If Bini wanted to mask up in order to be left alone, it’s hard to blame them because, yes, celebrities have the right to not be as generous with their time
Last week, before all the mess Super Typhoon Carina wrought, the nation’s girl group Bini earned virality yet again by dressing up as the Jabbawockeez on their flight to General Santos City, where they had a leg of their Biniverse concert tour.
For those who aren’t as terminally online as many of us, this was an apparent response to another viral post by so-called internet personality (in the very loosest sense of the word) Tio Moreno.
Moreno aimed an uncalled-for shot at Bini for being seen masked up at the airport, seemingly giving an air of unapproachability in public. He compared them to the Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo and husband Matteo Guidicelli, who was photographed one time not wearing masks at the airport, calling them humble and presumably open to receiving fans—and that Bini should follow their example.
First, it’s important to be fully aware of the context. Bini were just coming off recent incidents where fans had been coming up to them in public while they were with their families—in short, it’s as personal as personal time can get. There was an incident with Bini Aiah in her hometown of Cebu and another with Bini Maloi with her family in Batangas.
Basically, if Bini wanted to mask up in order to be left alone, it’s really hard to blame them.
The problem now is that because of the Filipino celebrity-crazy culture, more than a few people are not happy with these overtures by Bini. People already have something to say—perennial pot-stirrer Xian Gaza also fired his own shot, saying that the lack of privacy comes with the territory of being famous.
Bini, like any other human being, have and deserve the right to be left alone in public. It’s hard for some Filipinos to understand because our society is built on community, and oftentimes we don’t have a solid sense of personal space and boundaries
Here’s the thing: Gaza is right, in so far as public figures (especially those who suddenly shot to fame) no longer have the same expectation of privacy as the rest of us mortals. That’s an actual legal concept that has sadly reduced the rights of anyone with some considerable fame.
But what’s legal isn’t always what’s morally right.
Bini, like any other human being, have and deserve the right to be left alone in public. It’s hard for some Filipinos to understand because our society is built on community, and oftentimes we don’t have a solid sense of personal space and boundaries. (Remember when people were bold enough to snap a candid photo of Nadine Lustre right in front of her face?) Fans also feel entitled to attention, with some reasoning that the celebs won’t be where they are without their love. (Hey, you also remember when the Choco Mucho volleyball team had to deal with bothersome fans in Boracay?)
But it doesn’t matter if Bini are celebrities—they’re people too, and they have just as much a right to enjoy what we enjoy in the outside world. It shouldn’t be their responsibility to control people being set off by the sight of a famous celebrity, and they shouldn’t have to be the ones to adjust by never stepping out. Their newfound fame really shouldn’t warp their personal lives for the worse.
This is what we need more of, and if celebs finally do win the right to be left alone, it may just be because Bini were gutsy enough to clap right back at people
And if anything, it seems like Bini is fully aware of the rights they have, pushing back on those who feel entitled to their time and attention. The Jabawockeez stunt was actually pretty awesome, if only because I’d never seen any local celeb be so indignant about the right to be left alone and do what they want.
This culture of entitlement isn’t going to change overnight, but the fact that a lot of fans—self-proclaimed Blooms, newcomers to the fold, and even casual observers—have come to their defense on this issue shows that we have come far. That’s what we need more of, and if celebs finally do win the right to be left alone, it may just be because Bini were gutsy enough to clap right back at people.