The Pabebe Girls video is one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen in my life, at the same time, one of the most pointless. Not because I judged those girls as attention seekers as other Filipinos have (on the contrary, I didn’t and will never do so), but because the way I felt after watching it can be expressed in one word in the vernacular:
Bitin. (I was left hanging.)
Come on, if you’re going to assert the right to express yourself and insist that no one can stop you from doing so, you should have gone all the way! For lack of a better word, it was a rant; very little insight into what makes the girls tick, very little insight into who they really are, and definitely very little insight as to what makes up that self that they are asserting that right to express.
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If I were to define what it means to be Pabebe based solely on what was explicitly stated in the video, then I would use the following points:
1) Someone who is asserting the right to express herself/himself;
2) Someone who will not let anything get in the way of such self-expression, and;
3) Someone who will not listen to what others have to say about such “self-expression”.
On to my point.
Blogger Kate Natividad took special note of the netizens and other people who judged those girls as attention seekers, because their reaction was to cut them down to size and ridicule them. She further states that perhaps we should be encouraging the likes of these girls, because you’ll never know what sort of as-yet unthinkable idea you will find outside the box prison that mainstream media likes to put its viewers in.
Me, I simply see those netizens and other people as hypocrites. Why? Because it seems that these same people who went on to ridicule the girls and judge them as attention seekers fail to see that the Philippines is one big Pabebe Nation!
That’s right. Anybody who thinks that such Pabebe behavior is attention-seeking and utterly annoying should easily be able to see that Filipino collective society behaves exactly the same way. Filipinos collectively insist on their right to express themselves, will not let anyone stop them from doing so, and refuse to listen to those who have something to say about it.
And most of all, it’s sobrang bitin. The difference is not because Filipinos do it only for less than a minute, but because underneath all that assertion, there’s nothing underneath, no substance to speak of to give body to such “self-expression.” Yet nobody is ridiculing it.
On a side note, I don’t really pay much attention to the comedian Vice Ganda, but I think I could work with some additional notes from him on what it means to be Pabebe:
“Maraming ibig sabihin ang ‘pabebe.’ Pa-sweet, pa-cute, paalaga, papampam, mahilig sa mamon,” Vice Ganda said.
(Pabebe can mean many things: acting sweet, acting cute, acting like one to be handled carefully, acting like an attention-seeker.)
…which still describes to a tee the Filipino collective.
Take note that I expanded the definition of Pabebe beyond what was explicitly discernible from the original video. Thanks to those who ridiculed those girls for giving me something to work with!
I would like to end by borrowing and slightly modifying a tagline from a Filipino commercial for bleach that aired almost 20 years ago:
“Ang Pabebe, hindi binebaby, pinapatay! (The Pabebe shouldn’t be coddled, they should be killed!)”
No, I don’t advocate real-life murder of those perceived as Pabebe, but getting rid of (killing) the attitude of attention seeking without any substance underneath that the Filipino collective is notorious for.
Pabebe mo mukha mo, Philippines.
[Photo courtesy: Certainlyher.com]
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
Fallen Angle, I am one of those who has been replying to Kate Natividad and benignO regarding the “Pabebe Girls”. Like you, disappointed and shocked are initial reactions, but then I had a flashback to when my daughters (5) were their age.
Puberty was a terrifying phase. What was a charming and sweet “Daddy’s Girl” one day becomes a hyper reactive crazed monster the next .The outbursts only last for a few hours or days, and the phase only lasts for 2 or 3 years. When it subsides, they turn back into human beings.
However, it’s also a good time to talk to them about their future, find out what they think they want to do or contribute to the future.
Kate was correct. Somewhere hidden in the rants are some pretty lucid thoughts, but it takes a lot of patience. Once you get them to start talking, you have to listen to the WHOLE THING.
Philippines is a tough place for individual thought, but I will say it has unmatched potential talent and creativity just waiting to be released, assuming we can survive Vice Ganda and the Politicians. CHEERS.
@ go Rico, I looked, but did not see any of the ‘individual thought…..unmatched potential talent’ anywhere in the entire country….and I got a good view of the entire country. I did see an unmatched amount of imitation and some people that could play instruments competently, but nowhere to be found was any individual thought or creativity. Even Vice Ganda is a cheesy rip-off of the transvestites that come and go in the West every so often.
Hi, Spaniard, I guess I just got lucky. I get to talk to small groups of College Students, and once they get over being shy and reserved, they start asking good questions, move into some abstracts, then they really get rolling.
Most of them were able to grasp advanced technologies instantly and within a few hours they started pointing out counterintuitive uses for the same systems. On balance, they’re very bright and capable, they just need modern equipment, tools and instruments and they’ll be world class.
The artists I’ve met always show me their list of international friends from facebook. They trade concepts and techniques, publish books, design fashions or whole communities.
I’m impressed. These kids will make us proud, I promise.
The problem with ‘pabebe’ ,or being ‘cute’ ,is no one really gives a shit if your ‘cute’. Of course, ‘hot chicks’ are always desired and wanted, but usually for only as long as it takes.
And besides, being ‘cute’ is kinda ‘child-like’. Only paedo-philes want to engage in the type of activity associated with ‘hot chicks’, with underage ‘cute’/’pabebe’ children.
The pair of ‘cute’ girls in the video that is causing this buzz looked a little on the young side for ‘hot chick’ activities. Judging by the look on the face of the one on the right side of the picture, there was not much going on in that brain of hers.But at age 14(?) how much of world view is going to be forthcoming anyway?
I suppose you’re right, Spaniard. There’s always some sick bastards that only see people through predator’s eyes. So sad.
Young people are like that; they will grow up , and will become normal human being again. Someday, they will look back at the stupid things, they did.
And, may laugh or cry…if they will grow up mentally…if they become mentally retarded, they will join the ranks of the YellowTards…
pabebe topic again?!!! Who gives a damn about pabebe? Nobody cares. let the dead burry their own dead. Just a waste of time. time is gold guys – spend it on things of relevance – eternal relevance.
Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.
And now we have a Pabebe soldiers. What’s next? Pabebe politicians?!?! Welcome to the Philippine circus my friend. :\
Yes, mrericx, there will be millions of “New Pabebe Politicians” to oppose the “Old Pabebe Politicians”
Philippines prayed for change and those prayers are being answered, hehehe.
CHEERS
good grief! expect to be bombarded with pabebe themed campaign jingles next year!
I got bitin by the end of Sharknado 3.
These Pabebe Girls don’t deserve media fame. Here’s a video of what they really deserve: http://www.nsfwyoutube.com/watch?v=a8eKOqL10xk
Remove Pabebe, There is no way to know if you are male or female, but we can all guess that you are a subspecies of some sort.
If you’re a female (which I doubt) you’re a disgrace to your gender in suggesting that teen girls should be physically abused in this way
If you’re a male, then you’re a danger to society in general and women and children in particular.
I cannot imagine how sick you must be to even look for and find something like this on Youtube.
Please seek psychiatric help immediately or turn yourself into the authorities. You need help.