There has been something of an
informal practice with fans of Philippine showbiz personalities to find
commonalities between them and foreign celebrities. It may be attributed to the
sentiment of “colonial mentality,” but sometimes that is how it goes. Gary V
once got counterpart comparisons to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, for
example. Reactions of Filipino stars can range from positive to negative. Recording
artist Rico Blanco, formerly of rock band Rivermaya, has recently expressed a
pushback against this habit, alleging that Filipino celebrities are
personalities in their own right and should not be compared willy-nilly to
foreigners.
So did Rico Blanco express his
thoughts on Twitter, according to ABS-CBN
News. He had taken exception to a fluff entertainment article on PEP.ph where he was labeled on the
headline as the “Keanu Reeves of the Philippines,” due to his current looks and
hairstyle being similar to the actor and his most recent popular character “John
Wick.” He had expressed his advocacy in that article that the Filipino fan
habit of star equivalency like saying “Sarah G is the Philippine Adele” should
not be encouraged. On social media following the prominence of that showbiz article,
he expressed his concern that the headline might pass him off as sounding combative.
stupid headline will get me into trouble guys. my point was lets stop making filipinos local versions of global icons. https://t.co/hhuBCjWLRA— rico mambo (@ricoblanco) July 8, 2019
He did have some valid arguments
in not being a fan of foreign artist comparison. Regarding his own equivalency
with Reeves, Blanco asks, “How many gigs has he played? How many Hollywood
blockbusters have I starred in?” His Twitter commentary admits that the “stupid”
headline of the PEP.ph article might
be enough to “get him in trouble” with certain fans. The once-Rivermaya member
remarks that he is embarrassed by whatever gossip storm he may stir up with his
commentary but is firm that celebrities in the country should not be just “versions”
of overseas talent.
Fortunately other Filipino Twitter
users have expressed their support for Rico Blanco’s sentiments. In doing so,
they also lambast the stereotypical “colonial mentality” of their countrymen
who have “inherited” from their ancestors the opinion that foreign and imported
cultural touchstones are better than local varieties. Such internalized
opinions come from the Philippines having been a Spanish colony for over three
centuries, an American colony for several decades, and a Japanese conquest for
a few years.
Blanco has been in the OPM
industry for over two decades himself, with the prominent part being his
membership in Rivermaya which produced numerous popular songs and is considered
a pioneer in the development of the local alternative rock scene.
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