Racist Chinese ad prompts apology

  • 02/06/2016
Racist Chinese ad prompts apology

A Chinese advertisement for washing detergent provoked widespread criticism last week with its extremely racist premise.

The ad showed a beautiful Chinese girl being winked at by a man with black skin as she stood in her laundry room.

The man proceeded to approach the girl, before she put a laundry detergent capsule in his mouth and stuffed him into her washing machine.

When he came out of the machine he had transformed into a Chinese man, with the girl then allowing herself to become entranced with him.

The detergent brand Qiaobai was forced to eventually publish two apologies, this week.

"We have no intentions to discriminate against people of colour ... Ethnic discrimination is something we strongly reject and condemn," read a statement.

"We express regret over the controversy the ad has created and do not intend to shirk responsibility. We have already stopped the ad's circulation and have cancelled several online streaming links."

Though the advert has drawn widespread condemnation, some have sympathised with Qiaobai, saying black people are not often seen in China so they haven't needed to develop sensitivity to the race.

A few days after the ad was released, Ellis Penn took to YouTube, publishing a video that went viral.

In the video, the China-based black man vented in jest about some things that had been annoying him during his time in the country.

Speaking in Chinese, he tells of three things people say that make him feel uncomfortable.

"Hi, black devil."

...

"Where do you come from?"

"New York, USA," he replies.

"No way! Aren't they all white in America?"

...

"Are you big down there?"

Most people in rural Chinese communities have never come into contact with foreigners.

Newshub.