Why do people keep trying to get free services?
After that whole “best one gets a shout out” debacle involving an actor who wanted free graphic designs, here’s another viral story about a guy wanting free stuff.
Singer Patricia Ivy Peñano shared a lengthy rant on Facebook yesterday about a guy who allegedly wanted her to sing about 20 songs at his wedding … for free.
Are you kidding?
The post included photos of what Peñano said were screenshots of her conversation with the freebie huntin’ “Joshua.”
The post now has over 9,200 likes and 5,200 shares.
“To be honest, I’ve wanted to post this for a long time but I just didn’t have the courage to,” the I-Sing Philippines contestant wrote in Filipino.
“Since someone already posted something similar to this, I got the strength to do it.”
Peñano added that she covered the guy’s last name for his privacy saying: “I’m not that bad to humiliate him on social media.”
“It’s alright to demand, but not excessively. In all truthfulness, these kinds of people are just laughable,” she added.
In the screenshots, the guy said he and his wife-to-be saw Peñano perform on TV and wanted to get her as a wedding singer. He asked if she could do 20 songs, with two weeks left to prepare.
On top of that, Joshua requested her to sing as the bride walked down the aisle.
That pressure though.
But Peñano didn’t let that scare her, saying she’ll still do it with the limited time she had left.
It was all smooth sailing at first, with dozens of praise given to Peñano, but when she brought up the fee, the tone of the conversation changed.
“Anyway sir [Joshua], how much is your budget for a singer?” Peñano asked in a mix of English and Filipino. “Hehe even if it’s embarrassing to ask.”
Joshua replied: “Oh no, I have to pay. Is it okay if it’s free?”
Yeah, seriously.
The singer stood her ground and said: “Sir, it’s not easy to sing. You even demanded 20 songs. And you requested me to sing for the entrance of your wife-to-be.”
Joshua tried to sway her by saying that he was a relative of a high ranking official and claiming he’ll make her famous.
“I’ll post all of your videos in the wedding and I’ll show it to everyone so you’ll be famous and so you’ll have more followers,” he added. “I’ll refer you to people I know so you can be their guest singer as well.”
Peñano could only laugh at the proposal, which the man did not take well.
“Why are you laughing? All you have to do is sing. Isn’t that what you singers do it for, to get famous.”
Peñano said that his request was not at all easy to do. “20 songs for free? That’s too much. You’re hitting below the belt,” she said.
And yet, the man had the guts to call her greedy.
“You talk too much. You’re not even famous yet you already look like money. You’re not even that good. Thanks anyway,” he said.
Peñano ended the conversation by saying: “I hope you can find someone who’s willing to sing at your wedding with a 2-week preparation and 20 songs for FREE.”
“Best wishes and congratulations in advance.”
She said in her post that she sings to express, not to impress. “You can have your followers, what will I get out of that?” Peñano asked.
The singer added that it wasn’t about the money, but more on practicality. “There are things we should provide with money, and debts we have to pay, and food we have to provide as well.”
“I hope we learn how to value artists. Being a singer is not a joke,” she ended.
You go, girl. Make those freeloaders learn.
Coconuts Manila has reached out to Peñano but has not received a reply as of posting time.
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