‘The Daily Show’ segment labels Cory Aquino 'slut'
10/05/2007 | 12:01 AM
If the racial slur made in a scene in ABC TV's ''Desperate Housewives'' against Philippine medical schools had outraged the nation, Filipinos here and abroad could be in for more.
This time, it may be the turn of the Emmy-award winning American satirical television program “The Daily Show" to spark controversy for apparently making a bad joke on former President Corazon Aquino.
An e-mail letter sent to GMANews.TV by a concerned resident of Cauayan City, Isabela, complained that he finds the portrayal of Mrs Aquino in the “Daily Show" scene in “Is America Ready for a Woman President?" tasteless and insulting.
The show is posted on YouTube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=jc4RhBBw0b8).
In the show, the special assignment reporter examines former women leaders.
“Other countries had girl leaders for years and while Golda Meir may have fended off Egypt, Corazon Aquino faced down dictators, Margaret Thatcher kicked communist’s ass, still they are women," the woman reporter said.
The segment shows photographs of each leader with a gag line. Meir had “OYI," Aquino had “Slut," and Thatcher, “Oops."
It was not known when the show was aired in US networks.
The Daily Show segment came amid the “Housewives" controversy that even became an international incident, with reports on it topping Philippine news shows and drawing newspaper headlines as officials there registered their displeasure. Filipinos could judge the scene for themselves when it was posted on YouTube.
ABC responded with a statement Wednesday to apologize. - GMANews.TV
This time, it may be the turn of the Emmy-award winning American satirical television program “The Daily Show" to spark controversy for apparently making a bad joke on former President Corazon Aquino.
An e-mail letter sent to GMANews.TV by a concerned resident of Cauayan City, Isabela, complained that he finds the portrayal of Mrs Aquino in the “Daily Show" scene in “Is America Ready for a Woman President?" tasteless and insulting.
The show is posted on YouTube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=jc4RhBBw0b8).
In the show, the special assignment reporter examines former women leaders.
“Other countries had girl leaders for years and while Golda Meir may have fended off Egypt, Corazon Aquino faced down dictators, Margaret Thatcher kicked communist’s ass, still they are women," the woman reporter said.
The segment shows photographs of each leader with a gag line. Meir had “OYI," Aquino had “Slut," and Thatcher, “Oops."
It was not known when the show was aired in US networks.
The Daily Show segment came amid the “Housewives" controversy that even became an international incident, with reports on it topping Philippine news shows and drawing newspaper headlines as officials there registered their displeasure. Filipinos could judge the scene for themselves when it was posted on YouTube.
ABC responded with a statement Wednesday to apologize. - GMANews.TV
READER'S FEEDBACK:
From: Wayne Manuel (wdmanuel@gmail.com) in Singapore
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 2:51 AM
The episode was shown in the US on September 18, 2007.
The link you put up is an illegal upload. Comedy Central has an
official video of that clip:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=103031&i
s_large=true
From: Arcy Yuson (arsikoi@gmail.com) in Maryland, USA
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 8:09 AM
The daily show skit depicting former women presidents/leaders with the words "oyi","slut" and "oops" were drawing a policitized version of the infamous celeb website perezhilton.com where the blogger is well known in writting doodles (mostly
offensive) on famous celebrity pictures.
I think the lampoon was just saying that women leaders are a rarity hence they become celebrity status on an instant. That explains the "slut" doesn't really mean anything serious but a joke.
From: Donna Josephine Domingo-Lati in Las Pinas City, Phils.
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 12:32 PM
I am disgusted by what i heard and saw.
Why do they always pick on the weaker sexes, not to mention countries.
Who do they think they are!!! Excuse me...we maybe a third world country but our perspective in terms of respect is way higher than them.
Our riches doesn't come from money, but from with in. And I don't think they have the right to say those things.
If they have that sort of rights in their country, then let it be, but don't drag
other countries with their low-life standards.
I am a woman leader and i am outraged how they even make a joke about it.
You are the media, please let our voices be heard.
Thank you very much.
From: Mike Portes (mike.portes@gmail.com) in Manila, Phils.
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 10:23 AM
One has to command respect in order to get it. It is really deplorable how Filipinos are being stereotyped by being a laborer (read as an engineering grad), a DH (read as a educ grad), or worse a prostitute (aka entertainer).
What's even pathetic is the sorry state our education is back here. It is no wonder that the show's script stated: SOME MED SCHOOL.
Nursing/med schools are mushrooming everywhere claiming world class education! sheesh! talk about diploma mills!
What else can we expect, and here's another show in comedy central that branded CORAZON AQUINO A SLUT?
Let's shape up or we'll all get shipped out (as cheap & mass labor).
From: Mony Romana in Paranaque City, Phils.
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 3:46 PM
"The Daily Show" is a mock news program that pokes fun at the ultra-conservative politicians that rule the US today. Their "correspondents" are usually assigned to take on these conservative views and step it up a bit to illustrate just how these rightist political views can be utterly ridiculous.
This episode is basically thrashing on Republicans making an issue out of Hillary Clinton as a woman, and how strong women like Thatcher, Meir and Pres. Aquino seem to threaten the male dominated status quo, and making an issue of Sen.
Clinton being a woman is as lame as trying calling these great women leaders names.
I do agree that the "Desperate Housewives" gag was utterly offensive and deserves the indignation it rightfully got. But as for "The Daily Show" I'd think we should be careful and take this skit in its proper context before we react.
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 2:51 AM
The episode was shown in the US on September 18, 2007.
The link you put up is an illegal upload. Comedy Central has an
official video of that clip:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=103031&i
s_large=true
From: Arcy Yuson (arsikoi@gmail.com) in Maryland, USA
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 8:09 AM
The daily show skit depicting former women presidents/leaders with the words "oyi","slut" and "oops" were drawing a policitized version of the infamous celeb website perezhilton.com where the blogger is well known in writting doodles (mostly
offensive) on famous celebrity pictures.
I think the lampoon was just saying that women leaders are a rarity hence they become celebrity status on an instant. That explains the "slut" doesn't really mean anything serious but a joke.
From: Donna Josephine Domingo-Lati in Las Pinas City, Phils.
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 12:32 PM
I am disgusted by what i heard and saw.
Why do they always pick on the weaker sexes, not to mention countries.
Who do they think they are!!! Excuse me...we maybe a third world country but our perspective in terms of respect is way higher than them.
Our riches doesn't come from money, but from with in. And I don't think they have the right to say those things.
If they have that sort of rights in their country, then let it be, but don't drag
other countries with their low-life standards.
I am a woman leader and i am outraged how they even make a joke about it.
You are the media, please let our voices be heard.
Thank you very much.
From: Mike Portes (mike.portes@gmail.com) in Manila, Phils.
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 10:23 AM
One has to command respect in order to get it. It is really deplorable how Filipinos are being stereotyped by being a laborer (read as an engineering grad), a DH (read as a educ grad), or worse a prostitute (aka entertainer).
What's even pathetic is the sorry state our education is back here. It is no wonder that the show's script stated: SOME MED SCHOOL.
Nursing/med schools are mushrooming everywhere claiming world class education! sheesh! talk about diploma mills!
What else can we expect, and here's another show in comedy central that branded CORAZON AQUINO A SLUT?
Let's shape up or we'll all get shipped out (as cheap & mass labor).
From: Mony Romana in Paranaque City, Phils.
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 3:46 PM
"The Daily Show" is a mock news program that pokes fun at the ultra-conservative politicians that rule the US today. Their "correspondents" are usually assigned to take on these conservative views and step it up a bit to illustrate just how these rightist political views can be utterly ridiculous.
This episode is basically thrashing on Republicans making an issue out of Hillary Clinton as a woman, and how strong women like Thatcher, Meir and Pres. Aquino seem to threaten the male dominated status quo, and making an issue of Sen.
Clinton being a woman is as lame as trying calling these great women leaders names.
I do agree that the "Desperate Housewives" gag was utterly offensive and deserves the indignation it rightfully got. But as for "The Daily Show" I'd think we should be careful and take this skit in its proper context before we react.
