for thanlee ᯓ★

[MY 2 CENTS] TLDR: The male housemates are using the word dinosaur to tease one another. It's happy shipping. If we can ship outside of the house and it does not feel objectification, why can't the people inside the house? ---- The argument is simple: If we're against the idea na parang ginagawang “prize” ang isang housemate for another housemate to pursue, then shouldn't we apply the same standard sa ibang forms of teasing, banter, and shipping between housemates? Kasi, where exactly do we draw the line? As audience members, kapag masaya tayong nagshi-ship ng isang lalaki at babae, or vice versa, how is that so different from what we're accusing the male housemates of doing? When we celebrate their interactions, kinikilig tayo sa moments nila, and we root for one person to pursue the other, hindi ba we're also hoping na magkaroon ng romantic relationship between them? So my question is, paano naging fundamentally different 'yon sa ginagawa ng male housemates? Four questions 1) Did they deliberately spread false information? 2) May ginawa ba silang fake rumours tungkol sa feelings ni Gehlee? 3) May sinabi ba silang may relationship na kahit wala naman? 4) Or were they simply joking among themselves, hoping na mas maging close ang dalawang housemates? If it's the latter, bakit natin agad binibigyan ng bad meaning 'yung banter nila when we, as viewers, do almost the same thing? Three Questions to ponder 5) Do we not also observe all their movements 6) Do we not also put some hope that it develops something more 7) Do we also not put a ship name or a "code" to indicate who we are talking about? I understand naman 'yung concern about objectifying Gehlee, and I think it's a fair point to raise. Siyempre, nobody should be treated like an object, a trophy, or something na kailangang mapanalunan. Pero there's a difference between treating someone as a prize and simply joking na sana magkatuluyan ang dalawang tao. Just because you're rooting for someone to pursue another person doesn't automatically mean na tingin mo sa kanya ay isang bagay na puwedeng angkinin. Hindi rin ibig sabihin na dahil nagbibiro ka about two people becoming closer, wala ka nang respeto sa feelings or choices nila. We have to look at the actual words, the context, and kung may nasaktan or na-pressure ba talaga because of the joke. If the banter was simply between the housemates, walang ginawang fake rumours, walang sinadyang ipahiya, at walang pinipilit na magkagusto sa isa't isa, then what makes their behaviour so different from what we do as shippers? In fact, tayong mga viewers nga, sometimes we take shipping even further. We make edits, create romantic narratives, binibigyan natin ng meaning ang simpleng interactions, and sometimes we even convince ourselves na may something between two people kahit wala pa naman silang sinasabi. And most of the time, we consider that harmless fun. So bakit kapag housemates mismo ang nagbibiro tungkol sa possible romantic connection, suddenly it's something bad? I'm not saying na lahat ng jokes should be excused just because they're meant to be funny. Of course, may mga jokes na puwedeng sumobra, and people have every right to call those out and I will be calling it out too. Pero sana consistent tayo. We cannot say na harmless shipping lang kapag tayo ang gumagawa, pero automatically objectification na kapag housemates na (that are inside) ang nagbibiro. At the end of the day, ang dapat nating tingnan ay kung ano talaga ang sinabi at ginawa nila, kung may boundaries bang na-cross, at kung may taong naapektuhan. Hindi sapat na may romantic teasing para agad nating sabihing may masamang intention behind it. If we're going to hold the housemates to a certain standard, dapat willing din tayong i-apply 'yung same standard sa sarili natin as viewers. Otherwise, hindi na talaga tungkol sa kung tama o mali ang isang joke ang pinag-uusapan natin. It's becoming more about which behaviour we're willing to excuse and which behaviour we're quick to condemn, even when they're not that different.