Statement from Betsy Perry regarding the piece below:
One of the challenges for any blogger is to write fast, write short, and get people to find your way of thinking sharp and funny. No question that my post today was written too fast, wasn't short enough, and turned out to be neither sharp nor funny. I see now that it crossed the line between cute and offensive. For that, I really do apologize, and I have asked that the post be taken down.
Original post:
Used to be the worst thing about visiting Mexico was drinking the water or tickling an ice cube in your margarita; it was guaranteed regardless of safety measures that within hours you would be physically attached to the "commode." Warned against eating anything that might have been touched by the Mexican help with hands washed in parasite infested tap water, you'd live on guacamole and Doritos even at the finest hotels.
Nowadays the best PR Mexico has is the movie "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." Between the guns, drugs, kidnappings and swine flu, this poor country can't catch a break and, maybe it shouldn't. Getting Montezuma's Revenge seems the least of Mexico's headaches for now.
Years ago going to Acapulco was only for the very rich who swam in private pools at the pink bungalows of Las Brisas. And the late DK Ludwig invested zillions to fly in movie stars and press for 24 hours to cover his hotel openings. Nowadays, you couldn't pay me to go.
Just yesterday I flew back from Miami and at the first sound of a hacking cough coming from a passenger I searched for anything to cover my nose and mouth — I do think masks are an excellent idea for commercial plane travel anyway (I guess if you have your own G5 you can pick your germs). I maintain that people travel way too much anyway when they're sick and now that the CDC has told them to stay home, I think anyone with germs should feel free to not share them. Arrest the coughers, I say!
(And as long as I'm on my travel rant, how about not bringing on Big Macs or ribs when the flight is less than three hours? Can you really not make it without onions and barbecue sauce on a flight from NYC to Fort Lauderdale at 8 AM? And we wonder why certain fliers may have to buy an extra seat or perhaps the person next to you is reaching for the airsick bag?)
I really don't want to get into the immigration issue because I do believe everyone has a right to work but if this country doesn't get a grip on its banditos and blast the heck out of the corrupt police forces, Mexico is going to get a big time out and spend years on the naughty chair list (Miami is now seeing the tourists once booked at Cancun and Cozumel and of course, a Rod Stewart sighting may mean Hollywood will be cha cha-ing to the east coast rather than south of the border).
Listening to the news this morning made me realize that others are thinking along the same lines — can it be we have been looking for just this swine flu excuse to close our borders to Mexico?
If I were in charge and looking for a little positive PR, I'd make sure "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2" was rushed into production mucho pronto. Viva los 'huahuas!!