Blogging V3.0 and the Double Standards of Filipinos

I gave up blogging for some time because I just found myself too damn busy to keep doing it.  Years later, here I am typing out my first entry while sitting on the toilet, because I realized that I have A LOT more to say than anything that could be fit into 140 characters or less. Most of my amazing ideas happen while I take a shit.

My twitter account was buzzing today about Bayo’s new “What’s Your Mix?” Campaign.

For starters, I’d like to say that I’m not attacking or defending this ad.  Personally I think it’s burdened by poor copy and unrelated imagery but that’s a whole different animal all together.  Bayo as a whole has always always left a poor taste in my mouth since their plagiarizing problem back in 2005.

Now the problem stems from people who are getting their tits in a twist because they seem to feel that Bayo is promoting the idea that Filipinos are more successful when they are of a mixed ethnicity (which really ISN’T what the ad is trying to say, but that’s besides the point).  I’ve come to realize that people will raise the internet hate brigade over almost anything; and while I love a good online lynching, sometimes I feel people can be entirely too oversensitive.

Take this “What’s Your Mix?” campaign for starters.  I’m not going to try and analyze what it’s trying to say vs what it appears to say because I could do that all day.  Instead let’s look at exactly why everyone is offended.

“The new Bayo “What’s Your Mix?” campaign: 100% clueless.“ they scream.

“Can’t we celebrate Filipino beauty simply because its home grown Filipino beauty“ they cry.  

“Would have been better if you get pure Pinay models and say something like 30%Ivatan + 70%Cebuana, since Bayo is a local brand..“ they tell me.

It seems that Bayo is offending full blooded Filipinos because they feel that they should be promoting the natural ethnic Filipino beauty rather than those of mixed bloods.  It looks like they’re insulted that a campaign by Bayo is implying that those of full Filipino blood are not as classy/creative/attractive/adjective.

Why is everyone so mad about it?  Look around you.  We are CONSTANTLY bombarded with celebrities of mixed heritage.  The media turns them into TV Stars, Singers, Models.  People look up to them as role models, idols, pin-ups.  We practically WORSHIP those of mixed heritage, celebrities like Anne Curtis and Georgina Wilson (who have garnered ONE MILLION views on their Call Me Maybe video in TWO WEEKS.) If our stars AREN’T of mixed blood they we try our damnedest to make them LOOK that way.  Skin whiteners are everywhere.  Look around you.

This sort of campaign that Bayo is promoting has been punching you in the face repeatedly since you were old enough to see a commercial on TV.  Now Bayo has stopped being subtle about it and the internet melts down.  This kind of idiotic false patriotism isn’t a sense of nationalistic pride.  It’s borderline ignorance and intolerance.  It’s hypocritical and is indicative of everything wrong with people and the media today.  We are surrounded by a western/mixed version of beauty because that’s whats fed to us.  No one questions it.  Only when we tell you “OH BY THE WAY, THESE PEOPLE AREN’T 100% FILIPINO” do people freak out.

Yes the copy is stupid and yes it could have been worked differently, but it’s really nothing new than what’s already shoved in front of you.

People are stupid.

On that note, it seems to me that most people don’t realize that being Filipino doesn’t mean you’re 100% Filipino blood.  That’s ETHNICITY.