@histodons #westerngaze #history or #orientalism? Was asking a friend of mine who's from the Philippines about the authenticity of this Easter ritual, which is being monetized by Europeans. He claims, and I'm sure the #WashingtonPost could have checked as well, that the participants are performers who are being paid. Folks in the West, nonetheless, get their dose of Oriental "OMG I can't believe they're doing this".

“They like this because there is really nothing like this on earth,” said Johnson Gareth, a British tour organizer, who brought 15 tourists from eight countries, including the United States, Canada and Germany, to witness the crucifixions. “It’s less gruesome than people think. They think it’s going to be very macabre or very disgusting but it’s not. It’s done in a very respectful way.”

In the past, Gareth said tourists were “genuinely inspired and I think they left with a newfound respect for people’s beliefs.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/07/philippines-good-friday-crucifixions/4daee3fe-d4fd-11ed-ac8b-cd7da05168e9_story.html