NEW YORK - Author and psychologist Dr. Kevin Nadal has defended the Filipino community against racial slurs before, having led protests against ABC in 2007 after the network’s hit show Desperate Housewives made a slanderous comment about the Philippines’ reputation in the medical community.
ABC apologized and made amends after the snafu.
Now, Nadal has something—or someone, rather—new to focus on. Comedian and radio personality Adam Carolla,
known as former host of Loveline with Dr. Drew, and The Man Show, recently disparaged boxer Manny Pacquiao and the Philippines in his podcast.“Here’s how you know your country doesn’t have a lot going for it when everything is about Manny Pacquiao. Get a ***ing life as a country,” Carolla said. Carolla also said Pacquiao was illiterate, that the Philippines was only known for the boxer and its sex tourism industry, and that Pacquiao prays over chicken bones.
Nadal immediately published an online petition demanding an apology from Carolla.
“We need to fight every time and anytime someone does anything that’s unjust or anything that is discriminatory towards our community,” Nadal said.
With more than 3,000 signatures and counting, it’s now the number one petition on petitiononline.com.
Carolla has since apologized via his Twitter page, saying he’s sorry he offended many Filipinos, and that while he tries to be “provocative” and “funny,” he “crossed the line,” adding later that Manny is a great fighter.
Pacquiao has accepted Carolla’s apology, but Nadal says it’s not enough. Nadal wants Carolla to apologize on his podcast, so everyone can hear Carolla “in his own voice.”
Some Filipinos say however that there is a degree of truth to Carolla’s statements. Valerie Francisco of the Filipino womens’ rights group Gabriela USA says, “The issue of sex trade affecting women and children in the Philippines has been a really grave problem and a serious issue.”
Other Filipinos, however, believe paying attention to Carolla is not worth it, and may just give him attention he doesn’t deserve.
“If we waste a lot of effort just policing this guy, it might be a band-aid solution,” said Brian Tenorio.
Francisco adds that the end of statements similar to Carolla’s will end “when Filipinos change the character of how the whole world looks at them as migrant workers and global citizens.”
View the online petition here http://www.petitiononline.com/FilAmAC/petition.html Balitang America
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
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