Liza Soberano is and has always been one of the buzziest names in Philippine trends
However, the actress trends yet again, this time for a comment she made about love teams in a recent podcast interview and the Internet has mixed opinions.
It is undeniable that Liza Soberano is one of this generation’s biggest stars. From the gorgeous features that landed her the top spot at TC Candler’s Most Beautiful Faces of 2017, her endless line of endorsements, to her filmography with 1/2 of their love team LizQuen and real-life beau Enrique Gil. However, the opinion of many toward the actress started to stir when she decided to make a shift in her management, now being handled by the Careless Music Manila label.
Following that shift, Liza could not catch a day of rest without being on the trends list. Especially when she came out with a vlog where she talked about her journey which a lot from the Internet believed showed the toxic side of the Filipino “utang na loob” culture.
However, Liza is making waves yet again now, this time for a recent “Get Real” podcast guesting she’s had, where she was interviewed by Ashley Choi and K-pop boy group BTOB’s Peniel.
In the episode, Liza spoke about the “love team” culture in the Philippines, which the actress described as the “only way to become a big star” in the country if one was an actor and not a singer.
“In the Philippines, there’s this huge phenomenon called love teams.” said the actress. “It’s when they put two actors together. They ship you like a Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, but in this scenario, we’re supposed to be a real couple on and off cam and we only work with each other throughout our whole careers.” which surprised both the hosts.
@strawbearrrry THEIR REACTION 😅 #strawbeary #lizasoberano #btobpeniel #ashley #divestudios #getreal #podcast #interview #philippines ♬ Cupid (Twin Ver.) – FIFTY FIFTY
One of the hosts, Ashley Choi asked Liza “What if I was in a love team but I’m dating someone else in real life and I get caught with that person?” to which Liza replied to saying, “Oh, you can’t. You better not.” that caused the other host Peniel to joke saying, “Ashley you’re done.”
With that, Liza explained how the line between real and reel gets blurred when being in a love team, as fans tend to get caught in a kind of illusion that the love team is actually a real-life couple and once caught dating someone else, could affect one’s career negatively. Both the hosts reacted to this saying it sounded so mentally draining. “PR wise, like it’s genius, but in a really sadistic way,” noted Peniel.
Despite that, Liza did not forget to mention that there are love teams that are in a relationship in real life and are happy.
What the Internet thinks
But the Internet has mixed opinions. On the one hand, there were others praising the actress for telling the truth, acknowledging the toxicity the love team culture brings.
While there are still others who believe that coming from a love team is really a crucial stepping stone for one’s career to flourish in the country, much like many other bright stars across different generations. And that other actors simply use the love team to kickstart their careers and eventually move on to bigger solo projects.
The only way to become a big star is to become a love team daw.
Sorry pero????? Angel Locsin? Anne Curtis? Maja? Jodi S? Kahit nga si 0tin G??!!!!
Well yung iba, magsstart for a while as love team pero nakaka alis naman sila sa love team kasi… may talent sila??????? 🙄🙃 https://t.co/6dNlSZlO8S pic.twitter.com/NBIv9nYRgG
— jennie mandu #LumotNation (@jenniemandukk) April 29, 2023
Some were also disappointed she failed to mention that she and her love team partner Enrique Gil eventually ended up dating in real life.
But, others countered that mentioning that many of the current rosters of successful and famous actors in the country come from love team backgrounds actually just validates Liza’s point.
Uhhh don’t tell me ur denying na may ibang artists talaga na need muna ng love team before maensure na successful solo projects nila,,,???? Liza could’ve rephrased it a bit better pero don’t act blind
— st. matthew (@llMattxxuwll) April 29, 2023
Many of the successful actors we have came from LT. Gloria romero, nida blamca, Vilma, Nora, Sharon, Maricel…. research mo. Some actors like jaclyn and others that did not come from successful loveteam did not achieve the stardom. This culture has been around for decades.
— moon yeong (@moonyeong10) May 1, 2023
At the end of the day, there will always be positive and negative sides to something, kind of like a yin and yang. Regardless of how she worded it, Liza sharing these things came from experience and it is not the first time actors spoke up about how being in a love team affected them. Like Maine Mendoza who just last year, also clarified to the AlDub fans that AlDub isn’t real.
It is valid to be a fan of something, but still recognize how it could affect our idols. Invalidating Liza, or any of the other celebrities for sharing their experiences is only counterintuitive if we truly do support them and want the best for them.
banner: (L) dive studios / youtube, (R) liza soberano shot by bj pascual / instagram
