Besides Dan Brown’s Description of Manila as Gates of Hell in Latest Novel Inferno, Beatles Lead Celebrities Who Have Insulted Filipino Pride With Their Comments
By Ryan Inoyori
International Business Times
International Business Times
Dan Brown’s latest novel, the Inferno caused outrage among Filipinos as the book described Manila as the “gates of hell.” However, there are other famous celebrities who have hurt the Filipino pride, including the Beatles, Justin Bieber, Claire Danes, Teri Hatcher and Chip Tsao.
Manila, Philippines is included in the Inferno novel written by Dan Brown and described the city as the “gates of hell” through the fictional character Sienna Brooks who saw in horror the “never seen poverty on this scale, slamming six hour traffic jams, suffocating pollution and horrifying sex trade.”
Regardless how the book will impact the tourism and overall appeal of the city, here are some truths about Manila.
1. Manila is a metropolitan city, not a geological beauty or a favourite tourist spot. In the Philippines, there are great places where a tourist will experience nature, enjoy his vacation and unique sceneries such as Palawan, Bohol, Bicol, Antique and many more islands.
2. Inferno by Dan Brown is a fictional novel. The book has its own world, own characters and own settings similar to the ones written by Brown before.
3. Catholicism shouldn’t be a counterpoint to describe a place as “gate of heaven.” Not only does it sound narrow-minded but it is also discriminating with the approach that “Manila has a door directly to heaven.”
4. As an author, Dan Brown has every right to voice his opinion on the book and it doesn’t matter if he has been in Manila or not. Critics are free to correct Brown but no one can deny his right.
Top Five Celebrities Who Insulted the Filipino Pride
1. The Beatles
One of the legendary artists ever born and who visited the Philippines in 1966. According to the source, the controversy began when the band accidentally or deliberately snubbed the courtesy call to the Former First Lady Imelda Marcos. As a result, the band’s hotel and transport accommodations were pulled, security detail have been dropped, and they had to manually carry their own instruments in the airport, there were bomb and death threats and the Beatles were violently manhandled by 200 angry Filipinos.
2. Chip Tsao
Hong Kong columnist Chip Tsao published an article in 2009 titled The War at Home in which he wrote that China should bully the Philippines due to lack of power to bully the United States, Japan or Russia. Roilo Golez, congressman at that time, challenged Tsao for a one-round boxing to see who is pretty level-headed about it.
3. Justin Bieber
Many people around the globe somehow hate this artist, and he angered the Filipino people when he started poking Manny Pacquiao in 2012 after losing to Juan Miguel Marquez. Gaining that much attention after touching the Filipino warrior, Justin Bieber felt lonely that entire week.
4. Teri Hatcher
The 2007 episode of Desperate Housewives included a scene of Hatcher’s character, Susan Mayer, questioning the credentials of her doctor and wanting to check if his diploma came from some medical school in the Philippines. The actress received numerous reactions which led to the network’s apology and efforts on editing out the part of that episode. The scene was no longer featured in any future airings.
5. Claire Danes
Brokedown Palace actress Claire Danes was shot in Manila back in 1999 and the actress described the city as “ghastly, weird, smelled of cockroaches with rats all over” after her epic tour. Her comments were talked about in the Philippines, her movies to be shown in the country were banned and she was declared persona non grata – never to set foot in the Philippines ever again.
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