R
rakso
Guest
Hi.
I found this link recently, http://www.starcityccg.com/news/Magic/Boydell/000829boydell.html, and found a reference to Filipino houseboys that I thought was casual but somewhat offensive.
Below is the exchange I had with the author of the article, Anthony Boydell of Star City.
I basically feel that the seeming slur should not be let go of lightly, if only to firm up a sense of ethics among Magic writers without necessarily singling out Mr. Boydell. I am proud of my country, after all.
Would anyone else care to e-mail the author and the editor of Star City regarding an apology? Thanks so much.
Oscar Tan aka Rakso
Type I Maintainer
http://www.bdominia.com
PS -- Here is the excerpt from the article in question:
August 29, 2000
Good Times, Bad Times
by Anthony Boydell
....LOCATION
Obviously the 'location' plays a prime role in the success or failure of a games club. It's hard to imagine people frequenting a club that is still only a concept in the mind of an ambitious player, a club that exists in terms of time, but not actually in any spatial sense, e.g., one second in the past, or it exists only if you don't look at it except from the corner of one eye. The location should be:
- Legal. This often rules out such places as the inside of the gold vault at Fort Knox, on the naked belly of a Filipino house-boy, or the outside lane of the nearest motorway (though that would be quite good for access).
----- Original Message -----
From: Oscar Tan <rakso@impactnet.com>
To: Tony Boydell <tonyboydell@yahoo.co.uk>
Cc: <theferrett@theferrett.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 12:04 AM
Subject: Re: Filipino House-Boy
> Yeah, thanks for replying (basically, the reason why I sent it to the editor
> was that, for some reason, I guess I was looking for the link with the
> e-mail and found his first).
>
> I'm glad that's cleared up; not having spotted your e-mail right away, I
> even thought you were American.
>
> I must say that I think the quality of articles on Star City seems to be
> improving, and while the comment disturbed me, I did not passionately think
> that you were being intentionally racist.
>
> However, the thing with Filipinos and allusions to domestic helpers is that
> many poorer Filipnos have to seek work abroad to support families. It is a
> nationally resented stereotype, I have to say. That is why I took more
> notice of the statement than another passing comment.
>
> Again, I appreciate your e-mailing to clear up this matter, but I must
> disagree that it should be taken lightly. TV show or no TV show, the comment
> was inappropriate. Whether or not one seeks to be politically correct at all
> times, I feel that it is not so much of a burden to write in good taste,
> especially when one can expect people from around the world to read one's
> piece. Moreover, I feel that condoning such seemingly casual statemetns sets
> a bad example for the younger players who surely read your material.
>
> I see that it was unintentional, but I was surprised to see the comment and
> did take offense. If you mean what you say, I would like to request that you
> strike the comment from your article and possibly leave a small note of
> apology. I myself am uncomfortable with the term "politically correct" and
> the stigma that seems attached to it, but in my country, I believe our
> equivalent term is "basic respect for others".
>
> Oscar Tan aka Rakso
> Type I Maintainer
> http://www.bdominia.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tony Boydell <tonyboydell@yahoo.co.uk>
> To: <rakso@impactnet.com>
> Cc: <theferrett@theferrett.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 11:46 PM
> Subject: Filipino House-Boy
>
>
> > Rakso,
> >
> > On a TV comedy program in the UK, there used to be
> > references to famous people having young, male
> > servants with the insinuation that there's some sort
> > of non-professional 'relationship' going on - you
> > know, the love that dare not speak it's name ?
> >
> > Anyway, that's where the phrase 'Filipino House Boy'
> > comes from. Thus, playing Magic on the 'naked belly'
> > is both a reference to that comedy prog, and an
> > example of behaviour that may be 'undesirable' (hence
> > it's appearance in the 'Not Legal' section).
> >
> > It's not supposed to be a sleight at Filipino's
> > world-wide, or any Filipino in particular; just as
> > making the comment that Germans always get to the sun
> > loungers first, or that Americans are brash, or that
> > the Italians are over-emotional is not a sleight at
> > the nation or anyone in particular.
> >
> > It's just a passing comment. Tinged with affection for
> > the stereotype, I guess.
> >
> > If you have taken offence at this then I'm sorry -
> > there is no hidden racist agenda at work, I am not in
> > the business of Xenophobia...
> >
> > ...equally I am not in the market to be Politically
> > Correct at every turn on the off-chance that someone,
> > somewhere, sometime is going to be offended by
> > anything I might say - you can't please all of the
> > people all of the time, as the great man said (_which_
> > great man ? I have no idea !)
> >
> > Hope this clarifies things for you...and I hope it
> > didn't mar your enjoyment of the article as a whole -
> > I take neither myself nor Magic too seriously, and
> > would hope my readership feels the same.
> >
> > God Bless,
> >
> > Tony Boydell
> >
> > P.S. Feel free to send your comments and/or questions
> > to me directly - I'm not completely unapproachable
> > (though my choice of aftershave is suspect on
> > occasion)
>
>
I found this link recently, http://www.starcityccg.com/news/Magic/Boydell/000829boydell.html, and found a reference to Filipino houseboys that I thought was casual but somewhat offensive.
Below is the exchange I had with the author of the article, Anthony Boydell of Star City.
I basically feel that the seeming slur should not be let go of lightly, if only to firm up a sense of ethics among Magic writers without necessarily singling out Mr. Boydell. I am proud of my country, after all.
Would anyone else care to e-mail the author and the editor of Star City regarding an apology? Thanks so much.
Oscar Tan aka Rakso
Type I Maintainer
http://www.bdominia.com
PS -- Here is the excerpt from the article in question:
August 29, 2000
Good Times, Bad Times
by Anthony Boydell
....LOCATION
Obviously the 'location' plays a prime role in the success or failure of a games club. It's hard to imagine people frequenting a club that is still only a concept in the mind of an ambitious player, a club that exists in terms of time, but not actually in any spatial sense, e.g., one second in the past, or it exists only if you don't look at it except from the corner of one eye. The location should be:
- Legal. This often rules out such places as the inside of the gold vault at Fort Knox, on the naked belly of a Filipino house-boy, or the outside lane of the nearest motorway (though that would be quite good for access).
----- Original Message -----
From: Oscar Tan <rakso@impactnet.com>
To: Tony Boydell <tonyboydell@yahoo.co.uk>
Cc: <theferrett@theferrett.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 12:04 AM
Subject: Re: Filipino House-Boy
> Yeah, thanks for replying (basically, the reason why I sent it to the editor
> was that, for some reason, I guess I was looking for the link with the
> e-mail and found his first).
>
> I'm glad that's cleared up; not having spotted your e-mail right away, I
> even thought you were American.
>
> I must say that I think the quality of articles on Star City seems to be
> improving, and while the comment disturbed me, I did not passionately think
> that you were being intentionally racist.
>
> However, the thing with Filipinos and allusions to domestic helpers is that
> many poorer Filipnos have to seek work abroad to support families. It is a
> nationally resented stereotype, I have to say. That is why I took more
> notice of the statement than another passing comment.
>
> Again, I appreciate your e-mailing to clear up this matter, but I must
> disagree that it should be taken lightly. TV show or no TV show, the comment
> was inappropriate. Whether or not one seeks to be politically correct at all
> times, I feel that it is not so much of a burden to write in good taste,
> especially when one can expect people from around the world to read one's
> piece. Moreover, I feel that condoning such seemingly casual statemetns sets
> a bad example for the younger players who surely read your material.
>
> I see that it was unintentional, but I was surprised to see the comment and
> did take offense. If you mean what you say, I would like to request that you
> strike the comment from your article and possibly leave a small note of
> apology. I myself am uncomfortable with the term "politically correct" and
> the stigma that seems attached to it, but in my country, I believe our
> equivalent term is "basic respect for others".
>
> Oscar Tan aka Rakso
> Type I Maintainer
> http://www.bdominia.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tony Boydell <tonyboydell@yahoo.co.uk>
> To: <rakso@impactnet.com>
> Cc: <theferrett@theferrett.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 11:46 PM
> Subject: Filipino House-Boy
>
>
> > Rakso,
> >
> > On a TV comedy program in the UK, there used to be
> > references to famous people having young, male
> > servants with the insinuation that there's some sort
> > of non-professional 'relationship' going on - you
> > know, the love that dare not speak it's name ?
> >
> > Anyway, that's where the phrase 'Filipino House Boy'
> > comes from. Thus, playing Magic on the 'naked belly'
> > is both a reference to that comedy prog, and an
> > example of behaviour that may be 'undesirable' (hence
> > it's appearance in the 'Not Legal' section).
> >
> > It's not supposed to be a sleight at Filipino's
> > world-wide, or any Filipino in particular; just as
> > making the comment that Germans always get to the sun
> > loungers first, or that Americans are brash, or that
> > the Italians are over-emotional is not a sleight at
> > the nation or anyone in particular.
> >
> > It's just a passing comment. Tinged with affection for
> > the stereotype, I guess.
> >
> > If you have taken offence at this then I'm sorry -
> > there is no hidden racist agenda at work, I am not in
> > the business of Xenophobia...
> >
> > ...equally I am not in the market to be Politically
> > Correct at every turn on the off-chance that someone,
> > somewhere, sometime is going to be offended by
> > anything I might say - you can't please all of the
> > people all of the time, as the great man said (_which_
> > great man ? I have no idea !)
> >
> > Hope this clarifies things for you...and I hope it
> > didn't mar your enjoyment of the article as a whole -
> > I take neither myself nor Magic too seriously, and
> > would hope my readership feels the same.
> >
> > God Bless,
> >
> > Tony Boydell
> >
> > P.S. Feel free to send your comments and/or questions
> > to me directly - I'm not completely unapproachable
> > (though my choice of aftershave is suspect on
> > occasion)
>
>