If you haven’t heard of it yet: Yes! Our very own, homegrown actress Hope Soberano, formerly known as Liza Soberano, is set to become Hollywood’s newest sweetheart with her debut in Zelda Williams’ horror-comedy film “Lisa Frankenstein.”
Starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, the film is set in the late ‘80s, and a misunderstood teen accidentally reanimates a corpse from the Victorian era during a lightning storm. She then tries to “mold” him into the man of her dreams with a broken tanning machine in her garage.
After the movie’s official trailer came out last week, Filipinos on the Internet were quick to shower praises for Hope Soberano and how much they’re hyped to see a beloved face on the Hollywood screen.
While it does feel right to see everyone cheer Hope Soberano on in her upcoming Hollywood debut, some part of it still feels uncomfortable to see.
Probably because of the number of hate comments and derogatory names Hope got when she announced her future plans for her career and the comments she made about the Philippine media’s fixation on “love teams.”
Let’s not even try to erase that moment in time when it felt like everyone had the right to say things about Hope Soberano’s career trajectory and her decisions. It was there—we all saw how the media, the public, and even her very own colleagues tried to paint her as an ungrateful human being.
One specific concept always came up when everyone was talking about Hope Soberano and her decision to shed away her “love team” past, and it’s the seemingly evergreen Filipino value of “utang na loob.”
People back then were so quick to crucify Hope Soberano and her being unable to have “utang na loob” to the industry that made her who she is now when she was anything but ungracious and unappreciative. All she ever did was finally do something for herself and her career, and then everyone just jumped on the hate train and called her selfish.
For wanting to expand her career beyond the Philippine entertainment industry, who were we to say jack **** about her career when she’s the only one who knows what she felt about it? Did we have to say that we made her famous when she did all that by bagging all the roles she got?
No, and that’s exactly why we owe Hope Soberano a huge apology. Not only were we terrible spectators of her career, but we were undeserving of the grace and class she’s been giving all of us all the while being treated like ****.
And to be honest, at this point, does any young person still subscribe to that increasingly toxic notion of “utang na loob” that only benefits the adults and those who “feel entitled to be recognized” for their role in the achievements of others?
No, now suck all that up and apologize to Hope Soberano. Not that she would even want to hear them from the people who condemned her name and are now screaming “Pinoy pride!” just after seeing her face in an upcoming Hollywood movie.
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