Here begins the story of a photographer, a snake, and Filipinos on X (Formerly Twitter).
In the early afternoon of October 22, 2023, a wedding photographer (let’s call them OP) posted on X that he walked out of a wedding gig after seeing the gruesome death of a snake.
Why did OP walk out, you may ask? Well, it’s because they saw the groom of the wedding smashing the head of a snake, and his newly wedded wife applauding him for it. The post included a part of the conversation where OP was asked where he was and OP scornfully answered by saying, “ask mo [y]ung ahas [ask the snake]”
After just a few hours, however, OP was called out by numerous people on the platform for being unprofessional and being “OA” (over-acting). Some empathized with the OP, but others also emphasized that they were still under a contract and that they should be ready for any kind of consequence because of their actions.
The comments and quote retweets prompted OP to post a “public apology” on X, rather than their points for having done their actions.
The thread sounded sarcastic with a tinge of righteousness, for some. However, others lauded OP for sticking to their principles and morals regardless of whatever repercussions they may get for their actions. While others, well, decided to just “dog show” OP and call the entirety of its camp.
Circling back to the main issue of the thread before everyone else called it the best thread they’ve seen this year from Filipino Twitter (X), what OP did was outright unprofessional. Sure, you’re standing up for what you believe in and for what you think is right, but OP’s reaction to it was too…much?
Could it just be for clout? Maybe. For awareness? Again, it’s a maybe. However, if OP was under a contract with the groom and bride for the coverage of their wedding (assuming he was), then they’re supposed to act right for it—by right, we mean follow the contract and everything stipulated in it.
Not by acting like the moral police towards a couple (newly married, btw) whose fight-or-flight response was triggered. Would you be able to prevent the snake’s death if you were in OP’s position? If you were in the position of the groom, would you have stopped and waited for the snake’s next actions?
It’s just incomprehensible that people would say so much to justify their actions when it all points to unprofessional behavior. Okay, call it camp or whatever, it still doesn’t sit right with other people that someone would just walk out on a job when it benefited their self-righteousness and talked badly about the client that hired them for their expertise. It actually helps in the “people to avoid” list.
This isn’t us calling sh** on the fact that OP feels strongly about animal welfare, okay? We’re all for animal rights and welfare, we’re just here to say that what they did is both wrong…and good for Filipino humor. Maybe.
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