One of the actors I don’t hold in very high esteem is a fellow name of Alec Baldwin.  You may have heard of him.  My wife, who follows such things says he’s a big name, frankly I didn’t know who he was until he popped into the spotlight a few nights ago on the David Letterman show in the US.  Apparently Baldwin went through a bitter and messy divorce a year or so ago (been there, done that, got the T-shirt) and Letterman and Baldwin were carrying on a conversation about how Baldwin would be able have any more children.

Wanting in true “comedic” form to show just how far down the ladder of fame he had fallen, Baldwin made a crack that since he was now a man of 51 (and what, thus washed up, Alec?), the only thing he could do would be to “buy” himself a mail order Philippine (or Russian) bride.

The crack immediately raised the hackles of a number of influential folk here in the Philippines .. on national pride issues, of course, not much mention of either Baldwin’s (or Letterman’s for that matter) open disdain of women … if you’re a real man you can just buy and sell women, as long as their from a poor country at least.

Today the furor has really come home to roost as detailed in this recent GMA report.

MANILA, Philippines - After receiving flak from Filipinos worldwide, 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin on Wednesday apologized for joking that he was interested in buying himself a Filipina wife.

"I apologize for the perceived insensitivity of that remark," Baldwin said in his blog posted at the Huffington Post website.
Despite his apology, Baldwin explained that his joke was just meant to "achieve the goal of having more children in [his] life."
"I believe that most people understood that this was a joke and took it as such. (A dated reference, no doubt, and another sign of my advancing age)," he said.
On May 12, the 51-year-old Hollywood actor told David Letterman on the Late Show how he thought of getting, or buying, 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," he told Letterman.
Letterman, responding to the seemingly funny joke, replied: “Get one for me [also], for later." [See: Alec Baldwin's Letterman interview]
But despite his apology, the Bureau of Immigration issued an order barring Baldwin from entering the Philippines as he is deemed an "undesirable alien." … rest of the report about Balwin’ and Letterman denigrating women here.

Frankly, Alec, I don’t think it could have happened to a nicer guy.  Those of us who live here in the Philippines always have to think twice about what we say, because if we let our big mouths run away with us it’s possible we could be departed.  But you, hey no wonder you’re rich and famous, you’re a lot smarter than me … you can’t now be deported … because you can’t come in .. due to your new status as an undesirable alien.  How much did you pay your publicist for this little fiasco, guy? 

I lose no love on Letterman either.  He jumped right in on top of Baldwin’s suggestion that women should be purchasable and asked Baldwin to “get him one too” .. presumably after his present wife gets tired of his attitude towards women. Wonder why he’s escaping scot free?

The Philippines has taken great umbrage at Baldwin’s denigrating remarks.  Well they might, that’s certainly their bailiwick.

As a man a bit older than Baldwin … essentially he seems to feel men are washed up at 51 .. who happened to marry a woman from another country and go throw the procedures to bring her to the US and stand by her while she earned her citizenship, I am particularly stung by the comments regarding buying, mail order and the general insinuation that getting married in this fashion is scrapping the bottom of the barrel for an American man.

Thanks a lot, Alec, and David, for letting those if us with foreign brides and those of us who married past 50 know your feelings.  You both really showed some true class there, not.  Fortunately I have lots of other compatriots who know the truth about ‘mail order’ brides, life after 50, and the Philippines, for that matter. 

It will be tough, but I can bear up under the burden of your disdain.  I’d invite you over for dinner to meet my ‘mail order’ bride, but you won’t be able to visit.  Sometimes the government lifts these restrictions after a period of time has gone by … if they chose to in the future, I really do invite you to come and check out the country you fell is so lowly .. or to meet me and my wife and learn a little about what ‘mail order’ really means.

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