US envoy has no comment on Baldwin joke

By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:17:00 05/20/2009
Filed Under: Racism, Celebrities, Media, Diplomacy


MANILA, Philippines—United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney refused to comment on the latest purported slur against Filipinos, this time by actor Alec Baldwin, but she acknowledged that marriage with Filipinos has helped enrich the American culture.
"We have strong laws on marriages and we respect those enormously," Kenney said when asked to comment on Baldwin's recent statement that he would like to get a mail-order Filipina bride because he was already 51 years old, a joke that spurred outrage among Filipinos.
In an interview on the “Late Show with David Letterman” last May 12, the star of 30 Rock said he thought of getting himself a Filipina bride.
“I think about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point or a Russian one. I don’t care, I’m 51," Baldwin told the host David Letterman, who responded in jest and said he would like one as well.
Kenney said she could not apologize for Baldwin for he is a "private citizen" as she noted successful intermarriages between the two cultures.
"Of course a lot of Americans have married Filipinos and vice versa and that’s a great contribution to our culture," she added.