I’m sure by now, you’ve heard, seen, read, and reacted to Teri Hatcher’s controversial lines in Desperate Housewives about “some med school in the Philippines.”

If you haven’t, then you have to view the clip for yourself (Thank God for YouTube!)

What do you think?
Before you read and listen to what others think, think for yourself first and form your own opinions.

Sharing my views about the issue
Now, let me guess. Like me and a million other Filipinos, you felt hurt when Susan Meyer (played by Teri Hatcher) said the following lines:

“Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Cause I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines.”

Like me and a few other proud Pinoys, you’re probably accusing the scriptwriters of being racist for those lines. How could she say those lines?! How insensitive! How rude! How racist! How dare they imply that medical practitioners from Philippine medical colleges are not competent!

Where’s the Hahaha?
But wait… let’s view the clip again and look carefully and ask a couple of questions that might help us find the humor in the scene from Desperate Housewives:

Question 1: Why did she(Teri Hatcher) ask to see the doctor’s diplomas?
Answer: Because she was not too comfortable with what the doctor was telling her. She was a little bit offended with what the doctor was saying that she was menopausal, obviously implying that she was an old woman - an insult to a “desperate housewife”. So as a defense mechanism, she started doubting the doctor’s abilities, his credentials, his qualifications, and his competence. And so she said she wanted to see the doctor’s diplomas.

Question 2: What happened when she checked the doctor’s diploma?
Answer: She found out that the doctor was a graduate of Harvard Medical School.

So what’s the moral of the story? What’s the lesson to be learned by racist patients in the US: If you’re doubting your doctor’s competence, never ever accuse him of being from “some med school in the Philippines.” For all you know, he could be a Harvard graduate. Hahaha-found it!

Still, it has to be said that this might be a lesson that not many viewers will get. In particular, Filipino viewers might be offended by the alleged racist remarks, especially when taken out of context.

Don’t You Dare!
It’s easy to point the finger at the scriptwriters for being racist in implying that Filipino medical practitioners are somewhat incompetent. But do you think the scriptwriters would put something like that in their script if they haven’t picked up on it from the news?

Could it be possible that the scriptwriters read about the nursing exam scandal that rocked the nation last year? The New York Times had a news article about it. The Philippine Nurses Association of America openly expressed their dismay about it.

Could it be possible that the scriptwriters heard from someone that getting a fake diploma in the Philippines is as easy as buying a pack of cigarettes at a convenience store? It was only a couple of months ago when Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered his men to put an end to the “diploma mills” in Recto.

So let’s not be quick to raise hell at the scriptwriters for criticizing us. As I said, there’s a hahaha moment in the scene that could work to the advantage of medical practitioners who graduated from the Philippines.

We Have Yet to Prove Our Selves
On a personal note, I have to say that as an international school teacher, I have met a few people who were more than curious to know more about my educational background. You see, it’s not that often that you meet a Filipino teacher at an international school. Teachers in international schools usually come from the UK, US, Australia, NZ and other native-english speaking countries. So obviously, their curiousity is a normal initial reaction. After telling them about my happy days of schooling in the Philippines and after showing them that I am dedicated to helping them bring out the best in the children, these people become happy customers, so to speak. And at the end of the day, I can say to myself that I have done my job. For I have proven to my self and to the people whom I interact with that the Philippines is a great country and the Filipinos are a great people!

Mabuhay and Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang mga Noypi!

= = =

To know more about what others think about this controversy, I suggest you read,
1) Shari’s blog - the “cool” firestarter
2) Micketymoc’s reasons - 360 views about the issue
3) Sassy Lawyer’s Journal - more Hahaha for you

 

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