Posted on 01/21/2014 2:41:36 PM PST by nickcarraway
Ad causes stir among English-language social media users
Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) said Monday it was modifying a TV commercial after apologising to customers who complained it used racist stereotyping, but insisted they had meant no offence.
ANA started airing the new 30-second television advertisement on Saturday, aimed at promoting its beefed up schedule of international flights from Tokyo's Haneda airport in March.
In the commercial, two Japanese men in ANA uniform discuss in English how they might boost the image of the airline as an international carrier.
One of them says: "Let's change the image of Japanese people." "Sure," replies the other, who is now wearing a blonde wig and an improbably long rubber nose.
White westerners are often believed in Japan to have big noses, blue eyes and blonde hair, characteristics generally thought desirable among Japanese.
The ad caused a stir among English-language users of social media in Japan.
"I've just seen the new ANA advert... Really? ANA think this is OK?!" Angela Fukutome said in a message posted on ANA's Facebook page.
"If you are a foreigner and have planned to come to #Japan do not choose an openly racist airline like #ANA! Watch their Japanese commercial," tweeted @sibylleito on Twitter.
ANA spokesman Ryosei Nomura said the carrier wanted to express the importance of the planned expansion of international services from Haneda and to call on Japanese to go out to see the world.
"But we have received opinions different from the message that we wished to convey. We will modify part of the advertisement and will release the second version soon," he said.
The original TV spot was initially aired for Saturday through Monday and has now been pulled for now, he said.
Earlier, an ANA spokeswoman acknowledged the carrier "has received calls from customers, mostly foreigners, complaining about the ad."
"We apologised to each of the customers for having caused uncomfortable feelings and also thanked them for bringing up the issue," she told AFP.
Japan is largely racially homogenous, with relatively small immigrant communities.
Is that a token American? Not bad.
Isn’t OK to make fun of white people?
Someone, please explain the ‘racism’.
I’m not offended.
There must be something wrong with me.
Some of our hypersensitive morons have obviously made their way to Japan.
That's it? I laughed when I read that and kept looking for the racist part. I was expecting some smelly gaijin comment.
White westerners are often believed in Japan to have big noses, blue eyes and blonde hair, characteristics generally thought desirable among Japanese.
This whole sentence is hillarious!
I’m not offended.
That’s actual funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCjxzpSrFP4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I don’t see the problem and the majority of dissenters have Asian names.
It’s their hang up, not mine.
If you’re a White male, then according to TV, you’re fat and stupid. Luckily you have a cool, Black, Rhodes Scholar friend to keep you hip. You also have a woman that is awesome at everything possible.
Looks like Bill Clinton with an appropriate pinochio nose.
Ask grandpa if the American marine coming at him with a flamethrower looked like that.
My guess is the dissenters most horrified and frantic with worry are aged 30 or less. They may have been brought up with full indoctrination on what is or is not politically correct. I, in turn do not get upset when schools have Gang Day and dress accordingly. It’s just for fun. We can still be light sometimes, I would hope.
I wish.
Poor Japanese. When they stereotype American blacks they get in trouble. When they stereotype American whites they get in trouble.
Maybe they should try American Indians next.
The long tone and hairstyle leads me to believe it’s an MSM anchor.
People find those different from them curious and sometimes funny looking. So what.
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