“Nakakatakot naman mag ka opinion dito.”
Miss Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa expressed this on Twitter after she earned the ire of fans of a movie she earlier disapproved of.
MJ on July 25 earlier described the “Barbie” film as “waley” after watching it in a local theater. She also likened its production to a “school project.”
Helmed by Greta Gerwig, “Barbie” is a movie adaptation of the iconic doll and its variations over the years.
Filipino fans of the movie quickly reacted to MJ’s feedback of it. They left scathing criticisms of her on her social media accounts.
This prompted the former beauty queen to delete her review of the trending Hollywood comedy-drama.
MJ then posted another tweet where she decried online bullying from the fans.
“Wait lang naman sobrang online bullying naman agad kayo. Nakakatakot naman mag ka opinion dito. Minumura nako ng iba sa ibang socmed ko only because I did not like a film?” she said.
“I liked ‘Little Women’ and ‘Lady Bird’ naman, why attack me if I say I didn’t find it as good,” MJ added.
“Little Women” and “Lady Bird” are critically acclaimed films that Greta has also directed.
Wait lang naman sobrang online bullying naman agad kayo. Nakakatakot naman mag ka opinion dito minumura nako ng iba sa ibang socmed ko only because I did not like a film? I liked Little Women and Lady Bird naman, why attack me if I say I didn’t find it as good. It’s just my
— MJ Lastimosa (@MJ_Lastimosa) July 25, 2023
MJ further explained that her reaction did not stem from the message of the movie.
Movies in general are subject to different interpretations and responses from viewers.
“It’s just my opinion and it has nothing to do about the movie being feminist, which is the only part that I liked,” MJ said.
“But it’s just me, you’re entitled to like and dislike a movie. It’s not that deep mare. Wala akong inapakang tao,” she added.
The backlash against MJ started after she posted her now-deleted tweet, saying: “Sobrang waley ng Barbie movie. Sayang P600 ko haha.”
In another tweet, MJ admitted that she liked some of the parts.
She, however, compared it to a “school project film,” thus further drawing flak from the fans.
“But in general, mehhh parang school project film,” her now-deleted tweet reads.
READ: MJ Lastimosa deletes ‘waley,’ ‘school project’ tweets criticizing ‘Barbie’ following backlash
In response to the reactions, MJ admitted that she did get scared to tweet about the topic again.
“Natatakot din akong itweet to kasi magagalit nanaman kayo kasi dapat in unison ang opinion naten dito or else bobo na agad kami? Sorry na agad mga mare kalma na masyado na kayong galit,” she said.
According to Variety, “Barbie” opened with $155 million during its premiere in the United States, thus surpassing the same-day debut of “Oppenheimer” with $80.5 million.
The seemingly double-feature box office battle is seen as the biggest opening weekend this year so far.
“Barbie” sailed into international theaters beginning July 19, and took the #1 spot in 55 markets, including the Philippines where it also broke records.