Celebrities react to viral Rome fight: Is social media glorifying vigilantism?

A punch can go viral in seconds. But a celebrity’s reaction? It can make it explode. That’s exactly what happened after a video of two supposed Filipinos fighting an alleged pickpocket aboard a train in Rome, Italy spread across social media. It drew praise not only from thousands of netizens but from several celebrities as well. Among those who appeared to show support were Charo Santos , Pokwang , Bretman Rock , Eula Valdez , IC Mendoza and Enzo Pineda , echoing the sentiment shared by many Filipinos online: the alleged thief had it coming. It’s easy to understand why the video struck a nerve. The young man seen in the footage wasn’t exactly winning sympathy. He allegedly mocked the Filipinos confronting him and even exposed himself while the cameras were rolling. When punches started flying inside the train, plenty of viewers felt they were watching instant karma. The comments reflected that. There were jokes about Manny Pacquiao , remarks about Filipinos not backing down from bullies, and applause for the supposed OFWs who stood their ground. The original video came from YouTuber DJE Media, whose content often involves tracking down alleged pickpockets in Europe. It’s a formula that’s become increasingly common online: find a suspected criminal, put a camera in their face, wait for something dramatic to happen. Drama sells, more so, if celebrities join in. And once celebrities started sharing their reactions, well, welcome to internet celebrity-hood. But that’s where the discussion gets interesting. To be clear: We are not defending pickpocketing. We are not defending the behavior shown by the young man in the video either. But if these confrontations become the kind of content people actively look forward to, are we also normalizing something else? Vigilantism has always made for compelling entertainment. Batman built a franchise on it. So did countless action movies where the hero skips the paperwork and dishes out justice with his fists. But real life isn’t a two-hour movie. A person suspected of stealing could be carrying a weapon. Someone trying to play hero could end up seriously hurt. Someone wrongly accused could become the victim instead. None of those possibilities make for viral clips. The Rome video may be remembered as the clip where an alleged pickpocket got what many believed he deserved. Or it may be remembered as another moment when violence became content, and content became entertainment. As Maximus roared before a bloodthirsty Roman crowd in “Gladiator,” “Are you not entertained?” Watching the internet’s reaction to this fight, perhaps the better question is: Well… are we?