Somebody needs to have a talk with our Japanese friends

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

I am still flabbergasted watching this

 

Racist Japanese Cell Phone Ad

[stickman]

To quote Keanu Reeves: woah.

[Spawn's dad]

reported

[Synthesizer Patel]

I am still flabbergasted watching this

 

why?

 

the ad campaign has that monkey as their symbol apparently; the idea of the ad is clearly that changing a mobile phone is important, inspirational, and akin to the supposed desires of a politician (in this case obama) to make things better for the people - clearly more of an appalling, and actual, message displayed in the ad given that it's a fudging mobile phone, rather than any racist message. the fact that the japanese didn't see anything racist in it, but americans did, is very interesting too - this cnn report explains things slightly better: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O3U8UXMvoBQ&NR=1 i do love the "world citizens", and "cross-cultural faux pas" comments by the "african-americans living in japan" and then when eric gan (the japanese bloke who heads the mobile phone company) just kind of goes "no, not really, to be honest" when asked if he saw the racist link - if you watch his reply he doesn't seem like the sort of person that spends his days coming up with ways to put down other races, although he's still got to be a bit of a prick for being head of a mobile phone company, let's be honest.

[Spawn's dad]

why?

 

Because he's clearly has nothing better to do. What's actually more disparaging is accusing an entire culture of racism (our Japanese friends) where

there clearly isn't any.

[cryptique]

Because he's clearly has nothing better to do.

see: Hurricane Ike thread

[MrRain422]

Well, in this country there is a long history of "monkey" being used as a racial epithet towards black people. That being said, I doubt that's what the makers of this ad had in mind. I don't think Americans could make that ad for American audiences without being aware of the racial implications here, but I don't see why Japanese advertisers would necessarily be aware of that particular aspect of American racial history, nor are the Japanese people viewing the ad necessarily aware of it (nor should they necessarily care -- I mean American advertisers don't usually check to see how their ads would play in Japan if they have no intent of airing them in Japan).

[Spawn's dad]

see: Hurricane Ike thread

 

gotcha.

 

Monkeys are funny, and I'd love to hear what the monkey is saying in English.

[Party @ the Moontower]

Looks like the monkey is the company's mascot and they were clueless to the racial suggsetions. Not everyone in the world is wrapped up in America's racism. I wish we would stop jumping at potential racism as if it's a national battle. Japan loves the silly monkey, it's a highly respected little creature.

 

Apparently, they had 0 complaints in their country.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Looks like the monkey is the company's mascot and they were clueless to the racial suggsetions. Not everyone in the world is wrapped up in America's racism. I wish we would stop jumping at potential racism as if it's a national battle. Japan loves the silly monkey, it's a highly respected little creature.

 

Apparently, they had 0 complaints in their country.

 

"Cluelessness really isn't an excuse..."

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3U8UXMvoBQ...feature=related

[Sir Stewart]

[Spawn's dad]

As the arbiters of right and wrong we should be more proactive and kill all the monkeys. That way we won't need to worry

about people dressing them up in people like situations and making them look ridiculous. In lieu of that I'd

point out that a monkey winning an election would indeed be change. And that monkeys are still funny.

[Party @ the Moontower]

"Cluelessness really isn't an excuse..."

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3U8UXMvoBQ...feature=related

America is not the center of the Universe, and neither is our issues on racism..

 

I watched this, I still don't think the add was racist one bit. The monkey is their mascot, used in many commercials. This was not marketed towards us, so why should they be aware of American's issues with racism, or even care?

 

We use a lot of racial & sexist undertones in our American media, ecspecially towards Japanese and Chinses people, latinos, and Pakastanies..etc. Americans are hippocrites!

 

The company pulled the non-racist add because we are such whiney hippocrites.

[Party @ the Moontower]

 

 

Dude, that was bad! I doubt anyone has the guts to wear such a t-shirt though. Here's a good one for a McCain t-shirt...one that is animated and lights up!

 

[ction]

I'm not clicking on these links. What am I missing?

 

P.S. Is it anything like Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. Because I used to love that show (we'd watch it at my cousin Cletus' house when Pappy took us there to go the Klan meetings).

[JUDE]

[Party @ the Moontower]