Filipino-American President
I do not know what to make out of this forwarded e-mail from a Filipino-American friend. The email is regarding the “Top 10 Reasons Why There Couldn't Be a Filipino-American US President”. It came from a popular talk show in the US. I am not yet at liberty to mention the name of the show. Here are the top ten reasons:
10. The White House is not big enough for in-laws and extended relatives.
9. There are not enough parking spaces at the White House for 2 Honda Civics, 2 Toyota Land Cruisers, 3 Toyota Corollas, a Mercedes Benz, a BMW , and an MPV (My Pinoy Van).
8. Dignitaries generally are intimidated by eating with their fingers at State dinners.
7. There are too many dining rooms in the White House - where will they put the picture of the Last Supper?
6. The White House walls are not big enough to hold a pair of giant wooden spoon and fork
5. Secret Service staff won't respond to 'psst... psst' or hoy..hoyhoy
4. Secret Service staff will not be comfortable driving the presidential car with a Holy Rosary hanging on the rear view mirror, or the statue of the Santo Nino on the dashboard.
3. No budget allocation to purchase a Karaoke music-machine for every room in the White House.
2. State dinners do not allow 'Take Home'.
AND THE NUMBER 1 REASON WHY THERE COULDN'T BE A FILIPINO-AMERICAN U.S. PRESIDENT IS...
1. Air Force One does not allow overweight Balikbayan boxes!
Does it intend to humor the audience, which is predominantly non-Filipino? Is that a harmless humor? Did the audience laugh and if they did, did they understand why it could be laughable?
I do believe that humor is cultural. Filipinos could laugh at the “top ten” because they can relate at the cultural relevance and could mentally process the significance of each trait. However, when a foreigner tells it to a fellow foreigner, their ignorance could turn into a misconception of the particular trait that could not even be a generalization of the entire culture.
People laugh at a humor. It serves its purpose. However, what follows next? Is that all there is to a humor? Humor is not just humor that intends to make people laugh. Humor could deliver a statement. It could be political, social, cultural, or all of it, regarding the subject, and although we could laugh at it, it sends a message to both the conscious and subconscious mind. Whether it is a positive or negative, it depends on the state of mind of the receiver.
I do not know what prompted the producers to come up with this “top ten”. What I do know is that somehow it could create stereotypes that are inconclusive to the general population of a Filipino-American.
On the other hand, I am not Filipino-American, but my sister and her family is and soon my parents. I am not sure if the top-ten particularly numbers 7, 6, 4, and 3 is true. Nevertheless, my sensibilities tell me that we need to be sensitive in every word we utter especially when we are talking about other cultures.
Humor is sometimes ugly, but we could laugh at it without others feeling disgusted.
I do believe that humor is cultural. Filipinos could laugh at the “top ten” because they can relate at the cultural relevance and could mentally process the significance of each trait. However, when a foreigner tells it to a fellow foreigner, their ignorance could turn into a misconception of the particular trait that could not even be a generalization of the entire culture.
People laugh at a humor. It serves its purpose. However, what follows next? Is that all there is to a humor? Humor is not just humor that intends to make people laugh. Humor could deliver a statement. It could be political, social, cultural, or all of it, regarding the subject, and although we could laugh at it, it sends a message to both the conscious and subconscious mind. Whether it is a positive or negative, it depends on the state of mind of the receiver.
I do not know what prompted the producers to come up with this “top ten”. What I do know is that somehow it could create stereotypes that are inconclusive to the general population of a Filipino-American.
On the other hand, I am not Filipino-American, but my sister and her family is and soon my parents. I am not sure if the top-ten particularly numbers 7, 6, 4, and 3 is true. Nevertheless, my sensibilities tell me that we need to be sensitive in every word we utter especially when we are talking about other cultures.
Humor is sometimes ugly, but we could laugh at it without others feeling disgusted.
9 dialectics:
yung psst... ginagawa ng ibang pinoy sa kanto-- HINDI SA BAHAY
anyway, Pinoy din malamang ang gumawa nyan o at least, may kinalaman... but this isn't A BIG DEAL
if it came from a "popular" talk show, then why the hell aren't you "at liberty" to say the show's name? it's not like a "big secret" if it actually aired all across the US and syndicated through cable.
you realize that's a huge bullshit, right? this is what i think: this list was just made up to provoke Filipinos.
the only show i would think has a top 10 list like this is david letterman's, and i dont think they'd say this.
and as always: video, or it didnt happen.
I'm not convinced that this has been aired over a talk show... If there was such, show us the evidence... And bdw, I've already read this funny things about two years ago... but it was ignored... you just simply smile, and say... REALLY?
mukhang alam ko kung ano show ito...
palagay ko, it was intended to make people laugh and from there reform. naks! lalim ulit ng word reform. hehehe
Obviously a Top Ten List from the Late Show with Dave Letterman. Does it really undermine us, or does it just poke good, clean fun at our culture? We have to stop overreacting to stuff like this at some point.
Haay, I agree with Dean: Let's not take this too seriously.
Rex Navarette, a Fil-Am, recognizes that cultural humor is just that. Humor.
In the same way only African-Americans can call each other "Ni***r" jokingly, let's acknowledge our quirks as Pinoys. And poke fun at ourselves sometimes.
ano ba ito. another chip tsao na naman ba? siguro it's for humor lang naman. and wag masyado maramdamin ang mga pinoy.
sa palagay ko di maramdamin ang pinoy. mas pipiliin nating tumahimik kesa ipahayag ang ating damdamin. aantayin pa natin na merong dugo na mabuwis bago masabi na hindi na tama ang nangyayari.
it's okay to over-react. an over-reaction could become a preventive measure. it is a valid response at a certain degree.
it's a shame na ganito ang pagkakilala nila sa atin... but the thing is madami nmn talaga may ganyang pamumuhay sa atin...
Post a Comment