Memorable pikon moments in recent Philippine history

by Pacifiqa Staff

 

Filipinos are incredibly sensitive. While we’re known for our hospitality and warmth toward visitors and guests, we know this also cuts the other way. As a country, we’re more like a lioness fiercely protective of a young cub. Sure, we’ll cheer and laugh at our own mistakes and shortcomings. But when someone else dares to make fun at us? Watch out.

We will storm the heavens of the internet and rain down fire on the perpetrator with our mighty legion of social media users. Like Xerxes and his army of archers, we will turn day into night and flood the violator with an endless array of tweets, memes, and videos.

The comments section is our battlefield, and we fight for every inch of it—one like, share, and retweet at a time. Don’t you dare defy us, the top comment will always belong to the Philippines.

We will invoke the names of our forefathers, Lapu-Lapu, Bonifacio, Silang, as we wade into battle, igniting an unnecessary media frenzy of analysis, opinions, counterarguments, all in the search for an apology, because #PinoyPride.

Okay, we don’t really invoke the names of our national heroes quite like a Spartan warrior, but you get the idea. For everyone’s peace of mind: Don’t mess with Pinoys, because we’re everywhere and we make a lot of noise every time you piss us off.

That said, even in the young life of #interneteverywhere and social media, Pinoys have already established a remarkable track record in spewing outrage and anger online. When we don’t get our way, fairly or unfairly, we make sure the whole world knows. The most recent example happened in Las Vegas. Just take a look at the remarkable creativity in these memes and videos.

But Mayweather-Pacquiao was just the latest in a colorful tradition of butthurt moments in Philippine history that sparked national outrage. A Pinoy Butthurt log has recently surfaced on the internet; it’s a handy tool for keeping track of all the times Filipinos have been collectively butthurt.

Revisit some of the highlights:

 

When we lost the Miss Universe title to USA in 2012 

If there’s one fight that we take more seriously than Pac Man’s boxing matches, it’s the Miss Universe pageant. We almost took home the crown in 2012, when Janine Tugonon placed 1st runner-up to USA’s Olivia Culpo. Culpo recently got flak from beau-con followers when she posted this Instagram collage during the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.

 

When Gilas was defeated by every team in our FIBA group, except for Senegal 

Gilas didn’t shine in the 2014 FIBA tournament, except for that one time when they beat Senegal. Psssh, who cares about FIBA? It’s not even as prestigious as the Olympics, raged the angry netizens.

 

When our Asia’s Next Top Model bets lost to Malaysia

Two of our Top Model bets made it to the top three, but the Malaysian contestant Sheena Liam ended up winning the competition. Pinoys suspected that Liam won because of her “homecourt advantage,” since the contest was held in Malaysia.

 

 

When Jessica Sanchez lost American Idol

#PinoyPride was smashed to smithereens when Jessica Sanchez did not win American Idol in 2012. Unbelievably angry fans cried that the contest was rigged and even demanded a recount of votes. To make things better (i.e., worse), netizens awarded Sanchez an honorary title.

 

When Ramon Bautista made the hipon joke in Davao 

The comedian was declared persona non grata in Davao when his hipon joke was deemed disrespectful by city officials. In a Facebook post, ex-mayor Sarah Duterte wrote, “P at F to you Ramon Bautista! bisita ka lang, gumalang ka!” Bautista then issued a public apology.

EVERY SINGLE TIME foreign celebrities hurt Filipino pride 

When author Dan Brown described Manila as “the gates of hell” in his novel Inferno, MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino wrote him a letter, berating Brown for his unflattering description of the city.

Among other celebrities that have offended Filipinos are: Claire Danes, Justin Bieber, Taylor Kitsch, Jimmy Kimmel, Lucy Liu, and, most unfortunate of all, The Beatles. Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia is urging Filipinos to support his #postcardsfromparadise campaign, hoping that the two remaining Beatles would hold another concert in the Philippines.

 

 

When Filipinos are called out for being racist

Just this week, a Thai man was slammed for calling Filipinos “Pignoys,” low-class slum slaves,” and “useless race in this world” in a string of Facebook posts that went viral. How racist!

But remember that time when certain celebrities made remarks about Mayweather’s skin color? Oh yeah, that was just last week. How about that time when “PUSO vs PUTOK” trended on social media during the Philippines-Iran FIBA game? We even tend to make derogatory remarks about our fellowmen by using negro, mukhang katulong, and intsik beho as insults. And yet we get riled up when we are called racists or when someone acts racist towards us.

 

When Filipinos are misrepresented in pop culture

Tekken’s first ever Filipino video game character Josie Rizal was received negatively by the National Commission of Culture and the Arts, citing that the character is a product of cultural appropriation.

During Cory Aquino’s time, Pinoys were outraged when a famous dictionary maker allegedly defined the word “Filipina” as “domestic help.”

Yup, every time we are “misrepresented” in pop culture, we cry foul.

 

When Filipinos who have been living abroad say mean things about the Philippines

Lifestyle columnist Malu Fernandez quit her job after angering Pinoys when she wrote that she would rather slash her wrists than be “trapped” in a plane with OFWs. Fernandez has apologized after receiving an onslaught of hate from insulted netizens.

Like Fernandez, journalist Raul Dancel was criticized for his story that appeared in The Straits Times. In it, Dancel pines for Singapore, a country he has lived in for seven years, by comparing it to the Philippines.