How SB19 resolves misunderstandings and how it breaks male stereotypes in PH


Posted at Oct 11 2019 02:33 AM

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To answer the title question — no, it's not through roughing each other up with their fists but rather simply holding hands. 

There is no denying that there is this stigma among Filipinos attached to men getting clingy with one another, and admittedly the members of SB19 found it to be highly awkward at first. 

It is a ritual of sorts introduced by their Korean mentor, they shared on Thursday's "Tonight With Boy Abunda," to help facilitate discussion among them, a "mini open forum" where they can freely speak up about their problems with fellow members. 

It was explained that this practice of holding hands and hugging afterward creates intimacy and strengthens their bond, and that they do this almost every day for 10 minutes. 

"Hindi namin hinahayaan na matapos iyong araw na may sama ng loob kami para sa isa't isa," Sejun, one of the members, said. 

In a prior interview with Chalk Magazine, Sejun shared that this is common among idols in South Korea. He did acknowledge that they viewed it as "kadiri" at first, but quickly learned the value of it helping them feel more connected and understood. 

"At the end of the day, babae o lalaki, lahat naman tayo tao, merong emotions," another member, Justin, told the magazine.

SB19 is a group, highly influenced by K-pop, that's recently found fame after their song, "Go Up," went viral and amassed more than 3.1 million views on YouTube alone. They sing in Tagalog, and they have been vocal about their goal of promoting OPM abroad. 

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