Filipino indie rock band Sud is in a hell of a lot of hot water now thanks to their infamous cover for Pulp Magazine’s August issue. The cover shows the band portraying vintage-styled pornographers, with vocalist Sud Ballecer holding a camera appearing to film two women in their underwear. Behind-the-scenes photos show the women being intimate on the bed as the crew films on.
It’s 2016, people. Doesn’t take a genius to tell that this was bound to go haywire online.
After Pulp released the photo of the band on the evening of August 1, naturally, local netizens took to Twitter to voice out their opinions. Aaaand they’ve got a point–misogyny and the objectification of LGBT are never cool.
I talked to five women & now I wanna ask you! SUD’s PULP cover is?
— very girl (@sisisidsisisi) August 2, 2016
It’s the Year of the Lord 2016. Filipinos still don’t know what satire means bcs they keep using the word to excuse garbage like SUD’s cover
— very girl (@sisisidsisisi) August 2, 2016
Iwas muna sa SUD kasi backward-thinking yung Pulp cover nila. SUD spelled backwards is DUS and DUS not good.
— King Tana (@haynaku_talaga) August 2, 2016
if you have the privilege to say that the oppressed shouldnt yell to get their message across you probably never experienced being silenced
— formerly gothtita (@groansky) August 2, 2016
: It’s not even about Sud or their magazine cover per se anymore. It’s how that single image becomes a tile in the patriarchal mosaic.
— JARED LETO LAPID (@Watdahel_Marcel) August 2, 2016
When will women be more than just the subject of male gaze in the music industry?
— Billie Dela Paz (@billiebooonka) August 1, 2016
But the most prominent of the cover’s opposers is independent synth-pop artist BP Valenzuela, giving a little more than her own two cents as a woman in the music industry.
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
things that sell – emotion, sex, redemption, melancholy, decadence – who are we to be above it. but there are always tasteful ways to do it
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
i have a problem w this as someone who actually is lgbt – this doesn’t even need explaining – this is wrong and weak pic.twitter.com/DnzOptKWrz
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
as a girl in the music industry i care so much abt these things only 2 be dismissed as overreacting but if i dont talk abt it who else will
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
so tired of girls being fetishized and you fuckin know i don’t enjoy it myself – so why does this happen? bc no one wants to call ppl out
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
i love pulp mag. theyve been nice enough to feature me a bunch. this isnt criticizing them but the whole structure of this being ok. its not
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
its systemic, disgusting, and there is def no good defense for how deeply rooted exploitative it is. u know what its like? no? then stfu
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
ano tahimik na lang? fun times forever? ok lang din kung yun gusto niyo – let’s just stay silent about this, what’s new
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 2, 2016
BP went as far as to tweet a screencap of Sud allegedly flirting with her publicly via Twitter.
do i tell sud off when he flirts w me so wantonly and publicly? no bc who am i to be so self righteous abt it right pic.twitter.com/eM4n8Odfgy
— bp v ✌(꒡͡ ો ̼̮ ꒡͡✌️) (@valenzuelabp) August 1, 2016
Some Sud members were far from silent, most notably Jimbo Cuenco. Jimbo and BP eventually found themselves in a very, very public Twitter spat (which, we unfortunately didn’t get to screencap after Jimbo deleted a handful of his tweets).
just like u, we speak out. but don’t go all personal on sum1 u personally don’t know. that’s not constructive. that’s looking 4 trouble.
— Jimbo Cuenco (@jimbooooowww) August 2, 2016
Meanwhile, while all the sh*t was hitting the fan, frontman Sud Ballecer himself probably just wanted a breather and tweeted a photo of appreciation for his (adorable) dog.
I love you Bruce! :) pic.twitter.com/8W3E54jA14
— Sud Ballecer (@sudballecer) August 2, 2016
Sud fans bit back, claiming people were “overreacting” and that the cover was only fit for the band’s lyrics—which mostly talk about passion and sex. Some said the cover was a parody or satire.
Wait. People actually have a problem with PULP and their Sud cover? Oh for gods sake. Do you need life to come with trigger warnings?
— Carlo Casas (@carlocasas) August 2, 2016
It’s a fucking parody, guys…
Although it’s great y’all talking about these issues, they’re very real and there is a problem.
But shit…
— ℕ I ℕ ℕ O (@_NinnoRodriguez) August 2, 2016
As far as official statements go, we have this one from Pulp Magazine publisher Vernon Go.
Photography of the female form that is sexy and provocative has nothing to do with misogyny. It is actual worship of the power of womankind.
— Vernon Go (@Vernon_Go) August 2, 2016
K, Mr. Go.
Late last night, SUD finally responded with a statement that was both apologetic and unapologetic at the same time:
Regardless of whose side you’re on, or if you’re even taking sides in all this mayhem, take this as a PSA that misogyny and female objectification need to be booted back into the Middle Ages. And picking fights on Twitter ain’t that cool (but it’s slightly more fun for everyone else).
Photos from Pulp Magazine and MYX