# Is the racial stereotype in this ad offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509 "2015-08-31T16:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/41 "2015-09-01T19:50:51Z")
> [@Archeonomist](#): > > I think you work too hard to find something you can be offended by here. I’m not very surprised that someone would come along and burp this nonsense out, but no, I am not. I have made it quite clear that I am on the fence about whether or not there are two steteotype components at work, or only one. I am not offended by the ad; I think it’s a poor quality ad for a mediocre-quality product that uses pointless and perhaps _potentially_ offensive imagery. I’m happy enough to be pushed off my fence, but I am not going to be pushed to the extreme of occupying a position that is not mine. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/42 "2015-09-01T22:58:34Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Is this _meant_ to be ironic? Not entirely, though I prefer “snarky.” Examples include [The Black and White Minstrel Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoYOraDt1_k), finally canceled in 1978 while still at the top of its game, Alan Davies’ insulting Mexican accent on QI, and, of course, anything out of the mouths of any of the guys from the previous Top Gear. > [@SanVito](#): > > That ad is a crime against the advertising industry’s reputation, but that kid isn’t being racist. The hat is just a REALLY clunky ‘ooh it’s like I’ve been transported to CHINA’. > > Really, the marketing people that let that go should be fired. This sums up my feelings. As the innertubes make the world smaller we find that not everything on UK telly is Downton Abbey, and that many of the shows are EVEN WORSE than American primetime network shows, or even what’s on basic cable or UHF syndication. That ad is lame and stupid and looks like it came out of the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/43 "2015-09-02T00:16:20Z")
I thought it was to indicate that the food was so good it was like being at a party; and at a party, we wear hats. I was horribly offended that the woman was made to be so stupid that she couldn’t figure out how to google a recipe in order to try something new, and instead had to have the food industry patriarchy provide her with a white-male approved substitute for her own cooking skills. Anyone taking that seriously? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/44 "2015-09-02T01:03:19Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’m more offended by the idea of a container of “Chinese Spice.” Not, like, racially or ethnically offended. _Culinarily_ offended. Me too. I’m trying to imagine what ingredients are in this little jar, that are SO Chinese, that just by sprinkling it over the food it makes this family think they’re wearing those little hats. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/45 "2015-09-02T01:28:13Z")
Schwartz’s Chinese 5-Spice: Sugar, Salt, Onion Granules, Star Anise (10%), Dried Garlic (8%), Black Pepper (6%), Fennel Seed, Ginger, Ground Cinnamon (Cassia)(2%), Cloves. Like I said, the spices are roughly standard, but the sugar, salt, onion, and garlic are not. Those you should add your own damned self to taste, if you have the teeniest cooking ability. Dynasty’s Chinese Five Spices takes it to seven: Cinnamon, star anise, fennel, ginger, cloves, white pepper and licorice root. I may need to buy some. It looks like one of those “I put that shit on everything” products, except without the cayenne pepper. Easily remedied. ---
**Author:** ![Archeonomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Archeonomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archeonomist)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/46 "2015-09-02T01:32:40Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m not very surprised that someone would come along and burp this nonsense out, but no, I am not. > > I have made it quite clear that I am on the fence about whether or not there are two steteotype components at work, or only one. I am not offended by the ad; I think it’s a poor quality ad for a mediocre-quality product that uses pointless and perhaps _potentially_ offensive imagery. > > I’m happy enough to be pushed off my fence, but I am not going to be pushed to the extreme of occupying a position that is not mine. Never mind. My misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/47 "2015-09-02T06:26:46Z")
> [@Archeonomist](#): > > Never mind. My misunderstanding. Sorry, my response to you was rude. I don’t think you deserved that. I think I might be this board’s most inveterate fence-sitter. I have on occasion mistakenly allowed myself to be herded into defending positions quite far from my comfy spot in the middle, that were not really my own. This board tends to want people to polarise. I’m sometimes a bit too sensitive to that pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Archeonomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Archeonomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archeonomist)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509/48 "2015-09-02T06:55:09Z")
No problem - thank you 🙂 It was a pretty clumsy remark I made anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-racial-stereotype-in-this-ad-offensive/729509.md?page=2)