TO SAY that our kababayans are the most supportive and passionate fans one could ever dream of is probably one major understatement. Ask any Filipino who has worn the country’s colors in any competition whether in sports, performing arts or beauty pageants and chances are, he or she would say that the presence of Filipino fans gives them a different kind of energy that motivates, inspires and challenges them to give their all for the country.
This kind and level of support from Filipino fans has never been more pronounced with the presence of various social media platforms. Right in the contest venues, fans come in throngs like a mob ready to lynch the opponents with their thunderous applause and overwhelming cheers. In unison, they rally their bets to every point and every move towards victory. On social media, they spend countless hours to ensure that their idols remain visible and relevant in the online world.
On the other hand, Filipino fans can also be the most toxic when showing their unparalleled support to their idols. Some fans go out of their way to engage in verbal tussle, name-calling or even physical fights against the supporters of the other artist, athlete or team whom they perceive as a rival and therefore a threat or hindrance to their idol’s road to victory or ultimate fame.
The fans’ all-out support for any team or artist, although not always acceptable, is quite understandable. In a study conducted on fan mentality in the 1970s, American psychologist Robert Cialdini came up with the term BIRG which means ‘basking in reflected glory.’ To BIRG means to associate yourself with a successful team even if you have no direct role in its achievement. Other psychologists point out that being part of a fandom creates a sense of identity and belongingness, as they feel they are members of a group or community of like-minded individuals who share the same passion and support the same artist, athlete or team.
But what happens when the fans become so entitled that they feel they are already in a position to expect, demand and require their idols to give in to their every single whim and caprices? True, fans are instrumental in the continued success of their idols. As such, they should acknowledge their fans who spend time and money to support them. When the situation allows and calls for it, they should sign autographs, conduct a meet-and-greet and have their photo ops. But shouldn’t there be a boundary between a fan’s adulation and an idol’s privacy?
Long before the Lea Salonga brouhaha, there was this 2017 incident when former Ateneo de Manila’s prized libero Denden Lazaro avoided a male fan’s attempt to put an arm around her during his request for a photo op. For trying to protect her private space, Lazaro was called a snob and an ingrate.
In one of her interviews after her Ms. Universe reign, Pia Wurtzbach revealed that one game plan in her quest for the crown was to stop reading social media comments the moment she arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pia confided that while the support gave her the extra boost, it was also a constant source of toxic and negative energy. She felt like she was under one giant microscope with every one scrutinizing her every look and every move, sometimes searching for the slightest mistake. Similarly, she felt that some candidates were gravitating away from her, no thanks to Pinoy pageant fans’ endless bashing of the other candidates.
Many have already weighed in on how Lea Salonga was very polite and professional in turning down three fans for a photo-op in her dressing room, instructing them instead to a spot where they can have their picture taken with her. I am happy to note that majority of the Filipinos sided with Lea on this issue, citing the importance of an artist’s or any person’s personal boundary and privacy.
Reading all these arguments for and against the issue, I think we Filipinos have a misplaced sense of being a demanding and entitled group of people. We have set a very high and exacting standards for Filipinas competing in international pageants, even listing what they should do and not do in the international scene. But when it comes to the selection of our leaders from the barangay to the national level, we are ready to lower our standards and compromise our principles. We have the nerve to demand time and attention from our idols in the sports and entertainment scene, yet we cannot seem to find the audacity to demand the same from our government leaders. We do not need our leaders for photo-ops during ribbon-cutting or a 30-minute stop-over in a gathering; we need them to work double-time to ensure the delivery of basic social services and address pressing problems in the community.
I hope the time comes when our fan mentality is translated into a dynamic and collaborative Filipino voters’ mentality. Let us always be reminded that when we demand good governance and transparency from our leaders and hold them accountable for every decision and action they make, that is not entitlement. That is responsible and engaged citizenship; nothing more, nothing less.
