NZ Racism
We always
hear the jokes about Indian dairy owners or Asians overpopulating Auckland, but
how far do people really take these racist jokes when it comes to the media?
As I sit
down watching TV, the ‘Spray and Walk Away’ advertisement comes on TV. One of
my flatmate’s says ‘Oh I love this ad, its hilarious’… Why?
The media
is capturing our attention by portraying an Asian with a bad
English accent, language and appearance.
S Cooper wrote that
the ad was "offensive" and said "I think this advertisement
promotes racism and is insulting to the many Asian people who live and visit
here and insults the intelligence of our own population." I couldn’t agree
more.
Although the actor
of the advertisement says “in no way does it undermine or
offend the Asian community," I strongly disagree. The ad is clearly trying
to stereotype Asian’s, which can be a very racist thing. Multiple comments
online about the ad agree with this statement.
This ad was created to ‘funny’,
but how far does funny go when racism is involved, and it is screened multiple
times a day on TV for everyone to see. Race is socially constructed, and the
media is encouraging us to see racism in a particular way.
If the world is constantly divided
into different ethnic and cultural groups, and shown this by the media, how
will we be able to become one?
I think this is a case of structural or institutional racism. I believe that racist stereotypes, jokes, prejudices etc. become a form of peer pressure and social acceptance that, unfortunately, goes rarely unchallenged because it is easier to stay quiet or agree than confront and question.
ReplyDeleteIts also very sad to see that this actor, regardless of the fact he didn't feel offended himself, chose to work in an advert with such far-reaching and potentially serious effects on the perception of Asian people in NZ. We could almost call his actions selfish, in that to him the monetary payout and fame of being present in the advert was "worth" the negative repercussions it has in regard to racism against Asians. Perpetuating the stereotype that it is somehow impossible for people of Asian descent to speak English in an eloquent manner certainly results in more socially inept individuals actually believing this to be true. The actor should have been far less ignorant of the broader consequences of his actions, rather than just sticking to the depressingly common notion that "if something doesn't offend me, it shouldn't offend anyone else either".
ReplyDeleteI think this ad is hilarious, but you are right in saying maybe it paints a negative picture for all Asians. I am well aware that not all Asians are like that but i think the producers wanted to have something catchy for their product and achieve a response that mental image would make the consumers buy that particular product. Hey, i watch the Laughing Samoans and think those guys are hilarious because we are able to laugh at ourselves. Would it have to do whether people are educated and maybe blurring the lines between humour and reality. Producers, actors got to put food on the table somehow maybe that is why he accepted the part.
ReplyDelete