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There has been an uproar recently on the Internet after a Youtube clip of actress Lee Da Hae surfaced which showed her demonstrating how English was spoken in different countries.
The clip was from defunct KBS2TV variety show, “Sweet Night“, and it featured Lee Da Hae as one of the guests. Lee and her family had stayed in Sydney, Australia for five years, where she graduated from Burwood Girls High School, and thus she has a good command of English.
It was fine when Lee Da Hae was asked to demonstrate speaking English with American and British accents, but when asked to demonstrate how it would be like with a Filipino accent (according to the show’s graphics), Lee spoke in a way which sounded rather insulting, and it angered many Filipinos who got wind of the video.
Lee Da Hae herself got wind of this, and tweeted an apology on November 3rd:
“First I’d like to give you my sincere apologies for what seems to be a misunderstanding.
It has come to my attention that many of you from the Philippines have posted comments protesting that i was being derisive by mimicking Filipinos when they speak English.
Therefore, in light of this matter I’d like to take this opportunity to clear the air.
In spite of what many people believe, I myself did NOT mention anything
about the Philippines or Filipino accent whilst on the TV show.
On the other hand, I recall bringing up Southeast Asia and not the Philippines and the subtitles were inserted when the show was being edited of which I was not aware of until it was aired.
The TV show where this footage was taken from was designed to amuse its audience and my sole purpose was to entertain the viewers by coming up with lighthearted stories.
Since the producer knows that i speak English he asked me if I could
share any episodes that touch upon the English language.
As we all know every country has a typical accent when its people speak English (including myself) so after giving it some thought, I came up with a few lines where I simply tried to compare different English accents: the somewhat rigid British accent and beginners in Southeast Asia whose English tends to be a little hard-edged. No pun or ridicule was intended.
As an individual who use to take English classes over the phone with a Filipino instructor, I give you my word that even the mere thought of mocking Filipinos would never cross my mind.
I cannot tell you how much Filipino fans mean to me and as much as I love them, I would in no way
hurt or upset them.
I hope I have clarified any misunderstandings and once again I am truly sorry if I inadvertently
hurt anyone’s feelings.
-i really love you, my Filipino fans.. “
source: allkpop
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