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1. Body Impolitic - Blog Archive - » Body Impolitic Presents the 27th Carnival of Feminists - Laurie Toby Edison: Photographer on 05 Aug 2008 at 5:11 pm

   […] of course, commercialism stereotypes us all, as Racialicious points out in “Asian women can’t be blonde or Swedish”: To the honchos at Clairol (Herbal Essence’s parent company), an Asian woman with blonde […]

Comments

1. Andrew wrote:

   Hey! I saw that commercial and got pissed off by it too, but I didn’t think it’d be worth reporting it to you guys. Now I know I should’ve earlier!

   Anyways, tonight when I’m watching Heroes and Studio 60 (in high-def, ooooh!), I’ll encode all of the commercial breaks and see if I can get that commercial for you guys. I live in Toronto by the way, so my NBC affiliate is WGRZ in Buffalo, New York.

   I hate that damn commercial so damn much, too.

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 9:28 am ¶

2. Carmen Van Kerckhove wrote:

   Oooooo thanks so much, Andrew! I’d love to see it.

   On an unrelated note, I have totally given up on Studio 60. My breaking point was a few episodes ago when D.L. Hughley and Matthew Perry had that exchange about not having more black writers on the show, and Perry made the joke about Courvoisier and Coke, and Hughley indicated that they needed more jokes like that, to which Perry responded “sorry that my humor isn’t racist enough for you.”

   Um, are you serious?

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 9:50 am ¶

3. April wrote:

   I think that ad is a load of crap.

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 11:18 am ¶

4. Anonoguy wrote:

   I don’t know, this didn’t seem that bad to me. Lame, yes, but it’s nothing compared to all those beer ads with James Hong in them, or that terrible Red Steel video game ad, if any of you have seen it.

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 11:20 am ¶

5. Stefanie wrote:

   When I first saw this commercial a few weeks ago I immediately thought of this website (I guess I should have reported it!). I wondered if Carmen and Jen had seen it and if so, what they thought. Then I thought about the several hapa kids I have seen with green or blue eyes and brown hair, yet who still retain some asian physical features. Are they such an anomaly?

   The gong didn’t stick out to me until it was mentioned in the article, and I now do seem to recall hearing a gong.

   The commercial has such a fun, upbeat tone, but that’s dangerous because it makes the stereotypes it presents seem that much more indiscernible.

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 1:46 pm ¶

6. Marshall Thompson wrote:

   The use of a trite ethnic marker, such as the gong, is simply juvenile and ignorant.

   On another note: Carmen, I was pleasantly surprised by how directly and openly Studio 60 addressed the role of black actors on sketch comedy shows. Earlier on, they discuss how Hughley’s character graduated from a prestigious drama school and probably felt out of place and/or undervalued doing sketch comedy. They then had a scene in a local comedy club where a black comedian was doing typical stereotype-based humor, at black people’s expense, and Hughley and Perry walk out on him. It at least makes the audience think about the (large and usually negative) role ethnicity plays in sketch comedy. I would say Studio 60 is miles ahead of 30 Rock (ugh!).

   Sorry if that was a thread-jack.

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 2:54 pm ¶

7. Andrew wrote:

   I agree with your point Carm, actually. I did like, however, that Hughley’s character pointed out the stupidity in the comedian who was getting the laughs from the audience, about stereotypical (not to mention worn out) jokes about black people having tons of “baby mamas” and how he was going to name is next baby “Oops”.

   I also liked how they had a non-stereotypical black guy come on the stage next, who was telling intelligent observations to the audience, and he got the writers job that Hughley’s character was trying to fill. (I’m also glad no one has called him articulate for being a well-spoken black guy. EVERY show with a black guy who doesn’t use “ebonics” has to mention he’s articulate somewhere along the road.)

   Did you happen to see the rest of the episode, or did you flip the channel after Perry’s line?

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 3:13 pm ¶

8. Carmen Van Kerckhove wrote:

   LOL! Yes I have to admit that I immediate hit stop after the scene I described and canceled my season pass to the show. Maybe I acted too hastily?

   Thanks to Andrew and Marshall for filling me in - it does sound like the rest of the episode was much better in the race department.

   That said, I don’ t think I’m going to watch it, just because I think Aaron Sorkin shows are love-it or hate-it kinda things. I’m convinced that I’m in the hate-it camp, unfortunately. The show just seems really schlocky and sentimental to me, and if I have to see one more scene of fast talking while walking rapidly down a hallway… I just don’t know what I’ll do with myself.

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 3:20 pm ¶

9. Kyla wrote:

   I saw this over the weekend (I don’t watch much TV) and thought it was lame. Glad you guys caught it!

   Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 3:47 pm ¶

10. Alex wrote:

    So Asian people commonly have naturally blond hair?

    That’s news to me.

    Really, get a grip. A 1 in 10 million chance of there being an Asian albino somewhere does not mean you have to be hysterical about political correctedness. The great majority of Asians do NOT have naturally blond hair, so there is nothing wrong with a COMMERCIAL (that is anything but scientific) making this claim.

    Are you offended that they showed this Asian women as having hair? What about the 1 in 10 million Asians that might be born WITHOUT hair? Maybe political correctness dictates we should be upset about that as well.

    Posted 13 Nov 2006 at 7:52 pm ¶

11. HighJive wrote:

    At the heart of this rant/post is annoyance with advertising’s narrow-minded beauty standards. I could tell you some wild stories regarding the creation of these kinds of messages. But instead, I’ll refer you to an essay written a while ago in response to the Dove Real Beauty campaign, which I have always hated.

    http://multicultclassics.blogspot.com/2005/08/essay-119.html

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 12:13 am ¶

12. brad wrote:

    Actually, I saw a really cute Chinese toddler with long blonde hair and blue eyes. I believe the girl was albino. She had a fraternal twin brother who had dark brown hair and eyes. They were both cute kids.

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 12:41 am ¶

13. Minter wrote:

    Meh, beauty product companies are one of the most shallow of all anyway. When was the last time you saw a well rounded, average looking woman (we’re not talkng obese here) with beautiful flowing locks on these ads? Was there ever one?

    Oh no…. only your tall, gorgeous looking model with absoultely ZERO blemishes will do. Only then can they have the luxury of beautiful hair!

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 9:02 am ¶

14. LMR wrote:

    Meanwhile…have you seen the new Virgin Mobile commercial with the Desi Father and the White European mom? It is corny, but interesting.

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 10:45 am ¶

15. Lyonside wrote:

    Hey Alex,

    OK, so there are 1) no women (of any ethnic type) who dye their hair blond, 2) no women of mixed background who have Pacific Asian (I’m specifying because you DIDN’T), facial structure, but blond hair??

    And all Pacific Asian women go around announcing their presence with a gong?

    Why are the only ones who claim people are too “sensitive” (or who use the “PC” word like an epithet) the people who are NOT a target?

    {oh, and before you think I’m being too personally sensitive? I’m not Pacific Asian. Like porn, I just know racism when I see it}.

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 12:56 pm ¶

16. HighJive wrote:

    for the studio 60 enthusiasts:

    http://adage.com/article?article_id=113076

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 12:57 pm ¶

17. Ailurophile wrote:

    I remember a little neighbor kid who was hapa and had Asian features, coupled with bright red hair and freckles. (Dad was a redhead, too.)

    I’ve also known a couple of hapa people who have had, not golden-blonde hair (which is very rare naturally, even amongst white people) but that shade of light brown which turns blonde when bleached by the sun.

    And of course, there is hair dye. So no, you cannot assume that someone is white just because they’re blonde. As Felix Unger said, “When you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME…”

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 1:56 pm ¶

18. Jay wrote:

    To Alex: http://www.kaichang.net/2006/11/the_sloppy_prop.html

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 3:54 pm ¶

19. mrs. j wrote:

    I saw the ad this weekend too, and as a human being, was completely offended by it.

    I’m black and people have occasionally asked me why I have freckles (I guess I’ve been surrounded by some pretty sheltered people in my life). It always ticked me off.

    But not nearly as much as when I had my own grey-eyed, blonde haired, African American son. One lady even chased me with her cart around Target, shouting “Is the father whiiiite???” And he’s not.

    I’m so glad this thread is on here, because I wanted to send it myself.

    Let’s get that assinine ad off the air!

    Posted 14 Nov 2006 at 6:03 pm ¶

20. kim wrote:

    mrs. j-

    Sorry, lady, i just cannot believe that that happened to you.

    It is hilarious if it is true:
    It is inexcusably ludacrous, asinine and an anachronistic display of insistence on recognition and the entitlement to such recognition (I say this even in spite of my first post to this site about the conferring of approval of children in a restaurant).

    I truly cannot stop holding my belly…mostly, I suppose, because it has jarred a long-forgotten memory I had while in B. Dalton in Cincinnati a few years ago. A septa- or octagenarian woman leaned forward from her armchair and inquired of me WHILE I breastfed my infant blonde son, “Is he yours?”

    Whoo!

    Lyonside:
    But on the subject of this thread: I find the commercial trite and suffering from a lack of imagination and appeal on almost every level, but am unwilling to equate the sense of injury in the use of the gong to the racist, demeaning inclusions of fried chicken and watermelon in making allusions to Blacks.

    While I understand and will agree with the commercial’s flagrant stereotypical use of the gong as an introductory auditory line for an Asian/Asian-American depiction, as far as I know, in Chinese and Japanese cultures (at least among the royals and the wealthy) the gong truly was/is used - employed in ceremony and recognized as an integral, if not esoteric, part of aspects of introduction, entry, and seeking audience with The Royals/The Lord.

    I’m taking all of that from media images, and will welcome correction on the fine points.

    The main point of the disagreement, however, is that the ‘watermelon and fried chicken’ images and associations instantly evoke images of the stupid, singing Darkie, he to be beat, whupped (not a typo), made to jump, strung up, denied any basic human right at the capricious will of some White with almost no power himself, disrespected to a point where no actual title held but ‘uncle,’ or ‘boy,’ could be expected to be recognized by White folks.

    That Blacks were made to work the fields, and cultivate an appreciation for any type of food other than that which was not held in high regard by Whites, or discarded altogether, we all know. That Blacks were forced to pack cold chicken on road trips because there was no establishment which would feed them on, say, I-75, for the duration of their sojourn from Detroit to Atlanta, is an ignominious fact in the history of Black folks’ relationship to chicken.

    That Black people have decided not to be ashamed at what now makes up a cultural ‘repetoire’ of foods which may still hearken to the shameful beginnings, is an indication of the resilience of the folks.

    Were the allusions in the commercial those of the geisha or full-on massage artist, I would be willing to make the equation to the racist aspect.

    At this point, I’m going with stereotypical, and boring for content. Not placing any approval with the commercial, just having my say.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 1:20 am ¶

21. sheena chou wrote:

    Hi, I’m the girl in the commercial. Please view my official statement.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 11:18 am ¶

22. Jay wrote:

    sheena, you’re entitled to your opinion, but the truth of the matter is that the reverse will never happen, they’ll never make a commercial that says “it’ll want to make you look more Asian” because the idea is “European” = cool, “Asian” = not cool.

    Change that, and this commercial might be acceptable. But that’s not the reality.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 11:45 am ¶

23. Didi wrote:

    I’ve also known a couple of hapa people who have had, not golden-blonde hair (which is very rare naturally, even amongst white people) but that shade of light brown which turns blonde when bleached by the sun.

    My daughter has hair like that. I’m white (and blonde) and my husband is Korean.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 12:49 pm ¶

24. Lyonside wrote:

    >But on the subject of this thread: I find the commercial trite and suffering from a lack of imagination and appeal on almost every level, but am unwilling to equate the sense of injury in the use of the gong to the racist, demeaning inclusions of fried chicken and watermelon in making allusions to Blacks.

    Honestly, Kim, neither am I… but at the same time I dont’ want to play the “who’s had it worse in the US” game (i.e. Oppression Olympics) because it’s all stupid and unneccessary. The histories of the 2 groups of ethnicities in the US is so different that it can’t be compared. Just because 2 groups had different experiences doesn’t make one racist act MORE racist than another. Racist is racist, IMO.

    That said, the presence of a gong in some traditional Asian ceremonies or realworld uses doesn’t excuse to the way it’s used today to signify anything Pacific Asian (and signifying something foreign) regardless of context.

    Similarly, the fact that people (of any color) growing up in rural areas are physically more likely to pluck a watermelon from their own gardens and eat it (as opposed to picking one up in the supermarket in a fruit salad) could NEVER justify the “darkie eating watermelon” imagery.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 1:18 pm ¶

25. kim wrote:

    The stereotype rests as such in the commercial.

    It is not about which is worse, and my attribution of any greater degree of victimization to Blacks.

    I contend the idea of the use of the gong as racist, and attaching to it horrible imagery that extends to the value of a people, or lack thereof, is a stretch.

    It is bigoted, it is stereotype, it is insulting. It is not vulgar, it is not debasing, it is not racist.

    Whose looking for a justification of the “Darkie “[mind you, it is used to depict a group of people] imagery?

    The fact that people [Whites] in rural areas were physically more likely to pluck a Black child from the walk home, string them up in their own gardens, and eat watermelon while doing it [imagery: flesh of my flesh…comes to mind], as opposed to picking one up (A Darkie) in the supermarket, could NEVER , true, justify the “picnic at the lynching of the Darkie” -while-eating- watermelon imagery which attaches.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 4:18 pm ¶

26. Lyonside wrote:

    >The fact that people [Whites] in rural areas were physically more likely to pluck a Black child from the walk home, string them up in their own gardens, and eat watermelon while doing it [imagery: flesh of my flesh…comes to mind], as opposed to picking one up (A Darkie) in the supermarket, could NEVER , true, justify the “picnic at the lynching of the Darkie” -while-eating- watermelon imagery which attaches.

    Kim, that’s not what I said and you know it.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 6:02 pm ¶

27. Lyonside wrote:

    Sorry… hit send too soon…

    The point is, it’s annoying to me that “who’s had it worse” or “what image is worse” is being debated - it’s ALL bad, it’s ALL offensive, it ALL says something about US (and global) culture, and it’s ALL a problem.

    Sheesh.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 6:04 pm ¶

28. kim wrote:

    Of course I know you didn’t say that…and you know what my point is. We will have to maintain our differences on this.

    Annoying to you it may be. An annoyance is not a threat, veiled or otherwise. I was annoyed at the parity placed, and thought it necessary to speak to that.

    Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 9:21 pm ¶

29. HighJive wrote:

    to misquote rodney king: “people, i just want to say, you know, can we all get a gong?”

    Posted 16 Nov 2006 at 12:38 am ¶

30. laurie toby edison wrote:

    We loved this post and just linked to it in the 27th Carnivalof Feminists that just went up on our blog “Body Impolitic” And we just added you to our blog roll. Really like what you have to say!

    Posted 16 Nov 2006 at 8:40 pm ¶

31. Rebekah Johnson wrote:

    I guess I am a little confused. The only thing that seems insulting to me is the gong. It’s a commercial for hair dye. If you are selling hair dye and you want to sell more hair dye to a demographic that maybe doesn’t buy as much hair dye, whoat do you do? Advertise a woman from that group dying her hair.

    If your argument is that there ARE some natually occurring blonde asians in the world, what’s the problem with an asian woman dying her hair blonde? Is it that she wants to “look white” (whatever that means by the way, there are not many natural blonde white people), or that she wants to have pretty blonde hair. I am not a blonde, I dye my hair all kinds of colors. Would it be offensive to say that dying my hair blonde would make me look like I have SWedish parents? I also dye my hair dark brown, almost black. I guess I am trying to be Asian?

    I think there are casues in race worth fighting and it’s an uphill battle. I also think that when all you look for is racism in every little thing, you find it.

    Posted 18 Nov 2006 at 10:06 am ¶

32. Rob wrote:

    No, the reason why we have to dig to find it, as you so claim, is because racism is very subtle these days. No one will come outright and call you a chink or nigger to your face anymore since that’s frowned upon these days.

    What they’ll do is point out negative aspects of a specific race through interpretation. It’s alot more different in Europe. In Europe, they tend to laugh at America’s infatuation with political correctness and how we tiptoe around what we say.

    Over there, they’re much more blunt about being racist rather than hide it. To most, Americans are still harbor racist thoughts but just smile at you when you do it.

    Europeans are like wolves while Americans are like foxes. With the wolf, he bears his teeth when he growls so you know where he stands with you. The fox will bear it’s teeth but it looks like he’s smiling.

    Posted 18 Nov 2006 at 11:05 am ¶

33. kim wrote:

    Oh, Lord, Rob,

    really the old ‘Southern racist/Northern bigot’ paradigm is not the way to address a comment which suggests that people try on cosmetic changes to suit their tastes, but without the attendant emotional/psychological to become someone of a different ethnic/racial/social group.

    While many people will find you, me, Lyonside and everyone who regularly posts here too sensitive, there is no way around the fact that no entity or person can put a product or campaign free from dissension in some camp, somewhere. No interaction is going to be interpreted and/or experienced the same by everyone.

    That a continent with Old World sentiments, where the wealthy and landed made clear where the line in the sand was between them and everyone outside of their ilk, may be “much more blunt about being racist rather than hid it, …[and] laughtat America’s infatuatation with political correctness…” that is no reason to think their approach a model one. I believe Rush Limbaugh and the disgruntled White American blue-collar (and white collar for that matter) babies competing in the marketplace and the graduate schools admissions lines follow that model.

    It is a model which is ugly, denigrating, threatening, too often simplistic in its conclusions and faulty in its premises, to stand in as the primer for how to engage with people with whom you would rather not.

    Posted 19 Nov 2006 at 2:42 am ¶

34. Dag Nasty wrote:

    You don’t necessarily have to dig for it. Depending on what part of the country you live in, and what your ethnic backgound is, people will still say what they want. I talked to a lady who wasn’t very fond of black people think that it was strange that I spoke without slang and listened to ‘white’ music. She said that there was “hope for the black race yet”. I even got an interesting dissertation from one young ladies mother that it was sick and unhealthy for people of different races to date. So, as for the commercial, it suggestive that being a blonde will make you ethnic background ‘acceptable’…

    Posted 19 Nov 2006 at 12:59 pm ¶

35. Linnea wrote:

    I’ve only seen the commercial once but I was very offended by it. My dad and other family lives in Swededn and I have lived there over the summers since I was 2 years old and I speak Swedish fluently. The asian girl part was pretty messed up but I am even more mad that she said “yah” of “ja” which is the correct spelling trying to sound Swedish when it is NOT EVEN CLOSE to how it sounds. To me the commercial was poking fun at the Swedish language. I am very upset and I am in the process of writing a complaint to the company!!

    Posted 19 Nov 2006 at 4:46 pm ¶

36. kim wrote:

    Dag Nasty,

    obviously that was an indirect statement on someone’s sentiments about a group of people, in the form of an underhanded compliment.

    I would submit that the difference is that one does not have to infer what her feelings are, whereas one would have to infer that the commercial was suggesting that “being a blonde will make you[r] ethnic background ‘acceptable’”.

    The commercial may have been forwarding its ideas of a wide held notion that most women want long, blonde tresses (all I can see and hear now that I’ve said that is Whoopi Goldberg from her first Broadway solo act, years ago), and we may all find offense in the suggestion, still…

    Posted 19 Nov 2006 at 4:57 pm ¶

37. Dag Nasty wrote:

    Kim,

    I guess that I read more into the commercial than was needed, but it just came across wrong. Neither the gong nor the ‘yah’ was really needed. I’m sure they could have made the commercial without the use of stereotypes. I’m sure that they think that this is a joke, but to what extent does one go to make a joke funny?

    Posted 19 Nov 2006 at 7:36 pm ¶

38. kim wrote:

    I’m with you on that… the commercial was tacky. I guess someone somewhere was laughing, thinking we’d all join in.

    By the by, I had the same experience as you, in college. A fifty-ish something woman from Scarsdale, NY (wealthy, in case you don’t know about the community) was auditing a class in which I was enrolled. After the class, she came up to me, and said, regarding our ability to speak across differences of opinion, socioeconomic backgrounds, generation gap, etc.: “if they could just all be like you…” She spoke to my articulation and intelligence (you can cough now…its so cliche).

    I don’t think she was talking about the general student populace, most of whom looked like her, nor was she speaking of people who held to my ideas as expressed in the classroom.

    Posted 19 Nov 2006 at 10:28 pm ¶

39. rigo wrote:

    i think the commercial is mildly offensive but it states the obvious: most Asians not of an interracial marriage do not have blonde hair. blonde hair is almost non-existent outside of europe and the middle east.

    if the gong is offensive then stereotyping all swedes as blonde is equally offensive too

    Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 2:57 pm ¶

40. s wrote:

    Rob said: “Europeans are like wolves while Americans are like foxes. With the wolf, he bears his teeth when he growls so you know where he stands with you. The fox will bear it’s teeth but it looks like he’s smiling.”

    Good point about the Americans (especially now). I have seen and experienced this endlessly. And I do mean endlessly.

    Posted 21 Nov 2006 at 3:36 pm ¶

41. Aay-Z wrote:

    I don’t like the commercial, its another Asians as visual joke ad.

    I’m bi racial Japanese/Swede and I have dirty blonde hair with almond shaped Asian eyes. From behind you would think I’m caucasian but when you see my face you know one of my parents is Asian.

    Posted 22 Nov 2006 at 9:55 am ¶

42. Will wrote:

    That’s ridiculous and racist. A gong?? Ok so solly, me love you long time. if you’re pissed off, better let Herbal Essences know. I ain’t buying their products anymore, that’s for damn sure…

    Posted 22 Nov 2006 at 10:50 am ¶

43. unicogirl wrote:

    if this commercial was created for a European Audience, it would be pretty much normal to laugh about it. using race in Euro commercials isnt a big deal.

    White PSP vs Black PSP. SONY came right out and side this commercial was never intended for an American audience and where surprised that anyone from America (NAACP) would take offense to it. They KNEW what they were doing, and are pretty dopey disregarding the age of the internet.

    the Europeans wonder why Americans react the way they do.

    Posted 26 Nov 2006 at 10:36 am ¶

44. Carol E. Cox wrote:

    Bleached hair is not Blonde hair. Blonde hair is what Blonde people have on their heads and the name Blonde was given to Blonde people because they are Blonde. The woman in the commercial is a Brunette like 95% of all women, Caucasians included. Brunettes that are bleached are Bleached Brunettes. The people that are impressed by skanky Brunettes calling themselves “Bleached Blondes” are not Blonde. Blonde people are sick of having these bullies attach themselves to our image and our name. Use your own name Bleached Brunettes.

    Posted 01 Dec 2006 at 1:03 pm ¶

45. niumy wrote:

    you guys are so lame. why dont any of you do something worthwhile? like getting lives? or is the sad truth that reading too deeply into commercials, tv shows, and movies all of your lives??? thank god there’s only a small number of weirdos like you running our country. why not use your energy more wisely and focus on issues like new orleans??? i wonder if any of you weirdos have complained about the name of that new plastic surgery procedure, “the brazilian butt lift?” or maybe you guys are more upset about the “white and yellow pages” in the phone book? or maybe you guys are upset about modern day mickey mouse because of the pink outline of his face and his high pitched voice implying a black person trying to become a gay, white person? or maybe you guys are upset about how some restaurants only have white napkins, whereas others have brown napkins and others have yellow napkins?
    ps. i kno i didnt change anyone’s opinion. but i do find it funny knowing that i pissed off a lot of you guys…:D

    Posted 04 Dec 2006 at 11:57 am ¶

46. Rhia wrote:

    being half korean and german, I was kinda shocked myself!
    it is very possible for an asian ( like me) to have a white parent…and also….i myself have seen half asians, who happen to have very light hair!!!! but oh well..

    Posted 05 Dec 2006 at 10:07 am ¶

47. karsh wrote:

    A little time spent reading some of the comments already posted should be enough to convince anyone that it’s impossible to be objective about this ‘issue’.

    Of course I’d love for someone to show me a culture, any culture, that isn’t racist. Pick your battles; harping over the trappings is naive.

    Posted 05 Dec 2006 at 9:50 pm ¶

48. YAAAAHHHHH! wrote:

    leaveee thisss commmerrccciallllllll alonnneee!!!…..this commmerrciaall acttuallllyy madeeeee some ppls dayy withh u asian womenn withhh blonndee hairr sayinnggg

    “YEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

    u ppl are soo meannn….ppl werk so damn hard to makee commercialls..and u guys are sitting hereee making fun of ittt…….ESPECIALLY TO THE BEXT COMMERCIALL EVERRR!!!!….shame on u:)……soooo YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA i mustt be goinggg

    Posted 08 Dec 2006 at 11:35 pm ¶

49. YAAAAHHHHH! wrote:

    p.s……..my name is LALLI UPPAL…….YAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    Posted 08 Dec 2006 at 11:36 pm ¶

50. YEAHHH wrote:

    HELLOO MY FELLOWW PPL THAT DISS LIKEE THIS COMMERCIALL…..FROM MY POINT OF VIEWWW THIS COMMERCIALL ISSSS THE SHIT….alll uu ppl that doo not liek this commercailll aaree donkeyyyss…HEEHAWWWW>….soo shadddappp….p.s my name is sandyy “YEEEEUHHH”..:D:D…muchh loveee

    Posted 08 Dec 2006 at 11:41 pm ¶

51. Steven Brown wrote:

    I am not Asian or European but I feel compelled to speak about this issue.

    When I initially saw the commercial, I thought it was nothing out of the ordinary. And I still hold this view. However, my roomate saw this commerical and replied, “that’s so racist.” I did not ask why but I wish I did.

    Personally, I actually like the commercial. The purpose of the gong was to represent her Asian heritage in a simple way NOT to demean it. What is ignoble about Asians and gongs. At least is was not an African woman. LOL! Where would we be then?

    I have seen KFC commercials with Black people and I was not offended by them. The commercial was not presented in a satirical way.

    Overall, take the commercial for what it is. After viewing the commercial I do not feel like blonde hair is superior to all other hair colors or Asians are ashamed of their heritage. I am almost positive that the woman on the commercial would do anything to degrade her race.

    P.S. Watermelons are atrocious. LOL! Seriously!

    Posted 17 Dec 2006 at 8:37 pm ¶

52. Love my dark hair wrote:

    This is so ridiculous. They accurately chose ethnic groups that represent blond and dark hair, They make reference to the fact that the results of using the product is indistinguishable from naturally blond hair.
    It says they’ll think her parents are from Sweden, quite the oposite of “An Asian-appearing woman cannot have a Swedish parent.” 0r “It is impossible for an Asian woman to have anything but jet black hair”
    To see Racism here you have to believe one or several of the following:
    1. Blond hair is superior and ethnic groups who don’t commonly have blond hair need to be patronized.
    2. That Asians are inferior and you are somehow morally superior by identifying “racism” and rushing to their defense.

    Posted 23 Dec 2006 at 12:07 am ¶

53. Caroline wrote:

    What’s up with all this contraversy with an Asian women with blonde hair. The commercial is targeting the Asian culture.
    I thought that commercial was cool. Who would of guessed it would be an Asian blonde, but big deal. So what! I thought that was cool that an Asian women could even have her hair dyed to be a blonde like that. Especially going from dark to light without her hair getting damaged. Stop living in the stone age. This is the 21st century. Anything is possible.
    My mom who is from Japan told me that long time ago there was a student whose mother was 100% Japanese and father was 100% German had a daughter who had really light blonde hair like Pamela Anderson. Is that so news shocking? So what. This is the human race and anything is possible these days. I’m part Japanese and Cuban-American and no one says anything about me dying my hair blonde. They think I’m philipino or Spanish, but I have almond eyes. I have seen a lot of Hapas or mixed Asian/white kids have blonde hair with blue or green eyes with Asian eyes. While majority of the world has dark hair, it doesn’t bother me if I saw that ad. Why does it have to be a joke if an Asian women dyes her hair blonde or if it’s possible that the lady in the ad could possibly have a Swedish parent? That is very offensive and racist. It’s belittling someones race to be a joke. It’s just an advertisement. You personally don’t know anything about the model in the ad. Could she have a swedish parent, maybe, we don’t know that. That gong represents her Asian culture and her hair could have represented maybe one of her parents could have been Swedish or caucasian. Welcome to the world of mixed families. I have seen a lot of bi-racial couples on the west coast. Just because that women in the ad looks full Asian doesn’t mean she couldn’t have a parent with Swedish heritage. I have seen Asian and caucasian parents with kids that look like one or the other race, but there other kids that look half. It depends on the genes. I have seen mulattos kids that look mostly like one race. Is it a big deal? NO.
    All women of different nationalities if they had a chance would dye there hair blonde whether it’s caucasian, asian, hispanic, mulatto, African-American, hapas or of mixed heritage. So therefore if that ad was so discriminating it wouldn’t have aired. Why is it so offensive when an Asian women has blonde hair, but when Whites, blacks, hispanics have hair blonde on a Herbal Essence ad it’s not such a contraversy?

    Peace to the human race.

    Posted 25 Dec 2006 at 4:00 pm ¶

54. chiara wrote:

    im 25% swedisch , fully euro though but i have brown hair i also 50%portugees and 25% belgiqe

    Posted 09 Jan 2007 at 10:58 am ¶

55. Joannah Krogshede wrote:

    1. Nobody has naturally black hair. It’s a fact! There’s darkest brown that appears black to the ignorant individual.

    2. Actually all hair is some shade of brown it’s just the shade that’s different.

    3. I’m Danish and I’m Asian. No, I’m not mixed. I could start by saying I’m adopted but I usually don’t because I don’t have an identity issue and I like to provoke/force people to think.

    4. Yes, the majority, probably over 99% of Asians of Mongolid origin have hair that appears black/darkest brown but there are some who aren’t mixed who have auburn, lighter shades of brown, red or even light brown/dark blond hair. It was probably easier being them without having the naturalness of their hair color questioned before hair dyes became all the rage out east.

    My biggest problem isn’t with the overt racism but that it’s assumed that Asian women who dye/bleach their hair do so because they have some inferiority complex and want to appear Caucasian.

    Get over it! Some of us just get bored of our natural hair color from time to time like Caucasian and even Black/Afroloid women do and it’s exactly because we have high self confidence that we dare to do something different even if it is quite unnatural.

    Btw, my children are mixed Danish-Caucasian and Mongolid so I know that mixed children of the same background can look very different. Two are fair skinned, one’s got darker skin, one’s got dark brown hair and medium brown eyes, the palest of my sons has medium brown hair and dark brown hair, the second palest has the lightest hair color which is auburn and cherry blond in summer with blond tips and his eyes are mixed honey/brown.

    Their father has blond hair, light blue/grey eyes and fair rosy complexion.

    My adoptive mother’s family is Danish Caucasian not mixed at all. They’re all medium of complexion, brown haired, my grandmother was the only blue eyed one in the family until my kid brother was born, everyone else have brown or hazel eyes. So I’m annoyed with the Scandinavian blonde stereotype too.

    Even in Scandinavian (we’re not one country and culture with one language btw.) countries the majority of people do NOT have blond hair though there are proportionally more blonds here than in other countries.

    Posted 10 Jan 2007 at 3:06 pm ¶

56. Tammy S. wrote:

    Hm, lmao, how on Earth did a commercial with an Asian woman with blond hair turn into a racial commentary “argument” about Black people and watermelons? Anyway lol

    I don’t think I’ve seen that commercial, but um, in the argument that maybe that Asian girl could naturally have blond hair, really anything is possible when it comes to genetics. My nationality is Jamaican, but racially, I have an Indian, White (Scottish/English) African, and Chinese background (I have dark, wavy-curly hair, dark almond-shaped eyes and golden-brown complexion) On my mother’s side of the family, her blood uncle had golden hair, blue eyes and had tanned skin, same thing with her grandpop, but he had brown eyes and yes, they were all Jamaican.
    I personally hate how Americans make a big deal out of people being mixed, (they make a big deal out of race, period.) Then they want to put a classification and tag on everyone, and if you dare to go against what you’re classified as (and the description thereof), o my goodness you’re not being true to who you are!!! So what?? Who are you to tell me who and what I am? Lol let my Asian sistah bleach her hair! I personally don’t like seeing Asian women with blond hair too much, but that’s because I simply don’t like blond hair, it reminds me of the stereotypical notion that blond = beauty, and I do not agree with that at all. The idea that all Asian women that beach their hair to appear more “white” is a tad ridiculous.. I love my dark hair, but every once in a while, just for alil change, I like to lighten my hair alil, but does that make me want to be white? I highly doubt it. Sometimes I like to dye my hair to jet black lol . Okay, back on topic lmao. If I had seen that commercial, I would most likely: chuckle slightly and shake my head. And the gong comments, yes, I can see that as a bit played out when it comes to America trying to depict or make an association with Asian people, but I don’t think that it’s something to howl over, because in the end, Herbal Essences still got their marketing point across..

    Posted 11 Jan 2007 at 1:31 pm ¶

57. kim wrote:

    Caroline: All women of different nationalities if they had a chance would dye there hair blonde whether it’s caucasian, asian, hispanic, mulatto, African-American, hapas or of mixed heritage.

    Kim: No, they wouldn’t. Such an idea furthers the belief in the desirability to have that which is most identified with the ultimate standard of White/Euro/American Euro beauty, and is a patently false statement.

    That is not to say that is the motive behind (sounds loaded already) the bleaching and dying of any who do so, but that the inundation of such a standard-as-ideal, does permeate the beauty aesthetic here (and globally?…i don’t know…it’s on its way).

    There are many incongruities in what you write, speaking of the commercial as racist, and then as reflecting the possibility of a predominance toward one half of her (possible) lineage, and further as the gong representing a part of Asian culture and therefore having a congruency within the overall context.

    What is it that you wanted to convey?

    Posted 11 Jan 2007 at 3:10 pm ¶

58. Caroline wrote:

    Kim: No, they wouldn’t. Such an idea furthers the belief in the desirability to have that which is most identified with the ultimate standard of White/Euro/American Euro beauty, and is a patently false statement.

    That is not to say that is the motive behind (sounds loaded already) the bleaching and dying of any who do so, but that the inundation of such a standard-as-ideal, does permeate the beauty aesthetic here (and globally?…i don’t know…it’s on its way).

    There are many incongruities in what you write, speaking of the commercial as racist, and then as reflecting the possibility of a predominance toward one half of her (possible) lineage, and further as the gong representing a part of Asian culture and therefore having a congruency within the overall context.

    What is it that you wanted to convey?

    Caroline: Actually Kim I wasn’t really talking to you. I was commenting some stuff that some nuckle heads wrote earlier on the comment page. Well my point Kim is that I have seen with my own eyes that all races have dyed there hair to blonde not just Asian. I shouldn’t have said if they had gotten a chance to dye there hair blonde, but people do it just to do it no matter what race they are.

    The commercial is not racist to me. I think the commercial was cool. I think some of the comments on this page sounds racist though. Some of the comments sound racist towards the girl on the commercial whom I am friends with. Those comments about the gong doesn’t offend me. I am just commenting about what other people are saying about the commercial. That is it. Like I was saying someone could look full asian but could have a swedish in them. I would know cause I’m like that. The point of the matter is yeah it could be her lineage, but the two cultures also could have blended. You don’t know though.

    Posted 12 Jan 2007 at 9:01 pm ¶

59. Caroline wrote:

    When I first saw the commercial I did chuckle cause I can relate to that model cause I dyed my hair blonde and I’m Asian or of Asian Descent. It’s a hair dying shampoo commercial to make hair look natural.
    Adding someones race was dumb like adding swede, but if you have to be mad look at the beer commercial with the swedish bikini team. They were all blonde too. Do you think that commercial is offensive too? All the Swedish women were blonde and skimpering in there bikinis and had huge breast. Do all Swedish women go around doing that, I really doubt that and I doubt that they go around skimpering in bikinis like that in a twirly boat. Do you think that is offensive too? Do you think that degrades women?
    I don’t know which is the part people are getting mad at the most. Is it just the Asian girl who dyed her hair blonde or was it the swede & gong part? I don’t care for the gong part cause I thought it was cute. So what!!! Being blonde to me doesn’t mean being white. To me it’s a fashion thing like certain trends that comes in like an 80’s mohawk or dying ones hair jet black to be gothic not to be asian or getting a tan not to be hispanic. It doesn’t have anything to do with race. It’s what people want to do just because.
    All that matters is that we are all human beings. We all sin. We are all the same color when we bleed.

    Peace to the Human race.

    Posted 13 Jan 2007 at 9:33 pm ¶

60. kim wrote:

    The testiness of new posters to this forum, this site in general, is … mind-boggling.

    When you post at this site, you are talking to everyone.

    If there are specific comments to be responded to, so that one’s ideas are understood to be in response to a specific train of thought, there are options for indicating such:

    1) the use of ” ” to mark the passage, with, or without attribution, and

    2) the use of the > mark, to indicate a prior poster’s passage, and

    3) you could name the person whose comments are at the core of your response.

    Paragraphs separating ideas are a good form to follow as well. Clarity and structure of idea is the best form of all, for which we all strive in order to hammer out our views.

    Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 12:21 am ¶

61. Joe wrote:

    Hey kim, you need to take your stupid comments elsewhere. This isn’t english class.
    So shut the fuck up.

    Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 12:34 am ¶

62. Lyonside wrote:

    Joe, we just went THROUGH this here:

    http://www.racialicious.com/2007/01/08/the-core-beliefs-that-guide-racialicious/

    So please, read it, and yeah, we’re not Englsh teachers, but we’re trying to raise the bar so we’re not screaming insults at each other on the playground, mmmmkay?

    And yeah, you DO have to attribute who you’re talking to - because everyone’s server is different and you cannot dictate whether your post will come up exactly where you think it will. Dude, I don’t make those rules, the Internet does.

    Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 9:15 am ¶

63. truthbetold wrote:

    It is definitly aimed at creating a division between the chinese and swedes. Whoever was in charge of this commercial should be held accountable. I don’t use this product and recommend no one else does the same. NO THIS COMMERCIAL IS NOT ALRIGHT. Who was responsble for this commercial?

    Posted 22 Jan 2007 at 6:52 am ¶

64. Carol E. Cox wrote:

    The woman is a Bleached Brunette.

    Bleach has nothing to do with being Blonde and it has everything to do with being a Bleached Brunette.

    Posted 28 Jan 2007 at 2:55 pm ¶

65. Tatiana wrote:

    That commercial made me so mad! For one, I am half Japanese and Russian, and I have natural platinum blonde hair. The thought of people telling me that my hair cannot be naturally the way it is is very insulting. I don’t think they should make such stupid commercials, especially if it is indirectly racist.

    Posted 30 Jan 2007 at 7:05 pm ¶

66. Grace wrote:

    I recently bleached a considerable amount of hair, and people are actually telling me I look more Asian now with the bleached blonde hair than when I had a more “natural” dark brown color. I don’t understand why everyone’s making such a big deal about this commercial. The model can do whatever she wants.

    Posted 04 Feb 2007 at 5:54 pm ¶

67. Caroline wrote:

    “Hair dye has come a long way and most blonde women have a little assistance in obtaining their look. But to the honchos at Clairol (Herbal Essence’s parent company), an Asian woman with blonde hair is still a shocking sight”

    This statement of an Asian woman with blonde hair is a shocking sight will only be shocking if you as a person let it be. Why shocking for an Asian person with blonde hair or is the fact that an Asian person is on a commercial representing a hair dying commercial? Why pick on this innocent Asian girl on the commercial?
    The assumptions of an Asian-”appearing” person could not have a Swedish parent. An Asian “appearing” person could have a Swedish parent. The writer Nina did say an Asian “appearing”women in her statement. I know a lot of people who are mixed descent appear to be Asian who have a Swedish parent and also could have blonde hair. Possibly there could be an Asian person who was born in Sweden and is Swedish born could possibly speak Swedish and might have dyed there hair blonde. I’m Asian-American and I was born in California. I’m mixed, but I appear to look more Asian. Does this make me less American because I look Asian? No. I was born here and I’m proud to be an American.

    To my Asian sisters, no matter what hair color you have natural or not don’t let that bother you. If you like your hair that way go for it. It’s your life and your hair.
    I feel like this site is only talking about more about the Asian girl with the bleached blonde hair. This was a hair dying commercial. I liked the commercial.

    Nina says, “Later in the commercial, the voiceover says something to the effect of “they’ll think your parents are from Sweden” to which the woman says “yah” in what I guess is a Swedish accent.”

    There’s Asian people everywhere. Some may live in Asia, Europe, South America and throughout the world. What is the problem with an Asian person to say “yah” or even thought of having a Swedish parent.
    I know Chinese people who live in Jamaica and speak like there from Jamaica. They don’t have Asian accents. I live in Maryland and everyone thinks I’m from Texas cause they say that I sound like I have a Texan accent. People say that I sound like I’m from the country. I say a country Asian? I laugh and they say it’s possible. Some other people think because I look Asian that I have to have an Asian accent. That’s not true. My point is that I never been to Sweden, but I am open minded to the point where I can see an Asian person who was born there to speak Swedish and to the point that an Asian “appearing” person could have a Swedish parent whether or not the parent is his or her biological parent.
    I think the main point is to not judge a book by it’s cover. Get to know the person then make that judgement.

    Posted 04 Feb 2007 at 8:34 pm ¶

68. Karin wrote:

    Hey, I saw the commercial yesterday and I just wanna say: I’m Swedish and I’m not blonde! I hate when people think that all Swedes are blonde.
    And I agree with post# 35 Linnea:
    “…“yah” of “ja” which is the correct spelling trying to sound Swedish when it is NOT EVEN CLOSE to how it sounds. To me the commercial was poking fun at the Swedish language. “

    Posted 14 Feb 2007 at 10:36 am ¶

69. Annie wrote:

    ^ I don’t think they’re trying to imitate Swedish of “ja” but rather an Asian girl trying to say “yeah” with a Chinese accent or something. Well, everybody has different interpretations…

    Posted 18 Feb 2007 at 2:17 pm ¶

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