Just surfed a number of blogs on the net and most of them have the same content regarding a certain scene on Desperate Housewives. Filipino Doctors (as expected even non-doctors) got offended on this particular scene in the series' season premiere where Susan, character played by Terri Hatcher gave a very insulting remark about doctors and med schools in the Philippines.
Filipino doctors are now demanding ABC Studio and Walt Disney to give a formal public apology and removal of the said scene in that episode.
10 COMMENTS:
she's really rude!!!!..grrrrrr
i hate her na!!!!
In my opinion, those lines were said because some Filipinos used fake papers to work abroad. And also, as what have the line said, “…I just want to make sure they’re not from some med school in the Philippines,” it is true that only a small number of Medicine schools are competent enough to the standards of Medicine. And I just can’t understand why this is a great fuss since I have seen a lot of movies that has bad jokes about Filipinos but no one seem to care. Was it because Filipinos in the field of Medicine are affected by the joke?
By the way, im a Filipino. Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan wag magalit.
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Anonymous, you make such comments and hide behind anonymity... You wish to crticise Filipinos use your real name.
Medicine is a profession highly regarded in the Philippines and it is one difficult course to take. I have friends who are doctors who painstakingly studied hard so they will become great doctors. That comment in the show undermines the blood and sweat doctors have to go through just to finish their courses.
If the writers and producers of the show are making comments on Filipinos who used fake diplomas to get into a job in the US then they are barking at the wrong tree (trees for that matter). I don't think one can fake a medical diploma that easy.
My Uncle is a practicing doctor in the US. He obtained his degree in UST and continued his training in the US (as many other Filipinos have done). At the moment he's got a wide practice in the US. Making that irresponsible comment in the show will put doubts on potential patients for him and for many other Filipino doctors in the US.
The thing is... if the slur was used on Black Americans, there will be affirmative action immediately.
SO anonymous show your true self and still say "bato-bato sa langit ang tamaan ay huwag magagalit..."
on my own opinion Yes, the remarks does offend Filipino Doctors. But on the other hand, I think its really not that big deal since we also laugh on other racial jokes. We watch movies where negros or chinese are being bullied and we laugh our heads out.
My point is, being a racist is a part of everyone. Even the most polite person could have racist tendencies.
Just like the song on Avenue Q Said :
"Everyone's a little bit racist
Today.
So, everyone's a little bit racist
Okay!
Ethnic jokes might be uncouth,
But you laugh because
They're based on truth.
Don't take them as
Personal attacks.
Everyone enjoys them -
So relax!"
i dont blame Teri Hatcher..is that her name?? any way i dont give a damn care to that tv series anyway....
its not her faulth, she just delivered the script written by uneducated scriptwriter....curse him!
geeez.....not another racist! damn!
public apology is not enough, i wanna see them dead...hahaha!
This just goes to show how ignorance can create chaos. That stupid writer obviously doesn't know a thing about Philippine Medical Schools. They actually have the audacity to comment against the Filipino Educators in the Philippines when the Americans are the ones who demand Filipino workers in the field of Medicine. If we are to damn incompetent then why are we the ones that they prefer to work there over any other Asian country? Learn your facts Moron! As for Teri Hatcher, girl you don't have to do anything against your will. The fact that she chose to actually follow the script proves that she is as stupid as that writer! She could have questioned it! Have you no integrity?! Or do you don't even know the meaning of that word?
Finally, I just hope that all those people who are responsible for that racial slur doesn't figure in a situation wherein they will be forced to rely on Filipino medical workers... they just might...and I SAY MIGHT...prove how incompetent they can be! hehehe... serves those IGNORAMUSES right if you ask me...
very well said Talulah. curse them!
hmmm...you might say that I'm considering another angle because I'm not a doctor but we could look at it this way:
Consider the source. What's Teri Hatcher's character on the show like? Isn't she supposed to be a bit ditzy and snooty and altogether not a very nice person? Doesn't she say a lot of awful and "uneducated yet feeling so informed" things all the time? We know our schools produce good doctors (but hey, I'm sure a few of them are not so good...as is the case in other countries) but a person like Teri Hatcher's character is probably supposed to be too narrow-minded to know that there are lots of great Filipino doctors working both here (I'm in the Philippines) and overseas. However, we also know you CAN buy a diploma from Recto and it was probably on that 'diploma mill' reputation that the character's notion was based. Ok, it's overgeneralization but her character seems to be the type of person to do that. And consider her character's state of mind, "Oh gosh, menopause!!! No! I'm supposed to be forever young!!!" Shallow yes, but isn't that how she written on the show?
If Jay Leno says something mean about Filipinos, consider that he slams everyone. Nothing is sacred on his show. If a character, and a bitchy one at that, on a television show says such a thing, then maybe that line was written in because it's in line w/ the character's personality. For that matter, consider the show itself. Is it even viewed as a very serious show? If perhaps it were a news anchor on CNN or a serious and very influential talk show like Oprah host making that comment, it would be a very different story. Or even if the show were ohhh...let's say ER and a high-ranking, well-respected member of the hospital staff spouted that line. That would be a different story.
I'd like our health professionals both here and abroad to be secure in the knowledge of just how skilled they are and I hope that they realize that other governments recognize their skills and level of professionalism (this is the main reason why the demand abroad for our health care professionals is so high). Secure enough just to laugh this off.
Of course a doctor friend of mine in Texas had something else to say about the matter. She was even interviewed and quoted by one of their local papers. Again, it could be because I'm not a doctor (and just because I'm not a healthworker, it does not mean I don't respect them...i can only imagine how difficult the training is and I really admire the dedication needed) or it could be because I think the more attention you pay to a line by a ditzy character on a show such as DH (quite entertaining but...really, is it a show to take seriously?) the more you dignify something that is too silly for words. If a patient would let this affect their opinion about Filipino health workers then, I'm sorry to say, that person must not be that intelligent and is just too easily swayed. I mean, for a person to say, "Hmmm...what are my world views on such and such? Well, what do they say on Desperate Housewives?" Truly sad.
:) angela
I am a Filipino and I am not a fan of this show. I don’t see the line as racist. In fact I think it does reflect the sad fact that the Philippine medical academic system needs to work harder to gain more trust from foreign patients. It’s a wake-up call for us. In fact I am more ashamed of what a lot of my people are impressing on the perception of foreigners. Sad to say many Filipinos talk too much.
Let us reflect on this. There must be something wrong with what we are doing with our medical academic system making shows like this would care enough to make comments about Philippine med schools.
In my opinion, that segment of Desperate Housewives is actually a constructive criticism.
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