BBC apologizes for slur on domestics
Written by Writer on Saturday, October 25th, 2008
BBC apologizes for slur on domestics
By Llanesca T. Panti, Reporter
World network giant British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has finally issued a formal apology to the Philippine Embassy in London for airing a skit demeaning the Filipina domestic worker, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported Friday.
“Please accept my sincere apologies, on behalf of the BBC, for the offence that this program caused you,” BBC Director General Mark Thompson said in a letter dated October 10 and sent to Philippine Ambassador to the Court of Saint James Edgardo Espiritu. The Philippine Embassy received the statement on October 20.
The apology came three days before the Philippines’ hosting of the Second Global Forum on Migration, which seeks to address various migration issues, with 192 countries as participants.
Espiritu sought the apology on October 3 by writing BBC Trust Chairman Sir Michael Lyons over an episode of Harry and Paul, initially shown on BBC on September 26 and replayed on BBC 2 on September 29. The episode typified Filipina domestics in a dual role as domestic workers and sex toys of their British employers.
In that espisode, comedian Harry Enfield’s character said that “our chums up the road wanted to see if they could mate their Filipino maid with our northerner,” as the maid danced provocatively in his garden. The dancing, however, did not have any effect and Enfield shouted: “Come on, Clyde, mount her.”
Espiritu also wrote a similar letter to the BBC Complaints Centre, copy furnished Mark Pritchard, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group–Philippines and the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Sir Trevor Phillips, head of the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission; the Office of Communications, the independent regulator of the UK communications industries; Sir Christopher Meyer, Knight Commander, head of the UK Press Complaints Commission; London Mayor Boris Johnson and Harriet Harman, UK Secretary of State for Women and Equality.
Strong outrage
The episode stirred anger among the 200,000-strong Filipino community in the UK and led to some leaders of the community to put up an online petition where Filipinos could lodge their protest against BBC and the show’s producer, Tiger Aspect Productions. The online petition gathered more than 2,000 supporters within three days.
A silent vigil was also held on October 17 fronting the BBC Office in White City, just outside central London and Tiger Aspect Productions in Soho in central London.
Tiger Aspect Productions Chief Executive Andrew Zane issued an apology before the members of the Filipino community who joined the Soho vigil.
“We’re sorry to anyone who was in any way offended by the program. This certainly was not our intention,” said Zane.
In an earlier interview, Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, stressed that Filipino domestic workers should be respected because their job is no laughing matter.
“These domestic workers are not entertainers. They have earned the trust of their employers because they work long hours to deliver good service. They should not be portrayed as loose women,” she said.
This is the second time in two years that a foreign show aired negative descriptions about Filipinos. In a Desperate Housewives’ episode last year, Teri Hatcher’s character, Susan, was quoted as saying “can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines,” after her gynecologist told her that she might be hitting menopause.
Hatcher’s statements earned the ire of Filipino doctors based in the country and abroad.
The Manila Times
Saturday, October 25, 2008
