Regarding this Chinese racist advert?

[Peyia]

Am I being unreasonable, or better still - over sensitive?

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/29/chinese-detergent-firm-says-media-over-reacting-to-racist-ad

For those that don't want to click the link it's basically a detergent ad where a black man is 'white' washed.

Every single time I have responded to race threads I have always said (because I have felt) that as a society we have become united. That I do not feel inferior, at a disadvantage. How wrong was I?

The worst insult is the apology? Well there isn't one.

For all of you that have previously mentioned white privelidge, I understood what you were saying but at times felt it was misplaced on some threads. But no, now I 'get' it. I'm upset but mainly angry.

Please tell me this is wrong and I am not being over sensitive!!

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/29/chinese-detergent-firm-says-media-over-reacting-to-racist-ad

Hopefully the link works this time?

What a bizarre ad.

I'm afraid I don't quite understand your OP. Are you saying that you think the advertisement is racist? Then yes, I agree with you. YANBU nor over-sensitive. It's a shocking ad.

I don't think you are being unreasonable, being Black and Indian myself I found the video very racist.

A handsome black man getting forced in a washing machine then coming out another colour - not very nice at all, there are plenty of these adverts on YouTube, which make me feel a little upset and uneasy

Just read this on the BBC website. Can't believe in this day and age someone somewhere in an ad agency thought it was a good idea and then managed to convince others!

I thought it was a knock off from the Italian advert?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=gVlsB-Jvmjc

I live in Shanghai, and EVERYONE is talking about it here.

The advert is disgusting. I'm afraid to say that it plays into many of the widely-held beliefs about black people here.

just watched it, wow it's quite shocking! can't believe anybody ever thought it was a good idea.

YANBU, OP. Ad is both racist and shit. Cheap shot from a talentless ad agency.

Wow, the Italian ad is weird. The message is a bit more positive than the Chinese one ('Coloured is better') but again plays on stereotypes of black men as being well built etc.

Yes Freddo, I immediately understood it as being racist but then wondered if I was being over sensitive which is often said when someone feels offended by racism.

Autumnchill

This would have never happened on Madmen....

Trying to make light of it by the way, but failing

I'm not watching it because I find it insulting.

In South East Asian countries there is a "thing" about being of fair complexion. They advertise skin whitening creams on TV freely and if you're a bit on the dark side many people will use it as an insult to you. I don't know what the word is for these people. They can't be racist, but they dislike dark people in their own country.

I'm not really surprised that an Asian country would make an advert like this tbh. Very saddened.

I found the advert grossly offensive.

the Company's response is pathetic.

The Italian advert is just as offensive.

Why the fuck the obsession with people's skin colour.

Yes it's racist and no I'm not surprised.

Unfortunately many, many other cultures in the world are extremely racist not nearly as enlightened as we are in the UK. I would even include European countries in that so its not necessarily an Asian thing.

YANBU at all. it is awful.
I agree with CaoNiMao though. I live in Hong Kong and there are racist adverts everywhere here.
Got acne? Use this cream to help you. Picture of white westerner with acne. Never an Asian.
Pregnant? Use these multivits to help you and baby. Picture of hugely pregnant western woman. No Asian woman would ever be seen baring her tummy...

They are racist to each other too. I had a chat with an American Chinese once who was born and raised in Boston, USA. Didn't speak a word of Chinese. He told me he was thrown out of a cab when the driver realised that although he was of Chinese birth, he didn't speak the language.

We have not come as far as we think we have with this sort of thing.

Yes, the response very much is 'it's your fault for finding this ad is racist'.

I laughed when he said racism didn't even come up when the ad was being made. As if that's a good thing.

Most people in the PRC don't care what 'Western' people think of them. They consider themselves to be superior to everyone else on the planet so our opinion makes no difference. Save your outrage for something you can change. That's my view, it's not racist either, just a fact.

These 2 are from India and Pakistan: you don't need subtitles to see what's happening in the video.

This is why I'm not surprised.

Even CNN broadcasts ad promoting skin lightening creams in African countries. I didn't expect that.

I realise tanning products are also widely marketed, but I think the pressure for women to be fair in a lot of countries is far worse.

Isn't it a bit ironic that skin lightening creams are considered attractive in countries with naturally darker skin and fake tan is where it is at in countries with naturally paler skin?

I did find the first ad shocking. But not so much the Italian one. I wonder why that is?

leelu66 Thanks for helping me put it in perspective - it's just a shit ad anyway

Citychick that's awful, why do you think this still happens?

Thanks to all of you that have responded, I don't blame those that don't even want to watch it!

It's good to hear that others are just as shocked as I am. It highlights to me that there are probably more people than I'd like to admit who have seen it and thought 'Meh, what's the harm?'

Hirosleaftunnel I respect your opinion and of course you are not being racist. I agree with you, my energy is better placed on something I can physically change but no, it's about time people stop this shit.

Those aren't necessarily racist Buttock. It's just what happens to be seen as beautiful in that culture. Here people risk skin cancer to have tanned skin, which again isn't racist, just our perception of beauty.

The ad on the other hand definitely is, as the man literally changes race, but as Hiro said, I don't think the makers will care what we think.

To be fair, I'm not sure that skin lightening creams are racist any more than our fake tan obsession is.

Pale skin in Chinese women is, rightly or wrongly, seen as desirable, I think because it shows the person doesn't have a menial outside job and is therefore isn't sun tanned.

That's a whole other kettle of fish to white washing a black man!

I live in Asia. Skin whitening products are everywhere here- to a point that you have to actually look for a moisturiser that doesn't contain any whitening product in it.

Asia generally is extremely racist - white pale skin is good/ dark indian and black skin is bad. The advert in question is bad, but similar stuff is everywhere.

BTW it is perfectly legal (and very common) to advertise a job and say "Certain race only need apply", and people of a certain race can get preferential treatment when it comes to bank loans, business start up, finance and student scholarships (purely down to their ethnic group)

I've been here 12 years and used to it. I teach teenagers and call them on some of the stuff they say.

I agree that advert is horrifically racist. Oddly, I also find the Italian ad racist as it objectifies the man coming out of the washing machine. He's not a character, as the man going in is, he's just a hunk of desirable meat.

But the whole skin colour thing is interesting. Skin whitening creams are seen as signs of entrenched racism, but skin darkening creams aren't. I am milk white and have always been made to feel by the media of beauty mags and ads that is a disgusting sight to present to a beach full of people. Black and brown skin is automatically preferable to look at by the pool. And yet this isn't racist. It's just one more way of getting people to feel dissatisfied with how they look. Whites are made to feel inferior unless their skin is golden brown, dark skinned people are encouraged to beach it.