We all know that Apple’s advertising is a cut above the competition, but sometimes Cupertino’s competitors stoop so low that all you can do is just shake your head in embarrassment.
That’s certainly the way I feel about Toshiba’s racist new ads. Released in Croatia, they feature a couple of slanted tablets that have been placed to look like squinty eyes, just like the way Asians have been stereotypically portrayed in Western media for centuries. Face palm!
To be fair to Toshiba, this is the work of an outside agency called Señor, and only appeared in the Croatian market. And Señor wasn’t trying to be offensive.
Describing their thinking to Ads of the World, Señor said they were trying to evoke Japanese minimalism and Croatians’ love of Japanese electronics:
Toshiba is the only Japanese tablet brand currently present on the Croatian market. Why not remind people of this fact and evoke all the positive emotions Croatians have about top Japanese technology.
But while Señor seems to have meant well, it’s a tone-deaf ad that ignores hundreds of years of racist stereotypes about so-called “squinty eyed Japs.” And given the fact that there are more Asian tourists traveling in Croatia than ever, it’s not an ad that should ever have been approved.
I mean, seriously. Can you imagine Apple ever approving this kind of ad, even in a smaller market like Croatia? Of course not.
Source: Ads Of The World
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
55 responses to “Toshiba’s racist new ads star squinty-eyed Japanese tablets”
stop being so god damn sensitive.
Agreed… there’s nothing racist about the ad that I can see, it’s cute. I guarantee everyone here who is freaking out about it is probably not Asian.
So I suppose nobody in Toshiba approved this ad?…. and Toshiba is from where again?…. It’s a good ad, and you’re being an overly PC sheep.
sometimes banana is just a banana, but obviously John Brownlee is not
You do realise that this is NOT for american market? Here in Europe “squinty eyed Japs” stereotype does not exist and is NOT offensive. I live in Poland and i see nothing racist about this billboard… For us japan is a stereotype of damn good quality and amazing culture. Thats it. This article proves that you have absolutely no idea about other cultures…
Of course non-Asian commenters don’t have a problem with the ad. Shameful.
I’m Asian, and I don’t have a problem with the ad.
Quit being offended for me.
Thanks,
Asian
LOL sureeeee you are buddy. Asian-American is your user name and you signed “Asian”. You are trying way too hard.
You’re quite the fun guy huh? Pretty much everything you post is MUCH more offensive than the ad.
Offensive to who?
You’re offensive because your making dumb uneducated comments about race. Did something happen to you when you were younger to make you so sensitive to a race youre not a part of? We’re you offended by the James Bond film when Sean Connery put on Japanese makeup to make his eyes the same as our Asian friends? Go see a good shrink and tell someone who pretends to care.
And what year was that? In the 70’s some time right? Back then you could get away with stuff like that
You can now. Its just stupidity has a loud mouth.
Maybe in the good ol boy network. But you can’t once you step outside that bubble.
Go over in the corner there and have a word with yourselves will yeah for fuck sake it’s a poxy add more things in life to worry about
I don’t know you or care about you, and therefore aren’t offended for you. I’m offended by the ad. Period.
Are you Asian? Does it offend you? I’m not trying to be flip or aggressive, just honestly asking because I think everyone is extremely sensitive these days. Same people who laugh at Family Guy. Sometimes jokes aren’t meant to be racist even if they pretend to be. Racism is judging an entire race of people in a negative way. What is negative about this ad? It’s like a cartoon face when viewed at a distance, what about it exactly hurts an entire race of people?
I’m only asking because I want to understand.
You realize Japanese(where Toshiba is from) people love this type of thing?
This is not mocking up a physical difference IMO. To accept the differentiations and not considering everything as offensive is a significant way to live happily together.
Yes we are physcially different, and it is no problem.
Its not celebrating our differences, its making fun of them.
Go burn your bra. Your an overly sensitive idiot
Thats cute. You also think me having a “bra” makes me weak. What do you have against women?
Nothing as long as they are tied naked in the kitchen all day
Is it? How is it making fun of them? “Thin Japanese Tablets.” And those thin tablets are made to resemble thin eyes, which, in an exaggerated almost cartoonish sense, is supposed to remind you of stereotypical Japanese eyes. In what way does that hurt and/or make fun of Japanese people? It may be in “poor taste” or a little un-tactful, but that’s not the same as racist.
I propose that people are so sensitive and PC these days, they can’t properly discern true racism from that which is playful and harmless.
“In an exaggerated cartoonish sense, is supposed to remind you of stereotypical Japanese eyes”……
In the immortal of Inigo Montoya… “You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means”
from which angle does it seem to be a racist advertisement? if showing the thickness of the tablet was that racist, you better define your definition of racism!
and toshiba is a leading japanese giant, FYI
Uh, this is really funny, not racist.
I just asked a friend, a doctoral student from Japan. She thinks it’s funny, not racist.
Of course, one person speaks for the whole race.
Actually one person does as the article suggests this is offensive/degrading for the whole race/nation. If you keep on asking long enough you wil llearn that “bald” or “short” or “muslim” is offensive. Individual people have odd features and you cannot put anything on a billboard that will not be offensive to at least one individual. I know lots of women who find models in bikini offensive. You will also find catholics that find jews offensive, or jews who find muslim temples offensive or muslims who dislike atheists (no offence to anyone these are just examples!) Todays world is full of prejudice and i really dont think this ad is meant as an insult or mockery. If someone ever produces billboards that suggest that this is good BECAUSE its polish i will be super happy. And this is exactly what Toshiba brags about. “Look – its from Japan and thats why its damn good! ” I think its much better if you dont look for disrespect everywhere. If we go this path then in 10 years you get sued because cultof mac is available in Israel and you dont write from right to left so you disrespect Hebrew orthography. This is bloody stupid!
Im tired of this whole “PC is too much now” nonsense. Back then Disney cartoons had racist depictions of blacks and asians. Was it funny? Yes. Was it racist? Yes. The billboard clearly mocks the whole asian race. When you see that ad you don’t go “Oh its from Japan it must be good!”. Its more like “Haha Asians have funny shaped eyes”.
If YOU “go” like this then Im afraid YOU have a problem. Back then Disney cartoons had exaggerated depiction of ALL races. And thats exactly why it is funny. There is nothing wrong in saying that asian have narrow eyes. Thats a fact. Its also a fact that white people have in general much smaller penises than black people. Is this racist? Are you able to name anything that shows racial difference that is NOT racist to you?
Is it also racist if i say that most people in africa have black/dark skin? Is it insulting or is it a fact for you?
Hey I hope you’re joking about that penis thing…lol
Thank your DNA mate ;)
But they do. I look at my wife and my 2 kids every day and see that (they are Japanese and not offended by me writing that either). PC is too much now. You obviously can’t laugh at yourself or let others laugh at each other. Stop fighting other people’s battles for them and mind your own business. It’s because of people like you that this world is turning into an overly sensitive mess.
Fine then. Whats next? KFC having a billboard with a black kid holding watermelon and a drumstick saying “Finger lickin’ gude!!”?
That would be fine by me.
Ok we have nothing left to talk about then. You’re fine with racism. I wonder if Ron Jeremy was marketing a “enlargement pill” where a white guy is looking incredibly sad next to a black guy with his hands on his hips looking triumphant you would feel the same way.
Ah, see, you don’t understand racism. THAT would be racist because it’s assuming all black people love fried chicken and watermelon. That’s an assumption about a whole race based on the perceived actions or opinions of a few. Last I checked, Japanese people of true genetic Japanese decent DO have different eyes, which this ad is, perhaps in poor taste, showing. But poor taste and racism are two different things.
What’s interesting is that I don’t see it as “asians have funny shaped eyes”. There’s nothing funny about a difference, it’s just a difference. Perhaps you are the one who is racist and see it in a negative way.
Simply stated and well said. With all the banter you captured the heart of the matter. It’s not racist to acknowledge a difference, it’s only racist if a persons intent is to portray that difference in a negative way, which is not being done here. Quite the opposite actually.
YOU are the one advocating for promoting the billboard. How am I the racist for wanting to put it down?? Would you be ok with a billboard of Ron Jeremy marketing a “enlargement pill” where a white guy is looking incredibly sad next to a black guy with his hands on his hips looking triumphant?
All the non asians have no problem with the ad I see lol…big surprise
Marcus are you Asian?
Are you? What right do you have as a non asian to tell a Asian they shouldn’t be offended?
No I’m not but my wife and children are. Do you want my wife to reply to you and tell you how ridiculous you look right now?
This is not a racist ad…….I am afraid
Over react much? Everyone knows Asian eyes are unique. Does this fact make the ad racist? Hardly. I love Asian culture and when I saw the ad my reaction was extremely positive. Just the reaction the advertisers intended.
I think John Brownlee was more offensive than the sign is. Using racial slurs in the title and elsewhere in the article is just as racist. When I first saw the sign I saw the tablets. I didn’t even notice they were supposedly eyes until I read this drivel.
Racist my backside. I showed my wife who is Japanese and she thought is was funny and clever. Not everything is racist. Next you’ll be saying your not allowed to print on white paper
O god (can I say god, or will that offend someone?)
Consider yourself part of the problem, John. Not the solution.
It’s up for interpretation, anyway. Seems that you like to jump to racist conclusions. I think it’s quite clever, and suggests pride over racism. And why the hell (can I say hell?) do these ads need to be compared to Apple?
Good point…. The ad might be in poor taste, but it’s not racist. And I don’t care to defend the ad for any reason, I’m just being honest from an academic point of view.
I think teaching kids names of colours should be banned we wouldn’t want a child at a toy store to day I want that yellow, or black or white car and have someone offended, I think everything should just be made grey. We should all have one name. I think the streets should be padded with bubble wrap in case people trip, fall and hurt their feelings.
In Japanese art, the eyes are often represented as two lines. Check out these kokeshi dolls. (Scroll down to the bottom and you will see kokeshi with eyes very much like the ad.)
http://1000cutethings.tumblr.com/post/13760453200/189-cute-kokeshi-japanese-dolls