The Concept of Heroism is Twisted by Celebrities as well as “Opposition”

I wonder if celebrities Liza Soberano or Angel Locsin are trying to be heroes. They probably think that supporting movements that oppose something else is heroic. If not, maybe others think of them as such. But to me, that is a wrong view of heroism. Well, I slammed the idea of venerating heroes after all, and so I’ll take apart a wrong belief behind it.

The wokes and “opposition” likely believe that heroism is opposing anyone who is perceived to be a dictator or fascist. No, that’s not what heroes are. A real hero is someone who actually risks life and limb to help or save others.

An example of this is Coast Guard officer Ralph Ofalla Barajan who helped fellow passengers escape the sinking of the Siargao Princess in 2019. Thanks to him, all people on the ship survived the sinking. You could also surmise from this that I believe a grave situation is a prerequisite to someone being called a legitimate hero.

Mere opposition is not heroism. You don’t really save people by opposing others. You might even endanger people through it. This is especially true with the youth who join the New People’s Army or other insurgency.

Perhaps Locsin and Soberano might not be doing things to draw admiration, but those calling them heroes need to keep their starstruck impulses in check.

It’s also funny when long-admitted communist front groups like Gabriela turn to celebrities for support. It actually runs counter to communist belief, as esteemed webmaster Benign0 said. Actors like Soberano and Locsin are more like the rich people, which communists blame for oppressive circumstances and want to get rid of. So these leftist groups are contradicting themselves.

Some will highlight philanthropy activities by the named celebrities, or even other celebrities as heroism. Philanthropy is nice, but it still does not make them heroes. I am not putting them down, but philanthropy is something that probably does not need to be talked about. It’s similar to a taxi driver returning passengers’ property that was left in their taxi. It doesn’t need to be talked about, it just needs to be done without any fanfare.

If Soberano and other celebrities would discourage youth from going to the mountains, that’s fine. But if they teach the opposite, they must be challenged. It would be better to teach realism, saying that taking up arms in the mountains is doomed to fail and upward mobility is possible with self-responsibility and a desire for work instead of dole-outs. Or, better if they support help for persons with disabilities over women and children (who I think have enough support anyway).

Filipinos had better learn to stop taking cues from celebrities if they want to contribute to a cause. As I have heard someone from the advertising industry say, you turn to celebrity endorsement when you have no ideas left or when you are desperate to sell a poor product. And we should also be careful of the causes others support, because they might not be what they seem.