This Blog is an outlet for the random thoughts of an amateur opinionator.
What's an opinionator?
An opinionator is somebody who has power without responsibility, and the ability to spout off on any subject without worrying too much about the consequences of what comes out of the mouth. All you need is an opinion and the opportunity to voice it.
TV is full of professional opinionators. The internet gives the amateur his chance.
> piNoy aKo momenT
Author: aLmich
I’ve already posted some entries here showing how proud we can be of our heritage. And how boosting it feels to have other Pinoys being successful abroad. Being Pinoy is something… it makes us a lot different from other races. Maybe because we’re not too pale nor too dark… we’re just brown… the right mix. We always hear ourselves saying that “kapag ibang lahi nalahian ng dugong Pinoy, mas gumaganda” which somehow is evident on some of our beloved half Pinoys. Maybe, it is because we’re a little bit of everything… smart, hardworking, bubbly, lovable and a little annoying at times. Or maybe, it is our distinct culture that keeps us on the top on almost every social success - our loving and warm way of getting into people made us earn enormous amount of friends and acquaintances, our diverse history honed us into flexible individuals and our unshaken determination brought us to the peak of the mountain of our dreams.
But there’s more to us than being brilliant and passionate… something that is distinctly Pinoy… our uncanny ability to pull others down as we struggle to climb harder on our way up - CRAB MENTALITY.
I once said that most of our negative traits can be traced backfrom those countries who have colonized us. We’re a mixture of almost everything. Crab mentality is not solely practiced by Pinoys [as evident also form my dear friend - Nates' experience from working abroad] but we have to admit that it undeniably something in which we’re good at. Even on daily game shows like our adopted version of Wheel of Fortune or even our very own Game Ka Na Ba? this kind of negative Pinoy trait is indeed noticeable. I am not a game-show kind of person but I remember that I once watched the US version of Wheel of Fortune and as far as I can remember, I never heard or seen contestants yelling into each other things like “Bokya”, lose a turn or anything like that. In Game Ka Na Ba?, the “Atras” power, which gives an individual the power to go back one or two spaces, is the best visible example of crab mentality. Good thing they have changed it already.
I can also admit that jealousy and greed sometimes weaken the best of me but that’s one thing I always try to work on. I hold myself from being so bitter and so jealous of somebody elses being. Crab mentality may not be a very desirable trait but let’s face it!…we’re known for that along with Mañana Habit and Colonial Mentality. No matter how much we try, we are and we’ll forever be the crab that we are….just a plea to those who run the game shows… please, please, please do not tolerate, promote or incorporate such negative traits into any of your shows. Afterall, we all share a common goal… that is to make Pinoys proud of being a Pinoy.
Pinoy ako. Pinoy tayo!
