Discussion: Toshiba Ad Seems To Resemble A Racist Japanese Stereotype

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Discussion for article #228634

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Clever…I see an unvisualized smile as well but then I’m not hunting for a media bubble issue.

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Please pass the Gestalt…

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Maybe Toshiba is pimping this non-story as part of a marketing ploy?

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Is English more common in Croatia than Croatian?

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I would be troubled, but it was released in Croatia, a country without any discernible history of fascism, racism or ethnic conflict.

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Yes, speaking as someone with a Croatian great-grandparent, I can attest to the fact no Croatian has ever used an ethnic generalization or stereotype. Ever.

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As an Asian-American man, I found this funny.

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I don’t get it. What’s “racist” or even “stereotype” about epicanthic folds?

Human beings have traits. Traits aren’t stereotypes, and as opposed to their exaggerated depiction on some hideous caricature intended to demean, depicting those traits in a positive light doesn’t seem racist to me — but I’m not Asian so I’m not qualified to make that judgment. This depiction is being used to indicate superiority in the marketplace.

If the ad said something about being good at math, well, that’d be a a stereotype.

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Google “Dr. Seuss racist cartoon” and you’ll get an idea where the racist “slant” to exaggerated physical traits can lead.

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FYI - In anime, diagonal lines like these often indicate the closed eyes of a character experiencing joy…

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Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

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The Cleveland Indians logo comes to mind too – and a whole host of 1950s-60s cartoons for kids even (remember Speedy Gonzalez and his lazy sidekick?) but this isn’t that, is it?

Or is it? I dunno…I guess it’s in the eyes of the beholder (pun not intended but I’ll take a cheap laugh wherever I can get it)

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I can’t believe they got away with showing two sideways vaginas.

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If that’s what they were going for, they dropped the ball by not adding buck teeth (a third phone facing the viewer)

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Puns are seriously undervalued, in my book- pun away :wink:

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Also, the article doesn’t make clear whether it was Toshiba America versus the home office that approved the ad.