Of Ex Battalion, Robin Padilla,
the question of today's Filipinoness
(and its contemporary rootlessness)
(and its contemporary rootlessness)
(Or "Still, a culture cultivated by merchants than artists")
At first, it is becoming admissible to say that the present-day Filipino, being dictated by commercialism, and hence "gone with the flow", has becoming a rootless cosmopolitan in its character.
Based from the concerned's observation, it seems that today’s culture of sorts has reduced patriotism or nationalism to an aesthetic enough to mask a soulless being. For people, in spite of showcasing its talent, whether it is in a form of a poem, song, dance, or even cinema, does not really appeal to patriotic or any other sentiment in spite of their intent if not exaggerating it by the bigwigs who profited from it.
Based from the concerned's observation, it seems that today’s culture of sorts has reduced patriotism or nationalism to an aesthetic enough to mask a soulless being. For people, in spite of showcasing its talent, whether it is in a form of a poem, song, dance, or even cinema, does not really appeal to patriotic or any other sentiment in spite of their intent if not exaggerating it by the bigwigs who profited from it.
And from there lies a dangerous tendency that is to be seen in some if not most of the works emanating under the pernicious influence of the West. Frequently in every work being shown are in pathetic and ludicrous forms, if not derided and inferior before all things foreign.
Sounds too much isn't it? For that rootlessness has been manifested throughout, be it the songs of "Ex Battalion" with its sexist, misogynist statement, or even the response from Robin Padilla's insistence to use Tagalog from a Korean who had lived in the country for 10 years. The frustrations of beoming Filipino hath been intense especially under a regime who assumes to be "As Filipino as any other Filipinos" yet in fact it treats Filipinoness as a doormat as it favours the foreigner- and thus masks the rootlessness.
However, as according to Epoy Deyto, that Rootlessness which is prevalent in the Philippines is brought about by the present situations in which the system profits about:
"Isn't this "rootlessness" a good thing? Like, isn't one of the thing that materialism brought to us is to acknowledge that culture is plastic, and nothing is ever really rooted to something other than the specific mode of production of its time which has produced it?"
Perhaps, it is more like admitting itself that he/she is a product of his time and materiality, if not treating that "rootless cosmopolitanism" as a symptom of a country’s material realities. From there it may include “patriotism” in its exaggerated form enough to mask a soulless being.
Sounds too much isn't it? For that rootlessness has been manifested throughout, be it the songs of "Ex Battalion" with its sexist, misogynist statement, or even the response from Robin Padilla's insistence to use Tagalog from a Korean who had lived in the country for 10 years. The frustrations of beoming Filipino hath been intense especially under a regime who assumes to be "As Filipino as any other Filipinos" yet in fact it treats Filipinoness as a doormat as it favours the foreigner- and thus masks the rootlessness.
However, as according to Epoy Deyto, that Rootlessness which is prevalent in the Philippines is brought about by the present situations in which the system profits about:
"Isn't this "rootlessness" a good thing? Like, isn't one of the thing that materialism brought to us is to acknowledge that culture is plastic, and nothing is ever really rooted to something other than the specific mode of production of its time which has produced it?"
Perhaps, it is more like admitting itself that he/she is a product of his time and materiality, if not treating that "rootless cosmopolitanism" as a symptom of a country’s material realities. From there it may include “patriotism” in its exaggerated form enough to mask a soulless being.
In the case of Ex Battalion, it tries to be as similar to those of African American or Korean urban scenes including those of its sentimentality being depicted; if not an amalgamation of tired relics from the past and present (Jejemon, etc.) mixed with alienation, rejection, and ennui; but its fans chose to cling to these musicians right or wrong, with alibis ranges from “least it’s Filipino talent” regardless of its message to those narrowly speaking "at least better" than listening to KPop in spite of that boyband being influenced as such.
So is in the case of Robin Padilla, who, through his insistence to use Filipino (or Tagalog as what he saidth), tried to invoke "Filipinoness" in a talent show, only to be criticised by its viewers, describing it as "racist". But in fairness, his brand of Filipino ideal, in spite of its appeal to patriotism, is becoming of a right-wing zealot that is full of hypocrisy, machismo, and false bravado.
And obviously, most viewers care not to think about the Filipinoness of the show, regardless of its title "Pilipinas Got Talent", the important is that it is like any other show showcasing one's talent and nothing else "but making people enjoy".
From these examples, it shows a bastardised vulgar version of multiculturalism and "patriotism" controlled by the commodity exchange and supervised by imperialism. As said before, that kind of culture is but "canned" and "peddled" to many for consumption no matter how trashy it would be, and from there, this clinging on to the bourgeois idea of culture, particularly those of "roots" has made a country incapable of understanding newer forms of social organization, abuse and struggle. Whereas there are those who favoured things foreign and treat patriotism as a mere aesthetic, there are those who exaggerated their brand of patriotism till it appears as "misplaced".
On the other hand, that kind of "rootlessness" today's Filipino culture has is a good thing to be observed especially in regards to understanding over "the plasticity of culture". Something that Karl Marx had already diagnosed as early as his theses on Feuerbach, that all of the forms of social organization (mode of production, politics, religion, culture, etc) are products of sensuous human activities, of labor. And therefore not "natural" (or "rooted") but rather constructed and produced by those driven by an "idea", and therefore always subject to change by the same hands which built it. And from that, one would say that the Filipino identity was long conceptualised by the Insular (or the Peninsular) before it became indigenised and becoming creole if not entirely Indo-Malayan and be classified as a "nation of ethnicities" or a "nation of Barangays" (rather than a full-pledged nation).
And perhaps this person, like all others concerned would say that this strategic use of thought should never lead to a defeatist admittance but rather urges everyone for a more critical questioning of culture, identity, and the like. For given that peoples struggles has formed a nation-state around the archipelago in 1946, 1898, or even 1896, the question on culture has becoming more than just focusing on the surface such as what is commonly seen by the people, but also its conception according to a specific class-for in a country that has been occidentified for centuries, and frustratingly trying to revive "Filipinoness" (even for the sake of presenting the Philippines to tourists), culture has been a tool of exploitation and is at the behest of the ruling class, from this perhaps may as well wither that bourgeois Philippines, and create a culture that towards Nationalist Democracy.
And obviously, most viewers care not to think about the Filipinoness of the show, regardless of its title "Pilipinas Got Talent", the important is that it is like any other show showcasing one's talent and nothing else "but making people enjoy".
From these examples, it shows a bastardised vulgar version of multiculturalism and "patriotism" controlled by the commodity exchange and supervised by imperialism. As said before, that kind of culture is but "canned" and "peddled" to many for consumption no matter how trashy it would be, and from there, this clinging on to the bourgeois idea of culture, particularly those of "roots" has made a country incapable of understanding newer forms of social organization, abuse and struggle. Whereas there are those who favoured things foreign and treat patriotism as a mere aesthetic, there are those who exaggerated their brand of patriotism till it appears as "misplaced".
On the other hand, that kind of "rootlessness" today's Filipino culture has is a good thing to be observed especially in regards to understanding over "the plasticity of culture". Something that Karl Marx had already diagnosed as early as his theses on Feuerbach, that all of the forms of social organization (mode of production, politics, religion, culture, etc) are products of sensuous human activities, of labor. And therefore not "natural" (or "rooted") but rather constructed and produced by those driven by an "idea", and therefore always subject to change by the same hands which built it. And from that, one would say that the Filipino identity was long conceptualised by the Insular (or the Peninsular) before it became indigenised and becoming creole if not entirely Indo-Malayan and be classified as a "nation of ethnicities" or a "nation of Barangays" (rather than a full-pledged nation).
And perhaps this person, like all others concerned would say that this strategic use of thought should never lead to a defeatist admittance but rather urges everyone for a more critical questioning of culture, identity, and the like. For given that peoples struggles has formed a nation-state around the archipelago in 1946, 1898, or even 1896, the question on culture has becoming more than just focusing on the surface such as what is commonly seen by the people, but also its conception according to a specific class-for in a country that has been occidentified for centuries, and frustratingly trying to revive "Filipinoness" (even for the sake of presenting the Philippines to tourists), culture has been a tool of exploitation and is at the behest of the ruling class, from this perhaps may as well wither that bourgeois Philippines, and create a culture that towards Nationalist Democracy.
Let it be known that the people should distance from a type of patriotism that has nothing to do with empowering a country and its people (and rather subjugates, commodifies, represses), and instead uphold a genuine and progressive nationalism that opposes injustices and favours a people-and-environment-centred development.