Posted on 04/21/2015 10:42:04 PM PDT by Steelfish
Hard Rock Removes Ad After Accusations That a Guitar-Playing Orangutan Is Offensive
Inset: Hard Rock's offending ad
by KATHERINE TIMPF April 21, 2015
Ad was intended to promote new location in Malaysia. Hard Rock Cafe has ended a promotional campaign featuring a Photoshopped picture of an orangutan playing a guitar after facing accusations that the picture was outrageously offensive because the orangutan was playing a guitar.
The ad was intended to promote the chain’s new location in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the state of Sabah in Malaysia and home to a famous wildlife refuge for the endangered animal. Seeing as Hard Rock Cafe’s symbol is a guitar, and Kota Kinabalu’s symbol is the orangutan, the marketing team probably didn’t think twice about combining the two. After all, they’ve done similar things before — like a raven-guitar combo for the Baltimore location and a bear-ukulele combo for Maui — without having any problems.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
That is offensive. Orangutans generally play the keyboards.
It says much about the offended when they say that an ad about an orangutan offends them. I’m just sayin’...
I’ve seen man apes monkeying around on a guitar.
What’s the big deal...
that was hysterical :)
And this is ridiculous. No shock though.
Or the drums, Orangutans are awesome on drums. Next thing you know some morons gonna give one some castanets.
At least they did not get complaints that it was racisssss or something............
There’s no need to insult Bruce Springspleen.
Going bannanas over an ape monkeying around on a guitar?
I heard him playing “Last Train to Clarksville”
(((fixed)))
Nairobi Trio Offended ping!
A lot of Dolphins play drums.
I suppose that would be offensive to some group or another, sheesh!
I wonder if “every which way but loose” - offends them also.
I need to see this video.
How do ee know it wasnt a bot playing guitar? Ever been to a Chuckie Cheese?
According to the Associated Press, the Sabah Wildlife Department director called the ad a “distasteful exploitation” and expressed concerns that people might look at it and get the wrong impression about how the refuge treats its animals.
Cue up the Lancelot Link Band segment.
Hard Rock Cafe just perpetuates the stereotype that all rocks are hard. It’s racis, er, rockist. There are plenty of rocks that are not so hard, and even lots of soft rocks.
Lots of animals play music.
My cat even tries to write computer programs.
She’s not the best programmer I’ve ever met, but she can hold her own against an H1-B.
LOL!
That's even funnier.
Oh no, they make orangutans competently play a musical instrument!
Hell, that's better than a talking frog.
OK, I get the raven and Baltimore, and the orangutan and Sabah, but how is a bear related to Maui?
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