Seoul Secret apologizes for racist black face advert ‘White is winning’

[Mr Moo]

Firstly this is not "Racist", it may be "Colour Prejudice" but not racist.

Racist would be the case if for instance an Englishman hated a Chinese because he is Chinese, not because of skin colour.

Colour Prejudice would be hatred of a person based on skin colour and not race.

Most of this b*ll*cks is brought about by left-wing, do-good idiots that cause so many problems they should be put down for inciting trouble between different races and colours.

[WhizBang]

Personally, I like the 'dark' look the girls get after a visit home to Issan. Of course, they say no, not good.

But Thailand is seriously racist. Just look at how they treat the Burmese, or Cambodians, never mind us farang. Thailand has a very long way to go to enter the 20th century, never mind the 21st.

[WhizBang]

I was surprised to find that I had unknowingly been using Nivea whitening roll-on deodorant for more than a decade!

On the plus side, It may help explain my increased success in business and with women over the same period.

Could it be that your 'increased success' with women is all in your mind?

[WhizBang]

Firstly this is not "Racist", it may be "Colour Prejudice" but not racist.

Racist would be the case if for instance an Englishman hated a Chinese because he is Chinese, not because of skin colour.

Colour Prejudice would be hatred of a person based on skin colour and not race.

Most of this b*ll*cks is brought about by left-wing, do-good idiots that cause so many problems they should be put down for inciting trouble between different races and colours.

Sorry, but 'color prejudice' because of skin color IS racist.

Racism can also be defined as xenophobia, something Thailand has in abundance.

[farcanell]

To all those who keep whining and complaining about racism here. Have you ever travelled across Asia? Japan - Japanese women want to have lighter skin, China - Chinese women want to have lighter skin, South Korea - South Korean women want to have lighter skin etc...etc...It is their own choice. It is their own choice to choose what they like or not. If they prefer lighter and whiter skin, so be it. You may disagree with them but trying to impose forcefully your own views upon more than 2 billion people just makes you a bigot of another kind. If you think that the war against whiteness is somehow progressive - you got it terribly wrong. It's just another form of bigotry.

And Micheal Jackson wanted to have lighter skin.

[farcanell]

I like the natural light coffee colored skin.... Does this make me a racist?

Or a colorist?

Edited January 9, 2016 by farcanell

[Skeptic7]

Give Thailand 50 years and there will be a race division like the states if this "white skin is better" attitude keeps up.

As to the question of whether these creams are safe to use, some have been shown to cause cancer.

50 years?!? Sorry but his has been going on in Thailand FOREVER. If anything, they are becoming more accepting...but not much. Employer discrimination against darker skinned Thais is MUCH worse in Thailand today than in The States.

[dru2]

I was surprised to find that I had unknowingly been using Nivea whitening roll-on deodorant for more than a decade!

On the plus side, It may help explain my increased success in business and with women over the same period.

Could it be that your 'increased success' with women is all in your mind?

It could be that you don't recognise irony.

[cyberfarang]

.

[bhatmasterson]

People will have to come to terms with this fact. I have heard it many times that "we are not racist. We just don't like Black people'. I have pointed this out before to the Thai people who have said this and are supposedly educated. It is a waste of time and fighting generations of prejudice. Until whitening cream and Thais in general see that respective Thai Authorities who judge the Miss Thailand, stop sending pasty white, ill looking contestants to the miss world, as they would win quite a few IMHO.

Well, your post could be construed as being 'racist' against light skinned people.

We know the blacks understand who really has the superior physical strength DNA.

I think you are referring to something called the genetic recessive gene or trait which is the root of what racism really is. A lot of what is discussed and misconstrued to be racism is nothing more than bigotry and race prejudice. This incident isn't racism. It is something else.

Edited January 9, 2016 by bhatmasterson

[randyoon]

Give Thailand 50 years and there will be a race division like the states if this "white skin is better" attitude keeps up.

As to the question of whether these creams are safe to use, some have been shown to cause cancer.

Please, don't compare the US to Asian racism. Despite the problems you see on the news, Korea and Japan are far more racist. The only reason you don't know about it is, those countries are so homogeneous that there's no critical mass of minorities to result in racist incidents. Perhaps the same is true of Thailand.

That's right. Don't compare the USA to Asians because the USA bows down to whatever the black people want. The USA allows them to burn their cities, destroy their communities and kill their fellow black people at random. They do all of this in the name of Black Lives Matter. So please, never compare the USA to Asians. Asians would never allow crap like this like we do. We are more concerned about being politically correct than telling it the way it is.

[SiSePuede419]

I think we need to hear the opinion of a "non-politically correct" (i.e. a impolite, intolerant offensive <deleted>) racist.

Any loons out there who love Ayn Rand (a communist, Jewish, bad fiction writer)?

555

[teatree]

Firstly this is not "Racist", it may be "Colour Prejudice" but not racist.

Racist would be the case if for instance an Englishman hated a Chinese because he is Chinese, not because of skin colour.

Colour Prejudice would be hatred of a person based on skin colour and not race.

Most of this b*ll*cks is brought about by left-wing, do-good idiots that cause so many problems they should be put down for inciting trouble between different races and colours.

Sorry, but 'color prejudice' because of skin color IS racist.

Racism can also be defined as xenophobia, something Thailand has in abundance.

My brother has rather pale skin and strawberry blond hair and gets sunburn in moonlight. I am far from dark skinned but do get rather brown when exposed to the sun.

From our facial features it is clear that we are brothers, but the difference in our skin is like chalk and cheese.

Are we different races?

[Friendly Stranger]

I'd go for the darker one.

[Seastallion]

[rooster59]

Thai cosmetics company pulls ad showing actress in blackface

JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press


BANGKOK (AP) — "You just need to be white to win."

A skin-whitening ad in Thailand featuring that slogan alongside a famous actress in blackface makeup sparked such outrage that the company pulled it Friday, just a day after releasing it. The retraction did little, however, to stem a debate the ad ignited about the regularity of racist advertisements in the Southeast Asian country.

The online video campaign for a new product called "Snowz" starred porcelain-skinned Thai movie star Cris Horwang. In the ad, she talks about being an aging actress in a competitive industry as gentle piano music plays in the background.

"If I stopped looking after myself, everything that I have worked for — all the investment I have made to keep myself white — would disappear," says the 35-year-old starlet. "New stars would replace me, I would fade away."

As she speaks, a smiling younger woman enters the picture and Cris' own image darkens to charcoal black.

A male voice says "You just need to be white to win."

A tirade of criticism erupted on social media after the video was launched online Thursday. Online commentators labeled the ad as racist and ignorant, while some heaped criticism on the actress for accepting the job. Others called it a strategic way to attract wide attention for the product and boost sales.

One prominent critic was former beauty queen Nonthawan Thongleng, who was crowned Miss Thailand World in 2014. Media at the time described her as "Thailand's Pocahontas" and as an "Amazonian Goddess" because of her olive-skinned complexion, and said that her victory over more fair-skinned competitors was a turning point for Thai beauty contests.

"Even if you are black, you can be a winner too," Nonthawan said in a Facebook post Friday.

"We can prove ourselves by our abilities, white or black. If you are good, people will accept and look up to you," she said, adding that judging people by their skin color was "such an old-fashioned value."

Thai cosmetics company Seoul Secret issued a "heartfelt apology" in a statement Friday saying it had pulled the video clip and related advertisements.

"Our company did not have any intention to convey discriminatory or racist messages," the company said in the statement posted on its Facebook page. "What we intended to convey was that self-improvement in terms of personality, appearance, skills and professionalism is crucial."

The ad by Seoul Secret is not the first to use racial stereotypes in Thai advertising, where beauty is defined as fair and delicate. Thais with darker skin are associated with the lower classes from the countryside, whose attempt to emulate the porcelain complexions of the Bangkok elite has fueled an enormous industry in skin-whitening products and cosmetic clinics.

In 2013, the Dunkin' Donuts franchise in Thailand came under fire for using a female model in blackface makeup to promote a new chocolate flavored doughnut. The company's CEO in Thailand initially dismissed complaints about racism, but the U.S. parent company quickly followed up with an apology and pulled the ad.

TV commercials for skin-whitening products regularly promote the idea that white is beautiful. An herbal Thai toothpaste says its dark-colored product "is black, but it's good." A longtime Thai brand of household mops and dustpans called "Black Man" uses a logo with a smiling black man in a tuxedo and bow tie.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-10

[Traveller45]

When will this rubbish stop? Tan skin is so sexy. But of course only if its owners develop some sense of pride. I know there is more to it. Society in Thailand has decreed that tan skin should be the sign of lower level, of poverty. A single individual cannot fight this. Many would have to come together, including maybe a few actresses and models, board members etc., publicly visible, and then things would start to change.

[sir charles IV]

The video is not racist. It depicts the same race. It's about preferring white colour over dark colour within the same race. I prefer green apples over red apples does not mean I'm against red apples.

[sir charles IV]

Furthermore as status is concerned it is a fact that whiter skinned Asians do better than their tanned ones. I see nothing wrong with self improvement. Who are we to judge?

[daoyai]

Furthermore as status is concerned it is a fact that whiter skinned Asians do better than their tanned ones. I see nothing wrong with self improvement. Who are we to judge?

Such an odd comment, in what way do lighter skinned do better? If you mean they have an advantage due to discrimination, I agree So you think the discrimination against darker is skin is ok?

[daoyai]

Snail Cream is a whitening product , is it really made from creamed snails? Snail cream sounds so nasty.

[Caitrin]

Give Thailand 50 years and there will be a race division like the states if this "white skin is better" attitude keeps up.

As to the question of whether these creams are safe to use, some have been shown to cause cancer.

Please, don't compare the US to Asian racism. Despite the problems you see on the news, Korea and Japan are far more racist. The only reason you don't know about it is, those countries are so homogeneous that there's no critical mass of minorities to result in racist incidents. Perhaps the same is true of Thailand.

As a white American who lives in Japan and is in the process of acquiring Japanese nationality, allow me to call bull. The discriminatory institutions in Japan are of a different sort than the United States, and yes, they exist, but there isn't anything like what African-American, Hispanic-American, and Muslim-Americans deal with in the United States. Not even close. Most people who whine about racism in Japan, especially if they are white, are really encountering being a multiple-minority (ethnicity, language, religion, culture, etc) individual for the first time in their lives, which means they're no longer playing life on easy mode.

[sir charles IV]

Furthermore as status is concerned it is a fact that whiter skinned Asians do better than their tanned ones. I see nothing wrong with self improvement. Who are we to judge?

Such an odd comment, in what way do lighter skinned do better? If you mean they have an advantage due to discrimination, I agree So you think the discrimination against darker is skin is ok?

discrimination against anything I believe is wrong. But discrimination in favor of something is what we have done since the beginning of time. That why I believe we have advanced as a species compared with out cousins (other mammals). I bet u discriminate in favor of things all the time. Lol let me know if u need demonstration.

[MeHere]

"If I stopped looking after myself, everything that I have worked for — all the investment I have made to keep myself white — would disappear," says the 35-year-old starlet. "New stars would replace me, I would fade away."

So, all that investment in your skin color and it all boils down to your looks only, not your talent, what a waste.

Materialistic superficial shallow people. Keep perpetuating it.

[sawadee1947]

the company uses Thai's understanding of wealth- and healthiness. White skin implement "not hard working (in rice fields e.g.)" .

White skin stands for success and "social acceptance"

I will not talk about the unhealthy chemical ingredients.

[Thaidream]

What difference does it matter if you are white, blck or brown. Unfortunately, Thai people believe that being white emotes some type of status and wealth. They have been taught that from birth through the centuries. This is purely discriminatory. In addition, age discrimination is very apparent in Thailand in the hiring of people. Most Thais seem to believe a person is of little value after 45. The sad part of all this is that the country is hurting itself by ignoring the talents of dark skinned people and those over the age of 45. It could be that is why so many things in the country do not work very well- a lack of diversity and a lack of education and experience.

[simon43]

Even if you are black, you can be a winner too

Why did she preface that statement with the word 'Even'?

[scorecard]

"If I stopped looking after myself, everything that I have worked for — all the investment I have made to keep myself white — would disappear," says the 35-year-old starlet. "New stars would replace me, I would fade away."

So, all that investment in your skin color and it all boils down to your looks only, not your talent, what a waste.

Materialistic superficial shallow people. Keep perpetuating it.

Just skin color.

A further indictment of the glorification of beauty and celebrities regardless of whether the 'beautiful' person is: honest, sincere, reliable, respectful, caring, etc.

[MadDog2020]

The scourge of political correctness, and its use by the Twitterati to to curtail free speech, has arrived in Thailand.

White skin in Thailand has nothing to do with race - it is instead a historical indication of social class within the same race. Biology dictates that people who do not do manual work in the sun retain their white skin, and in Thailand this is seen as an indicator of social class. It's no secret that Thailand is a class oriented society, and that in a class oriented society, people who are perceived to be of a higher class get more opportunities. Unfair, yes, but so is life.

In a very technical sense your reasoning is sound, and I almost accepted it. But your comment is simply the rationale that racists use instead of owning their own racism.

The phrase "color of skin" has been for decades directly related to racism. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used the same phrase in his famous "I have a dream" speech.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"

Maybe the apology by Seoul Secret could have used this issue to have a stance against racism in Thai society instead of the lame excuse that they used.

[helpisgood]

The scourge of political correctness, and its use by the Twitterati to to curtail free speech, has arrived in Thailand.

White skin in Thailand has nothing to do with race - it is instead a historical indication of social class within the same race. Biology dictates that people who do not do manual work in the sun retain their white skin, and in Thailand this is seen as an indicator of social class. It's no secret that Thailand is a class oriented society, and that in a class oriented society, people who are perceived to be of a higher class get more opportunities. Unfair, yes, but so is life.

If I understand you correctly, we should just accept unfairness because "that's life"? There are so many examples that challenge that notion, but I'll just choose one. Let's say it's 19th century USA and an otherwise well-qualified job applicant is not given a job he or she badly needs solely because that applicant is of Irish Catholic descent (not uncommonly done at that time). Should we just throw up our hands and say that's life because many Americans at that time considered Irish Catholics as lower-class people? Shouldn't we instead not accept such prejudices and demand that each and every person is judged according to their own abilities and character? That seems to have worked to improve the lives of many, albeit more work needs to be done. Is this really what you mean?

Yes, life is unfair but that's not an excuse to accept or contribute to an unfairness.

It seems to be easy to say "that's life" when the unfairness does not affect the speaker.