Performing Dolls — Pablo

(Disclaimer: Everything stated here is the author's perspective and do not reflect the fanbase I belong to.) 

—This is a five-part blog—

Ate Chona?

People love to name people based on what they see without knowing the full story. It is funny and pathetic at the same time that our capacity to think and analyze have never really improved and remained asinine. We've had humongous development across many aspects for the past hundreds of years, yet our minds have some remained backwards.

Imagine entering an exhibit where different paintings were displayed. The natural instinct of a human mind is to recognize the pretty ones. The ones with colors and many images are the ones we will immediately like. Only the rare and special ones would notice the monochromatic paintings and those without images. Just here in the Philippines, vast majority of us would wholeheartedly enjoy novelties and dirty songs, yet we wouldn't even spend a few minutes to listen and understand a beautifully written song. People always like it easy and shallow. They don't even want their brains exercised, which is no wonder why many of us have limited knowledge about things.

It's the same with how people see and judge others. We look at someone for five minutes and the first thing we see is the last thing that would stay in our minds. That is how easy it is to fool us. We don't dive deep on things or study a topic. I remember a Facebook user posted something about people no longer read full articles or watch full documentaries. This person said many of us have settled for short reads and quick watch and because of it, our critical thinking deteriorated further. I couldn't agree more. Aside from Ken, the other person who have always been judged in the group was Pablo.

As the assigned leader, he had responsibilities that would make other people frown. It was his job to get his members in line, inspire and teach them, and make sure they will succeed. Such a responsibility can take a toll on someone, especially for one who didn't really sign up for it. Being a leader of a group of people is not a joke, let alone a group of performers constantly in the public eye. They have to be careful with what they say and do because there are people just waiting for them to slip up. At first, I thought the videos released by their previous company placed him in a bad light. I mean, they were supposed to protect their artist, right? They were supposed to sell their artists like they are faultless and pure, but they didn't. Instead, they showed the people how these five men are just any other human beings. The company showed their imperfections, their mood swings, and their emotions. Eventually, I realized that it was the right thing to do.

If SB19 followed the norm of talent groups, they will be just another pretentious idols who strut like swans hiding behind a façade. This realization comes with a newfound admiration for the leader and chief songwriter of my favorite group. Pablo doesn't have an attitude problem. He's a human being who gets frustrated or disappointed when people around him act like children or irresponsibly. He took his position seriously because he, too, have dreams he wanted to achieve. Besides, what they do is their job, first and foremost. If I would be honest, he has the most difficult job because aside from the fact that leaders are often the hated ones. They have the job of setting people straight, being honest to people even when it would probably hurt, and to be the person who's not included in the cool club's table. As the years go by, their group becomes even more successful. Aside from being the leader, he carried the responsibility of being the chief songwriter and eventually, the CEO of their own artist management company, 1z Entertainment. It couldn't have been easy.

As I lurk on social media, I've been seeing people comment about how he acts around people. They are saying things like he's a CEO and he should act like one, What the hell do we know about being a CEO? Have we ever handled a position that's remotely close to it? I remembered Pablo's tweet about him not being the traditional idol that people expect. He practically made a vow that he would never change who he is and will always carry his truth, good and bad, wherever he goes. That was a brave move considering the kind of environment he is in. He wants to be accepted for who he is and only true artists would want that. He shows us how it is to be a good human being despite his imperfections. Another thing that people don't understand about him is the way he carries himself.

Pablo admitted many times that he is a naturally shy person. That is the exact reason why he never really had the chance to use the stage name he wanted as a rapper, imszmc. He is not pretentious nor does he want any unnecessary attention to himself. When he is in a setting dedicated for someone else, regardless if it is one of his brothers or another person, he would rather stand behind than steal the spotlight. People see this as him not acting appropriately and CEO-like. As we have seen in many occasions, Pablo can carry himself and have enough confidence when called for. It's sad that it's the fans who would say those things. He is not a child. He knows how to act appropriately based on the environment he is in, and we should know this.

But the worst part is how Pablo had always been smart-shamed. It's almost as if it's the smart people's fault that they are more superior than others intellectually. He is hated for his intelligence, and sometimes I feel like he intentionally make himself small just so he would not demand so much attention. This is one of the things I hate about people. We tend to despise the things we don't have and the people that have them. Instead of appreciating him and all that he has done for the group and their fans, he is judged and hated. Now, where's the justice in that? John Paulo Nase a.k.a PABLO is a human being gifted with incredible talent. He is imperfect but he always tries his best to do good for others. He is humility in human form. Rather than judging him, why don't we try and understand him? Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from him.