The latest racist coloured brouhaha is about a BBC produced comedy skit that depicted a Filipino maid. This comes a year or so after a similar slur on Filipino doctors (more accurately, medical schools) in the Hollywood dish "Desperate Housewives"
The BBC skit was aired last Sept 26 in the comedy "Harry and Paul". Yahoo Philippines has the news report here.
While the Housewives slur hinted at professional incompetence of health workers, the BBC skit's slur is more offensive and disturbing as Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel says. The comedy trivializes human trafficking. The Philippine Embassy in London has lodged complaints with BBC and the British Government. Her Majesty's Brittannic Ambassador in Manila has expressed regret but emphasizes that the BBC while publicly funded, is independent of the Government of the day.
It agree on the latter point. The BBC has many times in the past irritated the government and even the Royals.
This represents again the cultural gulf between the West and its moral relativism and us. When I was in Australia, I have seen similar racial stereotyping in shows on the telly. There were some complaints but the issue died down quite rapidly. But if gays and other pansexuals were treated ridiculously, the networks will issue an immediate apology.
Not even a disrespectful treatment of a global religion such as Islam will merit an apology. Remember the Danish cartoonist's treatment of the Prophet? As for Christ, the Pope and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Western relativism has lampooned Christianity that any complaint will fall on deaf ears.
The BBC skit was aired last Sept 26 in the comedy "Harry and Paul". Yahoo Philippines has the news report here.
While the Housewives slur hinted at professional incompetence of health workers, the BBC skit's slur is more offensive and disturbing as Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel says. The comedy trivializes human trafficking. The Philippine Embassy in London has lodged complaints with BBC and the British Government. Her Majesty's Brittannic Ambassador in Manila has expressed regret but emphasizes that the BBC while publicly funded, is independent of the Government of the day.
It agree on the latter point. The BBC has many times in the past irritated the government and even the Royals.
This represents again the cultural gulf between the West and its moral relativism and us. When I was in Australia, I have seen similar racial stereotyping in shows on the telly. There were some complaints but the issue died down quite rapidly. But if gays and other pansexuals were treated ridiculously, the networks will issue an immediate apology.
Not even a disrespectful treatment of a global religion such as Islam will merit an apology. Remember the Danish cartoonist's treatment of the Prophet? As for Christ, the Pope and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Western relativism has lampooned Christianity that any complaint will fall on deaf ears.
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