of their own pride. If they can make Charice/Arnel/Pacquiao look good, then they can make themselves look good. Like wtf is up with these comments:
“Filipino pride is watching Arnel Pineda in concert at Raley Field and afterwards my white friends and other people recognizing you look like Filipino yell “Hey you guys rock!””
“I’ve been waiting for a long time to feel that sense of pride in my ethnicity. Visit Charice fan sites and you would see how “full blooded” Americans, Curacao, Koreans, Chinese, Singaporeans, Scottish, British, Luxumbourg, etc, and yes FILIPINOS interact with each other with one common unifying force, CHARICE.”
This thing about developing an extrinsic false sense of pride to compensate for not having an intrinsic sense of pride is so pathetic. So I’ll be frank about it. If they need to depend on the accomplishments of a girl (who doesn’t even know they exist) to make them feel better about themselves they need help. And that’s even aside from needing a nonFilipino to tell them when to feel proud for being Filipino. And really, I think it’s even downright selfish. In the end, it isn’t about music, or preserving their right to like whatever they like. It’s not even about insisting that Charice and Arnel deserve to be successful, it’s about securing their own little bubble and keeping their pride from getting hurt. And I’m tired of people letting their delusions distort what it means to evaluate someone as a musician. How else can you explain the upsurge of Filipinos who have become Charice AND Arnel fans? It’s cause they’re both on TEAM FILIPINO.
The commenter you refer to in the article attempted to explain that they don’t like Arnel for being racially Filipino:
“You claim that Filipinos support Arnel Pineda because of one single factor and that is he is of the same ethnicity as his supporters, and not because of his superior musicality. Conversely, I believe it is his being a great rock music artist that supporters like me admire him more as a Filipino.”
Maybe I really am a bad reader. The person’s grammar was all around hard to understand, but what I read was, “You think Filipinos support him for his ethnicity, not his musiciality, but I think he’s a great artist so I support him as a Filipino.” She can go on about how listening to his music practically gives her an orgasm, but I’ll bet if she heard it on the radio without knowing who the heck was singing, she would change the station in less than 4 seconds. No joy of falling in love that time.
I remember when I was a kid that it took a looong time for me to find out that Jocelyn Enriquez was a Filipina. I didn’t even know her name. She just sang these songs that I liked in my brother’s dance mix tape. Ahh… love at first listen.
Another common argument I see too many times is, “So what if Filipinos support them? They need money and the Philippines doesn’t employ real talent.” People can call it a charity fund if they will, they should just be honest about it. I still Lol at another comment that asked if I should expect Afghans to help (I mean give charity to) Charice and Arnel. I assume they also wouldn’t expect Filipinos to be sympathetic towards an Afghan with the same “talent” and “inspirational” story.
Someone
I also wish people would be more open minded or at least be more open about their preference without hiding it under some disguise.
I really like you point about people supporting needing (or using) Charice and Arnel to feel good about themselves. I hate to be Captain Obvious, but we as a people should not have to rely on foreign acceptance and praise to make us feel good about ourselves. Formal colonialism of the country has long been over. Every country even the US suffers to some degree of inferiority complex, but it’s possible to overcome it.
In addition those two quotes from others here deserve to printed and framed. They are cautionary tales for Filipinos. Here are those quotes again in bold format:
Just because of a few thousand blinded fans or as you say “village idiots” embarrassing their fellow countrymen doesn’t mean that the entire country sucks. I bet you are simply using it as a figure of speech
Now let me say that Manny Pacquiao is truly special and he stands light years away in terms of accomplishment compared to Charice and Arnel Pineda. He has accomplished a feat no other human has done in history and that is winning 7 titles in 7 weight classes. I would forgive these village idiots if they go totally nuts or even streak nude in a Pacquiao fight believe me
As for Charice and Arnel, they’re overrated in my opinion, esp Charice who makes a living aping other artists with no originality of her own. You’re right, Pinoys cherish them for no other reason than they’re being Pinoy. As for Pacquiao, if he was Thai, I’d still be an avid fan of his coz he’s the best among the best in the business
BW
Excellent point about Pacquiao. Whether one likes him or not (for reasons outside the ring), it is undeniable that he is the only “world class” Filipino athlete alive. In a way, he has exceeded Paulino Alcantara as the best Filipino athlete of all time.
I only make exaggerated statements to help fellow Filipinos think outside of the box.
you know which is the worst bandwagon happening in our country? those who blindly put their trust on a man who has not proven anything locally, much less on a world class aspect… the bandwagon of those who naively place their country’s fate on a man who has nothing to offer but a family name. and the worst part is that he’s winning! can you do us all a favor(the author) and write something about this really perplexing phenomenon, instead of lambasting our fellow countrymen who have ACTUALLY proven something. the lack of “originality” or mimicry, that you vehemently accuse them of is nothing compared to the using of the legacy and influence your family name has to further your agenda. are we really this feeble-minded and sentimental, Filipinos?
ask these people to use their brain… i’ve seen you’re very good at that!
Gino
Good point. Filipinos need to be more aware of that man who is pretty close to be elected. The good folks at http://antipinoy.com/ have been doing an excellent job of discussing his many flaws and shortcomings. In any case, I’ll make sure to write about him as well.
Philipinnes suck because of you. Look at what you’re doing.
Loel
Tell me what am I doing. What’s so bad about my blog entries?
jstuff29,
I posted the comment to catch your attention. And look at that, I can’t even spell Philippines right.
Until about 3 years ago, I would have sympathized with you. I also hated screaming fans. We went to a Journey concert one time and an Arnel fan was waving a banner and screaming right behind my ear. I did not understand what made them (fans) do that. You see, I have never been a fan and never followed a celebrity before. Gleaning from your writeup, you’re obviously not a fan of anyone.
You have written a lot about the irrational behavior of the fans, irritating sometimes, but understandable because the word fan is derived from fanatic. If you see this fanaticism as a problem with Filipinos, the best way to do is to understand it first instead of outright bashing.
It was my wife who told me that Journey has a new lead singer – Arnel. While watching his youtube videos, I found Charice and was fascinated that the Koreans were totally blown away. Then her performance on Ellen Degeneres made me cry. It’s the emotional connection that turns people into fans. If you take time to read the comments on youtube, you will find words like blown away, cried, hair standing, goosebumps, tingles, chills, shivers. But it took several months for me to finally acknowledge that I have become a Charice fan. You will also find that comments are coming from all over the world – Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Brazil, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and so on.
On the opposite side of your argument, two Charice fans I know, (a 69yo Irish-American, owner of an animal hospital and a 60yo Chinese-American) both wonder why many Filipinos are not proud of Charice when they, who are not Filipinos, are proud of her. Filipinos being proud of Arnel, Pacquiao, or Charice is like me when my son participated in the regional spelling bee. I supported him and was proud of him because he is my son, though he is not the best speller. If I follow your argumentation, I’m supposed to be proud of the Indian kid who won the spelling bee, but that would be absurd. In the same way, I’m proud of the 3P’s (Pacquiao, Pineda, Pempengco) because they are my kababayan (Filipinos). Those who say “proud to be Pinoy” also irritates me. I would prefer they say “I’m proud of Pacquiao for the honor he has brought to the Filipino people.”
Instead of lamenting at what you perceive as lack of Filipino intellect, why don’t you try to find out why Filipinos and non-Filipinos have become fans of the 3Ps. Even Mark Wahberg took out a large Philippine flag at the Pacquiao vs Cotto bout. It would be better if you write about the little known fact that Charice recently replaced Jessica Simpson as Youth Ambassador of Operation Smile and that in a short time she raised more than $35,000 US dollars which the organization sent to help the earthquake victims in Haiti.
“I’m supposed to be proud of the Indian kid who won the spelling bee, but that would be absurd.”
Racist!11
Congratulations, you are the epitome of what disappoints me and are part of the rabid Filipino mass who will ruin the music scene.
Please take a sociology class and do your homework first.
Someone
Perhaps Loel is not a fan of spelling bees. It’d be silly for a non fan to be in awe of that winner of a competition one doesn’t follow.
Then again, if one is remotely interested in such a competition, it’s reasonable for the observer to at least give the winner his/her due even if one’s son didn’t win the competition.
I’m not a fan of spelling bees either. I would actually feel the same way about my kid whether or not they make it to the top.
I think it would have been better if I had pointed out that it wasn’t a good example to begin with. The person is talking about how they feel the same kinship with the “3Ps” as he does with their son which is ridiculous. A more reasonable hypothetical situation would be feeling proud of the Filipino kid who ISN’T their son and therefore basing nothing on their preferable judgments except skin color. They don’t know the Filipino kid, and the kid doesn’t know them. The same forcefully tied relationship that they have with their “3Ps”.
In my case, I wouldn’t care for the Filipino or Indian kid. May the best speller win… or whatever
Loel
Good points about the nature of fandom and the need to analyze it thoroughly first before throwing a barrage of criticism to discredit some fandom one disagrees with.
As for the case of those two non Filipino Charice fans, I’ll counter that it’s a matter of preference. How can one be proud of a musician who one doesn’t like because of music preference. In my book, the musician also has to be good before one can state being proud of that musician, and “good” is once again dependent on preference and subjectivity.
The blogger, in fact does have a point. I’m Filipino and I’m happy that Arnel is putting the Philippines in the spotlight. However, despite that a lot of Filipino fans irk me. I love Arnel, not because he is Filipino but he has a good voice…and he seems to have a strong charisma on stage. In fact, I think he sounds better live as compared to the studio recordings. But what irks me about MANY Filipino fans is that they only see his ethnicity. Sometimes to the point of being outright and subtly racist.
Saying ‘The best ang Pinoy’ irritates me. Like other nations do not have much talent as the talented Arnel. It’s a form of superior complex/subtle racism and misplaced national pride. Journey has gone beyond race and color, so can’t we, Filipinos, be?
We don’t here Americans saying “American pride”, right? And if they ever did, they will be labeled as people with superior complex.
And they put up the issue of racism when some fans would say they prefer Perry to Arnel eve when these not-so-fond-of-Arnel-people never said anything about his race or ethnicity or nationality. They don’t even comment of his thick Filipino accent. It’s a comparison of talent, not race. Misplaced pride talaga
Pero more power to Arnel. I hope he stays long with the band.
I like your post.
I still don’t see the talent that draws you into being a fan, unless you were already a Journey or rock fan or something. But to each their own and I respect your opinion of course.
I also have to say that Filipinos should take music for what it is, and not as something for the Philippines to use to get the spotlight. The Philippines shouldn’t be happy or upset either way because of what other countries think. You may or may not agree with me, cause I’d like to think that you don’t rely on foreign validation as the main reason for being Arnel’s fan.
Since being an American is more of a cultural identity rather than a racial identity, people have a little more reason to have some pride. That’s assuming they’ve actually done and showcased something American instead of relying on physical appearances that they were endowed with since they were born. Yet still, I think patriotism gets cheesy most of the times and people can get so absorbed in it that it becomes an obnoxious superiority complex. And I totally agree that Americans more than anyone else gets berated for being proud. Same with “white pride”. But to be consistent with my disposition, any type of racial pride is stupid.
I couldn’t agree more that MANY (not all) of Filipino fans praise them for being Filipino more than anything else. Instead of doing bottom-up evaluations, they look at it from the top-down where they let racial biases influence how they perceive their music.
Anyway, again, I like your post. I’m sure Arnel would be glad to have at least one avid Filipino fan.
I’m a rock fan and I usually go for male singers(rock or not) over female. I wouldn’t say I’m a Journey fan though I like some songs. But I’m keeping an eye on how Arnel will bring the band in the future and how will he be developing his identity So far, I think he’s heading the right way. Heard that Neal had been inviting him to write/co-write songs for the next album and I’ve listened to the new tracks on Revelation and I think Journey is giving him the space to develop his identity while maintaining the Journey legacy. Some critics say that he’s just emulating Steve Perry but I don’t think he is. In What It Takes to Win, he was very Un-Perry sounding in style.
Even in the Philippines, I think his voice is one of kind(it’s different from the style of Filipinos who sing rock music). I wonder why he wasn’t hardly promoted as other artists in the Philippines. Maybe because he looks too native and isn’t ‘tall enough’
That’s why I am an Arnel fan and not a Charice fan. Not that I hate the latter. I’m not just fond of her style. Given that Arnel isn’t Filipino. I’d still dig him. And I don’t dig APL since I’m not into hiphop but I’m happy that he is not denying his Filipino heritage. I’m not also a fan of Manny since I don’t like boxing. But I didn’t like it when Freddie Aguilar said that Manny should be speaking Tagalog instead of English because Manny does not speak ‘perfect’ English. Heck, Pacman does not even speak Tagalog very well and his native language isn’t Tagalog but Visayan. As much as I don’t like the fans who only see Manny’s nationality, I also don’t like Freddie Aguilar’s myopic and Tagalog-centric nationalism.
For the record, I live in CA where there are many Mexicans. And guess what Pinoys, many Mexicans are fans of Manny(even to the point of cheering for Pacquiao over their Mexican compatriot). So those Pinoys who were so angry to the Mexicans just because Mexicans happened to be Manny’s ring opponent make me somewhat ashamed.
I’d like to discuss the bias of Filipino media toward mixed ancestry people as if being ‘native’ is being talented. But that’s a different story
Yaya
I’m glad you dropped by my blog. You definitely don’t fit the targets of my blunt criticisms on the blog.
Freddie Aguilar crossed the line when he criticized Manny. It’s Manny’s choice whether to speak English or any Philippine based language. Besides, why Tagalog in the first place?! BTW, I’ve never heard of Filipinos who are angry at Mexican people just because Manny’s opponent is Mexican. Maybe it’s because I’m not a regular at Pacland. In any case, that’s embarrassing!
I don’t get what you mean when you wrote that “I’d like to discuss the bias of Filipino media toward mixed ancestry people as if being ‘native’ is being talented. But that’s a different story”. Care to explain it to me further? All I’m getting is that multiracial and multi-ethnic people are judged differently by the Philippine media.
Someone
I like Yaya’s points as well. She (he?!) is the type of fan who shouldn’t be lumped with the bandwagon fans of Arnel and Journey. Suffice to say, there needs to be more Filipino fans like Yaya than those that only jump to the fan bandwagon due to shared ethnicity.
BTW I agree that fellow Filipinos shouldn’t put that much stock into foreign validation to support anything or anybody.
Yaya
I agree. It makes me cringe when some Filipino fans manage to be racist when supporting Arnel and Charice. I feel sorry for genuine Journey fans who might prefer Steve Perry as the frontman with no malicious feeling towards Arnel. I’ve seen articles and forums where those fans are harassed by Filipino fans who use racist language and attacks.
I’m not defending the ignorant Filipinos, but there’s a they behave that way. For such a long time, there has been a serious deficit of Filipinos who’ve represented the country in top tier international sports competition and entertainment. The masses that resort to racist attacks don’t know any better. That’s where enlightened Filipinos and people of other nationalities need to step in and call out people when they cross the lines. As you mentioned, Americans who do so are quickly called out for their ethnocentrism and jingoism.
What’s wrong with showing national pride? That’s not new. BTW, Americans are full of it too. How about hearing a song Party in the USA and dancing in front of the American flag? Or ever heard of the American Dream? And mind you, some Americans dislike Arnel Pineda for not being a white American. There are many Filipinos who do not even give a shit about ethnicity of artists. Manny Pacquiao, Arnel Pineda and Charice are tagged as “Filipino pride” because they do their craft excellently and at par with the world’s best, and most Filipinos love music and sports. But if, for example, you joined an international penguin eating contest, and you lost. Do you think Filipinos will jump in your perceived bandwagon that Filipinos just look on ethnicity and nothing more? NO. They do not know shit about a penguin eating contest, and to make things worse, you lost, ergo you suck. Period. That’s not the case re: Charice, Pineda and Pacquiao.
Filipinos may or may not give a damn if Pineda, Charice and Pacman are Thai. But where were you when most Filipinos are fans of Elvis, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and heck, even Britney Spears?
Will you say they like Elvis, MJ, Britney, and the Beatles because of their ethnicity? Maybe. Maybe not.
Are you aware of another bandwagon on the rise? Apparently, there are hypocrites that blog about nothing but a mere pretentious deviation from the mainstream. I sincerely hope you are not one of them.
You are confusing national pride and racial pride. There’s nothing wrong with Filipinos singing and dancing (I assume with Filipino music) in front of their flag.
There are racist people who don’t like Arnel for his skin color as much as there are people who like Arnel for his skin color. Both groups are shallow idiots. Please don’t use other people’s stupid behavior to justify your own.
You make it sound like music and sports are things most distinguished as Filipino when they are pretty much enjoyed by almost everyone. According to your definition, Elvis, the Beatles and them have obviously showcased some “Filipino Pride”. Cause hey, Filipinos like music, and those artists are good at working their craft or am I wrong? You can pretty much replace the names in this sentence with almost any other renown artist:
“Manny Pacquiao, Arnel Pineda and Charice are tagged as “Filipino pride” because they do their craft excellently and at par with the world’s best, and most Filipinos love music and sports.”
In another sense I agree with you. Doing covers of Western songs seems to be paramount among the Filipino culture. So I can’t deny that Charice and Arnel should be Filipino gems for being the best at their “craft”. But as for boxing, well… it’s hard to say that this many Filipinos ever gave a shit so to say before Pacquiao conquered American mainstream.
Penguin eating contest lol I have to disagree. If a Filipino who was able to show a talent of eating the most penguins and got to guest star as another spectacle in Oprah’s show I’m more than sure there would be a upsurge of Filipino Penguin Eating Contest fans.
And someone is only worth praising and being proud for if they win or get recognized for it? Tell that to the guy who would be unconditionally proud of his son (and his other kababayan) even if he turns out to be a loser in a spelling bee, ergo he sucks.
I’m not trying to put words in anyone’s mouth. I’m just trying to figure out why it is that people get so attached to something that’s really nothing. Charice, Arnel and Pacquiao are not your family and you wouldn’t give a rat’s ass if they didn’t get attention from Americans. Charice and Arnel haven’t really done anything that you also wouldn’t have appreciated and tagged as Filipino Pride from Whitney and Steve Perry.
Those Filipinos would of course be avid fans of Elvis and the Beatles if they were drawn to their music. But it wouldn’t be surprising if Filipinos liked them more if they were Filipino. Cause racial identity is the real cake. Everything else including talent is just the icing.
“Apparently, there are hypocrites that blog about nothing but a mere —pretentious— deviation from the mainstream.”
Oh rly?
“Oh rly?”
rly.
BTW, are you schizophrenic?
No.
btw are u?
Cloud
There’s nothing wrong with showing national pride. Your interpretation of it seems to be a little off.
Re: “Party in the USA”
Americans who criticize the song and the signer are not labeled as crabs when they make their criticism. Why are Filipino critics labeled as crabs when they criticize a fellow Filipino?
Re: Arnel
True, there are Americans who dislike him due to his ethnicity. Enlightened people should call that bullshit out.
Re: Penguin eating scenario
I could make a case that if Penguin eating is popularized by Americans, Filipinos would gladly claim an American Penguin eating contestant with a tiny portion of Filipino descent as one of their own (and therefore, “ANG GALING ANG PINOY”) due to colonial mentality. BTW what has Charice or Pineda won?
Re: Elvis, MJ, Britney
To some extent, all have achieved something in their respective fields. At the same time, the products of the US entertainment colossus plays a part as to why they are held to such high esteem .
Re: pretentiousness
Would you label that accusation at me if I were a Pacquiao, Arnel, or Charice superfan? If not, could it be because you don’t like opposing viewpoints?
I think you are missing the point here. This whole thing is about pride. This is like your own son or daughter achieving unbelievable status. What is so wrong about that? You may call it jumping on the bandwagon but I call it genuine pride. Are you not proud to be a Filipino. I am a Pinoy from Toronto, Canada and I have lived here for the past 43 years of my life and I will always consider myself Pinoy first. Think about it. How many Asians can you name that has made a mark in boxing or the music industry? Almost none! To be honest, I am not a big fan of Arnel but I am proud of him just the same. Manny, Arnel and Charice all came from humble beginnings like most Filipinos. I think to come out of poverty and be where they are now is an extraordinary achievement. Theirs is the kind of story that people will root for. As for you Mr. Writer, I suggest that you should just cool it and enjoy the thrill that these 3 icons are bringing to the Phillipine nation. You should learn to accept people as they are, good or bad. Have a nice day!
Whenever another herd-following sheep comes in with another argument of racial pride that sounds exactly the same as the other ones, I lose more hope.
You just described 75% of the world’s population when you talk about those being poor. And don’t act like Charice, Arnel and Pacquiao are the first ones to come out of a rags-and-riches story. What makes them different? That they look more like you? That they eat lumpia? That they make YOU look good as a consequence of their fame?
The more that people talk about pride the more I’m convinced Charice and Arnel in particular are cheaters in the music industry. You don’t support them because you find them talented, just as you say – you support them because they’re your “family”. Ever heard the saying, “Your mom doesn’t count as a fan?”
This is the last comment I’ll leave in this article unless I get directly addressed or find something else more interesting.
Jakijulu
Commending Charice and Arnel for their rags to riches flight is one thing, but basing one’s ethnic pride on their accomplishments is another different thing. I have a feeling you are guilty of the latter.
BTW what have Manny, Arnel, or Charice actually given to the Philippines? When they go about their day to day work, they represent themselves, not the country. Their earnings and awards are their own. The earnings and awards of those three are not the collective property of the Filipino people. Arnel, Charice, and Pacquiao’s flights are not akin to an Olympic competition where their success can be claimed by Filipinos as their “own”. Specifically, in Pacquiao’s case, it’s the classic case of club (or individual) achievement versus country.
I accept people as they are, but that doesn’t stop me from calling out pathetic bandwagon jumping.
One other thing, what boxing or music industries are you referring to? Careful, your American centric view is showing.
good talk. brain food. good stuff.
This article has a good point. I honestly think people who didn’t get this are…(hate to say this)..are ether stupid or hypocrites or both.
Get over this “pinoy pride” buffoonery….
its ok to be fans of those people if you really like them for what they do. But cut the crap about them being “filipino”…heck just read the article…
Get real! Our country does suck! I dont care if i offend people who have this so called “pinoy pride” running through their veins. There are a lot of things that need to be done and to get fixed in our country. It starts by changing yourself and going against the grain. Stop the herd mentality. Be your own hero.
Id be remiss if I didnt say>>> Go the fawk back to your pathetic low class third world shithole island ! I hear Imelda needs some new shoes….U clowns are such scavenging bloodsucking scavengers and can only survive by deceipt, deception and thievery! So now that you know western people are cutting you off , what ya gonna do ? O sorry when you look in the mirror and see a half retarded cro-magnum pug face LMO, god you ppl are ewwwwwgleeee!
SO I GUESS BEING A TALENTLESS, RIHANNA, CASSIE, KESHA, MILEY, KATY AND BRITNEY, MAKE FOR A BETTER SINGER.
FILIPINOS ARE PROUD, AND THATS ALL. NEVER DO THEY HAVE SUCH A SUPERSTAR FROM THEIR HOMELAND. AND THATS WITH THE FILIPINO PRIDE COMMENTS.
SHE IS TALENT, YOU DONT JUST GET VOCALS THAT BLOW AUDIENCES AWAY OVER NIGHT.
SO I GUESS THE FACT THAT SHE DOESNT SHOW HER ASS OR TITS ON STAGE, IS THE BASIS OF HER NOT BEING A GOOD SINGER.
MORONS ALL OF YOU.
BOO HOO, SHE CAN SING WHATS THE BIG DEAL. SHE MADE IT BIG, YOU DONT APPLAUD HER THAT.
WHAT CAN SHE DO TO GET YOUR APPROVAL. NOTHING SHE DOESNT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. YOUR A NOBODY.
YES FILIPINO ARE TOO AMERICAN, BUT WHOS FAULT IS THAT. THE AMERICANS, AND THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE CALLING HER A KARAOKE STAR. LOL, AMERICANS ALWAYS CREATING THE MISTAKE AND CRITICIZING IT AFTERWARDS. PATHETIC
and what do you have to say for yourself, you think every thing is the americans fault, theres probably not a single link to the americans in this entire blog were just a group of filipinos that are exposing the rotting mass behind the mask you call filipino pride, please use critical thinking you racist
I would like to point out that Charice was never really liked in the Philippines even if she was Filipino because of her looks. Only after she was recognised internationally did the businesses in the Philippines like her. Now, if Charice was Thai, I would still love her. I am a music lover and she can revive old songs. I loved her first when she was on the Korean show. She had a nice attitude, humble, and a great dancer as well. As for the other Filipino artist, I do not like them whether they are Filipino or not because they are not of my interest. Music is what I love and if you can sing well, I will love you. She can really sing well live and in this generation I am able to experience it. Other singers that I like are Whitney, Mariah, and many others. I liked Charice before many started to realise that they like her now. I don’t like artists because of what they are, but the talent and emotions that they put to their work. That is my opinion.
Well, btw, aside from my blog, YOU ALL SUCK!..hahahahahahah..
suck my dick and get choked
jstuff29, I appreciate your blog, really. A lot of the stuff you’ve said are the same things I wanted to get out of my system too – so thank you.
On the topic. It irritates me how Filipinos think that bashing Charice is equivalent to bashing the Philippines. That’s ridiculous. They fail to realize what this blog is all about and for me, this is about changing the present time social cancer.
True, people have their own taste in music but come on, do these Filipinos really like her for how she sings or… Did they like her because she was Filipino first?
I’m not going to write an uberly long comment but I do have ONE question: If you are a Filipino bandwagon jumper, does that even mean you’re being patriotic?
Charice became famous because Oprah and Foster said she had talent. And those two figures aren’t Filipino at all. How can you be patriotic if Filipinos don’t have their own standard of talent? When they don’t have the brains to think for themselves.
They believe that she has talent because what, Americans say so?
And no, the usual “Filipinos are proud because they never had such a superstar from their homeland” stand does not work. Do you have to be proud of a Filipino who made it internationally only? Come on, before all that fame in the US, Charice was nobody in the Philippines.
Technically her stardom is not from the Philippines. Stop whining people, she does not belong to the Philippines anymore. She may be in blood but you guys didn’t even pay attention before her fame started kicking in.
Couldn’t explain it better than you. I myself am a filipino and out of the three you mentioned I only know of Manny Pacquiao but I’m not even a boxing fan, I only know him because I see him on the local news and the part where he tried to use his popularity to win some part into politics. Now don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a strong and a able athlete, just look at his wins, he never lost before, but actors as politician is pretty common here and I doubt they have the brains to actually do the right job.
People vote for them still, but then again, it just goes to show you how low local standards are. I don’t even need to explain this since you’re a filipino yourself. However, to the little number of actual filipino who THINK, look around you, all of it, see what’s on the local channels, now turn on the radio and tune to FM, now go outside and watch the people, hear their slangs, see how they dress, if you could borrow an IPOD from a local(be careful as there might be a snatcher somewhere, they prey on these things), now check who the politicians are, you may not be into politics but you will recognize a lot of them I promise you, after that look for people who complains about the government and poverty, check how many children they have. If it’s four you looked too much. If it’s 8 you’re doing well. Check what the father does, maybe join him with a little gamble or two. Go back to the people who complain then ask what they do on fiestas..
The Point is, people have nothing better to do, even if there’s a lot of it, but complain and swag. There is a huge flaw in modern Filipino culture. It’s called the “Pinoy pride”. Either they drag you down (crab mentality) or share the glory that doesn’t have anything to do with them.
I don’t care about the other two. If I don’t know them it means I don’t like what they do, or sing but that doesn’t mean I’m against them but I sure as f***ing hell am against people who glorify themselves with other people’s success and they make such a big deal about it that it’s okay to trash talk and flood other people with vulgarity only they understand.
BAKIT BA ANG MGA PILIPINO, MAKABASA LANG NG MASAMANG PAHIWATIG TUNGKOL SA PILIPINAS, GALIT NA? Di nyo kasi ginagamit utak nyo eh. Tapos mga KRISTYANO daw…. MGA HIPOKRITIKO!!
Jstuff29 you have a point I was watching a video the other day about this Bboy or breakdancer his name is Daniel”Cloud”Campos. And this other filipino guy just comments Go Phillipine pride and I was like Wtf so i’m just saying I’m starting to think filipino’s are gay now cause of that. every time a new famous person with a tan pops out Filipinos make rumors saying ” That guys filipino cause of his last name or skin”
This is so true. Filipinos love to bask under other people’s fame and fortune. I am a Filipino and don’t fire your gun at me because I said that. We should stop kidding ourselves and start working for real glory. I hate it when we say we’re proud to be Filipinos yet there is absolutely everything to be ashamed of. We tend to overrate ourselves but deep inside we’re full of bluff and false pride. I just read this post for 5 mins and I am new here even to my surprise that such a blog existed. But I must say I sense this blog is not to degrade but expose our stupidity and other inadequacies so that we may amend our ways. I see my kababayans responding in pure uneducated anger and I think to myself, what a shi**y bunch of arrogant unlearned b*sturds my people are. Soz
for all of those who don’t read first stop being queers and get over yourself. your so fucking retarded.
you know, i agree with you. this is true. ayaw lang tanggapin ng ibang pinoy.
This blog of yours has been very entertaining and insightful. A lot of things you’ve said about filipinos are true. Many of them do have that crab mentality and they are a race of copy cats and many of us are blindly proud of our race. Believe me, ask any of my friends and they will say I’m ridiculously proud of my race. That’s what you get when you and I originated from such an uneducated country, but at least a handful of “us” are making their mark on the world.
It all comes down to identity, and the emotions it invokes. I mean, if a woman ever ran for president, wouldn’t you expect that she’d get a lot of women’s votes, not looking into whether or not she’s qualified or not? Even things as simple as your appearance and what you believe “define” you and you’ll get people who approve/disapprove of you as a result. Same concept applies. Culture/race in my opinon is a big part of identity. I mean, you wouldn’t have made this blog in the first place if you wouldn’t care about how “stupid” filipinos are.
However, I honestly don’t think Charice made it big because she got lucky and because she has a lot of support from filipinos. She got lucky because she advertised herself on Youtube, got discovered by Oprah, and when she was given the opportunity to be on that spotlight (on a much bigger stage that wowowee will ever be), she didn’t screw up. If she did, she wouldn’t have gotten so big in the first place. And for someone who is under 20, she’s handling it incredibly well. I mean, just look at Justin Bieber, who’s kinda in the same boat, yet gets a ton of more shit that she every will. The girl has at least has an ounce of talent and she’s making every part of that ounce count.
Pineda? C’mon. Half of a Wondermic’s songs are probably from Journey or at least from rock bands. I know for a fact that my filipino dad and my dad’s friends and my dad’s friends friends are fans of Journey.
Freddy Aguilar’s comments on them being copycats? Meh. Pineda was asked to replace an old singer of an old band and Charice is still young. Freddy Aguilar’s probably pissed at them too because in the eyes of the filipino public, he’s washed up and he’s not popular anymore. Who knows?
In the end, haters gonna hate I and uneducated bandwagoners gonna bandwagon. You asking them to look past it isn’t going to automatically persuade the millions of filipinos basking in the glow of the glorious radiance her voice emits to stop doing so.
ALL OF YOU FILIPINO ARE LOSERS
ACCEPT IT, YOUR 3RD PARTY SHIT LAND COUNTRY FAILS SO BAD.
ALL FILIPINOS HATES THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
FUCKING MASSIVE BUTTHURTS AND FAILURES
PISS ON THE FLAG OF FAILIPHINES.
FULL OF FROG FACED WOMEN AND ALCOHOLIC LOSER MIDGET FLIPS.
THE ONLY GOOD THING IN PHILIPENIS IS THE QUALITY OF CLOTH USED IN MAKING THE FLAG OF PHILIPENIS, FELT SO BETTER WIPING MY ASS WITH IT AFTER TAKING A DUMP.
i just goggled something and this link came up.. F@#@Kin Hipsters
lol
why dont you people blog your ownself and shut the fuck up!! get a life!!!! why can’t you just be happy for charice,pineda or pacman who have worked so hard for their dreams. they are living their life! get yours!!! don’t talk cock!!! stop the all these bullshit!
The blogger is a douche! Never paid much attention to Journey, until Pineda sang the songs. The man’s got soul! Charice is talented, but needs an original hit. Never was a Paquiao fan for years, until I realised what he was really accomplishing. I’d love to have a beer with Mark Munoz, but I think he’d get schooled by Anderson Silva! I wish I could swing a golf club like Jason Day! Nicole Scherzinger is smokin hot! So is Misa Campo! I understand what the blogger is saying. It’s kind of embarassing when Filipinos need to make a point of being ‘proud to be a Filipino’! Kinda gay to me. Mind you, I’m Filipino, but the blogger is still a douche!