Modern Family is such a cute, funny show; it was only a matter of time before it insulted an entire nationality. The word is Peruvians are angry with Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara for a joke that had Peru as the punchline…and they want an explanation. The joke came in response to the character Jay (Ed O’Neill) gearing up to riff on Columbia, his wife’s homeland. Vergara’s character Sofia rants, “Ah, here we go. Because, in Colombia, we trip over goats and we kill people in the street. Do you know how offensive that is? Like we’re Peruvians!” Hoo boy, that is…not family friendly.
In response to the slur, Beatriz Merino, head of the People’s Defender’s Office in Peru, wants a response from the U.S. Ambassador, saying “No country should have to be offended.” Agrees Milagros Lizarraga, founder of Peruvian social network Peru USA Southern Ca, “It’s incredible that in a country where everything is politically correct, ABC would have a line of this sort.” Everything is PC? Watch Glee and that idea will disappear before the first commercial break, believe us.
But it’s Vergara, not Modern Family’s writers, that is bearing the brunt of their anger. Said Lizarraga, “Many Peruvians think this is no coincidence, that she knew what she was saying, because an actress has the power to say, ‘No, I can’t say this because it would hurt my image. Unless she agrees with what she said.” Again, we have to say, we don’t think that’s how show biz works, at least if the musical Fame is any indication.
Vergara tweeted in response to several of her detractors, pointing out that it was her character who said the offending line, not her and, well, saying people’s ignorance made her laugh: “la ignorancia de creer que una actriz es el personaje que representa ,que ternurita,dan mucha risa jajaja.” While this isn’t a hard and fast rule, celebrities, keep in mind: using Twitter to address an international crisis? Rarely a good idea. [Photo: WENN]
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