‘Harry & Paul show not even that funny’ - groups

MANILA, Philippines - Brushing aside the issues of sexism and racism, several women and migrant groups found the now controversial British television show Harry & Paul unentertaining, even corny. “What’s so funny about that show?" asked Aurora Javate De Dios, executive director of the Women and Gender Institute and a migration studies professor at the Miriam College . “Don’t the writers have any creativity left to induce humor without insulting someone?" she added. Although De Dios only managed to see the controversial sketch in the television news, she said it was enough for her to conclude that the British sketch comedy show could only elicit a few laughs. Jean Enriquez, executive director of the Coalition Against the Trafficking in Women, was horrified when she saw the infamous episode that showed a Filipino domestic helper “entertaining" her aging British employer. At first, Enriquez thought some groups who cried foul over the said racial slur were overreacting. Her opinion changed however when she saw the clip herself. “Nanginginig yung laman ko sa galit (My body was shaking in anger)," she told GMANews.TV in an interview. “I wasn’t laughing at all. Who would find that funny?" In the controversial clip that has been circulating over the Internet, especially via video-sharing website YouTube, a woman playing the character of a Filipina housemaid is seen performing in front of her British employer’s friend. “It gives the message that it’s okay for British men to treat women that way. If that’s the case, I’m scared for our Filipinas," Enriquez added. Meanwhile, Carmelita Nuqui head of the Development Action for Women Network, who also saw only a clip of the show, said she didn’t get the show’s joke. Instead she urged Filipinos to be vigilant against racist slurs committed by foreign shows, which she feared would continue in the absence of any opposition. Nuqui also said that British people should become more appreciative of Filipino domestic workers. “Because of Filipino domestic helpers, their women could work in professional jobs. They should recognize the domestic helpers’ contribution," she said. On the occasion of the International Day of No Prostitution on Wednesday, the People’s Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance or PREDA foundation said the exploitation of women has never been entertaining. "BBC’s Harry and Paul encourages trafficking of women – the delivery of women abroad as domestic workers, to put them in situations of sexual exploitation." it said in a statement. Aired over the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) channel, Harry & Paul is among the most viewed comedy shows in British television. In a report from The Guardian, about 3.1-million Britons watched the sketch show last September 26, landing the second spot in the ratings race. - GMANews.TV