Desperate Housewives vs Filipino doctors

October 3, 2007

The physician-bloggers from the Philippines are not happy.

Update:
Dr. Anonymous with his comments.



Related posts:

  1. Doctor Anonymous and Desperate Housewives
  2. House, MD and Filipino doctors
  3. Legal trouble with blog comments
  4. Desperate cancer patients looking for dichloroacetate
  5. A star Filipino physician works in NY as a nurse
  6. Buying a kidney
  7. Dr. Anonymous profiled


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{ 17 comments }

1 Anonymous October 3, 2007 at 10:41 am

She should have said she wants to make sure that diploma isn’t from the carribean! :)

2 Anonymous October 3, 2007 at 12:55 pm

It’s funny. I don’t think it’s meant to degrade Filipino doctors. It’s a pun targeting fake diplomas from “supposedly prestigious med schools” — which means targeting fake diploma sellers in recto/quiapo (place in Manila where you can buy fake diploma).

3 Bone MD October 3, 2007 at 6:39 pm

It’s no joke and not in anyway funny. I didn’t hear anything about “fake diploma mills in Recto or Quiapo in the segment” It says “..from some medical schools in the Philippines”. Even if the writers allude to some other personality (caucasian or whoever) the phraseology is still derogatory to the average Filipino and that is unacceptable. But this slur wouldn’t lessen a bit my efforts on giving the best surgical care for my patients, Filipinos or any other nationality,caucasians included.

4 Anonymous October 3, 2007 at 10:38 pm

Why? Do they use different books in the caribbean?

5 Anonymous October 4, 2007 at 9:07 am

it’s really insulting for us doctors to hear someone say that. especially when you know you worked so hard to earn that diploma.

6 ian October 7, 2007 at 9:50 pm

Let’s turn our collective indignation into collective action so the portrayal or mention of such Filipino stereotypes will be lessened if not totally obliterated. i do hope that with all the attention the Philippines and Philippine medical education is getting as of late, the powers that be will act on the REAL issues that deserve our REAL outrage.

7 Anonymous October 8, 2007 at 3:32 pm

If the schools in the Phils. are so bad, why do US agencies keep raiding the country of its nurses and teachers?

8 Anonymous October 8, 2007 at 3:34 pm

If Philippine schools are so bad, why do US agencies keep on raiding the country of its teachers and nurses?

9 Anonymous October 9, 2007 at 9:29 am

I am a Filipino and I am not a fan of the show Desperate Housewives. From what I have read on this post and reading the ‘exact’ excerpt that has spawned the ire of my coutrymen, 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.

In my opinion, that segment of Desperate Housewives is actually a constructive criticism.

10 Anonymous October 10, 2007 at 1:24 am

An American got the nerve to say that? How dare you? You Americans cant even speak gramatically correct English ,your national language, the global language!. Now tell me, who’s the dumbest, a smart alien in your country or you who’s very liberated that even your own language can’t be communicated correctly?

11 Anonymous October 10, 2007 at 12:24 pm

I am a half-filipino American and I think the Filipino people are taking this a little TOO far. Remember the adage, there is truth to every joke? It is well known that med students who are not accepted in the USA apply for med school elsewhere. University of the Philippines (UP) being TOP among them due to it’s status and recognition in the States. I believe this anger against desperate housewives is a ploy to acquire some of the almighty dollar. My proposition is this. Even though I have no agreement with the Filipinos against Desperate Houswives…should they acquire some legal settlement, I will demand some of the chattel. The issue is not whether I agree…rather what is my race. I will take legal action in the matter should I not receive any settlement because now the Filipinos would be guilty of descrimination against someone who is NOT of pure blood.

I love the legal nonsense humankind has wrought as shackles for themselves in this new, “enlightened” age.

12 lexistential October 16, 2007 at 8:08 am

I’m a Filipino fan of “Desperate Housewives”, and a writer for an online magazine, Intrepid Media. This past month, I chose to write “Hoy*, It’s Not That Serious…” because my cultural community threw a huge fit.

I don’t agree with them, and in turn, I’ve received supportive compliments from Filipinos and American friends alike for writing something sensible and intelligent. I refuse to join ridiculous racial bandwagons, and have even been publically labeled by my best friend’s girlfriend as an untrue Filipino right at the site.

“DH” is a satirical comedy. If we can’t collectively laugh together, then we’re fucking ridiculous as a people.

Alex B.

13 Alex B October 16, 2007 at 8:14 am

I’m a Filipino, and I think the whole “Desperate Housewives” uproar is frickin’ ridiculous. I’m also a writer for Intrepid Media, an online magazine, and this past month, I chose to write “Hoy*, It’s Not That Serious…” because I don’t agree with ridiculous racial bandwagoning. We look fucking ridiculous because we’re behaving that way.

Funny enough, this column has generated a lot of positive response from Filipinos and Americans relieved to know that someone doesn’t believe in this whole uproar. But, I’ve even been labeled as a racially disloyal member of the tribe by my own best friend’s girlfriend right at my mag.

14 anoba November 19, 2007 at 6:02 pm

As a Fil-Am professional, much as I would like to ignore and humor this matter, it is not easy. Culturally, Filipnos take their work very seriously and are generally concerned about how they are perceived. This is total thoughtlessness on ABC’s part. This indicates their lack of regard for other cultures. Their words of apology is lame and worthless. For a news organization, they have shown themselves to be totally insensitive. And shame on Ms Hatcher for agreeing to the script.

Another forum where you can voice your opinion is the valuemd.com forum under Asian Med schools.

15 anoba November 19, 2007 at 6:49 pm

As a Fil-Am professional, much as I would like to ignore and humor this matter, it is not easy. Culturally, Filipnos take their work very seriously and are generally concerned about how they are perceived. This is total thoughtlessness on ABC’s part. This indicates their lack of regard for other cultures. Their words of apology is lame and worthless. For a news organization, they have shown themselves to be totally insensitive. And shame on Ms Hatcher for agreeing to the script.

Another forum where you can voice your opinion is the valuemd.com forum under Asian Med schools.

16 Anonymous May 31, 2008 at 2:31 pm

“An American got the nerve to say that? How dare you? You Americans cant even speak gramatically correct English ,your national language, the global language!. Now tell me, who’s the dumbest, a smart alien in your country or you who’s very liberated that even your own language can’t be communicated correctly?”

Before insulting another person on their poor use of the English language, perhaps you should make sure you have somewhat of a firm grasp on it yourself. The number of grammatical errors in that poorly phrased, fragmented comment? Next time, reconsider your own intelligence before insulting another’s lest you reveal yourself to be an ignorant sub-intelligent person again.

17 Anonymous August 16, 2008 at 7:52 am

Somebody here said that foreigners who cannot get in the finest medical schools in the USA, can go to UP college of medicine instead is ignorant of how medical students can enter the most prestigious medical school in the Philippines, first of all they should pass the NMAT and get no lower than 90 percentile which is a feat in itself and if the applicant is not an english speaker he/she must take the TOEFL and pass it(Test of english as a foreing language), I myself is an MD, and when I was studying medicine at SLU Baguio i had many classmates who dropped out due to the rigorous skill and academic training that they had to go through so it is no joke, it is very difficult to get a medical diploma here in the Philippines and once you get it it means you are a competent Doctor anywhere in the world.

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