How to describe a ‘mongrel’ model, a lesson from Manila Bulletin

Reporters have to be accurate about what they write. That’s probably Journalism 101. But that’s not an easy feat when you’re faced with Daniel Matsunaga, who is so many things all at once that you often don’t know where to start.

Every day, people stop me on the street to ask, “What the fuck is Daniel Matsunaga about?”

A showbiz reporter for Manila Bulletin answers that very question with this  lede:

Brapanese model-turned-actor Daniel Matsunaga surprised people when he arrived at the recent celebrity premiere night of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” at SM North Edsa’s The Block with Bb. Pilipinas 2010 2nd Runner-up Helen Nicolette Henson.

So, because ‘model-turned-actor’ was already one hyphen too many, the Bulletin reporter basically just said fuck it and invented a word to replace Brazilian-Japanese (offending Brazilians and Japanese who care about Daniel Matsunaga in the process).

If it makes sense for Cocker Spaniel and Poodle mix-breeds, it makes sense for people of two distinct cultures, right?

WRONG!

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