Pinoy hypocrisy has reared its ugly head – again. Just when I was wondering when we were going to hear from the Roman Catholic Church of the Philippines about banning or boycotting Lady Gaga’s upcoming concert here in the Philippines, lo and behold. Protests apparently erupted last Friday, which were staged by at least one or more religious groups. According to news reports, these religious groups claimed that Lady Gaga’s concert would promote “godlessness”. To them, her songs are “blasphemous”, particularly the song entitled “Judas”.
What they claim superiority with is the stupid notion they have enough merit to their complaint, because her concert in South Korea restricted under 18’s from attending, and that her concert in Indonesia was cancelled because she was unable to secure a permit from the national police.
Even local artists have weighed in on the issue. Their “advice” is for Lady Gaga to change some of her lyrics so that they won’t be offensive to anyone here. To quote Martin Nievera from the report:
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“Kung ako ‘yan, papalitan ko lyrics ko, kung talagang offensive lyrics ko, parang directed sa ibang bagay,” singer Martin Nievera said. “Sana gawin din ni Lady Gaga ‘yun, sana mag-adjust siya sa Christianity natin.” (“If I were her, I would change the lyrics, if they were really offensive, as if to be directed at other stuff.” “I hope she really would do that, I hope she would adjust to our (brand of) Christianity.”
What an arrogant sack of bullcrap coming from a has-been who tried to make in the States and failed. Does freedom of expression mean anything to these people? Is it always the Pinoys whose sensibilities should be adjusted to? The point here is, why should the people who don’t seem to be offended by her lyrics have to capitulate to the wishes of the fewer but more vocal (read: bungangero/a) “offended ones”?
Why do I call these “offended ones” hypocrites? Because they’re quick to protest about Lady Gaga’s provocative and controversial manner of presentation, but nary have you heard a word from them lately about the lewdness ubiquitous in local TV. Dancing girls on local noontime shows, HELLO?! Apparently, something is offensive only if non-Pinoys do it. EXCUSE ME?! Can we say double standard?! Every time I want to shut up and believe that Filipino citizens are getting smarter, the inborn stupidity of Pinoys drags me down to reality, and it takes the quality of overall Filipino character even lower.
Friendly advice to people who are “offended”: if you don’t want to see the concert because it offends your sensibilities, then just simply don’t. At the same time, don’t go around acting like morality police telling everyone that they should be doing the same thing as you do. Those who are going to see the concert are there to watch an artist, albeit a provocative and controversial one, perform. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want to exercise your freedom of expression, for the love of everything holy, let others do the same.
I’d like to give the concert goers the benefit of the doubt, when I say that I don’t think a lot of them will be looking for lesbian or homosexual sex immediately after the concert. I don’t think that watching the concert would cause them to renounce their god, if they believe in one. I don’t think that they’ll be looking to burn a Bible immediately after the concert.
The message is simple: take the concert simply for what it is: a performance with high production and shock value. Leave your balat-sibuyas and restrictive religious and moral high ground sensibilities at the door, PLEASE. For “expressive” performances to work, these require a suspension of disbelief, and an open mind. Oops, I think the term “open mind” is sure to offend most Pinoys.
For the record, my friends and I wanted to watch the concert too, but the tickets were just too damn expensive.
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
I’m not a Lady Gaga fan but it seems a waste of time to stage protests with placards and matching printed shirts. The money for those shirts could have gone to charities or projects for educating street children. Hay. I love this country but I’m really frustrated with the majority of its inhabitants.
tamakajan
funny pinoys! gaya-gaya, nakikisawsaw.. nalaman lang nila na pinrotest ng ibang countries, nakigaya na din..
more fun in the philippines!
The god that these “bungangero/ra” are talking about killed a lot of innocent people it will make it look like Osama Bin Laden an underachieving boy scout.
Those katolibans are being as hostile as terrorists by using Jesus and God for their selfish, delusional ways.
Correction: self-righteous
They’re not simply the Catholic group this time.
It’s Benny Abante and friends!
I have to admit I have a great amount of bias against the guy, but I think any normal person will find his advocacy against modern forms of expression extreme and pointless.
Thanks for mentioning that perpetrator Benny Abante. Better watch out for him for this protest of his will be his spark for running for the senate next year.
Therefore I advise everyone not to vote for him. 🙂
The problem with the promoters is they don’t age restrict the concert–probably to get some more money. That’s why its a bit awkward watching her do what she does and you find kids watching her eagerly.
Martin Nievera? you mean the guy who left his kids and wife Pops Fernandez, to be with another woman and commit concubinage and bigamy? oh, so now *he* tells us about “Christianity”. 🙂
i guess for people like him, HEARING “bad” lyrics is worse than DOING “bad” deeds. 🙂
Even though I’m a Christian and a music lover, I’m on the middle ground of this. I should never judge on someone and instead, I will say “Let God be God.”
Ya know what’s funny? Many Filipinos get mad on Lady Gaga but never got mad on Nine Inch Nails since Trent Reznor is known for being a blasphemous jerk. 😛
“Many Filipinos get mad on Lady Gaga but never got mad on Nine Inch Nails since Trent Reznor is known for being a blasphemous jerk.”
The same with The Beatles for calling themselves the new Jesus and KISS for their name’s acronym Knights In Satan’s Service.
Correction: more popular than Jesus.
Michael Jackson has a lot of horror-inspired themes. He even has a concert here, remember? But no one protested that. Wonder what makes some groups so mad about Lady Gaga. Must be just a fad.
That’s because Michael Jackson is more like a man of virtue since most Filipinos have noticed his change since the mid-1980s; ignoring his ‘Thriller’ days. Remember on his ‘Man in the Mirror’ days until the present since most of them have powerful messages if you ask me.
actually nanuod ako ng Nine Inch nails concert haha,
“God is dead, and no one cares, if there is a hell i see you there.” sa song nila na heresy. Love that band.
either way back to the topic.. natawa lang talaga ako sa post mo. madaming hypocrites eh? tsk tsk
And I thought we were in Iran.
I don’t like Lady Gaga, but I don’t hate her either. I am indifferent towards her. As for her songs, there’s a few that I do actually enjoy like “Born This Way”. I don’t want to look much into her lyrics.
As for the Filipino people, we’re all hypocrites on a number of issues. Noontime shows and all that, yeah I agree what happened to real entertainment and real talent, the kind that the next generation can actually strive to become and not look like mindless and brainless fools.
What happened to talent, real talent, or real skill? What happened to hard work actually gaining something worthwhile in the end as compared to knowing people or having the money to force oneself upon others.
I grew up in a household with double standards being shoved up and down my throat. Example: Bribery is bad, but my older relatives bribed me to do things that I didn’t really want to do at the time, though I can understand the importance of having an education now. But considering that it is no longer what you know but who you know…meh.
That’s another thing, corruption is not confined to the government but to the smallest social unit of society that is the family, corruption of morals, beliefs, and a whole lot of other things.
We are a Christian nation (majority) and taught that there are a lot of bad things that we shouldn’t be doing, or so our older relatives claim as well as our idols, but what do they also teach by example? You should already know. Hard work will only get you so far.
Do what is good for the Philippine people? Tch, the government and security/police just look like they’re doing something useful or productive.
How many times have I passed through mall security with a fat bag and the security personnel just waved that turned OFF scanner in front of my bag or just carried on talking to his co-worker? Yeah, I can clearly see how bombers, suicides, murderers, homicides, and all those other killing types can get passed mall security.
I’ll admit that I’m not sinless and am a hypocrite on some issues myself, and thus I shall end my reply rant here instead of continuing to walk down the path that will be pissing me off a whole lot more and shall be heading on down to lunch so that the food that was prepared with hard work and dedication does not go to waste.
RELIGION RUINS EVERYTHING.
Between a Lady Gaga concert and a mob that worships a wooden statue on wheels, at least the Lady Gaga concert planners had the good sense to prevent traffic jams. No “unawaain nyo kami” excuses from them, unlike some people we know.
Apparenty, Filipino celebrities are so arrogant, they believe they have the right to cause traffic.
Chino, they’re the other extreme of the as$hole spectrum: “Kilala mo ba ako?!”
Well, the groups can call for a boycott if they want, that’s fine with me… but they should realize getting the concert closed is beyond their power. Still, they’re barking up the wrong tree if they think Lady Gaga is a source of immorality for Filipinos. I think most Filipinos already think Stephanie Germiotta’s style is too foolish to actually use in real life. And there’s the issue of turning a blind eye to our own local sources of immorality, which are seen on noontime and primetime TV.
This whole “Lady Gaga is antithetical to Filipino society” bullcrap goes beyond the religious sphere. There’s a petition right now from “concerned citizens” of Baguio to stop her from performing at the SM Arena because it “gives credence to SM’s anti-environmental stance.” The petition’s goal was to get 1000 signatures, but they only got a little bit more than 600.
The problem with the petition was that (though I’m not a fan of Gaga) she’s more talented as a businesswoman than an artist. NONE of the people who signed the failed petition bought tickets to her concert. Obviously, the petition would hold no water if none of her concert-paying little monsters even signed it in the first place.
MidwayHaven,
I’m puzzled as to how those protesters arrived at the conclusion that “gives credence to SM’s anti-environmental stance”.
Haayz. There will always be people who always force two events to have a correlation even when there clearly isn’t.
@Fallen Angel
According to you –
“Friendly advice to people who are “offendedâ€: if you don’t want to see the concert because it offends your sensibilities, then just simply don’t.”
Friendly advice to you, too, if your sensibility is offended by those you call hypocrites, then simply ignore them.
I don’t exactly agree with them. But if this Lady Gaga, as you call it, is just expressing herself in her performances, then, these same people you call hypocrites should have equal treatment as her from you with respect to freedom of expression.
They don’t like Gaga and they’re expressing it.
They may be wrong but that is beside the point. They’re expressing themselves. It’s their inalienable right.
You want to shut them up?
About your hypocrisy –
“Why do I call these “offended ones†hypocrites? Because they’re quick to protest about Lady Gaga’s provocative and controversial manner of presentation…”
and for the kicker –
“… but nary have you heard a word from them lately about the lewdness ubiquitous in local TV. Dancing girls on local noontime shows, HELLO?! Apparently, something is offensive only if non-Pinoys do it. EXCUSE ME?! Can we say double standard?!”
How did you judge these local noontime shows as “lewd”, if for you, Lady Gaga’s performance is just her way of expressing herself? Who is now applying the double-standard?
ROTFL, of all the bloggers here that I expect to be the most liberal, you are now lecturing us which is lewd and which is not.
For all those who don’t have time googling the issue why Lady Gaga is offending the sensibilities of some Catholics and Christians, not to mention Muslims:
From http://tinyurl.com/d26nxvb
“…Ever-obsessed with the power of visual stimulants, Gaga has come under criticism for the explicit – and targeted – nature of several videos. Notable examples include the nudity-fuelled, borderline masochistic take on an all female prison in Telephone, and the mix of sexual and Catholic imagery – including Gaga sucking on rosary beads – in Alejandro.
…Not content with the brouhaha caused by the Alejandro video, Gaga’s latest swipe at the church is the song Judas, in which she proclaims her love for the treacherous apostle who betrayed Jesus…”
And you’re claiming our local noontime shows as lewd and Lady Gaga’s performance is just her way of expressing herself.
Jeez, moral relativism in living color…
an aside, this Lady Gaga cheapens the meaning of “lewd”.
I do understand how moral relativism could come into play regarding these issues. But the problem is, Lady Gaga established her career for her “expressive performances”; it’s a business. Does that mean religious groups protesting over her oncoming performance are also doing “expressive performances” themselves that bring in massive profits? It would be quite shocking if it was. If it isn’t, then sorry to say this, but I think the main point Fallen Angel wanted to present was how pathetic these groups can be. It’s so quick and easy nowadays to bash artistic expression that it has become a pointless triviality. (redundancy intended)
On a related note, this issue really reminded me of of my college professor’s take on Mideo Cruz’ artwork in CCP (the guy who created the artwork with Jesus with a penis on its face).
“Persecuting him for showing us such an “ugly†picture, is just like smashing a mirror for reflecting our ugly faces. Just us we remain ugly even after the mirror is reduced into shards, our psyche and culture would remain unhealthy even if we lynch Cruz.”
“But the problem is, Lady Gaga established her career for her “expressive performancesâ€; it’s a business. Does that mean religious groups protesting over her oncoming performance are also doing “expressive performances†themselves that bring in massive profits? It would be quite shocking if it was. If it isn’t, then sorry to say this, but I think the main point Fallen Angel wanted to present was how pathetic these groups can be”
It’s an admission that Lady Gaga can badmouth a religion and nothing personal, it’s business. Those who are complaining should not complain, otherwise, they are capitalizing on it for financial gain. That is according to you.
Correct me if I’m wrong in reading your narrative.
And for Mideo’s “artwork”, I’m wondering why there are people who are dictating others on how to interpret his work. Isn’t it art is to the eyes of the beholder?
If in other’s opinion its not an art, then so be it.
I could photoshop Mideo and his mother photo in a very obscene way and publish it in the web as work of art. For the sake of art.
I’m sure it will be ok with you. For the sake of art and freedom of expression.
GAYA GAYA lang naman mga yan sa ibang countries, kung hindi nmn naprotest sa ibang country eh hindi rin naman sila mgpoprotest, PAPANSIN LANG yang mga nagpoprotest na yan sa media eh… KAPAPANGET BA NILA WALA DIN NAMAN NAPALA, POOR.. NKAKAHIYA LANG TULOY KAY LADY GAGA.. ewan ko ba kung magiging proud pa kong magimg pinoy haaayyyy…
honestly, the church (and other groups) needs to pick better targets. say Odd Future. Their lyrics go against their principles.
but it would just restrict expressive freedom, as this article stated. besides, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All [Doesnt] Give A Fuck.
Nabasa ko yung article at sabi ni Chito Miranda na kung ayaw nila panoorin si Lady Gaga, huwag nilang panoorin at wala namang pumipilit sa kanya. Ang TOTOONG evil are corruption in government etc. Kanyan kanyang trip yan.
I don’t like Lady Gaga’s image but her music is alright. It’s quiet catchy.
I wouldn’t give a shit what a has-been has to say and that includes Gary V. They are just a bunch of condescending and bitter artists who are no better than Lady Gaga. Hindi ko sila seseryosohin.