Is the statue of the peeing Igorot man offensive? You decide in this online poll.
Some updates: Our newest sibling in the blogosphere, Bugan (Mountain Breeze) has a more detailed description of the statues at the Barrio Fiesta Restaurant. In her comment here, she also stated that the Association of Young Igorot Professionals (AYIP) has filed a complaint about the statue. Someone also told me that Cheryl Daytec-Yangot, the lawyer we earlier blogged about [here] for her and her companions’ courageous stand on the nursing scandal, will also look into this. But maybe Cheryl is a part of AYIP.
Sandati has two posts on this matter (here and here). If you have been reading the comments section, he has a different take on this one, i.e., that the statues are not offensive but are fun. And that they are caricatures and not slapstick and he so graciously explained the difference between the two words here.
I’d like to be clear that I have never said in this blog that only Igorots who are upstanding, cute, beautiful, handsome, intelligent, law-abiding, etc. are the only ones who are to be called Igorots. Heck, Igorots are human beings and we have as many faults, defects, sins, etc. etc. as other human beings or other ethnolinguistic groups.
No one in this blog is also saying that peeing in public is okay. What we are saying is that one can send the message that public urination is not okay by using a different, non-ethnic statue. But they used an Igorot to illustrate the point. This may be acceptable in a world where there are no negative stereotypes about Igorots. But, unfortunately, there are deeply held negative stereotypes about us and this statue reinforces them.
It is misleading to equate this peeing Igorot man with the pictures of old Igorot men (Lakay Kabayo and Lakay Pecdasen) who are smoking their pipes. Why? Smoking may be unhealthy but in general, people have pretty much accepted a smoker’s right to smoke. Also, because of the effect of advertising, a picture of a smoking man is not associated with negativity but with hipness and coolness. I still have to see an ad which presents public urination in a positive light.
More updates: I was about to contact the Barrio Fiesta people last week but decided not to primarily because I still haven’t heard from the officers of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to whom we sent our love letters. I believe that this is their responsibility. If the officials ignore our love letter then we will have to contact Barrio Fiesta. Again, don’t forget to cast your vote in the poll above.
RELATED POSTS: Man Oh Man; Let’s Have Fun; More on That Peeing Igorot Man.
hehe..comment lang sa choices, there are two choices that binds one opinion together, offensive but funny and offensive but not funny…all those who are being offended are given two choices,..that makes the vote divided..i am offended but i look it as funny thing because of the humor too but i am not in favor with it.
so to be fair lets make it 50-50…offended and not is the choice…tgnan mo nga naman syempre yung mga offended they have to make decission if it is funny or not…so they have an option after choosing offended, is it funny or not?
Under ordinary premises (read: if I were not so indignant), I would have found the entire presentation hilarious. It is the fact that the offender was deliberately protrayed as an Igorot that robs me of my sense of humor. To me, I cannot find the statue offensive and funny at the same time. I guess this is a sentiment shared by many.
I like this blogsite. It has remarkable capacity to stir a hornet’s nest. Look at how it alerted Igorotlandia (which expanded overseas) to a grand assault on our ethnic heritage. More than that, it strengthened, perhaps unknowingly, the cement that binds together the ethnolinguistic groups collectively known as Igorots. And it is like a socio-anthropology library. It is such a shame that it was only after the “Igorot peeing statue” sowed wild uproar that I was led here. I guess, it is always better late than never.
Mr. Bill, I wish I knew how to contact you by email. I must thank you (belatedly) for something here in your blogsite that I read only yesterday. It embarrasses me to do it publicly. Anyway, you featured an issue that involved me. I must say you were generous in describing my role in an issue that rocked the nation. I am normally uncomfortable with personal accolades(because I would rather direct the focus to the issues) but your feature warmed me. Beyond the tribute to the heroes, your feature dissected the issue with precision. In the end, the accolades did not sound empty. Worth framing for posterity. Hehehe. Thanks.
wow! andami na palang nangyari d2. I cast my vote na!
Ano ba naman yang Barriofiesta na yan, walang kasensi-sensitivity! (Tama ba yun?) Paborito ko pa man din yung karekare nila!
Hi Nats,
Very good observations. In making the choices for the poll, I wondered about whether it would be best to just provide two options. But I also wanted to capture Sandati’s point about the statue being funny because I think he has a point na hindi naman lahat ng bagay eh grim and determined tayo and that we should also look at the humurous side of things. Ang nangyari, I added the other option for those who are offended but nonetheless see the humor in the thing.
I guess we can read the results by combining those who were offended and compare it with those who are not. And then combine those who see the humor and compare it with those who don’t see any humor. But your point is valid. On hindsight, it would have been better if I just made two poll questions as in a) offensive vs. not offensive and b) funny vs. not funny. But well, we learn lessons and there’s always another poll in the future. Thanks again.
Hi Chyt,
Thanks for visiting and appreciating this blog. I’m glad that other people share my sentiments. I was worried that I might only be making a mountain out of a molehill especially because I really haven’t seen the statues in their actual environment. Picture lang kasi ang nakita ko sa internet and I was immediately offended by it.
Maybe I was generous in the feature but it is very well deserved. Alam mo naman tayong Igorot, its hard for us to compliment others unless we mean it 🙂 I was impressed with what you and your group did talaga and you really deserve the accolades. Eh ngayon nagkakandaugaga na ang gobyerno kung ano ang gagawin because NCLEX has pointed out the obvious, i.e., the fact that the exam is tainted. Ang kawawa dito mga bata who will have to take the exam again if they want to go to the U.S. To think that this would have been resolved earlier and wouldn’t have become very complicated if they only listened to you and your group? My email is igorotblogger@gmail.com. Thanks again 🙂
Hi Ferri,
Thanks for casting your vote. Oy I like karekare din ha but I ain’t going to Barrio Fiesta unless they remove that statue, kahit na ililibre mo pa ako dun hehe.
Bill, you did not make a mountain out of a molehill. That issue was a volcano waiting to erupt. It was waiting for the catalyst to hasten the explosion. You were that catalyst.
I asked the Philippine Daily Inquirer (a copy of which you will never buy again, as you said in one article. You meant that?) to feature our issue. I also forwarded to PDI’s Vince Liezel’s message in Bibaknets which carried your letter to Insigne, and advised him to visit your blogsite. In case you do not know, Vince did run a story and you were quoted. I hope he follows it up.
to chyt, there’s no reason that you wouldn’t love this blog…it’s bill at all and i respect him for a well open minded person..we don’t need to criticized because all we need to do is commenting..I am not against anything for good at all reason but i am just against for the fact that they represent a certain person in a traditional costume which reflects the cordillerans…for many maybe it is not offensive but because we are dealing with the majority lets take out our own opinion…while it is true that it is funny for me, we can’t read the minds of our fellow kailians…we don’t know what’s in their mind…so be it! hayaan na lang natin silang magkaroon ng opinion about the matter..pero i will and i will stand pa rin, i am against it unless mapalitan yung costume ng peeing man…
i agree w/ you nats…
kaya nga sabi ko kung humor talaga ang pakay nila, eh di dapat bihisan nila araw-araw yung istatwa. Dapat palitan na ng barong tagalog yung bahag niya!
Wag naman nakabarong. Hehehe
casual nalang. Baka isipin nila, mga Igorots na ang racist niyan
HELLO , long time, no visit. Kumusta na. Cool blog.
Hi Bill,
include mo naman me sa blog roll mo. Kalinga rin naman ako ah…he he he….good luck with your blogging.