Thursday, November 05, 2009
Sometimes When We Touch
By now, I suppose everyone has seen the video of Manny Pacquiao serenading a worldwide audience with his interpretation of Sing-Along-Kot staple, Sometimes When we Touch. Just in case you haven't, please click on the embedded video below.
Many Filipinos of my acquaintance are quick to voice their reactions to Manny's performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Most negative reactions range from "Don't give up your day job" to "He's an embarrassment to the Filipino people." It is to those who belong in the latter extreme that I address this blog entry.
Conrado de Quiros once observed that "I’ve seen athletes turn from ferocious to meek when interviewed after stunning victories, finding the task of organizing their thoughts or expressing themselves in another language far more daunting than the challenge they had just faced. Pacquiao was not one of them. He was as fearless facing his interviewer as he was facing Ricky Hatton."
Manny's boundless confidence in himself led de Quiros to postulate that perhaps it is this hard earned self-assurance, this certainty in both his talent and his self-worth, that is Manny Pacquiao's biggest strength. To jaded eyes, it seems that majority of social structures in the Philippines are designed to reinforce a sense of inferiority, or at the very least, a limited and limiting understanding of "one's place" in life. Manny, like most world-class Filipino talents, refuses to see himself in those terms. As, de Quiros once again pointed out, "Though his answers were humble, his demeanor was not. He was unfazed by the crowd, he was unfazed by the cameras, he was unfazed by his English. They were merely of the order of facing another foe, not unlike the one in the ring, and vanquishing them."
Perhaps we should be less concerned about Manny's perceived inability to do justice to a sentimental old love song. Instead, maybe we should consider that we have the privilege of witnessing a world-class Filipino talent, by proving that he can fail at something, rectify an injustice deeper and more insidious than annihilating the opus penned by Dan Hill: that our understanding of ourselves as a people, and our supposed self-worth, is determined by how others perceive us.
Once again, Manny has done us proud. Even in supposed failure, he remains, unreservedly, Manny Pacquiao. Sometimes, we should be touched.
8 comments:
Aw! I wanted to hug him! I was nothing but charmed by his performance. How can anyone say anything negative about that? He knocked out Hatton for pete's sake, he doesn't need to be a whiz at karaoke!
As for his English, it's not his first language, big deal. He isn't British or American. It is those of us (and I admit freely here that I am very very guilty of this) that cannot speak our own language properly that should be ashamed :(
I'll sing karaoke with you anytime Manny! :)
Well said, ChichaJo. It was, all things considered, a very refreshing and honest performance. Manny was having fun!
thanks for this post john-d. it has saved me from a lot of discussions this past few days. whenever someone makes a nasty comment (believe me there's many) I quote you and de quiros or ask them to check out your blog. discussion ends he he... seriously, i don't think people mean to be nasty but it's like a conditioned response for most of us to knock a countryman down when he's doing good. But why would you want to knock somebody like Pacquaio (well, Cotto has his reasons), when the guy has achieved and managed to do a lot of things, not due the privelege of birth or background, but from bravery and hard work, di ba? Way to go Manny :)
Mia, it's a privilege to be lumped in with Conrado de Quiros, but even moreso to be considered as self-assured as yourself and the Pacman. Cheers! :)
"rectify an injustice deeper and more insidious than annihilating the opus penned by Dan Hill: that our understanding of ourselves as a people, and our supposed self-worth, is determined by how others perceive us."-- never saw Manny in this light. a good change of perspective. thank you mr borra :)
Czyka, it was my pleasure to share this perspective. It is my humble opinion that by underestimating Manny Pacquiao, we in fact have been underestimating the Filipino.
Keep on writing!
I usually skim through blogs, but yours had me stuck until the last dot.
You have some very good commentaries, John-D. If I may share my views regarding this blog entry, it appears that many Filipinos have boxed Manny in the boxing ring. We have confined him to his gloves, subconsciously thinking that singing, in English, is better left to us. That is our false sense of superiority over one who has been hailed as the greatest Filipino boxer.
Really, egos were touched. :)
Thanks usc che 2003! I'm glad that you enjoyed the entry. :)
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