WHAT’S IN AN ACCENT, YOU SAY? ASK HILARIA BALDWIN: The last few days have unraveled like a true crime podcast over the internet as social media sleuths worked overtime in debunking the theory that Hollywood star Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria (or Hilary, depends on who you’re asking) Baldwin is of Spanish descent. The case has been murky from the start with interview footage of Hilaria showing the yoga instructor seemingly contradict her own background, which placed her formative years in Spain and in Boston. Whether or not there is any truth to the story and her ever-changing accent (she addresses it in an Instagram video saying it simply changes depending on how much Spanish she has been speaking in the recent past), Baldwin’s ‘truth’ comes at a time when cultural appropriation is a reality many have to deal with. Journalist Aura Bogado doesn’t mince words in her tweet, writing: “Being an actual immigrant, having an actual accent, those are things that exist and are particular to certain people. Immigrants of color with accents find it even more challenging. It’s beyond offensive that @hilariabaldwin pretended to be someone she’s not.” Meanwhile, Baldwin has stated she is a ‘white girl from Boston’. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]
AP