Like when I saw that Britney video, when I caught the new Bayer Extra Strength commercial out of the corner of my eye, and ear, two days ago it took a little while to register that it had Korean text and a Korean-speaking actress, and that these two things are unusual for American TV. The commercial takes place aboard an airplane, where an English-speaker complains of back pain and a Korean stewardess recommends Bayer. Actress Brenda Koo writes, on the spot that started running in November:
Anytime you need aspirin, think of using BAYER ASPIRIN! I just booked a National Commercial for Bayer Aspirin. Look out for this commercial within a month running all over the United States and Canada.. I am playing a Korean Stewardess who recommends the passenger Bayer aspirin for his back pain.
22 comments:
Am I the only one who thought that commercial was racist and tacky? Ugh
How was it racist?
the white guy assumed the airline hostess didn't speak english. that's what i took away from it.
I don't think it's incorrect to think a flight attendant on a foreign airline (in a TV commercial) will have good English. In fact it'd probably be considered arrogant to assume so.
Well, I am Korean and I thought that was sincere. As a Korean born in America, it's quite refreshing to see such representation. It's not like the Tide "Ancient Chinese Secret, huh?" commercial (80's). It's good to see the caucasian man trying to speak Korean, as opposed to an obnoxious guy expecting the stewardess to speak English. I also really find the Scottish Korean commercial hilarious.
The guy probably assumed she didn't speak English because she starts by speaking Korean to him.
sim wrote:
"i agree with op... to me, it was as if he thought she did not understand him when he said "back pain". When she recomended Bayer he looked at her like she was crazy and tried to correct her... "back pain, not a heart attack"... like she didnt understand him. To me, that is feeding into a stereotype. Just my 2c. "
I dunno, I guess I just think that the Asian-Americans who are hung up on this---and practically every other portrayal or mention of Asians or Asian-Americans anywhere---can be hypersensitive at times.
Besides, a role-reversal would be completely par for the course in a Korean commercial, but I doubt any "angry Asian guys" would pay any attention to it.
i thought it was definitely offensive and racist. And he wasn't trying to speak Korean. He was just pointing to pictures and speaking fragmented English loudly. Classic. I'm surprised it got on the air.
I'm sorry to see the video got pulled off Youtube. It gets enough play on the air, though, that people able to recognize Korean will have noticed it.
I stand by my original comments here, though, and don't consider it offensive or racist. The man spoke broken English---something all of us have done when trying to get a point across with a non-English-speaker---when a woman approached him speaking Korean. He assumed she didn't speak English, as I said, because she approached him in Korean.
For those that consider it offensive, I'm curious how you'd change the ad.
Perhaps the Asian flight attendant assumed the passenger spoke her native tongue since he was flying on an Asian airline,afterall,we, as Americans, assume everyone speaks english on most U.S. airlines. I don't know how anyone could claim racism over that. I'd just like to know what she asked the passenger, if it was Korean, can anyone translate?
Wow... I loved your commercial - Very well done. You have a beautiful smile and the ad sticks with you. My daughter has landed a number of spots including working with Ben Stein (love that guy) and Shaq O'Neal. Great job landing it and I hope your career soars!
As much as I love deconstructing TV commercials, at their core, they are nothing more than an audio/visual smash-and-grab. Play it LOUD and Play it a LOT! That said, yes, the American passenger was loud and boorish; the Korean flight attendent was helpful and concerned - and pretty. Compared to the massive wave of pro Chinese-nuanced commercials over the past few years (thank you Cisco - the Human Network!), I personally was really glad to see KOREANS in an American commercial, portrayed in a positive manner.
It's racist. Start talking English and if she signs she don't understand, THEN u can start playing charades. If I someone started playing charades and didn't think to start talking english first to see if I understood, I would be like, I understand English asshole. It coulda worked in ANY situation, but they had to put it a foreign situation.
But then again, it's not Really racist as it was just plain stupid. Ppl should just think before they do things. But I get it's just a commercial.
I think "racist" is a little strong, especially since anyone who has ever had to try and communicate across language barriers has used gestures and simple language before. Again, if the guy had persisted in English---remember, she spoke Korean to him---commenters would cite it as an example of arrogant, white English-speaking "foreigners." I like, as Qi said, it's a normal portrayal of Korean on US TV, and I also like---as someone familiar with living in Korea and with how Koreans often deal with white people---that we have someone actually speaking Korean to a white person, rather than insisting on broken English or laughter.
What's also ironic is the actress isn't even Korean (she's Korean-American), so that adds another layer to this American commercial.
Demeaning and insulting. Do the math: passenger shows attendant A PICTURE describing back pain (NOT someone clutching their chest). She "gets it" and gives him the Bayer. His response implies that the attendant was either a)blind, or b)never advanced beyond kindergarten picture books. OK, WE get it, Bayer's also good for the ticker but why exploit cultural differences to make your point? Idiotic.
She said in English after the passenger rings - What can I do to help -
Wow can you listen to yourselves? Oh its so racist. Have any of you flown Asian airlines in other countries? I lived in Japan a year and my gf is Korean and I was in Korea a few weeks ago. Not all of the cabin crew has good English. If you ask for help and you are an English speaker they address you in English. If they don't I don't find it racist to think they might not speak English well and using body language and slowing down your speech would be proper. ( I taught English in Japan).
The reason the ad was pulled from youtube was because it's been changed by Bayer since complaints about its racist content were made. Originally, they are both speaking english. his complaint of back pain, and she (in english) offered him bayer. he THEN makes the assumption she couldn't have possibly understood because she offered bayer for back pain (while it's typically known for heart health) and he starts miming like a racist jerk. I noticed it months ago, and recently noticed they changed the ad to include her speaking her native language instead of English so his behavior wouldn't seem inappropriate. highly disappointed in Bayer.
Thanks for the comment.
As it stands (that is, her starting with Korean and him miming), the commercial isn't racist. Maybe we've grown to be hypersensitive in the US, though.
The commercial IS racist.
Even when he realizes she speaks perfectly good English he still has to talk at her like she is a moron that needs hand gestures.
The commercial is just as racist as the new Snapp;e diet half lemonade/half tea commercial with the Asian representing yellow and the black guy representing brown.
It isnt that we have grown hypersensitive, it is that ignorant people who don't realize they are ignorant make ignorant commercials.
I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I think the commercial is stupid, and the guy looks like a moron . . . but racist? I don't think so. My previous comments on this thread explain why.
It's funny that I got these comments today . . . I saw this commercial yesterday for the first time in probably a year, and I thought abou tthis lengthy discussion.
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