The truth hurts...

[Mr S]

Now you can get an idea how emotionally irrational Filipino's can be, can't take a joke! Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction...

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Actor Alec Baldwin's joke about getting a Filipino mail-order bride provoked a sharp response in the Philippines, with one senator saying Monday that the "30 Rock" star faces violence if he ever visits.

Baldwin, 51, who is divorced with a teenage daughter, said in a May 12 interview on "The Late Show" with David Letterman that he would love to have more children.

The Emmy-winning actor quipped that he was "thinking about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point ... or a Russian one."

Baldwin has been involved in a bitter dispute with his ex-wife, Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger, over custody of their 13-year-old daughter, Ireland.

Philippine Sen. Ramon Revilla said Monday that Baldwin's comment was "insensitive and uncalled for" and an insult to millions of Filipinos.

He called the actor is "arrogant" and said he is apparently unaware that the Philippines has a law against mail-order brides.

"Let him try to come here in the Philippines and he'll see mayhem," Revilla said, using a local idiom that implies the speaker will personally administer a beating.

The senator himself is a former action-movie star who occasionally still appears on Philippine TV.

[Winston]

This doesn't make any logical sense. Baldwin's comment should have been taken as a compliment. It means he's attracted to Filipinas. So why was this Senator insulted?

I have met some middle class Filipinos that get insulted very easily and take every little thing the wrong way. It's like they have issues. I don't understand what's up with that. The lower class people are not like that though. I wonder why.

It's also irrational for the Senator to threaten violence too, and totally uncalled for.

Baldwin can easily get a hot American girl. Why would he need to date a foreign woman?

[miles_ahead]

I agree it should be taken as a compliment. I guess he probably felt that Baldwin was insinuating that filipina women are easy or something like that.

[Repatriate]

This doesn't make any logical sense. Baldwin's comment should have been taken as a compliment. It means he's attracted to Filipinas. So why was this Senator insulted?

I have met some middle class Filipinos that get insulted very easily and take every little thing the wrong way. It's like they have issues. I don't understand what's up with that. The lower class people are not like that though. I wonder why.

Thai middle class people are similar. I think it's because there is some insecurity and an inferiority complex there. The middle class in these countries have enough money and have traveled enough to know that outside of their country the perception of their people tends to lean towards "prostitute", "mail order wife", or cheap place to have fun. So any insinuation of that offends them even though a lot of it may in fact be true to some extent. If you're a short or fat man you don't like being constantly reminded you're short or fat.

Let's face it people do go to the Phillipines and Thailand for all of the above. However, to some middle/upper class people in these countries they have somewhat deluded themselves into thinking their country is some vast cultural/technological/industrial hub but i've talked with a lot of Thais who openly admit their country is screwball in a lot of ways.

Adam Carolla (the loveline host/idiot) made similar comments saying that the Phillipines doesn't have anything except for easy sex and Manny Pacquiao. It really pissed the people off big time and even had the head of the government talking about it in the news.

On the flipside of things...I do find Thais and Filipinos to be much easier to get along with than your average "fellow" American though.

[Free]

Baldwin can easily get a hot American girl. Why would he need to date a foreign woman?

You never know, maybe there was a reason for the divorce, the likes of what we might sense.

Possibly he's simply just tired of Western women.

But yes, it does tell something, be a star, with money, and still have struggles. Wow.
At least he has a daughter though. That's a contribution at least, beyond his stay on earth, and possibly a couple of movies people can enjoy after he's gone. What will we leave behind? Winston has his book. The rest of us?

[Marcus Aurelius]

Wow. It sounds to me like it was a veiled insult of american women, considering the bullshit his ex wife has put him through. I think THAT'S what he means...that he's ready for foreign women. Insuating how bad our women are. Certainly not an insult to them.

[ladislav]

Thai middle class people are similar. I think it's because there is some insecurity and an inferiority complex there. The middle class in these countries have enough money and have traveled enough to know that outside of their country the perception of their people tends to lean towards "prostitute", "mail order wife", or cheap place to have fun. So any insinuation of that offends them even though a lot of it may in fact be true to some extent. If you're a short or fat man you don't like being constantly reminded you're short or fat.

Well, Filipinos are not under the illusion that their country is a vast Asian empire that is leading all of Asia in its eternal revolution against the evil, smelly Farangs. But they have their own issues. They are kind of try to be part of the West as much as possible because in a way, they are, and desperately imitate the US and do not really develop their own culture(s) which they consider to be low class and tacky. They try to be more fluent in English than Americans themselves. Be more Christian. But they just end up squaring the circle and never really becoming truly Western. Many have gone to the US and encountered racism and become angry-" don't you recognize me? I am American. too". So, anything sets them on edge and is seen as a slight. Many do not even want to deal with Americans ( all white people are Americans) for the fear of being slighted.

The Thais have a strong indigenous culture with the Western influence being only material(istic). They are still very much Thai. So, there is less of a complex. But there is a cultural dislike of criticism that is endemic in the Thai ways. You are not supposed to show any of it except as gossip done secretly. Negativity is to be ignored and denied. When someone points something out to them, they see it as a serious violation of the superficial harmony they try to maintain by denying anything negative.
A strong nationalist education overinflates the "greatness" of Thailand and makes people there proud of being an Asian Master Race. Which is all BS.

The Filipinos have been overcolonized and over oppressed. The Thais- not 'colonized enough' as it were. Both extremes suck.

Filipinos are VERY self critical, but it is not an invitation for poreigners to criticize them.

Look what Filipinos think of themselves:

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_ ... ine_Empire
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Filipino

[globetrotter]

They are compensating for their small penises by their over-reaction.

[Repatriate]

Well, Filipinos are not under the illusion that their country is a vast Asian empire that is leading all of Asia in its eternal revolution against the evil, smelly Farangs. But they have their own issues. They are kind of try to be part of the West as much as possible because in a way, they are, and desperately imitate the US and do not really develop their own culture(s) which they consider to be low class and tacky. They try to be more fluent in English than Americans themselves. Be more Christian. But they just end up squaring the circle and never really becoming truly Western.

From the Filipinos I know they do tend to idolize American culture to an extent that's awkward. One major point that i've noticed is that they don't critically analyze the good/bad points of culture very well. A lot of them talk about America like it's some cultural utopia because they don't seem to understand how the social politics or economics work in the U.S. They don't realize the "America" they idolize doesn't exist. A lot of their perceptions come from trashy pop culture and Hollywood mass media which they take as gospel truth.

The Thais have a strong indigenous culture with the Western influence being only material(istic). They are still very much Thai. So, there is less of a complex. But there is a cultural dislike of criticism that is endemic in the Thai ways. You are not supposed to show any of it except as gossip done secretly. Negativity is to be ignored and denied. When someone points something out to them, they see it as a serious violation of the superficial harmony they try to maintain by denying anything negative.
A strong nationalist education overinflates the "greatness" of Thailand and makes people there proud of being an Asian Master Race. Which is all BS.

Believe me this nationalist foundation isn't as strong or indoctrinated as you seem to think. Thais are _very_ self critical and the politics in the country basically borders on the brink of chaos a lot. They definitely see the problems but the issues are fairly complex. There's an upper class here which is made up of rich families who monopolize businesses, royalty, and the military which controls nearly everything and pushes the middle/lower class down.

It's a feudal society and all the rhetoric about "self sufficiency" and being "content with Thai" is just rhetoric to bullshit the lower class rural people to be content in the fields squeaking by on meager living. They know this and the poor majority know this as well. They aren't blind to the drug addiction and prostitution that has been endemic to their country for decades. That's why there's all these political tensions.

One thing you have to remember Thais have two faces they like to put on..one is the "everything is fine" face they put on when talking to foreigners but in private they are very critical of their culture. The problem is that they fail to analyze the problems and provide a sufficient compromise that breaks the finely tuned class hierarchy. Developed asian countries managed to break this feudalism and build up a middle class. In Thailand it's still stuck in classism.

To be honest I haven't met any Thais who seriously think Thailand is some vanguard of asian cultural supremacy. Most think that Thais fall way short of being developed and are still lacking in competitiveness even compared with the neighbors like Vietnam. Thais often look towards Japan or S. Korea as a model if you want an example of this.

The Filipinos have been overcolonized and over oppressed. The Thais- not 'colonized enough' as it were. Both extremes suck.

One thing that is common about both cultures is that they fail to critically analyze and develop solutions which remake the inherently broken cultural foundation. I doubt either will but I think Thailand will do it much sooner than the Phillipines since they are at least starting to understand the importance of the middle class. The educational system and social opportunities for the lower class of people is still pretty dismal though. Even if they ever manage to throw out the kleptocrats and parasitic monopolies they still have to contend with a lot of social issues.

[yatterman1]

I get the feeling that theres going to be a massive xenophobic movement in the Philippines very soon. Violence against whites (and maybe other foreigners too) is going to sky rocket and they might even take measures to prevent filipinas them marrying men from other countries such as revoking legal rights of women who marry foreigners.

[Repatriate]

I get the feeling that theres going to be a massive xenophobic movement in the Philippines very soon. Violence against whites (and maybe other foreigners too) is going to sky rocket and they might even take measures to prevent filipinas them marrying men from other countries such as revoking legal rights of women who marry foreigners.

I seriously doubt it. Xenophobia doesn't happen as much in nations with a weak core identity. Much of what the Phillipines admires is western and culturally western.

[yatterman1]

I get the feeling that theres going to be a massive xenophobic movement in the Philippines very soon. Violence against whites (and maybe other foreigners too) is going to sky rocket and they might even take measures to prevent filipinas them marrying men from other countries such as revoking legal rights of women who marry foreigners.

I seriously doubt it. Xenophobia doesn't happen as much in nations with a weak core identity. Much of what the Phillipines admires is western and culturally western.

Well even the philippines banning marriage to american men (or foreign men in general) is not as unlikely as you think.

Cambodia banned marriage to korean men:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/ ... id=2918089
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 00462.html

Even though at the same time south korean media is extremely popular in cambodia.....that did not stop this xenophobic move. Im also pretty sure cambodia doesnt exactly have a strong core identity.

[Repatriate]

Well even the philippines banning marriage to american men (or foreign men in general) is not as unlikely as you think.

Cambodia banned marriage to korean men:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/ ... id=2918089
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 00462.html

Even though at the same time south korean media is extremely popular in cambodia.....that did not stop this xenophobic move. Im also pretty sure cambodia doesnt exactly have a strong core identity.

Cambodia banned marriage to Korean men because a lot of the wives were being lied to and sent to rural areas where they were frequently abused. It had nothing to do with racial/cultural reasons. Also, the Phillipines is probably the most colonial "western" asian country in existence. The idea of it "hating" the west is so ridiculous that it hurts to read.

[yatterman1]

Well even the philippines banning marriage to american men (or foreign men in general) is not as unlikely as you think.

Cambodia banned marriage to korean men:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/ ... id=2918089
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 00462.html

Even though at the same time south korean media is extremely popular in cambodia.....that did not stop this xenophobic move. Im also pretty sure cambodia doesnt exactly have a strong core identity.

Cambodia banned marriage to Korean men because a lot of the wives were being lied to and sent to rural areas where they were frequently abused. It had nothing to do with racial/cultural reasons. Also, the Phillipines is probably the most colonial "western" asian country in existence. The idea of it "hating" the west is so ridiculous that it hurts to read.

I guess a better example would be Japan and South Korea. They are culturally similar. Anime and other forms of japanese media are VERY popular in South Korea. Like-wise K-pop and K-dramas are VERY popular in Japan. Despite all of this there is a lot of xenophobia between the two countries. Many Japanese people hate koreans and vice versa.

[Repatriate]

Well even the philippines banning marriage to american men (or foreign men in general) is not as unlikely as you think.

Cambodia banned marriage to korean men:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/ ... id=2918089
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 00462.html

Even though at the same time south korean media is extremely popular in cambodia.....that did not stop this xenophobic move. Im also pretty sure cambodia doesnt exactly have a strong core identity.

Cambodia banned marriage to Korean men because a lot of the wives were being lied to and sent to rural areas where they were frequently abused. It had nothing to do with racial/cultural reasons. Also, the Phillipines is probably the most colonial "western" asian country in existence. The idea of it "hating" the west is so ridiculous that it hurts to read.

I guess a better example would be Japan and South Korea. They are culturally similar. Anime and other forms of japanese media are VERY popular in South Korea. Like-wise K-pop and K-dramas are VERY popular in Japan. Despite all of this there is a lot of xenophobia between the two countries. Many Japanese people hate koreans and vice versa.

That doesn't mean they are culturally similar. You might make the case that Japan and the U.S. have more in common because some Japanese teens like baseball and listen to hip hop.

Also the animosity between the two countries has been going on since the 16th century and peaked during WW2. Go google up Imjin wars if you want a history lesson.

This xenophobia is not some recent thing.