Yes, my Kumares! I’ve seen the much-talked-about clip of Desperate Housewives’ latest season opener. Before I wrote about my reaction to this, I took a deep breath, a cold shower, and a little dose of daydreaming.
Now I’m done.
It was indeed a sweeping comment, but considering that a lot of characters in a lot of American TV series and movies have this certain “anything un-American is barbaric mentality,” I wasn’t really surprised.
Besides, it seems like the producers of Desperate Housewives expect Filipinos to react violently on the matter. I mean, the line could have been “Can I check those diplomas? I would just like to make sure they’re not from some med school in Zimbabwe!” but the writer chose Philippines instead. I suppose it’s because people around Hollywood know about how we like to hear the mere mention of “Philippines” or “Filipinos” in American TV and movies. It’s just like assuring ourselves that “Wow! Those Americans still remember us!”
And those mentions range from the seemingly nice…
“I like Filipinos. They are Asians, but not too cocky about it.” — from Will and Grace
To having some hints of sarcasm…
“In California, it doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, Asian, or Hispanic. In 20 or 30 years from now, everybody will be Filipino.” — from comedian Paul Rodriguez (he’s Hispanic, by the way)
To just darn blunt…
“Philippines…mi casa es su landfill.” — from Conan O’Brien
So, do we really have to make patol on the desperadas? I think not. Maybe the government can ask for a backgrounder on why Susan–Teri Hatcher’s character–said such remark (ethnocentrism, the abundance of fake diplomas or psychic surgeons in the country, whatever) but calling the actress “persona non grata”? Isn’t that too much?
And would the American audience care anyway? It’s just a line from a script. They would still go to hospitals filled with Filipino doctors and nurses. They would still get the care they deserve because those health care personnel were taught from some med school in the Philippines.
Mare, all my lovers were and is a doctor. PhD ang isa. At any rate, half of me say true, the other half says that girl doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Proud ako sa current ko now for being a UN doctor assigned in Haiti. Because of that mali ang bangag na babaeng yan. Pero yung ex kong pediatrician at naging kalaguyo nyang general practitioner mga walang silbi. Umaasang pumunta sa America. Well, if after that comment gusto pa nila pumunta doon wala na talaga silang silbi!
Pahabol: maganda sinabi mo, Ning. Suffice to say, we’re not the desperate housewife, holler! Or so we may say, a desperate racist?
[...] Read more about it, Mare! [...]
no, not at all. relax, its just a script….
[...] besides, echoing Empress Maruja: “do we really have to make [...]
Boy I missed this one! “Philippines…mi casa es su landfill.” — from Conan O’Brien” LOVE THIS! I think I;’m gonna use this as my own! hahaha
Empress, no pun intended to your point of view – that happens to be mine as well – meaning, I am more interested in finding out why did he (screenwriter) came up with that line? I’d like to know. I think that’s more meaningful.
BUT!
I still want PMA to ask for an apology. Eh kami dito sa America ang tinatamaan nang mga katimgangan nang mga kano and some of them actually believes what they see on TV.
I live here. I work here. I’ve worked with all benetton in my life and I know their mentality. I’ve actually been discriminated against. I may not reflect the entire Pinoy population in the US, but whenever i hear those shit? It just sounds different.
But in fairness, ang guapo talaga nang gardener and I honestly dont want the show to be put off the air. Pano na ako? Eh minsan ayoko nang oboridyinis ano?!
Reyna, wala na ang gardener – matagal na!!
Anyway, I’ll be catching the Season 4 premiere this October on Studio 23.
Cool it, guys – let it all pass…as I said in another reply to a similar post, Susan isn’t exactly the sharpest tool on the Wisteria Lane shed.
while i would agree with banana ketchup on susan, it is still the utter recklessness of the producers to actually let it pass right under their noses.
while the fact of diploma mills running aloft unscathed and untouched by Philippine police holds so much water, i still feel that it was a racial slur.
but then, parang okay lang din. tayo pa rin ang pinakamaraming nars doon.
although after watching Sicko, i smiled behind gnashed teeth and felt sorry afterwards for all those poor unhealthy americans.
good people, bad government.
The producers apologized, but the Fil-Ams are discontented, they want more than an apology.
Hello?! Good thing that the ABC producers admitted their mistakes! You buy the show!
Oopps naunahan ako ni Jeffrey!
Bananaketchup! Di bale – madami pang guapo sila! Panoorin nyo Brothers & Sisters – I heard iinsultuhin din daw nila mga Pinoy! hehehehe! Chikkkaaaa!!!
I got flak for saying the DH remark has basis on some truth (well, it does… if you’re being honest)… but yeah, I understand why people found it offensive.
At least! The Philippines is again on noise barrage! Hey, we are not yet that desperate! They can’t just simply put us down! Iba ang Pinoy! If we’re not existing in this world, I doubt if America would still be the Land of the Free. Or might not exist at all! Wahahahaha…
http://www.writinerary.com
kung asar na kayo sa dh because of that stupid line, wag niyo na panooren. isa lang siyang tv show.
i heard from someone’s friend’s friend’s friend na if you found borat funny, shut up daw. makes sense.
yes! finally, someone who’s making sense. God knows how many times swedish and californian women have been labelled as bimbos; mexicans as illegal workers; italians as slimeballs; and chinese as tight, cheap-ass laborers. No one’s raising hell or high water over such trivial remarks. Really. Why so pikon?
sori mare, late ang dating ko. sunog sunog sa balay ko, alam mo na. wala na akong comment. naubos na. hehehe!