As we near the holidays, people are looking for ways to extend a helping hand despite the restrictions of the times we’re living in. Luckily, social media has made it easy for us to amplify causes that matter, but at the same time it’s difficult to avoid out of touch people from abusing their platforms. So it might be the perfect time to step back and reflect on some “tone-deaf” discussions going around online — it is the season of giving after all.
Let’s first take a look at the notorious viral video from Queennie Lopez.
After a hiatus that lasted a little over a month, Queennie Lopez has slowly began posting on her social media once more. You may have heard of the Queennie Lopez issue last month. If you haven’t, here is the basic run down of what happened.
Queennie posted two videos on her spam TikTok account (@s3cret04) which gained some attention, and not the good kind.
While both videos have been taken down, people were able to record these and release the copies online.
The first video was a response to her haters, while her intentions for the video may have been to show how thankful she was for her father being able to provide her needs and wants, she did this at the cost of putting down those fathers (or father figures) who may not have the means to do the same for their own families.
walang modo 'to ang matapobre pic.twitter.com/880duaDpTr
— 𝓐rki 🍳 (@sehunsilog) October 17, 2021
The first half of the video relayed a pretty decent message about her being proud of her dad and his achievements in providing for her and her family, giving them what he was deprived of in his youth.
But the video just didn’t stop there. She continues to say that she feels sorry for people whose fathers can’t provide what they need even though they are working hard. Even going so far as to say that they would be “acting like the victim” if they were to get offended by her video or blaming “the opportunity and the economy” for their parents’ struggle in providing for their families.
If that wasn’t enough, Queennie later posted a second video which garnered criticism as well. This TikTok was about her being different from other concert goers—specifically, those who purchase general admission tickets, as compared to her who would be in the VIP section.
@cemy.skyler #fypシ #queenielopez #viral ito pala yung issue hays nay nyare.
The connection between her family being well off and her father’s role as a Barangay Kapitan was also put under scrutinization. The position of her father was also discussed after she herself brought him up in her first video, dubbed “the father video”.
oki last na hehe i can see comments na kaya daw kami well off dahil my dad is kapitan or politician. i was not gonna say something sana kasi i know yall will say something, pero what are u trying to imply? whats the connection of us being well off and my dad being a politician?
— Queennie Lopez (@queennielopezz) October 17, 2021
After being criticized for her tactlessness and mocking tones, Queennie later posted an apology video to atone for her actions. She also abstained from her social media accounts before returning to posting on them in early to mid-November.
In her apology video, Queennie Lopez accepts the mistake that she has made and repeatedly thanks people for helping her understand her mistake. As Queennie begins posting again, let’s hope that she stays true to her promise of being “more careful next time.”
Another example is an infamous post on Facebook from Momar Balsamo about a revelation they had about delivery riders after spotting a Food Panda worker playing the piano at the mall. For context, OP had only “just discovered” that the riders behind our food deliveries actually have lives outside of their job.
He writes in the caption, “I just realized that the person that I usually call “kuya” or “ate” for my food deliveries are people with families, friends, skills, talents… dreams, just like me.”
By the end of the post Momar Balsamo writes, “Remember that they are battling life outside so we can continue working in the safety of our homes.”
Despite the seemingly harmless message OP wished to portray, the public thought of it differently. Other users interpreted the post as a “woke” message by someone so blinded by their privilege that they couldn’t see beyond their own lives — granting plenty of criticism. Although the post has since been deleted, multiple people have saved screenshots of the post and the comments under it.
While it isn’t wrong to express yourself or be thankful for what you have, it is essential to do so with grace. It is possible to be grateful without having to put others down. We never know what exactly other people are going through, this may ring even more true now more than ever. We don’t know the full extent of the effect that the pandemic has had on everyone else’s lives.
This situation may also serve as another reminder of how crucial it is to think twice – or “even a hundred times,” as Lopez puts it– before posting. Even if you are able to delete your post, you’ll never be able to delete the impression it made on other people’s minds and any other copies they may have made of your post.
We should always be sensitive towards others, but as we approach Christmas time, it may be even more relevant. Everyone will be spending Christmas differently depending on their different circumstances, if they even practice celebrating it at all. This Christmas time, be grateful but stay graceful.
Other POP! stories you might like:
The wholesome side of TikTok will make you cry for all the best reasons
Mbrace-ing children in the time of Covid
Make your holidays more meaningful with heartwarming OPM this Christmas
