From the irritating dances of nurses embracing their newfound fame during the pandemic to the dancing politicians on TikTok in the Philippines, one thing becomes clear: the rise of TikTok culture and online narcissism. These TikTok dancers, whether nurses or politicians, seem to hold an inflated view of themselves.
With the pandemic supposedly over, as claimed by the ruling Democrats in the United States who shamelessly exploited COVID-19 to defeat President Donald Trump, some politicians in the Philippines, particularly during the Tallano era, appear to believe they are the new stars.
Shamelessly, they have taken to TikTok to showcase their dance routines while on the job.
Naturally, netizens were outraged and expressed their anger and disappointment on various social media platforms. The reactions ranged from labeling them as “shameless” and “disrespectful” to accusing them of seeking attention and being foolish.
One notable figure called out was actress-turned-councilor Aiko Melendez, who uploaded TikTok videos of herself and other officials dancing to Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body” inside the Quezon City session hall. Aiko, who was elected as a councilor for District 5, even featured Julian Trono, a young dancer-actor serving as the chairman of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in Quezon City.
“Aiko Melendez is disgusting! A D-list actress and D-list politician!” tweeted Ruffa Rama (RuffaRama50).
“Aiko Melendez, just imagine if your children’s nanny started TikToking and dancing. I bet you haven’t written any home policies prohibiting dancing, right?” tweeted another Twitter user, Tenchi (tenchiu_MNL).
“Please show a little respect for the place you work in, especially the session hall of the Philippines, Ms. Aiko Melendez (@Aikomelendez31). Dancing like that is strictly prohibited even in regular offices,” tweeted She Persisted (@len_dont_care).
These videos were their entries for a dance challenge on TikTok, with Mariah Carey’s hit single being used in over 125,000 other videos on the platform.
However, the public did not take kindly to their actions. Netizens called out the actress and her colleagues for their false sense of entitlement, highlighting that ordinary Filipino workers would face repercussions if they behaved similarly at their workplaces.
Another Twitter user, DS (@PunditWarrior), agreed, saying, “Aiko Melendez, what on earth are you doing dancing inside the session hall of QC City Hall? That’s so rude and demonstrates your shallow thinking because ‘there’s no more session.’ Those are not just rooms, but halls where regulations are crafted. Show a little respect, please.”
The online outrage continued to mount, but Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto released a statement defending the behavior of the city councilors, asserting that no internal rules and procedures were violated.
The Vice Mayor’s statement, which drew flak from concerned netizens, also states that they “value the artistic personality of our councilors as they serve our Quezon City constitution as legislators with the same passion and commitment.”
However, many netizens found the statement insensitive and insulting to the intelligence of the voting public.
“Here’s the point: as a public official, you should know how to act respectfully, especially in an institution like the session hall… it’s called ethics! But I doubt these two know anything about respecting an institution or having ethics at all!” tweeted Jameszee (@jameszee19).
Jay (JayDelRue), another Twitter user, posted: “What do we expect from a Sotto? He could have just kept mum about it. Just because there were no rules about it doesn’t make it okay for them to do it. It’s conduct unbecoming of a government employee. But because the Filipino voters are easily swayed, they will still vote for them in the next election.”
Whoops (KaeyaPaBaNatin) shared her thoughts, saying: “You claim that no violations were made, but do you really think it is appropriate to do that in a government office? This is not just a question of proper decorum, but also a question of character. Are you aware of how you should respect the establishment?”
While the debate raged on whether the act was narcissistic or simply an expression of artistic talent, it is worth noting that nurses faced similar criticism for their dancing routines on TikTok during the pandemic.
Some nurses even faced backlash for posting videos featuring grotesque dances with what appeared to be a bagged corpse labeled COVID-19, recorded at a hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In an attempt to educate the public about COVID-19 and vaccines, many Filipino nurses also shared their dancing videos on TikTok.
However, critics, including YouTuber Blaire White and Twitter user Brian Holan, expressed their strong disapproval of these videos, deeming them in poor taste and unprofessional.
The phenomenon of dancing nurses and politicians on TikTok has sparked significant debate and discussion online. While some argue it was a way for healthcare workers and public officials to blow off steam during challenging times, others criticize it for undermining the seriousness of the pandemic and potentially fueling misinformation.
Reflecting on this matter, it is worth noting that a study conducted in December 2022 delved into the phenomenon of TikTok’s dancing nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic. The objective was to gauge whether these videos were seen as breaching professional ethical standards by nurses or the general public.
The study meticulously analyzed a total of 52 TikTok videos and revealed a multitude of violations. Within this sample, an alarming 356 breaches of provisions from the Code of Ethics, social networking principles, and social media guidelines were identified. Notably, 40 videos (77%) featured choreographed dances, while 24 (46%) incorporated twerking, and three (6%) showcased provocative dance moves like pelvic thrusts and gyrations.
Drawing an important conclusion, the study highlighted the potential repercussions of such videos. It emphasized the risk of tarnishing the professional image of nurses and downplaying the gravity of the ongoing pandemic. Thus, it is imperative for nurses who engage with social media platforms to be mindful of the content and presentation of their posts. Urgently, nurses must familiarize themselves with the professional and workplace guidelines and policies concerning the use of social media, ensuring their alignment with the content they develop and share on platforms like TikTok.
In the end, whether it’s dancing politicians or healthcare workers, the consensus among many netizens remains clear: their actions can be seen as narcissistic and foolish.
The Daily Netizen 