The Blackman Family is overwhelmed by the love and support of devoted Filipino fans.
For those who may not be acquainted with them, the Blackman Family consists of Australian father Joshua, Filipino mother Jeraldine, and their delightful children Nimo (6) and Jette (almost 4).
They have risen to fame as social-media personalities.
Their online presence is staggering— boasting over 2.5 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million on Facebook, 2.3 million on TikTok, and nearly 250,000 subscribers on YouTube.
On Sunday, April 21, 2024, hundreds of fans eagerly gathered at Ayala Mall Market!Market! for a chance to meet Joshua, Jeraldine, and their kids in person during a charity drive and fan-meet event.
At the event organized by W Talent Management, Jeraldine shared how she felt when she saw the large gathering of fans, particularly since this marked the largest crowd they have encountered since the beginning their social-media journey.
She remarked that the reception was notably different from their previous family visits to the country.
As Jeraldine put it: "[Before], there were like a few people who were, like, taking photos with us, pero kaunti pa lang.
"Pero ngayon, like, pinaka-memorable na pagdating pa lang namin sa airport, ang dami-dami nang papa-photo, kaya sabi ko, 'Wow! The crowd is so different.'
"And then, iba yung [reception] ng ibang tao sa amin, very overwhelming ba.
"And then pumunta kami sa Boracay, tapos lahat ng tao kilala si Jette.
"Si Jette talaga yung ano, yung favorite ng crowd. 'Si Jette-Jette!'
"Kaya super, very sobrang thankful kami na lahat ng mga tao is like—they’re, like, accepting us talaga, kung sino kami. Very nice, talaga."
THE BLACKMAN FAMILY ON STRANGER DANGER
The Blackman Family garnered fame for the comedic moments captured by Jeraldine, particularly those featuring Jette.
However, their rise to stardom was far from immediate. Instead, it was a gradual journey.
In an interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) via e-mail, Jeraldine disclosed that they initially began sharing their family moments on social media purely out of enjoyment.
As time passed, they gradually amassed followers.
Reflecting on their current popularity, Jeraldine stated: "It has been a gradual process. We started getting noticed once or twice in the street and then recognized overseas.
"We started to get a lot of comments on our social media platforms so much that it was getting hard to reply to them all.
"We also started getting offers for collaborations that were becoming so frequent we could not keep up with them all."
Navigating fame indeed presents its own set of challenges, especially when children are involved.
For the Blackman Family, ensuring their kids, Nimo and Jette, are grounded despite their growing popularity is a priority.
Jeraldine said, "Fortunately in the circles that the kids are in: church, school and sports, they don’t get treated any differently."
While they are grateful for the support they receive, Jeraldine and Joshua have been constantly reminding their kids to be careful when meeting strangers.
Jeraldine said to PEP.ph: "When we are out in public we just like to remind them of the rules of stranger danger. We also tell them if anyone asks them for a photo that they have to ask mum or dad first."
THE BLACKMAN FAMILY: TIPS FOR CONTENT CREATION
Meanwhile, at their meet-and-greet event, Jeraldine and Joshua were also approached for tips on content creation.
Jeraldine emphasized passion as a crucial element.
Explaining, she said: "I think you have to love what you are doing.
"Para kung gusto mo maging... I know there’s a lot of you right now who’s, like, starting na maging content creator but, for us, when we started, I think you have to love what you are doing.
"Otherwise, how are you going to continue in the future if you don’t love what you are doing? And you have to really embrace it, otherwise, hindi ka rin magiging happy."
Joshua echoed his wife's advice, adding that people should not to be too concerned about the number of views.
Said he: "One of the things that my brother told me when I’m doing that is you got to do the thing that you really enjoy.
"Going to just do the thing that’s popular or what you think is going to give you the most views, that’s not going to be a long-term thing.
"Just do something you have fun doing, and then you actually start doing it yourself."
In addition, Joshua encouraged newbie content creators to interact with their online audience, avoid taking negative comments to heart, and allow time for their social media presence to grow.
In his words: "It’s good to interact with people online, but don’t take negative comment personally. Try not to take on board with what they’re doing.
"Also, you got to give yourself time to let it grow. It doesn’t [come] straightaway.
"When Jeraldine first started wanting to get into doing content creation, I told her she’s got to give herself at least two years to allow it to grow, because otherwise, there’s no point starting if you don’t give it time to grow."
THE BLACKMAN FAMILY: CHARITY PROJECT
Meanwhile, the Blackman Family conveyed its gratitude to fans supporting the charity drive.
On Monday, April 22, 2024, Jeraldine and her husband Joshua, along with their children, Jette and Nimo, provided school supplies and glasses to students at a school in Mandaluyong City.
In their email interview with PEP.ph, Jeraldine was grateful for the opportunity to utilize their platform for helping others.
"We are so glad we are able to use our platform to help others in any way we can.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to provide a small amount of help to those who need it most.
"We hope we can do this more in the future.
"We couldn’t do this without our followers and fans, and so we are grateful for all their support, which allows us to give back to the community."
The Blackman Family: dad Joshua, mom Jeraldine, and their kids Nimo ang Jette
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