Monkey add gets pulled in Japan- Obama

[gurey25]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/ju ... 2008.japan

A Japanese mobile phone firm said today it had pulled a TV advert depicting a monkey as a political candidate amid accusations that it was a racist reference to Barack Obama, who is seeking to become the first black US president.

The ad, for eMobile, shows a monkey in a suit addressing an election rally, surrounded by supporters carrying placards with the word "Change".

The apparent intention is to persuade subscribers to other mobile phone carriers to transfer to eMobile.

But the combination of the monkey, and the resemblance of his message to the theme of Obama's campaign - "Change we can believe in" - prompted bloggers to accuse the company of making a racist slur against the Democratic hopeful.

The company, which stressed it had used the macaque mascot in several other adverts, said it had never intended to insult Obama but had decided to pull the "Change" ad in response to criticism in the blogosphere.

"We had no bad intentions, but this is a cross-cultural gap issue and we have to accept it," eMobile's chief executive, Sachio Semmoto, told Reuters. "There are African-Americans in Japan, so we decided to take prompt action and shut down the ad."

Semmoto went further, describing the senator from Illinois as the kind of leader who could benefit not only the US but also Japan. "For two years I've been saying Obama has the capacity to change America, the kind of capacity that Japan needs," he said.

Monkeys are revered in Japan, and their image can be found at numerous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, but eMobile's choice of animal for this ad did not impress the foreign blogging community.

Zurui, in a message to the Black Tokyo site, wrote: "Well it seems like the ugly head of racism has reared its big head again on Japanese television.

"Am I crazy to think the monkey is supposed to represent Barack Obama? Given the track record for companies in Japan that use monkeys and blacks or monkeys as blacks in advertisements ... maybe not!"

Writing on Japan Probe, James disagreed: "Is this 'the ugly head of racism' in Japan, as sites like Black Tokyo have written? I don't think so.

"The commercial clearly is a parody of Barack Obama's campaign, which has received a lot of positive media coverage in Japan, but I don't feel that it reflects racist ideas about black people and monkeys.

"I doubt that most Japanese people would even understand how a pink-faced grey monkey native to Japan could be equated with African people."

It isn't the first time a Japanese firm has found itself accused of racist depictions of black people.

Three years ago a TV commercial by Mandom, which makes men's grooming products, drew condemnation because it showed a Rastafarian accompanied by a chimpanzee that had been made up to resemble him.

Obama is hugely popular in Japan, not least among the residents of a fishing town on the Japan Sea coast that shares his name.

The residents of Obama - "little shore" in Japanese - formed a supporters' group to follow his progress through the Democratic primaries.

His Japanese supporters made sweet-bean buns bearing Obama's face and "I love Obama" T-shirts, as well as similarly themed chopsticks, which the town's mayor sent to the candidate along with a message of support.

[Advo]

@ japanese racist.

[AbdiWahab252]

Advo,

They are very racist. If u get on the subway, they will not sit near you.

[Advo]

are u serious lol......are they scared or something?

[AbdiWahab252]

Advo,

Nah, racism. They treat even the Koreans badly.

[Daanyeer]

If LION were in the CASE??? should we APPLAUD?????

[Kramer]

Asians, specially Japanese and Indians worhsip, immitate and adore the white race!

[gurey25]

Advo,

They are very racist. If u get on the subway, they will not sit near you.

abdi thats not becuase they are racist.
it the gaijin-smash factor - the forcefield that any gaijin may you be a blonde american or an african or an indian, projects around them.(especially in enclosed public spaces)

they are just not that comfortable with all foriegners in the beginning.
but when they do get to know you, its the opposite...
they get too familiar.. if you know what i mean

but you should know it depends on the area you are in and the amount of foriegners that live there.
(catch the JR lines down to roppongi and the train will be at least 1/4 non- japanese and you will not be noticed, go to a different area and they will stare at you)
japanese are generaly not racist, just ignorant..

the chinese on the other hand are racist and do look upto the cadaan westerners.
it comes from colonialism, koreans are more or less the same.

japan and the philipines were the 2 places i felt the least racism and the most welcomed