[OPINION] Be careful about celebrifying our politicians
It seems that the Venn diagram of those involved in celebrity culture and Philippine politics is now a complete circle. From previous generations electing athletes and action stars into positions of power and banking on the cachet of celebrity endorsers to fill their ballots, we have now progressed to an equally intriguing development: young ‘stans’ treating our public servants with the same rabid support reserved for the likes of Taylor Swift and BTS.
Enter fancams of senators Pia Cayetano and Imee Marcos walking the SONA red carpet like it was the MET Gala; snippets of Sen. Risa Hontiveros dragging Alice Guo through the mud; and full-on thirsting directed towards the likes of Dan Fernandez and, interestingly, Joel Villanueva. If we look back a little further, one might recall coming across LenRisa fanfiction on Wattpad during the last national elections, reimagining former vice president Leni Robredo and her closest confidante as lovers. Even earlier back, internet boyfriend and Pasig mayor Vico Sotto’s love life was once the center of public spectacle, until he made explicit calls for it to stop.
Come to think of it, this phenomenon was bound to happen. The Philippine STAR previously reported that Filipinos are some of the top social media consumers in the world, and are also naturally entertainment-oriented people. Political and fandom spaces both involve being drawn to a certain figure for what they represent to us, and building a community on the basis of these shared values. It’s no wonder impassioned Gen Zers were inclined to apply the same behaviors that keep "stan culture" running.
And honestly, it’s not all bad. Drawing such parallels has made politics much more approachable to young people, who are just starting to solidify their stances on social issues. Sociologist Athena Charanne “Ash” Presto recently published a study on youth political participation, which reveals that Gen Z voters employ a series of navigational strategies in their engagements. “These can range from joining rallies and participating in social media ‘bardagulan’ to creative strategies like asking your friend out for coffee to convince them to vote for your candidate. Others also choose calculated apathy to avoid the toxic discourse online,” she tells PhilSTAR L!fe.
But for Presto, this turns into a cause for concern when these online behaviors are used to “forward click-driven political engagement that overshadows discussions about critical issues.” Being relatable, likable, or conventionally attractive does not automatically translate to progressive platforms or a consistent track record.
Aja Romano writes for Vox that the public figure’s persona is a “collectively created construct: built by the celebrity and what they present to the media and the public, and then built by the media and the public and how they interpret and interact with the famous person.” Once fans establish a parasocial relationship with their politician of choice, the halo effect comes into play as they project positive attributes onto them, even when there is evidence that points to the contrary.
And as anyone who has spent time in the pits of Stan Twitter would tell you, such an environment encourages blind allegiance. Public servants’ positions on national affairs are rarely ever black and white: They have to make compromises, taking into consideration varying impacts on a wide range of sectors. When their decisions adversely affect certain groups or prove to be solely in service of their interests, we must be willing to call them out even when they already have our vote.
I’m not ashamed to say that I rallied behind Robredo last 2022 and continue to imagine an alternate universe where pink triumphed over red. But that doesn’t mean she was perfect: Many of her fellow women scrutinized her stance on divorce. Towards the end of campaign season, supporters implored her to abandon her initial strategy of killing misinformation movements with kindness and finally fight fire with fire.
With less room for nuanced conversations also comes even less tolerance for those outside of our circles. To this day, we hear horror stories about apathetic Kakampinks or disillusioned voters, scolding the masses and saying their current hardships are a product of their poor choices, which merits an entirely different thinkpiece in itself. “This is why it’s so important to create deliberative platforms for members of Gen Z: because these young voters will have different political justifications rooted in the spaces that they occupy,” Presto urges.
While our fancams and thirst tweets may not have the power to meaningfully shift mainstream opinion just yet, there is something to be said about how we can flatten a politician’s years of service—and all the issues and controversies they may have been embroiled in—into a piece of content. “When you look at their ‘yassified,’ emotion-evoking videos, ang ganda eh, especially if these public servants have a brand that they want to put forward. But reducing their career moments into trendy, viral highlights makes it hard to enjoin Gen Z to fact-check,” Presto warns.
Next time you come across your favorite Madam Girlboss on TikTok, remember that there is more to her than her witty clapbacks. Take a look at who she aligned with during the last elections. If you switch on a Senate hearing livestream and spot a hunk at the stands, do some digging. Maybe he voted for the closure of ABS-CBN or the legalization of POGO operations in the country. While they may be nice to look at and listen to, our public servants are people, too—capable of influencing the rest of our lives and making mistakes in the process.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of PhilSTAR L!fe, its parent company and affiliates, or its staff.