The Tantalizing Promise of Equality in Representation

FOREWORD

After a long research and reflection on the media representation of Filipinos globally I have come to a conclusion that while they [representation] have diversified, there are still underlying issues and problems of stereotyping that comes from fellow Filipinos themselves. 

Should a line be drawn between stereotyping jokes and Filipino representation? Possibly. 

As I delve deeper into this topic, I have realized that international media often rely on their closest link to the Philippines when it comes to describing and understanding the Filipino people; regardless of if they have lived and experienced the Philippines itself. While it is not an entirely demonizing act, more often than not, stereotypes and surface-level depictions are harmful rather than helpful. Further, this is not to say that all international media portrayals are surface level as there are people who embrace the Filipino culture. However, these are just my personal sentiments as someone who is born and raised in the Philippines. 

Furthermore, there is still a drawn line between how women and LGBTQIA+ members are treated and represented within the society. Hopefully as I will be able to shed light on all these different presentations so that we may come to an understanding of how media, while helpful, should not be the entire basis of how the world works. Especially with the rampant inequality in representation in, but not limited to, race and gender.

Filipinos in International Media

Think International. Think Global. Think Western Recognition.

Social media has become a way for people to share the lives to the world and jumpstart their career. This also gives a platform for sharing and experiencing culture behind the comforts of a phone screen---it is only a matter of "diskarte" (strategy) to get the people's attention. 

Bretman Rock Sacayanan Laforga, also known as Bretman Rock, is an openly-gay of full Filipino descent to have ever made his name in the American pop-culture. It started with the application Vine, where his videos went viral. With his newfound fame, he was able to establish a YouTube channel, focusing on beauty and make-up tutorials. Since then, he has appeared in various shows, music videos, and even had his own reality TV show called "MTV's Following: Bretman Rock".

However, despite his fame in a different niche, Bretman never fails to mention and represent his Filipino roots. In fact, it was one of his most prominent parts of his identity as an artist. He has also been the front-page cover of Vogue Philippines and most of his videos showcased his experience as a Filipino.

Albeit not being entirely a representation of a large demographic, Bretman shares parts of Filipino culture with every chance he gets. Moving to the US, specifically Hawaii, at the young age of 7 can hinder one's connection to their roots. Yet, it has become a part of Bretman's branding.

Arguably, his experience may not be the same as other Filipinos, this is already a step to introducing a more accurate depiction. Beyond the stereotypes of other people, Bretman continues to be a representation in the west. 

Does this mean everyone should conform to what Bretman shows? No. It is not entirely accurate, and one person cannot truly encapsulate the rich Philippine culture.

Another prominent figure is Jo Koy, born Joseph Glenn Herbert, a Filipino-American stand-up comedian. Often, his jokes revolved around his Filipino mom and how he was raised by one. A lot of Filipinos found him funny and relatable because truly, Filipino moms can be just as what he describes. However, there is still a small demographic that find him as a bad representation who uses his platform to "diss" the culture under the premise of humor.

It may be a matter of one's "level" of humor however, accents are often used as stereotypes and can be used as an insult to a certain demographic. Although, it can also be viewed as funny because yes, people who come from the same place tend to have the same accent but that generalizes everyone. Distastefully, a question often asked to those who speak fluent English is "You're a Filipino, right? How come you have no accent?" because of the belief that a certain ethnicity/race must have an accent with the exception of those who grew up in an English-speaking country. 

Playing on stereotypes whilst being [Asians] a part of an oppressed population enables the oppressors to continue using these debatably insulting descriptions simply because it is okay for someone who is a part of the community to make fun of it.

In addition, it is not entirely bad to use these as jokes however, there are also limits to them. A repeated joke for an entire community can come out unfunny as more and more people analyze each statement.

It is worth noting that while the two aforementioned public figures are especially famous in America, they are not the only ones representing Filipinos in the West. Liza Soberano has officially made her Hollywood debut recently, and Heart Evangelista is an icon in the fashion world. Additionally, Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Grey are still well-known public figures as two of the former Miss Universe title crown holders.

Filipinos in Local Media

If there was one thing that can be considered "staple" in a Filipino household, specifically my Filipino household, it will be the absurd amount of racy photos of women, primarily slapped on the walls with a small calendar on the side. It has become normalized to have these posters whilst fully living with a woman. It feels baffling because these have become the object of desires of these men and it is just up there on the wall for everyone, young or old to see. 

Of course, as a woman, I somehow find it uncomfortable that they are displayed for the public to see however, I also value consent more than anything; hence, if they are okay with being photographed that way, then it should not bother me to say the least. Still, it does not take away the implications that is it there to feed the desires of the audience. I mean, if it is meant to be a calendar then why can we not barely see the dates? 

Moreover, these also have expectations on how a woman should appear---petite, thin, curvy but only on the sides. And as a child, I had fallen victim to that. I often grew up wanting to be as sexy as these girls before even understanding that what it means to be calendar girl. They are often celebrated however, the industry barely has any representations. 

Anyone who is not part of the standard beauty if immediately taken as a joke. It invokes thoughts such as "What if I don't look like this, will I be rejected by society?" The body and beauty standards are strict but even when you have made it without conforming, people will still find a way to shame you.

The entertainment industry is harsh if you're a woman however, it is on a different level if you are a queer person.

My Husband's Lover, in particular, can be considered a ground-breaking drama for explicitly portraying a love triangle between a gay man, woman, and a man in the Filipino drama scene. However, even with the representation, there are still a few points that are critiqued. This includes imposing that a queer man, if married and with kids, should be met with a choice to either leave his family and be with the one he truly loves, or sacrifice his own happiness for his family---which I wholeheartedly disagree with. There should no choice of giving up on good thing for another; however, I do not condone the cheating that is in the story---that is an entirely different topic.

The study of "The Limits of Bakla and Gay: Feminist Readings of My Husband’s Lover, Vice Ganda, and Charice Pempengco" by Robert Diaz emphasizes and critiques the queer representation within the Filipino media. Diaz emphasizes that even with "the hypervisible presence of kabaklaan or gay globality, such othered lives are still being formed, even if they often face the prospect of erasure". This is because the gay or queer representation should not stop at just a gay man, nor should it draw a line between all the other identities. One identity need not disappear for the other to be visible. 

The controversies behind Charice Pempengco, now Jake Cyrus (and will be referred to as such), also sparked the discussions between the people. The backlash received by Jake at that time was truly perplexing as he was once loved by many people as Charice. While his coming out experience may not be the same as other queers, it gave light to how people view them and more so on the struggles of finding one's gender identity.

As I cannot stress this enough, one person cannot be the representation of an entire community but with proper presentation, it can shed light to how a certain community is treated. 

According to Croteau and Hoynes, "The media usually do not try to reflect the "real" world" and I agree because each content that we see in media is heavily filtered out. It may contain some contents that are true to life however, some of it are just ideal portrayals set by standards of the industry. At the very least, we should always be mindful of the content that we consume and learn how to discern what is real and what is not.