Montezuma's Revenge: Can The Best Thing About Mexico Really Be Beverly Hills Chihuahua?
Statement from Betsy Perry regarding the piece below:
One of the challenges for any blogger is to write fast, write short, and get people to find your way of thinking sharp and funny. No question that my post today was written too fast, wasn't short enough, and turned out to be neither sharp nor funny. I see now that it crossed the line between cute and offensive. For that, I really do apologize, and I have asked that the post be taken down.
Original post:
Used to be the worst thing about visiting Mexico was drinking the water or tickling an ice cube in your margarita; it was guaranteed regardless of safety measures that within hours you would be physically attached to the "commode." Warned against eating anything that might have been touched by the Mexican help with hands washed in parasite infested tap water, you'd live on guacamole and Doritos even at the finest hotels.
Nowadays the best PR Mexico has is the movie "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." Between the guns, drugs, kidnappings and swine flu, this poor country can't catch a break and, maybe it shouldn't. Getting Montezuma's Revenge seems the least of Mexico's headaches for now.
Years ago going to Acapulco was only for the very rich who swam in private pools at the pink bungalows of Las Brisas. And the late DK Ludwig invested zillions to fly in movie stars and press for 24 hours to cover his hotel openings. Nowadays, you couldn't pay me to go.
Just yesterday I flew back from Miami and at the first sound of a hacking cough coming from a passenger I searched for anything to cover my nose and mouth — I do think masks are an excellent idea for commercial plane travel anyway (I guess if you have your own G5 you can pick your germs). I maintain that people travel way too much anyway when they're sick and now that the CDC has told them to stay home, I think anyone with germs should feel free to not share them. Arrest the coughers, I say!
(And as long as I'm on my travel rant, how about not bringing on Big Macs or ribs when the flight is less than three hours? Can you really not make it without onions and barbecue sauce on a flight from NYC to Fort Lauderdale at 8 AM? And we wonder why certain fliers may have to buy an extra seat or perhaps the person next to you is reaching for the airsick bag?)
I really don't want to get into the immigration issue because I do believe everyone has a right to work but if this country doesn't get a grip on its banditos and blast the heck out of the corrupt police forces, Mexico is going to get a big time out and spend years on the naughty chair list (Miami is now seeing the tourists once booked at Cancun and Cozumel and of course, a Rod Stewart sighting may mean Hollywood will be cha cha-ing to the east coast rather than south of the border).
Listening to the news this morning made me realize that others are thinking along the same lines — can it be we have been looking for just this swine flu excuse to close our borders to Mexico?
If I were in charge and looking for a little positive PR, I'd make sure "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2" was rushed into production mucho pronto. Viva los 'huahuas!!
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This article was filled with negativity and ignorance. Not all mexicans are bandidos, and they want to find some bandidos, I suggest watching western movies.
Mexico has a lot to offer and for those who have no idea of the history of Mexico, I suggest a book or simply google "Mexico's history".
I am a US citizen born in Mexico City. I have a college degree from the University of Utah. None of my relatives in Mexico are bandidos, ignorant, drug dealers.
Please stop spreading hatred because no one benefits from this.
Why is that you only allow comments against the post? I have posted two comments stating that this posts is offensive only for the weak of mind. Oh, I know. I write very well in english and people would think i'ts fake to defend Betsy Perry.
How can I prove you that I'm a mexican and that NOT all mexicans are angry about this?
And then, the AH1N1, a flu that wasn't even originated in México, but because of people like you, people are believing it was. I could go on.
What I'm trying to say by this is that your article is based on ignorance and xenophobia. Your xenophobic opinions might be "freedom of speech", the same thing I'm doing by posting this comment. But ignorance is something unacceptable for people who post articles in important websites such as this one. If you are going to post something like this, inform yourself please, become cultured on the topic, and don't just base your opinions on typos.
You fail to be a good example for students such as myself that are trying to rpove themselves to this world.
I don't really read this blog constatly, and I had never posted a comment until now, but I felt compelled to do it.
I'm 18 and I'm a mexican student living in México. I've lived all my life here, I speak spanish and english, and I'm learning italian and portuguese. I only have to present two more tests and I will be done with the "preparatoria", meaning that I will go to college in August. I wish to study Sociology or International Relationships at the UNAM, and I look forward to become someone important, prepared, educated; someone who can post his articles in an important newspaper or website, such as this one.
But then I read this article, and everything I read here seems to be based in ignorant and xenofobic remarks than in true facts. For example "Nowadays the best PR Mexico has is the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua." wow, this comment is just incredible, how can you say this movie is the best thing México has, when it's a movie that wasn't even filmed in México?? It was obviously an ironic comment meaning that México doesn't have anything. So what about Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Alfonso García Robles, Mario Molina, José Pablo Moncayo, Manuel Ponce, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Guillermo González Camarena?? I could go on and keep naming modern mexicans who have contributed something to this world.
Really? I mean, reaaally?
I was looking at this and couldn't believe what I was reading. How can anyone express this way about a whole nation? Even if you're not fond of Mexico and its people, doesn't gives you the right to publish such a poor, uninformed and let me add sad post. I know: Freedom of Speech... but you actually crossed the line between writing a mere, simple point of view, and writing what it seems the work of a very troubled woman who hates an entire country and that without even knowing all the facts, adventures into writing this piece of work, which I really found very hard to digest, even after reading it a few times. You're saying that Mexico deserves the Swine Flu? That Mexico's already damaged economy and millions of citizens deserve this? Like if it were a God's punishment? Let me tell you something: this is exactly why zillions of people all over the World hate Americans. People like you, who show their true colors by expressing what they consider their point of view, without thinking before acting, make people hate your glorious US of A. I'm not saying that you're not allowed to express your point of view. Au contraire! Express it! Write it! Post it! Just consider proofreading it before actually posting it.
Mexican help? Seriously??
FYI: Swine Flu is not from Mexico. According to WHO, it all started in California.
You little piece of unprofessional mind.
Poor woman, you really need to get to know the world a little bit better, travel, learn languages, study and please stop writing!
I'm a MEXICAN and I'm proud to be one, I eat ice, I drink water, I speak 3 languages, I have a college degree and if I had a gun I would probably use it against people like you!
I hope you rot in that racist, self-centered, closed little mind of yours.
Enjoy your lack of education and culture.
Ms. Perry
Were you trying to display ignorance artificially ?
Even people with strong interests (hence emotionally attached) on both sides of the US-MX border, can attempt to objectively see, just like honest and interested US Citizens and Residents would, that Social Problems ABOUND both in MX and the US. Poverty for example, being one of them, is pervasive on both sides. It is only in comparisons that we in the US can indulge in feel-good mental exercises. But again, it is so very difficult to compare properly.
However, the fact that Social Problems do exist in both countries, can not be confused (honestly or dishonestly) with a lack of real power. In that sense your mistake was to assume Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, and Americans with love for/interests in Mexico are powerless. And it is a power so fused with US power that you may have had no idea of the level of inter-relation. Now, per the reaction to your post, you probably know a bit more on this. My guess is, you knew all along. I hope that when you take the trouble of writing, you direct your effort to more constructive things such as enhancing a reality, the reality that Mexico, the USA and Canada are North America and none of them, with all their many and substantial differences, can be excluded, disappeared, or attacked without a strong response. This, instead of writing to encourgage a minority view that will get its believers nowhere.
It's amazing to see how certain Anglo people show their true colors when they feel really comfortable or pushed to the edge. You would think and hope that they get it....that the world has changed.....that this is not only an Anglo planet.
Betsy may have not realized that she arrogantly CROSSED all HUMAN RESPECT and DIGNITY boundaries by verbally abusing Mexico, its people and by extension offending 580 million Latin Americans, another 40 million American Latinos including one third (about 3 million) of the NYC population which she supposedly represented before she was forced to resign her NYC post. Not only Mexicans are outraged at this racist ethnocentric remarks, but also Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and the entire Caribbean.
As a Colombian American, I feel deeply offended and outraged. I am glad her hypocrisy is not serving our diverse city any longer and hope she won't be offered any posts in public life.
Betsy clearly has doomed her career in public life, but this was a ploy of her own making...
---Out of the crooked tree of humanity, nothing entirely straight can be built. (Inmanuel Kant)
I am in no way defending anything about her article or anything that she said but don't go off on an Anglo rant. Latinos show their true colors all the time when it comes to people of African descent. So spare us the Anglo rant and stick to the actual person in question.
Strategic Marketing and Branding Consultant??
For who in this WORLD??
Come to Mexico and know the culture before thinking about closing borders. There is more than TV shows on life, Betsy.
Come and get a delicious Margarita prepared for Native American living in Puerto Vallarta with MEXICAN water and ice cubes. Yes, those native american are still alive living in Mexico.
"I think that it is a good time for those who rant against Mexicans to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”
Betsy, I am amazed to see that you got into this, it is just unbelievable. Such an educated, experienced and renown leader in the marketing and strategic branding with "STRONG" global connections... well... you should have known better if all your experience might have been taken into account before writing this. I do agree totally with freedom of speech, but doesn't freedom for one ends where it causes a negative effect on another person or entity?... let's think about smokers for example... they have the right to kill themselves by doing it, but... are they allowed to smoke in closed areas where they can affect others?... not anymore, and that's exactly how freedom of speech must be handled.
This is a delicate thing to do, I agree, absolutely, but for a woman of your experience and "strong global connections" it should be clear. Let me place another example, it is not the same to say that they kill innocent women in some countries for falling in love with the wrong man, and make a statement about such cruelty, than saying that " a poor country can't catch a break and, maybe it shouldn't"... now THAT is the worst thing about your article. So in your opinion, Mexico doesn't have the right to improve? what's wrong about Mexico for you to think so?... and yes we've had many issues to face as a country, but we are not asking none and specially not you to authorize what we deserve or not.
Oh!!! I want to see USA closing its border to Mexico. All american bandits will stay there!!!!
Mexico will be better off.
The drug war will be over because there will be no consumers for its product!!!!
American economy will be affected because there will be no more cheap labor.
The springbreakesr will go elsewhere and will not be disturbing the mexican beaches!!!!
The American diseases, like the swine flu that started in Texas, will stay there
Americans are bashing Mexico for every single problems they have in their own country. if their kids are using drugs the blame the mexicans for selling to them, when are they going to wake up and realized it is their problem. educate your kids so they don't use drugs. and now we have this flu thing and they right away accused mexicans when in the USA are far more cases then in Mexico.
Seems you are doing exactly what she did. How big is that blanket you just threw over an entire country???? Educate yourself first.
This is a very interesting blog, more so because of the response to it.
Now, I do not want to judge Betsy Perry, I do not know her nor does she know me. I would just like to know why she would write this. Does she really believe that 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' was filmed in Mexico? Does she really believe that 'Banditos' are Mexican? Does she really consider the people who serve food at hotels there are, in a way, 'Mexican help'? It all raises a lot of questions.
Now I understand that people have the right to Freedom of Speech, it's a right everyone should take advantage of, but when it offends another, I don't really think it is 'Freedom of Speech' anymore, more like 'Insulting with Speech'.
I am an American born male, both parents are immigrants from Guatemala. I have also been to Mexico, and never did I use or hear the word 'Bandito', never did I think that those who work in hotels should be considered 'Mexican help' and I thought 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' was filmed in the United States. I have always had fond memories of Mexico and would definitely go back again.
So to conclude, I feel bad for Betsy Perry, I really do. She is going to receive a lot of criticism for what she wrote. But maybe she should understand what she is writing, the ramifications, who it would affect and use that to blog responsibly, if that is even possible.
I cannot believe this was allowed to be posted. Why take this down when these words are how you feel, a woman w/your beliefs should not be allowed to hold such a title for women's advocacy when it's obvious from this post that you are simply an advocate for people that make you comfortable and that does not seem to include minorities. Let me inform you of something, you live in America. This country is no longer controlled by whites and it's something you and everyone else who agreed with you will have to accept. Mexicans are the backbone of this country and if you disagree w/me look at the jobs you would never think of doing and see that they do them simply to provide for their families, something every human being should have the opportunity to do and they work harder than anyone in this country and everyone knows that. I invite you to work for 1day in a scorching hot kitchen standing on your feet for 12 hours straight getting paid way less than minimum wage and praying to God that you do not get sick because you know you can't even go to the doctor because people like you will kick them out in the blink of an eye. I'm am SO disgusted with all the Mexico bashing that goes on in this country when it is so clear that America NEEDS Mexico. I thought you were supposed to be a professional.
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