Prince Philip Gaffes: Duke Of Edinburgh Tells Filipino Nurse, 'Your Country Must Be Half Empty'

[MADem]

Oh yes...he did. Again.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/20/prince-phillip-tells-filipino-nurse-nhs-_n_2725399.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

The Duke of Edinburgh told a Filipino nurse her country must now be "half-empty" as "you're all here running the NHS" during a visit to Luton and Dunstable University Hospital on Tuesday.

Philip, who is famed for his gaffes, made the hospital worker from the Philippines laugh with his comment during a visit to open a cardiac centre.

A spokeswoman for the hospital described the royal visit as a huge boost for staff morale and said the Duke was in a jovial mood, making jokes throughout his tour....The Duke is well-known for his outspoken comments and famously told British students during a 1986 state visit to China: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed"....

[eShirl]

1. "No, Pip, just your head."

[Bonobo]

2. What's so bad about that?

And yeah, many or most Chinese people do have slitty or slanted-looking eyes. So do many or most Japanese. What is controversial about that?

White people have pasty skin often as well. Black people have kinky hair and Jewish hair is often very brittle-like a brush for some people. Aboriginal Australians have wide noses, Scandinavians have blonde hair and some have lots of freckles.

Maybe when we can see allow for these things to be pointed out without offense, some real progress will have happened.

[Victor_c3]

3. Yup, I have to agree with you on that

I say know who and what you are and embrace it.

[MADem]

5. Well, it's racist (suggesting that "Asian-ness" is "catching") and it is culturally insensitive.

It's particularly unfortunate (for the Queen and the Prime Minister, anyway) when he goes off like that. He's a representative of the British monarchy, not Don Rickles. He's not supposed to be delivering one liners that are suggestive of intolerance.

It amuses the public for its shock value, but it's suggestive of poor breeding.

[dmallind]

6. Yet the Chinese were not offended, and even responded in kind

Warning their own exchange students of the risk of becoming round-eyed. Racist towards occidentals?

[MADem]

8. If that's what they said, then that is what they said....

I don't know if the Chinese weren't offended--they maybe just took that tack to handle their offense.

I think it's funny how some folks think only white folk can be racist.

I guess it comes from holding such sway over a large portion of the globe for so many centuries.

Non Japanese people who go to Japan get a hefty dose of racism in many corners of that society--and they aren't even subtle about it! It's a cultural thing in some instances; there is low tolerance for lack of understanding of the culture, but regardless of the reason for it, it's there.

And they are by no means the only homogeneous culture that acts that way; you can go to many other nations and get "the hand" too.

[treestar]

4. Looks like Joe Biden more than met his match

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Oh jeez....can you see them as a comedy duo?

In the style of Don rickles and Tommy Smothers, playing the Borscht Belt.