I took this pic the other day at Harbour Bay, Batam. Indo.

It was a bit of a shock the first time I saw the cafe and I immediately wondered what others would make of it. Especially those whom are unaware of Asian sensibilities.

As an aside, if this pic was mailed to a US news agency do you think they would try to make something of it? or is it just insignificant?

Anyway, here 'tis.

Make of it what you will.

By the way.

I must add, for full effect you need to open the attachement and read the name of the cafe.

Anyone else with some pics in bad taste?

Sorry Tuky, don't get your point mate? What's the problem??

I get it, and yes, that is in extremely bad taste.

Sorry Tuky, don't get your point mate? What's the problem??

You really need to open the pic and check out the name of the cafe.

Made worse by being in the largest Muslim populated country in the world.

hehe

Same as seeing teenagers walking around the market wearing black T shirts with an OBL likeness, holding his finger in the air as if preaching to the masses & sporting a halo above his head.

Bad taste everywhere...

Same as seeing teenagers walking around the market wearing black T shirts with an OBL likeness, holding his finger in the air as if preaching to the masses & sporting a halo above his head.

Bad taste everywhere...

But there are different levels of bad taste...... that is the equivalent of opening a bar in NY called Mohammed's and having a picture of the prophet over the door drinking a cocktail.

Anyone else with some pics in bad taste?

I'm reminded of the controversy involved with the bad taste pic (movie poster) of the Western man sitting atop the head of Lord Buddha for the movie Hollywood Buddha in the thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Hollywood-Bu...04.html&hl=

Hollywood Buddha.., Shame on the makers..!

Thai government to ban culturally insensitive foreigners

BANGKOK, Thailand -- The Thai government will ban foreigners from the kingdom who break serious cultural rules as laid out in an official etiquette book it plans to produce, media reported Sunday. The ban and booklet were a result of a row caused by recent controversies such as the movie Hollywood Buddha which depicted the film's director sitting on top of a Buddha head, according to the Nation newspaper.

The movie poster caused a furor in Thailand last week, where the population of about 62 million is overwhelmingly Buddhist and where showing disrespect to a Buddha image is taken seriously.

Thailand's foreign affairs ministry agreed to blacklist foreigners from entering the country as a punishment for previous indiscretions after attending a meeting on the booklet being prepared by the ministry of culture, reported the Nation.

"If some foreigners still behave with malicious intentions, Thai Buddhists should denounce these people or not allow them to enter the country," Ministry of Culture Deputy Permanent Secretary Kla Somtrakool was quoted as saying by the daily.

Kla said the booklet would be distributed to hotels, travel agencies, airline booths, consulates and immigration offices and added that foreigners who made mistakes unknowingly should be forgiven.

The director of Hollywood Buddha, Philippe Caland apologized to Thailand Friday, saying his error was unintentional. He also agreed to cancel and remove the promotional material at the center of the controversy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His apology goes back to my comment WAY back to the 2nd post on the initial page of this thread that it was commited through ignorance. I actually thought that would be the end of it. Ha ha ha..

It's been very interesting how it's convuluted over the next 13 pages. Will never under-estimate Thaivisa again.

With the new blacklisting policy, through the ever-popular Culture Ministry, I imagine it will go on for 13 more?

Parking a motorbike ACROSS the white lines - definitely a no-no.

Apart from that I see nothing offensive - after all, we have a plane crash in Pattaya at RGP and the number of the building is probably 911 Megawati oulevard, or similar.

I dout that many local Indonesians realise what is implied, certainly the majoity of people in Thailand couldn't relate to the depiction.

I have never seen buildings in Indonesia with street addresses so prominently displayed. This is intentional.

Bad taste.

Bad taste. Disrespectful. Quite shocking really.

How about this for bad taste.

I have never seen buildings in Indonesia with street addresses so prominently displayed. This is intentional.

Bad taste.

It is most definately not a street address as correctly stated by bonobo.

It is called '911 Cafe' and doesn't even sit on a street as it is in the Ferry Terminal Complex.

To be honest, I wouldn't be at all suprised if it was owned by a westerner, trying to cash in on the "gimmick" for want of a better word, or as bonobo says it is quite intentional.

And as Humphrey Bear says, the locals probably don't actually understand the connotation.

I have never seen buildings in Indonesia with street addresses so prominently displayed. This is intentional.

Bad taste.

I concur.

Anyone else with some pics in bad taste?

I'm reminded of the controversy involved with the bad taste pic (movie poster) of the Western man sitting atop the head of Lord Buddha for the movie Hollywood Buddha in the thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Hollywood-Bu...04.html&hl=

Hollywood Buddha.., Shame on the makers..!

<snip>

Slight difference there SJ is that the above case did appear to be a genuine misunderstanding.

IMHO this seems a bit more sinister. Vote here for bad taste.

Bad taste?

Bad taste is wearing socks with sandals or talking about your former mother-in-law's sexual habits.

So for me, sick taste would a better description.

Knowing your mother-in Law's sexual habits isn't sick? Former....right.

The 911 Group are aiming for a franchise operation. After they've flooded the middle East, their target is ....New York!!

Mohammed Abdul Stonethrower (CEO) explains, "our 100% goatmeat burgers will blow Americans away"

Asked when the first New York Bar would open........."sometime in the next millenium" he grudgingly conceded....

Asked how his "Mohammed's cat house and gay sauna" chain was faring......"The fire insurance is killing us" he replied.

Regards.

Pretty bloody bad. Deliberately provocative in my book.

Bad taste is in the eye of the beholder I guess.

My great uncle owns a beach hotel in the north of Italy on the Mediterranean coast. His bar was full of wildly cheering Germans on the morning of 9/11.

Less than 30 km from Sant’Anna di Stazzema, where we lost 25% of our relatives to Nazi forces, I would say was in bad taste. The revellers were all gone by that afternoon. Though its hurt his business, not another German has crossed his threshold since.

Anyhow, yeah the club/cafe is cashing in on carnage. That ain't cool and I woud say in poor taste.

'And the Danish cartoons?

Regards.

Knowing your mother-in Law's sexual habits isn't sick? Former....right.

From your reply, can I take it that your former mother-in-law isn't drop-dead gorgeous and overwhelmingly sexy?

How about we have a bedlam experiment?

What if I go and take some better photos and then mail them to a bunch of news sources and then see what happens?

Do you think anyone would be interested?

If so we could sit back here in bedlam and follow what goes on.

Or nobody would care I have wasted a couple of hours.

What if I go and take some better photos and then mail them to a bunch of news sources and then see what happens?

I believe you'd get a quicker reply from bloggers.

Then the news will naturally follow.

certainly inappropriate, but Im sure not the first time something like this is done, nor do I think it will stop.

but just the other week here in aus was a bit of a drama about the Chasers and their latest episode of "The Chasers and the War on everything"

Sick kids stunt

what makes this even more appalling is the fact that it had supposedly gone through the channel of censorship. (not purporting sensorship...but where is the common sense in people?)

(on another note - what then do you make of the restaurant at the Mariott in Bangkok? not the one by the river, but at Suk Soi2. Its called Tsu Nami I think. I know the term itself is not offensive, but I was surprised they didnt re-brand it after the Boxing day catastrophe)

You are a bunch of PC wimps. It is just a cafe on an out of the way island in the far east.

The owner of the cafe is hoping to get just the reaction you have espoused. If everyone just yawned and said "so what" or better still ignored it (and the business) they would tear it down and look for something else. I am just as offended by the bland architecture as by the poor attempt to generate publicity.

An irony about the Chaser's skit mentioned by Mig, apart from getting them a 2 week holiday and the exec who aproved the skit moved to an inactive post. The charity that was being lamooned in the skit has had a significant rise in donations in the weeks since the show was aired. Given the tough financial times all charities are feeling they are not compaining.

certainly inappropriate, but Im sure not the first time something like this is done, nor do I think it will stop.

but just the other week here in aus was a bit of a drama about the Chasers and their latest episode of "The Chasers and the War on everything"

Sick kids stunt

what makes this even more appalling is the fact that it had supposedly gone through the channel of censorship. (not purporting sensorship...but where is the common sense in people?)

(on another note - what then do you make of the restaurant at the Mariott in Bangkok? not the one by the river, but at Suk Soi2. Its called Tsu Nami I think. I know the term itself is not offensive, but I was surprised they didnt re-brand it after the Boxing day catastrophe)

It was unlucky enough to open only just before the tsunami here, so no connection. I don't think anyone is too offended... Tsunami's happen everywhere, just like earthquakes, volcanoes, etc., so there is no specific connection.

When truly horrific incidents happen some patriotic countries take a long time to 'get over it' & 'move on,' whilst other countries just get sick to death (sorry,bad pun ) of the incidents being rammed down their throats at EVERY opportunity.

Stay safe

Dave

From an American perspective it certainly appears insensitive but from a Muslim perspective, or more specifically, an Indonesian perspective, it may not be similarly considered.

I assume the OP did not enter the building and is "judging a book by its cover". What if the inside of the cafe commemorated the event in a sympathetic way as a memorial ? What if the owner's intention was to ensure local Muslims were constantly reminded of the atrocity committed in the name of their faith and ensure it was not forgotten thus, by reflection, moderating Muslim behaviour and thought ? The OP appears to be making a large and unfounded assumption as to the owner's purpose. Jumping to conclusions doesn't serve any useful purpose.

The US and many other countries have engaged in murder in the name of their ideology. Need anyone be reminded that the US dropped more explosives on non-combatant Laos during the Vietnam War than were dropped in the whole of World War 2.

I find the ignorant intolerance and understanding that other people of the world view events differently more offensive and threatening than a chain of thousands of these cafes.

An irony about the Chaser's skit mentioned by Mig, apart from getting them a 2 week holiday and the exec who aproved the skit moved to an inactive post. The charity that was being lamooned in the skit has had a significant rise in donations in the weeks since the show was aired.

so what they say about publicity is true then?

any form of publicity is good for business?

hmmmm

or at least it is a way of ensuring your name is not forgotten from the public's mind? (the case of politicians come to mind...)

IF it's meant to be what it looks like, then yes it's in bad taste. However, I wouldn't make a judgement without walking inside. Translations in Asia can be unintentionally disastrous (in both directions).