Posted on 12/16/2007 7:36:49 PM PST by Coleus
Oh, criminey. The government of the Philippines is getting involved. Like they don’t have better things to worry about. Sign Petition here
***
I am getting a lot of e-mail from people I’ve never heard from before about an apparent ethnic joke about Filipino medical professionals on the shlocky ABC show, “Desperate Houswives.” There’s even a petition about it:
To the producers of “Desperate Housewives” and ABC:
We are writing to express concern and hurt about a racially-discriminatory comment made in an episode of Desperate Housewives on 9/30/07. In a scene in which Susan was told by her gynecologist that she might be hitting menopause, she replied, “Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines.”
As members and allies of the Filipino American community, we are writing to inform know that this type of derogatory remark was discriminatory and hurtful, and such a comment was not necessary to maintain any humor in the show. Additionally, a statement that devalues Filipinos in healthcare is extremely unfounded, considering the overwhelming presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the medical field. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. (and successfully passing their U.S. licensing boards!) as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is extremely disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant. Many of the hospitals in major metropolitan areas of the U.S. (and the world) would not be able to operate without its Filipino and Filipino American staff members.
As Filipino Americans and allies, we band together to ensure that this type of hateful message should not be allowed to continue on our television and radio airwaves. Given the recent amounts of media attention that has been given to Michael Richards (against African Americans), Isaiah Washington (against gays), and Rosie O’Donnell (against Asian/ Chinese Americans), it is ridiculous that this type of hateful speech made it through various screenwriters, the show’s producers, the show’s actors, and ABC itself.
We demand a public apology to the Filipino American community, and we demand the episode be edited to remove the ignorant and racist remark. We will not allow hateful messages against our community (or any other oppressed community) to continue.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Filipino blog round-up here.
There are a couple of interesting things about this story.
One: It raises the question of the Aggrieve-o-Meter. Some ethnic and racial groups are higher rated than others. It’s apparently politically correct in Hollyweird to deride the credientials of all Filipino doctors. But not other groups.
Unfair? Yes. Rotten double standards? Yes.
But instead of assimilating into the victim culture, it might be more effective for Filipinos to take a pass on the Jesse Jackson playbook and respond in a novel way.
Say, with humor:
Filipino doctors and nurses could stage a mock “Day Without a Filipino Medical School Graduate.”
Or charge patients who watch “Desperate Housewives” extra.
Or hound Eva Longoria at public appearances, picketing in their hospital gowns, shouting “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Desperate Housewives have got to go” while running a booth administering free anti-Hollywood vaccine shots.
Or do a Jericho-style protest and inundate the producers with copies of your med school diplomas, awards, and commendations.
Two: Can you imagine the uproar if the Desperate Housewives ever dared to make derogatory comments about illegal aliens? Imagine if they incorporated a criminal illegal alien into the plot line. Imagine the demands from MALDEF and LULAC for sensitivity training and open-borders rehab. Imagine.
Three: I find some of the e-mail I’m getting to be laced with hypocritical ethnic entitlement. Some Filipinos have seen fit to dismiss my ethnic heritage entirely and consider me “white” because of my politics and past criticism of the Philippines’ reckless decision to pay ransom for hostages taken by jihadis.
Now, after a stupid TV show insults Filipinos, they expect me to jump on the protest bandwagon with them automatically in ethnic solidarity.
Question: Where were you when far worse Filipino insults were being leveled? Just wondering.
Four: The character that uttered the insult is played by Teri Hatcher. Seems to me she must have had a bad experience with one or a few incompetent doctors and is taking it out on an entire class. I mean, just look:
Take that up with your plastic surgeon, lady. No need to attack every last Filipino medical professional. Sheesh.
Five: Last point about double standards. Imagine one of the shrewish housewives making a crack on the show about the competence and security risk of Muslim doctors.
Just. Imagine.
***
Teri Hatcher insults Filipinos
While we’re on the subject of celebrity insults, what a bunch of undignified buffoon-ettes “The View” women are. Joking about “doing” Nancy Pelosi’s husband and the House Speaker herself. What an abject embarrassment to the entertainment business, to journalism (Barbara, I’m talking to you), and to their gender. Good grief. For once, I felt very, very sorry for Nancy Pelosi:
Whoopi wants to "do" Nancy Pelosi and her husband? Huh?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Malkin has the biggest ping-pong balls out in the blogosphere!
:)
(reference to http://michellemalkin.com/2006/05/20/do-you-think-this-is-funny/)
I was indeed a bit offended by the series. Not about any slurs, but because I read a couple of weeks ago that the show destroyed the original “Father Knows Best” house over at the old Columbia Ranch, for some kind of season-ender involving a tornado hitting.
Yep, that rubbed me the wrong way... the “Anderson” home (well, for outdoor shootings) being wiped out of existence after 50 years, just for the sake of this stupid, sleazy “Desperate Housewives” show.
I’ve never seen an episode of this show but it surprises me that it or anything would offend Philipinos. Usually Philipine immigrants make great Americans and they don’t buy into this victimhood crap - hope that generalization didn’t offend anyone...
Correct me if i’m wrong, but don’t filipinos mostly try to come HERE to go to college?
And would YOU trust anything more than a hangnail to somebody whose med school diploma had something like “University of Leyte” on it?
And WTF is “racist” about insulting sub-standard colleges, anyway?
I’m gonna start a petition for all the fat, old, single white women to sign because we get insulted all the time, too!
Seriously, aren’t we citizens of the world getting a little too “sahnsatahve”?
The thing this kind of “protest” loses sight of is that the remark was made by a fictional character, was in character for that fictional persona, and did not reflect the opinions of the writers.
Imagine the fun you could have with a Filipinos Southerners....Deep fried balut in a corn meal batter
When Eva Longoria got married a while back I kept seeing references to her being “31” or that she was in her “early thirties” and nearly fell out of my chair. Regardless of her date of birth, she looks to me to be banking hard around the late 30s and about to crash hard past the 40s barrier.
Must be that fast living.
Actually, the Philippines adopted U.S. standards for medical training when they were still our colony. Today, 75% of foreign students taking U.S. nursing exams are Filipino.
The Philippines are 2nd to Mexico in the number of workers in the U.S. - Only most of the Filipinos came here legally...
That stuff isn’t even vulture food.
I find it almost impossible to believe that anything that even has a synapse in their head would eat it.
Art Bell tells the stories sometimes about how his new little Filipino hottie wife eats those things... If I were Art, I’d be showin her the door dam quick.
And don’t get me wrong! Here in Seattle, there are large numbers of Filipino women! Many are really extraordinarily beautiful. Quite a few are pretty intelligent and have careers!
But to even think they have balut on their breath...
truth bump
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