Erik Matti: ‘Street Food’s’ Cebu episode ‘borders poverty porn’

MANILA, Philippines — Netflix’s “Street Food” featuring Cebu did not seem to sit well with director Erik Matti.

Matti aired his opinion on the episode via Facebook on Monday saying, “The #Cebu episode of #StreetFood at @netflixph borders on poverty porn.”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156334434536446&set=p.10156334434536446&type=3&theater

He pointed out how the food mostly featured were not staple to Filipinos and were “bizarre.”

“The dishes except for lechon are food that are not really a staple of Filipinos. All the other Asian countries had their classic world-renowned street food while we had… bizarre. Bad research,” Matti said.

“There are hundreds of original Filipino street food and they chose to show an esoteric eel dish and a goddamn chinese fried vegetable lumpia!” he added.

Over his Twitter account, the director clarified his statements: “Twitter world. Pls don’t put words in my mouth. I am not saying eel bakasi is not good. I am not saying Cebu food is not good. I love Cebu food.”

“The eel bakasi is just not IDENTIFIABLY regarded as a quintessential Filipino street food that can represent our food to the world,” he said.

Twitter world. Pls dont put words in my mouth. I am not saying eel bakasi is not good. I am not saying Cebu food is not good. I love Cebu food. The eel bakasi is just not IDENTIFIABLY regarded as a quintessential Filipino street food that can represent our food to the world.

— Erik Matti (@ErikMatti) April 29, 2019

One netizen called out Matti and said: “You just called Cebuano food as poverty porn! This is why people shouldn’t comment on things they have 0 knowledge about.”

But Matti reiterated what he said in his Facebook post that the episode is “poverty porn,” not the Cebuano food itself.

“I said the EPISODE is poverty porn. It’s a term used in films where the filmmakers highlight the drama of a poor man’s story to get a sad reaction from the viewers. I did not use poverty porn to describe Cebu or Cebuanos,” Matti explained.

I said the EPISODE is poverty porn. It’s a term used in films where the filmmakers highlight the drama of a poor man’s story to get a sad reaction from the viewers. I did not use poverty porn to describe Cebu or Cebuanos.

— Erik Matti (@ErikMatti) April 29, 2019

“I was really hoping that we at least have chosen something widely regarded by most Filipinos and cebuanos too as the street food that can represent us,” he added.

Ilocano fried empanada is much more truly Filipino. I was really hoping that we at least have chosen something widely regarded by most Filipinos and cebuanos too as the street food that can represent us.

— Erik Matti (@ErikMatti) April 29, 2019

“Street Food” is streaming giant Netflix’s newest food show featuring street food spots in Asia.

Apart from Cebu, places that were featured included Bangkok, Osaka, Delhi, Yogyakarta, Chiayi, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore. /cbb