A fanatic is someone who is enthusiastically devoted to something or somebody.  They are the type whose supposed reasoning and realistic views are often clouded by their strong affection, uncritical adoration or excessive enthusiasm towards the object or person of their devotion.

filipino fandom

I for one is a fan.  Lots of friends and relatives know that the person of my fanaticism is the Queen of Pop Madonna.  I have done senseless things in the past on my being a fan of Madonna.  That is, from hanging huge posters or framed photos in my room to cutting and collecting clippings of articles written about her to buying all her records.

I am a fan because whatever Madonna does, I still admire her.  My reasoning, logic and judgement tends to get murky when it comes to Madonna.  Whatever she does, whatever she says and whatever she thinks, no matter how bad, evil or crazy it is, such will just be fine, tolerable and acceptable with me.

I can always reason out or justify why she utter a thought or does things no matter how stupid it may be.  I can even think of meanings behind what seem to be symbols in her wardrobe, in her songs or in her music videos.  That is how fanatic I am about Madonna.

This is the very idea that led me to think about the new fandoms that has emerged in two countries where the presidential election campaigns are ongoing.  I am talking about USA and the Philippines.

In US, it can no longer be denied the existence of hardcore devotion towards the Republican front runner Donald Trump.  And here in the Philippines, we have the presidential front runner and likely victor Rodrigo Duterte, whose despicable utterances and vile conducts make Donald Trump look like a polite and obedient boy.

And since I live here in the Philippines, let me focus the fanaticism towards Duterte.  Otherwise known as “The Digong Phenomenon”, this fandom is something new here in the Philippines.  According to social analysts, this new fanbase crisscrosses the social status spectrum, i.e. from class A to E.

And despite the fact that he has gone fickle in admitting to have hidden wealth, he disrespect the elders, challenge the foreign allies, admitted to have killed thousands of people, joked about rape and death of a slashed neck woman, call the Pope a son of a b, and does not seem to have concrete plans about the Philippines, his fans still would not mind.  The fanatics still profess to vote for him in the coming election.  They would even threaten to fight and stage a revolution in case he loses.

Yeah, I am the same of a fan-tard of Madonna as what multitude of Filipinos to being fan-tards of Duterte. But what’s the disturbing difference?  I can think of only one answer.

The big difference would be the effect of such fanaticism. My devotion or Madonna fans’ adoration would not shape or influence the future of a nation.  While the Duterte fanaticism could actually affect everyone in the Philippines may a citizen be a fan or not.  Madonna’s utterances, actions, triumphs and failures would basically affect her and her alone.  But Duterte’s actions, decisions, would-be-achievements and most-likely-transgressions would obviously affect every Filipino may they be based here or abroad.

similar yet very different

And since I am not a fan, the thought of Duterte being my President makes me so anxious and nervous.    The result of the upcoming Philippine election definitely is a very critical event.  Whether I like it or not, it will be part of my life in the next six years.  The future of the overall situation of the nation where I breathe is at stake.  And the thought of Duterte being my President makes me shiver!  That is why in my humble effort, I would try to dissuade people from voting for Duterte.

I know that (like my unbending illogical adoration towards Madonna) the Duterte fanatics will never, in any way reverse or even bend their fanaticism towards Mr. Duterte.  And in case Duterte is proclaimed the President, I would just have to accept and assent to the impending menacing circumstances.

I will most probably lynched or will have to shower offensive slurs in the next couple of days because of this piece of writing – because Duterte diehards can somewhat be rude, insulting and odious – but I truly hope and pray that Duterte fans are outnumbered by voters who chose a different candidate.

Aside from being the same on being illogical, unbending and absurd. I just hope that Duterte fanatics are outnumbered, the same way that I being a Madonna fan is outnumbered.

Santa Maria!!! Hwag naman sana!!!!