Whether he’s right or wrong, Nas Daily is no match for ‘Filipino nationalism’

ICYMI, Nas Academy has decided to temporarily shutter its doors following the backlash from its Whang-Od learning course. Aside from losing thousands of followers, its own creators, such as Catriona Gray and Jessica Soho, have withdrawn their support.

Nas, real name Nuseir Yassin, has since released a video explaining his side. Apart from the program’s suspension, the vid sees Nas narrating a timeline of his journey in the Phiippines, his efforts to introduce our tourism to the world, and the instances he has offered aid to the country, as if to deflect accusations of ‘Pinoybaiting’ – another blemish to his reputation.

But while the vid itself makes several good points, if I could say something to Nas, it’s ‘Don’t waste your breath. There is no winning this. Just leave and never look back’.

It doesn’t matter if Nas is right or wrong

Look, I’m not friends with Nas to gauge if he really is a dick or not, as suggested in a post by Cacao Project founder Louise Mabulo. Nor do I know if the farmers are being exploited, as countered by Nas, or if it really is a ‘social enterprise’ as Mabulo claims (although a former classmate has since disputed the label).

But again, it doesn’t matter. Regardless if these are truths, lies, or something in between, the narrative has been set: ‘Nas is a foreigner who (supposedly) attempted to exploit our Filipino culture’.

In a country that has been colonized thrice, with the longest one lasting for more than three centuries, the idea of being taken advantaged of by foreign powers is a sore spot for most Filipinos. As such, we’re overly protective of anything related to our culture, elderly, legendary tattoo artists, most especially.

While being nationalistic is good because it means we give a sh*t about our own, too much of it is a bad thing. We launch tirades, curses, accusations with no hesitation at the slightest hint of a perceived fault.

It didn’t matter if Whang-Od’s family was seen on cam signing a contract, in contrast to a relative’s now-deleted claim. Or that Nas’ previous goodwill are the farthest from a Pinoybaiter, manipulative foreigners who overreact to everything while contributing nothing to society.

None of that matters, because in our eyes, we immediately saw a foreigner, a supposed ‘colonizer’ who is ‘taking advantage’ of Filipinos. There was no need for second-guessing, a benefit of the doubt, or an official resolution between the affected parties. We immediately passed down judgment because we already had a villain.

Again, this is not a statement to rid Nas of any fault. Rather, it is one of futility. Nas could come out with thousands upon thousands of proof suggesting his innocence. Or a court could release a verdict saying that he isn’t. And the public will either say ‘Aha! I’ve always known!’ or ‘Press X to doubt’.

In the spirit of Filipino nationalism, Nas is instantly – and always will be – ‘guilty’ because he is an outsider. It’s an impossible uphill battle, one that has no end in sight.

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Source: we the pvblic