By this time, I’m pretty sure you guys already know about the Desperate Housewives scandal wherein they discriminated the med school education here in the Philippines. 

Quoting Teri Hatcher: “OK, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas?  Because I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines.”

Here’s the video clip:

 

When you look at that statement, it may look discriminating.  But seeing that particular video clip and my initial reaction?  HA HA HA!  Yup, it was funny!  Now you might say that I did not take offense in that just because I’m not Filipino.  Yeah true, I’m a full-blooded Chinese but I was born here.  I was only able to set afoot in China only once and that was just recently.  It’s sufficed to say that I am very familiar with Filipino culture and I have embraced it all.  I maybe Chinese by blood but I’m a Filipino by heart.

My take on this issue?  All you guys who reacted badly to this are overreacting.  Let’s look at it this way.  Why not replace Teri Hatcher with Ai-Ai de las Alas and instead of Desperate Housewives let’s call it Mga Tanging Ina.  And then here goes…

Quoting Ai-Ai: “Teka teka, bago mo ako operahan, patingin nga ng mga diploma mo?  Siguraduhin mong di mo lang pinagawa sa Recto yan!”

Would you cause an uproar?  Would you go ahead and create a petition banning the show, suing ABS-CBN or GMA-7?  Would you hate Ai-Ai for that?  I don’t think so!  You would probably just laugh it off.  That’s the impression of other countries on our diplomas, resumes, id’s, and all other legal stuff.  We’re well-known to produce fake documents.  The statement by Teri Hatcher probably isn’t targeting the med school in the Philippines but is targeting the fact that the Philippines is well known in making fake documents.  They just didn’t put that in the statement because it will turn out like this:

“OK, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas?  Because I would just like to make sure they are not from Recto, you know the area in the Philippines which falsify documents?”

First of all, it’s an American show and I doubt any American knows what Recto is.  Moreover, see how awkward that sounds?  The objective of the statement is to strike humor into its audience.  I saw much more humor clipping my toenails.

I have another theory to as why people overreacted.  Because the show just may have hit the target.  Doctors from here go to the US to become nurses.  College graduates go to other countries to become domestic helpers.  That pretty much gives you an idea how bad our education here is.

Moreover, CBS has already apologized.  Ain’t that enough?  What exactly are you guys looking for?  A lifetime supply of Eva Longoria’s boob shots?  I can only imagine what CBS is thinking right now. 

“What the F do they want?  We already said sorry and they want more?  Just shows how much education they have.”

If we were civilized and well-educated, we would accept their apology and move on.  Banning the show from all of Asia?  Gimme a break!  What did the Malaysians, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesians, etc. do as to deserve not being able to watch the show?  Don’t speak on the behalf of others.  Hell, I even know a lot of people who said “sorry” was enough and I’ve also a handful who said that the statement was harmless.  So as a country, we are still divided.  And Senator Miriam Santiago has the guts to promote the banning of the show?  I dunno, maybe she doesn’t watch the show because she’s a desperate housewife herself and doesn’t need to watch it anymore because she’s already living it.

Later.