In the ever-evolving landscape of the entertainment industry, artists and performers often find themselves at the crossroads relating to self-expression and professional demands.
Former basketball player-turned-TV personality Mikee Reyes experienced such recently after he was offered a hosting job but was asked to cover or conceal his tattoos.
On Facebook, Mikee uploaded a screenshot of his conversation with an unknown person.
"Hi Mike! Confirmed na on -----. They're asking lang if you're okay to wear longsleeves to cover the tattoos? :)," read the sender's message.
Mikee replied: "Hi -----" Sorry to hear. Im not really comfortable with being asked to cover my tattoos to do my job. It's okay. Sorry, i think ill have to pass on this. hope to work w u guys soon!"
The other end answered: "I understand po. :) Family day daw po and there will be a lot of kids kaya pinatanong lang po. But i'll let them know po :)"
In the caption, Mikee shared his two cents about it.
He said: "I assume kilala niyo naman sino kinukuha niyo? (I assume you already know who you're hiring, right?)"
According to him, the client could have told him simply that the gig would require him to wear a shirt with long sleeves and he wouldn't have minded.
"Susunod naman ako (I'll simply follow)," he stressed.
He then asked why his tattoos make him unsuitable for kids.
"Pano kung may ma-impart pala sana akong maganda sakanila? (What if I had something nice to impart to them?)," he said.
Mikee cleared, though, that he's sure it was not the fault of the person he was talking to.
In any case, he remains positive.
"Pero tuloy lang naman tayo, guys. (But we'll just keep on moving forward, guys.) God is too good, for us to worry (about) these things. I've already made more friends and achieved more things, being myself, than I could ever have trying to be someone else," he pointed out.
He quipped: "Ika ng mga tito/tita, THANK YOU, NEXT. (As the aunties and uncles say, THANK YOU, NEXT.)"
A few months ago, Mikee expressed how he feels "accepted" after he was told that he doesn't need to hide his tattoos as newscaster of "Frontline Pilipinas."
"I go on Primetime TV every night, and they tell me to show them off! To those who are judged for having tattoos, it never stopped me, so it shouldn't stop you," Mikee told online users who asked him what's the disadvantage of having tattoo sleeves and misconceptions of having tattoos.