Vanity Fair (magazine) has published an issue with a article from that ugly transexual Dame Edna... in it, she lets her bigotry run wild regarding Latinos.

A petition is now underway demanding an apology from that ugly *&$#@*(^!!... I received this by email tonight.

Read on:

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Subject: Vanity Fair Apology

This petition is to request a formal apology from
Vanity Fair and Dame Edna for the offensive article regarding Latinos and the Spanish language which appears in the February 2003 issue of Vanity Fair.

In the meantime, please boycott Vanity Fair magazine, and urge others to do the same. If you are offended by the word-for-word transcription below, please copy (rather than forward) this email in a new message, sign it at the end of the list, and send it to all of the people whom you know.

If you receive this list with 100 names signed, please send
it to the Editor at vfmail@vf.com or
http://mail.yahoo.com/con...m/Compose?

Thank you!


(Here's the article, printed word 4 word!)

Excerpt, Vanity Fair (February 2003), p. 116, Ask Dame Edna:

Dear Dame Edna, I would very much like to learn a foreign
language, preferably French or Italian, but every time I mention this, people tell me to learn Spanish instead. They say, "Everyone is going to be speaking Spanish in 10 years. Even George W. Bush speaks Spanish."

Could this be true? Are we all going to have to speak Spanish?

Torn Romantic, Palm Beach

Dear Torn:

Forget Spanish. There's nothing in that language worth reading except Don Quixote, and a quick listen to the CD of Man of La Mancha will take care of that. There was a poet named Garcia Lorca, but I'd leave him on the intellectual back burner if I were you. As for everyone's speaking it, what twaddle! Who speaks it that you are really desperate
to talk to? The help? Your leaf blower?

Study French or German, where there are at least a few books worth reading, or, if you're American, try English.

Dame Edna

(Here's the petition letter...)

Dear Editor,

I was infuriated at Dame Edna's response to Torn Romantic, Palm Beach (Vanity Fair, February 2003).

Dame Edna could have chosen any number of amusing responses; however, she responded using cheap,
two-dimensional stereotypes of Latinos and Latin Americans, revealing not only her racism, but also her profound ignorance of who we are.

We are not just 'the help' and the 'leaf blowers'. We are architects and activists, journalists and doctors, governors and athletes, scientists and business people. We are Nobel Prize Winners and Rhodes Scholars. We speak Spanish, but we also speak fluent English, and many of us speak other languages as well. As of last week, we are officially the largest minority population in the United States at 37 million and 13% of the population. Without us, the economy of this nation and the Americas, and
consequently the world, would come to a complete standstill.

If Dame Edna were even remotely cultured or educated, she would have read and lost herself in the exquisite writings of Nobel prize winners Octavio Paz, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, and Pablo Neruda. She would know that Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz was one of the first feminists and poets in the Americas. She would admire Isabel Allende and Sandra Cisneros for their passionate prose and vibrant spirits. And of course, if it had not been for us, the world would not know chocolate! And everyone knows life would not be worth living without chocolate.

Finally, I would like to point out that Dame Edna would have NEVER written such blatantly offensive material about
African-Americans or Jews, for obvious reasons. It seems that Dame Edna AND the Editors of Vanity Fair believe that Latinos and Latin Americans cannot read, or that we would be Vanity Fair readers. For the life of me, I still cannot figure out why you chose to feature Salma Hayek on the
cover and in an article celebrating her success immediately
following such an offensive piece.

I demand an apology in print in the next issue of Vanity Fair from the Editors and from Dame Edna. In the meantime, I will be mobilizing everyone I know to boycott and protest Vanity Fair.

By the way, I am a 31-year old Mexican-American woman, with three Ivy League degrees, working in New York City at a major firm. I sure as hell am NOT the 'leaf blower' or 'the help', and I think all of you need to go to college.

Wendy Maldonado, Jackson Heights, NY

---

Of course, there's a list of several people that have forwarded this letter... I'll forward this letter 2 u if u are interested.

I am shocked that a popular magazine like Vanity Fair would allow such racist crap 2 b published.

I agree with the demand 4 an apology and the boycott until such an apology is made, in print, from that bitch Dame Edna and the magazine.

Who's with me?


(edited 4 Natsume... she's a good debater!!! I'm a Masterdebater... )


(Ugh! Edited, yet again!!! Now leave me the *&$#@*(^!! alone!!! )
[This message was edited Thu Feb 6 15:29:48 PST 2003 by June7]

I would actually have read this thread if your use of the word 'cunt' didn't offend me so.

"This petition is to request a formal apology from Vanity Fair and Dame Edna for the offensive article regarding Latinos and the Spanish language which appears in the February 2003 issue of Vanity Fair."

Can we say ironic?

I think that the use of the word 'cunt' (in this incident) is merited. I also think that it's 'ironic' that it would b pointed out on this site, of all sites, regarding my use of this word, when Lord knows, I've read and seen much worse posted here on a daily/hourly/minutely and secondly basis.

The point remains. I use shock value 2 entice people 2 check out this thread, as I'm sure no one would check out a thread titled, "Dame Edna Is Rude"...

It may b working 2, ...it apparently got u in here.

Where is your sence of humor ??

And by the way, you're rather discriminating yourself with saying


So..

Hmmm, fact is, "she" is ugly, and "she" is a transexual.

I have a great sense of humor. I also have a low tolerance 4 continued stereotypical race bashing. Read the article. I think if u were Latino, u would not find this funny.

Tell me, what in this article do u find humorous? Please explain that one 2 me.


(edit)
[This message was edited Thu Feb 6 1:14:32 PST 2003 by June7]

June7 said:

I don't think the word 'cunt' is EVER merited, but that's my own opinion. But, (here's my general sweeping rule) I don't think a lot of people would be pleased to see that you've used it in this sense. Now the debate has suddenly turned from Dame Edna's inappropriate behavior to your inappropriate behavior (sorry).

Okay so you've read much worse things on this site, but that still ain't an excuse to do it yourself. Don't pass the buck - we're talking about you now, not the others

The word 'cunt' isn't shock value, it's just very offensive and portrays you in a bad light - which sucks because I know you're not a bad person.

And for the record, I checked out the thread because it's late and I had already looked at all the other threads...

Time for bed

AAARGH.

U may have a point there. Damn!

okay... I'll change the title.

Ugly is something for debate, but I don't think he's a transexual though !!

Tranvastite maybe ?

"She's" undebatably ugly!!! What's 2 debate!!! Ugh!

However - u may b right about the transexual part... I think the correct term is transvestite! Oops!


Damn, I've never retracted so many statements b4!!! I must b pissed!

Lol. I don't fancy Edna either but he/she sure cracks me up !!
That's worth something !

Barry Humphries is the man who plays Dame Edna Everidge.

HE...is straight.
not a transexual/vestite
it is just an act,a comedic act.

so b4 ppl get on their high horse about it,u should get it right.

Barry Humphries also over the dacades,has played many charecters on Australian telvision,& is a beloved entertainer here.
no one ever takes anything Barry/Dame Edna says seriously.
teh charecter is that of an old lady,a very australian thing,
if u have seen Home & Away,that annoying Colleen woman...
sort of that kinda deal...but Dame Edna is fuckin funny


ppl need 2 lighten up.

barry humphies,i am pretty sure,is not a racist.

Well I don't mind much anyway !! But to set the record straight, you don't have to be gay to be a transvestite !



uhuhh!

I believe Wendy and June 7 are absolutely correct.

Dame Edna

- the charicature of a white Australian nobody with delusions of grandeur clearly at odds with the individual's ordinariness, who frequently lapses into comments of bigotry, cruelty and prejudice, usually seeking to excuse them by stating that she means no harm

- is racist.

In playing this character (originally as a Dadaist experiment), as Barry Humphries has done since the 1950's, her comments seek to target hypocrisy, obsessions with image and celebrity, and snobbery (hence, for example, the unattractive appearance and vulgar taste of the character), and occasionally the character lampoons racism.

Wendy Maldonado's petition reads most like the sort of spoof letter that Humphrey's himself would write.
.
[This message was edited Thu Feb 6 3:10:48 PST 2003 by langebleu]

can you please not use the term *&$#@(^!!' ... i find it offensive ...

Heeeheeehe !! You rule Bliss

Let's not speak ill of bkw's auntie, lest I would rewrite Avalanche.

What... you're serious. But honey, Dame Edna is an equal opportunity insulter. She says rude things about her audience whereever she goes. Her judgment is poor, and that's part of her act.

nope.that was funny.bollocks to that petition.

"political correctness" be damned.I'm tired of being told what i can and can't find funny.

Try to get your facts right Barry Humphries AKA Dame Edna is not a transexual (try transvestite and then only on stage), he's a comedian first and foremost and a bloody good one too.

I also find black comedians like Murphy, Pryor and Rock funny when they poke fun at my race.We should be free to laugh at our differences and laugh at ourselves.

best wishes Marrk.
[This message was edited Thu Feb 6 4:11:49 PST 2003 by Marrk]

This is sooo funny!

I'm gonna buy this vanity fair issue.
I love people with humour!

Erik

please please please

get a brain

that could help things along nicely

Aerogram said:

Did you know that the fictional character Dame Edna comes from my suburb in Melbourne?...

Btw, June 7, her character is supposed to be one of those biggoted old ladies. You do know she is a characture dont you?

bkw said:

I don't think they do!

Marrk said:

That's the funniest part of all of this - either Wendy Maldonado is really Barry Humphries (which she isn't see: http://www.gvengineers.or...onado.html), or - despite her three Ivy League degrees - she knows nothing about the fact that he is very widely read, and fails to notice that Dame Edna is a character of over 40 years' standing whose bigotry is being ridiculed.

Perhaps she also missed the fact that:

Dame Edna also employs a 'help', originally her bridesmaid and more recently nurse for her Dame Edna's late husband. The character, 'Madge' is effectively a modern day slave.

Or perhaps Wendy missed the fact that the whole reply is a satirical swipe at the way idiots (like Dame Edna) summarise and stereotype a race or a culture in one dismissive put-down.

(e.g. the totally ignorant ".. they speak English, but what are they ? Puerto Rican Eskimos !" Dame Edna, on Americans)

Or, maybe, Wendy missed the fact that Humphries was displaying Dame Edna's ignorance of multi-cultural America in the last sentence, by implying that all Americans surely read English (and that's only part of the final joke).

Hell, perhaps Wendy, despite her impressive CV, believes Torn Romantic is as real as Dame Edna!
.
EditI have now swapped notes with Wendy and it is clear that she researched this issue before she sent the petition around. Although I still believe the character of Dame Edna was being used by Humphreys to ridicule the sort of racist behaviour which many if not all of us would condemn, I understand why Wendy took offence at the printed words, and therefore took the action she did.

(I still would not sign the petition.)
.
[This message was edited Thu Feb 6 15:50:48 PST 2003 by langebleu]

MrBliss said:

Okay... this made me laugh out loud.

Joshy84au said:

Perhaps it's u who should get it right... as I've already corrected myself here:

June7 said:

So there!!!

langebleu said:

Thank U...

Aerogram said:

This may b true... but 4 Vanity Fair 2 have published that? Was that good judgement? I don't particularly care 4 her humor, never have.

When I see her, I cringe...

Marrk said:

Still, how funny can a played out stereotype like Latinos being maids and gardners b... and what poor judgement 4 a major publication 2 allow these RACIST comments 2 b allowed in a "family friendly" magazine.

I have no problem with humor, and comedians. I've been 2 several comedy shows where we poke fun at ourselves, white people, black people, etc... But this was not a comedy club requiring a 2 drink minimum... it is a recurring article who's content had no business in a supposedly "respectable" magazine... their judgement is questionable at best.

June7 said:

Love you June7,but I gotta respectfully disagree. Since Dame Edna is a character who lampoons the racist upper crust, this makes it all the more biting humorous commentary. In fact, if you are to say that the character is playing into racist stereotypes of latinos, then you also have to acknowledge that the character is , in fact, a stereotype of upper class white people herself.

I also disagree that the magazine should not include such a humorous column, since they are "respectable". So having a sense of humour is not respectable? Should we start censoring ourselves to the level that no one can parody racism, just because some people don't understand irony? Should "All In The Family" or "The Jeffersons" have not been allowed on the air, just because some people might not get that the main characters were parodies of bigots? I think we, as a society, have gotten overly sensitive.

The Dame Edna character is always shown to be a daft rich broad, with no clue how the real world works. She is suppossed to have more money than sense, that's the joke. Humphries is very consistent with this. Sure, some people might not know who Dame Edna is, and they might not get that the response was tongue-in-cheek, but most people can figure it out. If the character had been Austin Powers, and had replied with some sort of misogynistic statement, do you think there would be an uproar? Perhaps from the five people who don't know who Austin Powers is! The rest of us would get that it is part of the joke with this character. The only thing that seperates this is the fact that Dame Edna is not as well known througout the world as Austin Powers. Vanity Fair is published throughout the world, and the vast majority of people in other countries know all about the character. I would imagine that the backlash to this article will be found primarily in the States, where Dame Edna is less well known.

You know what soon it will be illegal or upset someone if you laugh at anything.
If you don't like it don't watch/read/listen to it.