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Each time Manny Pacquiao has an upcoming fight, wife Jinkee becomes the subject of countless memes in its aftermath. Jinkee, known to many through her social media posts, is a collector of notoriously expensive luxury bags from Louis Vuitton, Channel, and, of course, the Hermes.
Most of the memes implied that if the boxing champ wins, Jinkee gets a new luxury bag. If Manny loses, no bag.
With Pacquiao’s recent loss to Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugas, social media was expectedly flooded with the memes that referenced the latter.
The most popular meme read, “No Win, No Hermes.”
Here is another: “Ang N-word natin for today ay ‘No bag for Jinkee.’”
Another posted this line — “Jinkee Pacquiao cancelling her pre-ordered Hermes Bag’” — atop a photo of a girl in tears while holding the phone to her ear, suggesting the cancellation of an order.
Based on the social reactions, a lot thought the memes were hilarious. But we spotted one Facebook post about Jinkee and her bags that was different.
Memes on Jinkee’s luxury bags
Netizen Cookie Belmonte wrote on her Facebook that the Jinkee memes were “misogynistic” and “sexist.”
“Woke up to several memes that says Jinkee does not get a new bag because Manny lost his most recent fight, basically implying Jinkee is materialistic. Pangit ng joke ninyo,” her post, which to date has 65,000 shares, reads.
Cookie then reminded netizens that Jinkee was a big part of Manny’s success and has always been her husband’s biggest supporter even before he became famous.
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW“Reminder lang who was there for Manny even before he was someone or had anything. Ang sexist lang kasi. Komo si Manny lang ang nakikita nating nakikipagsuntukan sa ring, idi-disregard na natin contribution ni Jinkee sa success nilang dalawa. I’m sure Jinkee fought her own battles…and won them.”
Towards the end she writes, “So, isip na lang kayo ng ibang joke. ‘Yung hindi misogynistic. Baka nakakalimutan mo, Jinkee can buy you, your friends, and that bag. Chz.”
Cookie’s post was flooded with thousands of comments — 6,600 to date — and most defended their posting of the memes, saying it was meant as a joke. Some also accused Cookie of being too sensitive. They added that “rich people, including royalty” were always the target of such jokes.
What is particularly interesting though is the question raised by a few netizens: why were such memes considered “misogynistic” or “sexist”?
What is misogyny
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines misogyny as “the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.”
Misogyny keeps women at a lower status or enforces sexist attitudes. To better understand the term in the context of Cookie’s post, SmartParenting.com.ph asked the Women and Gender Institute (WAGI) of Miriam College to elaborate on it.
“(Misogyny) exists in all spaces and in all social structures such as the government, the media, the schools, and even in our homes,” says Brenda Pureza, WAGI program coordinator.
She adds that examples of misogynistic practices include lewd language or behavior against women, inappropriate comments or sexist jokes, preference for men over women in the productive sphere, and exclusion of women from participation.
CONTINUE READING BELOWRecommended VideosWeighing in on Cookie’s post, WAGI executive director Mel Reyes says one of the issues experienced by women for the longest time is “invisibilization.”
Sexist attitudes
Smart Parenting has written about invisible work or labor that many women do because it is expected of their gender and role as family caregivers. But this care work and the mental load women carry aren’t seen as working.
As Reyes points out, when it comes to productive work, little importance is given to the work that women do at home since most “do not bring home the bacon as opposed to the husbands.”
Reyes explains, “The hours we spend on care work at home including rearing children, doing chores, and managing the household is not considered ‘work.’
“As women, we have been raised to society’s expectations that, in extreme terms, this is very much our essence. Because of this notion, women, not just Jinkee Pacquiao, are always seen and are expected to be economically dependent on men.”
Privileged status
For some, it may be hard to consider Jinkee as a victim of misogynistic comments considering her privileged status and the resources available to her.
However, it is not as straightforward either as seeing things as black and white. As Pureza aptly puts it, “…Other areas such as class, race, ethnicity, and power among others must also be included in the conversation if we want to address misogyny. No gender issue is solely a gender issue as there are many social structures affecting it as well.”
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOWWAGI’s faculty associate Anna Dinglasan adds, “Jinkee is her own woman. She is wise enough and free to make her own decisions, but her ability to make those decisions is also driven by her access to resources — of which she has plenty.
“Nevertheless it’s more important to steer the conversation about what is more relatable to a lot of other women — those who have very little, to no resources yet continue to bear the brunt of societal expectations.”
Why You Need To Stop Sharing Those ‘No Bag For Jinkee’ Memes
Source: Progress Pinas
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