At Wits End

AT LARGE

BY DANICA MAE HABLADO

n 2022, one of the most important presidential elections in the history of the Philippines took place. In a pandemic-stricken nation on the verge of a catastrophic economic collapse, the election turned out to be more crucial than ever. Consequently, people became more interested in the results of the current election than in the previous ones, and campaigning was visibly stronger.

But the election exposed a sobering truth about Filipinos: we are so immersed in our own fight towards change that it is challenging for us to see others’ perspectives and persuade them in a way that does not push them even further. This is evidenced by the deep divide among become resentful of us. This should prompt us to ponder the questions that have always persisted: Who are we fighting? And who are we fighting for? The real war that needed to be fought on the ground—and its outcome, which would be revealed on election day—was somehow ignored in the struggle for moral victory. Politicians are expected to defend citizens’ rights and in turn, the general populace must collectively fix their eyes on them as watchdogs, to hold those who misuse their authority accountable. Instead, we turned our backs on one another and created conflict among our own ranks.

Many voters, especially those on social

The elections might be over, but the active participation we have shown is not just something that we can easily take off and hide in our closet for the next six years. There is still so much to learn and improve. We may start by acknowledging that a lot of people are also victims of their circumstances, and it would be more advantageous if we focused on our similarities rather than our differences. Real conversations, where ideas are shared and not just spoken by one person, are what we need to have. A convincing argument and an empathetic discussion may happen after we understand where our fellow individuals are coming from. However, we must also be watchful of the

Filipinos throughout the campaign period. Instead of genuinely persuading people to vote for their favored candidate, it somewhat turned into a show of harsh statements and insults. Derogatory terms like “bobo” were often used to strangers who were being communicated with for the first time online. Insults and offenses were thrown from one camp to another, from one staunch supporter to another. There were individuals who labored to stay faithful to their main goal, but it is undeniable that the harsh, even inhuman exasperations of the clashing supporters heavily dominated. Sadly, there is indeed truth to the condescending and elitist criticisms we usually hear. Rather than winning over voters, our aggressive campaigning lost us votes, and the individuals we hoped to influence instead

Bop or Flop?

#CULTURED

BY DAREN KERN ECULLADA

Whether

you are heartily crying to All Too Well

(10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault), patiently waiting for Jeno Lee’s update on Bubble, fully immersing yourself in the fourth book of the Harry Potter series, or paying your fullest attention to the eighth episode of House of the Dragons, one thing is certain… fans fuel media.

Fan culture is an important aspect of music, arts, and culture. It enables artists to reach a wider audience and bring out new talent due to the intense global popularity of a given artist’s work. Because of the social media boom and the way fans interact with artists, these artistries have become highly accessible to almost all points around the globe. Consequently, this has also opened up a very long list of pros and cons. Being a fan of someone or something can, in fact, be a source of happiness and motivation. Although it can be heavy on the pocket, buying merchandise and developing collections is a form of appreciation for the things in life that we love, whether it’s a television show, movie, book, influencer, athlete, or musician.

Fan culture can also be empowering. Through media, started off as mere spectators—as some may say, “soft voters”—rather than active participants. These voters might have changed their minds if spoken to in a more kindly manner, if spoken to as fellow people with their own agency capable of thinking for themselves. Instead, they became repulsive and vowed never to associate with anyone they considered to be part of the “elitist” group. In the heat of frustrated debates and an angry exchange of words, we have forgotten who the real enemy is. Nevertheless, the chaos of warring factions must not distract us from the crucial truth that those who abuse authority are the ones who deserve true aggression and severe punishment. The people must stay vigilant and unified because sowing division will only bring us more losses. sowing of disinformation, historical denialism, and online trolls who intentionally cause trouble by provoking us. At the end of the day, that Facebook friend who is still hesitant in their beliefs, that lone family member who made a choice because they felt betrayed by the system, and that struggling college student who goes through the daily struggles of life are the very people whom we need to include in our fight towards absolute change.

If we fault our fellow people and not the ones in authority who abuse their power to deceive and corrupt, we blind ourselves from the reality of the world we live in. Ultimately, we share the same burden as the people around us, and our fight for change must not be against them—but for them. C fandoms, we can find people whom we share the same interests with. For example, if you watch a Kpop group and have been following their story for years, you form an emotional attachment to them. You develop relationships with other fans in your community because there is this idea that they love each other and support each other through thick and thin.

Fandoms are also a great way to give back to the community and make a difference. During love for a specific artist, but from hatred for others. times of crisis, various fandoms pool their resources to contribute to different charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Last April 2021, fans of the K-Pop idol group EXO, often referred to as EXO-L, established a community pantry in Barangay Marsilo, Malabon to help those who were heavily affected by the pandemic.

On the other hand, unfortunately, fan culture breeds a space in which extreme behavior, such as arrogance and harassment, has grown to be normalized. To some fans, their identity and self-esteem are inextricably linked to the achievement of their idol. Fan culture has condoned fan entitlement that stems not from

Fan culture fosters a toxic parasocial relationship between fans and artists, and it is fundamentally abusive. It reinforces a wide gap between fans and artists who are often quite divorced from reality because of their privilege, income, and power. Moreso, in notso-uncommon instances, some fans would cross the line only to defend their idols and justify unjust actions. Of course, not all fans are like this. However, its occurrence is a very good point for understanding why fan culture can be toxic.

Being a fan allows us to feel like a part of the group and our passion makes us feel connected to other fans and their enjoyment. But not all fans are healthy— there are plenty of people who have unhealthy obsessions with things that can have a serious impact on their lives and the lives of others. After everything, it narrows down to choosing whether to succumb to the toxicity of fan culture or to remain a warmhearted fan. The choice is ours. C