Tatlong taon pa lang simula nang maging content creator ang Blackman Family, na sinimulan ng dating Pinay nurse na si Jeraldine Blackman.
Read: The Blackman Family of Jeraldine and Joshua Blackman teach kids stranger danger
Ang Blackman family ay binubuo ni Jeraldine at ng kanyang Australian husband na si Joshua Blackman. May dalawa silang anak, sina Nimo at Jette.
Naninirahan sila sa Australia.
May fan base na sila sa social media: 2.5M followers sa Instagram, 2.4M followers sa TikTok, 2.7M followers sa Facebook, at 344,000 subscribers sa YouTube.
Ayon kay Jeraldine, hindi nila inaasahang magiging "hit" sila sa social media.
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JERALDINE BLACKMAN ON HER FIRST FORAY INTO VLOGGING
Pareho silang nurse ng kanyang mister at nakatuwaan lang daw niyang gumawa ng vlog.
Nakapanayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Jeraldine Blackman sa Beautéderm headquarters sa Angeles City, Pampanga, at dito niya ikinuwento ang pagsisimula ng kanilang vlog.
Ayon kay Jeraldine, "We made our page, 2021. It was just for fun. I was pregnant with Jette when Josh said, 'Maybe you can do YouTube video.'
"So, I did. I was making YouTube video. So, hindi siya nag-click."
Nakita ni Jeraldine ang potensiyal sa paggawa ng vlog nang maispatan niya ang isang Korean actor habang nagbabakasyon sa Thailand.
"I’m a big K-drama fan," pag-amin niya.
"First time kong makakita ng Korean actor. Tapos, nakita ko siya, nagpa-fangirling ako. I was like, ‘Hi! Oh my gosh!’
"Nilagay ko lang sa personal YouTube page. Hindi naman ako content creator nun, tapos ang daming nag-view. Siguro, nearly a million.
"Biglang nakaka-receive ako ng notification na 'you can start monetizing your channel.'
"I was, like, 'Oh, may pera pala rito.'"
Hindi na raw maalala ni Jeraldine kung sino ang K-drama actor na iyon, pero ang vlog niyang iyon ang hudyat para gumawa siya ng vlog.
Trial and error daw siya pagdating sa pagkapa kung anong papatok na vlog.
"Siyempre, ayoko naman yung page ko, kasi I started with K-drama and I want my family first.
"So, we did YouTube kids for Nimo. Pero hindi siya nag-click. Tapos, nag-dance kami sa TikTok, hindi rin siya nag-click."
Hanggang sa naisip ni Jeraldine na i-highlight ang karanasan niya bilang Pinay wife to a foreigner.
Kinausap daw niya ang mister na si Josh.
"So, sabi ko, 'Maybe we can do a little bit of skit, like, you’re married to a Filipina.'
"Yun na yung views na lahat-lahat na.
"Pero ang audience namin dun, just Philippines. After ten videos na nag-viral, 80 percent of the audience are from Philippines."
Nilawakan daw ni Jeraldine ang scope ng vlogs nilang mag-asawa.
"Sabi ko, I think, we’re not growing because our target audience is only Philippines. Maybe, we can switch to General Audience.
"So, instead of me doing videos—Filipina being married to [an] Australian—Jeraldine content na. And dun na siya nag-boom.
"And once I joined Jette and Nimo, grabe na."
Taong 2022 nang magdesisyon si Jeraldine na magbitiw bilang nurse para maging full-time content creator.
Noong panahong iyon ay nagtatrabaho bilang nursing emergency manager ang mister niyang si Josh.
"At that time, I am earning more than Josh na.
"[Nung] 2022, we came back to the Philippines, tapos hindi pinayagan si Josh.
"Because Josh is a nursing emergency manager and he’s working in emergency department. Hindi naaprubahan ang leave niya.
"Kaya sabi ko, 'Maybe, since I’m earning more than you anyway, maybe you can do casual.'"
Ang tinutukoy ni Jeraldine na "casual" ay ang pagiging flexible status ng nursing job ni Josh.
"So, casual pa rin siya. Technically, hindi pa rin siya nagku-quit.
"But I did. I’m not renewing my license. So, he got shifts, like, once or twice."
JERALDINE BLACKMAN ON BASHERS
Halos araw-araw silang may bagong content sa kanilang social media accounts.
Pero kahit ibinabahagi nila ang kanilang pang-araw-araw na buhay, sinabi ni Jeraldine na may mga limitasyon pa rin sila lalo na pagdating sa exposure ng dalawang bata.
Ayon kay Jeraldine, "Oo naman, like yung mga conversation nila na umaabot... Like, 'Nimo, I hate you so much.' I try not to put super negative kasi it affects [the kids]."
Kakambal ng napakarami nilang followers ay may bashers din ang kanilang pamilya.
Nasasaktan ba sila ni Josh?
"Sa totoo lang, with Jette and Nimo, I really don’t have very much negative comments," sagot ni Jeraldine.
Si Jeraldine daw ang mas pinupuntirya ng ilang bashers.
"Ang maraming negative comment, [because] I used the words 'Filipina married to Australian,' they think that I’m a mail-order bride."
Ipinaliwanag ni Jeraldine na bago pa niya nakilala si Josh ay naninirahan na siya sa Australia.
Ang ina ni Jeraldine ang unang nakapunta ng Australia at nagtrabaho.
Nang magtapos siya sa pag-aaral ng Nursing, saka siya sumunod sa kanyana ina at stepfather sa Land Down Under.
"That’s why I try to put on internet na my mom was there and my dad was there.
"I didn’t go there because of Joshua. I was there with my mom and dad. It wasn’t because of him.
"And I married him because I love him.”
Read: Pinay piniling maging truck driver kesa nurse sa U.S.: “Yung sahod ko mas malaki pala.”
blackman family visits THE PHILIPPINES
Kamakailan lang ay umuwi sa Pilipinas ang pamilya Blackman.
Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataong namasyal sila sa Pilipinas, pero ngayon lang sila sinalubong sa bansa na imbitado sila sa iba't ibang events bilang social media personalities.
Pinaka-highlight ng kanilang pag-uwi ng Pilipinas ay ang meet and greet na ginanap sa Ayala Mall Market! Market!, sa Taguig City, noong April 21, 2024.
Sinasabing umabot ng halos 5,000 katao ang dumagsa para makita silang pamilya.
@pepalerts So cute! Jette of @theblackfamily performs her favorite song for their fans at their meet and greet session in Market! Market! #PEPNews #NewsPH #EntertainmentNewsPH ? original sound - PEP.ph
Kuwento ni Jeraldine, nagulat siya nang makita kung gaano karaming supporters ang dumalo para makita sila.
"We were hoping to have between 300 to 500 lang. Kaya nung pagpasok namin sa stage, kasi dumaan kami sa likod, hindi namin nakita yung buong crowd.
"Sabi ng family ko, may tao na, marami na. Pero hindi ko in-expect na ganon. Kaya nagulat ako.
"And hindi ko in-expect that everyone follows us there and everyone knows us.
@pepalerts It's Nimo's turn to sing his favorite songs! #MeetTheBlackmans #PEPNews #NewsPH #EntertainmentNewsPH ? original sound - PEP.ph
"Even when we were in Boracay, everybody was, like, coming in, nagpapa-picture, isa-isa.
"Kahit nasa water kami, people were like, 'Jeraldine!' You know the feeling that they know you and they watch you every day. They know what’s going on in your life.
"Kaya nakaka-touch lang. Yun ang isa sa pinaka-memorable moment ko.
"Some will even say, 'I can’t go to bed without watching you.' Kaya kapag na-meet na nila kami in person, minsan may umiiyak talaga. Kaya talagang nakaka-touch, sobra."
Kinumusta rin ng PEP.ph kung paano hina-handle ng kanyang mister, at pati na rin ng mga anak nilang sina Nimo at Jette, ang kasikatan na meron sila.
"Love na love nila!" natawang sagot ni Jeraldine.
Lahad pa niya: "Yung pinakauna, like, we had 100,000 followers, dun nag-start yung sa Australia.
"Our audience is not only Filipino. We also have a lot of audience in Australia.
"Sabi ni Josh, may naghihintay sa kanya sa Target, hinintay siya talaga ng 30 minutes. Hindi niya makakalimutan yon kasi first fan/follower na hinintay siya para makapagpa-picture.
"Tapos ngayon, sa plane, halos lahat kasi ng passenger, Filipino. Tapos, lahat nagpapa-picture sa kanya. Sabi niya, 'I’m loving it.'
"Tinitingnan ko siya, sabi ko, 'Wow, love na love ni Josh!'"
Sa popularidad at atensiyong nakukuha nila ngayon, paano niya napapanatiling nakatapak sa lupa ang mga paa ng mga anak na sina Nimo at Jette?
Sagot ni Jeraldine, "Oh, I don’t think the kids know how much the fame they’re getting.
"Although, in school, Nimo was kinda very popular in school. They’re like, 'Nimo!'
"And kapag hinahatid ko siya sa school, ano na siya, 'Mama, just go… Mama, the girls know me.’”
Read: Ara Mina on friendship with Jeraldine of Blackman family
SHARING HER BLESSINGS TO HER FAMILY
Ang isa sa magandang katangian ni Jeraldine, kung ano perks na natatanggap niya sa Pilipinas, kasama niya ang kanyang pamilya.
Pati ang kanyang mga tiyuhin at tiyahin na nag-alaga at nagpalaki raw sa kanya, bukod pa sa kanyang lolo at lola sa Ifugao, ay kasama sa pamamasyal ng Blackman family.
"Dala-dala ko ang family ko kasi they’re my titas and uncles who raised me and I always bring them with me.
"Kasi, I want them to experience what I experienced. They can’t experience what I’m having in Australia.
"I always bring my mom whenever I am in Australia and experience what I’m having right now.
"Pero kapag nandito ko sa Philippines, I would want my aunties and uncles to be with me.
"Kasama ko sila sa Boracay. E, ang daming nagpapa-picture, tapos sila, nakarating na sila sa dulo, kami malayo pa. Naghihintay sila!" natawang sabi niya.
Nagpapasalamat si Jeraldine sa kanyang mister dahil nauunawaan nito ang pagmamahal niya sa kanyang extended family rito sa Pilipinas.
"I’m very grateful that Josh understands it. Kasi, he’s from Australia, having extended family is very different.
"He got big family as well, but they will never do the same thing with what I’m doing. You go out with everyone and you pay for them. I would like to help out our family.
"It’s very different in Australia. They have their own thing in life. Kaya, I’m very grateful na naiintindihan niya."
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JERALDINE ON MEETING RHEA TAN
Magkasama sina Jeraldine at Jette nang bumisita sa beauty brand na pag-aari ng businesswoman na si Rhea Tan.
Ayon kay Rhea, isa siya sa masugid na followers ng The Blackman Family.
Nagkakilala sila nang mag-reach out si Rhea kay Jeraldine via chat, at unang beses silang nagkita nang personal ngayon.
Kuwento rin ni Jeraldine, “Me and Ate Rhea came from the same area in the Philippines so we speak the same dialect.
"So, if you met someone of the same place, you have genuine connection."
Sabi naman ni Rhea, "She’s my Ading and I’m her Manang.”
Paglalarawan pa ni Rhea sa nagustuhan niya sa Blackman family, “They’re very genuine, e.
"At saka mas maganda yun, napapanood yung real life talaga. Hindi scripted."
Binigyan ni Rhea ng advance birthday surprise si Jette nang papiliin niya ito ng kauna-unahan nitong Louis Vuitton hand bag sa shop ng negosyante.
Binigyan din niya ito ng isang minutong "Hakot Challenge" para makakuha ng lahat ng beauty brand products na makukuha nito.
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JERALDINE'S DAUGHTER DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE PH
Sa sobrang enjoy sa Pilipinas, ang anak ni Jeraldine na si Jette ay gusto nang manirahan sa Pilipinas.
"I was having a shower last night, eto na, mga 10:30, 'I don’t like to go home.' Gusto niyang bumalik kami after ng birthday niya.
"Naka-plan na kasi, gusto niya ng hiking with her friends. Dito sana kami magse-celebrate, kaso wala siyang friends dito.
"Ang nangyari, umiiyak siya, pumunta siya sa akin and she said, 'I don’t wanna go.' Mega-iyak siya.
"Kasi sinabi ko sa kanya na uuwi na kami, malapit na. How much more if we stayed in the province? Kasi, she loves the province so much, maraming kids.”
Sa huli, nag-uumapaw ang pasasalamat ni Jeraldine sa magandang karanasan sa pagbisita niyang muli sa Pilipinas.
"I just want to say thank you to everyone. The support is very overwhelming. We do not expect any of this na ganito ang mangyayari.
"Everybody is asking us to go to their hometown nila kaya, you know, yung saya is so different.
"Iba talaga ang feeling kapag nandito ka sa Philippines. So, we just want to say thank you with all the support that we are getting."