I was informed and this is only hearsay as I have yet to see, that a commercial has appeared on TV here with warnings to citizens about robbery, mugging etc.
However the commercial shows foreigners as criminals. The black guy who dances with his son around Hsimen is in the commercial.
The foreigners are shown like they have just been arrested, they have them pose for a Mugshot.
If true, it stinks of racism.
Anyone know anything about this.
A mate of mine was in that, their advert was in the newspapers a few weeks ago. Looked pretty funny I thought.
I find it disgusting. Does anyone want to file a formal complaint?
I don’t think it should be me complaining all the time.
The ad is not a warning about crime - it is for mobile phones or something like that. Although I’ve seen it dozens of times, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet what the product is. Anyway, I do think it’s a bit off colour for a Taiwanese ad to feature a bunch of “criminals” who are all from visible ethnic minorities. If this happened in a “white” country, the ethnic minorities would kick up a terrible stink and the ad would be pulled for sure.
You are right, Juba. In any other country, it would raise a stink. Oh, wait, not in any Asian country.
Yes, that is just an advert for a popular cellphone firm here. There is a discussion on this in the Open Forum too.
My Taiwanese friends who have seen the commerical say it is just funny and fun and no harm intended. i knew it was a business ad when i first saw it, even though I can’t undersand the words. CAKE, yes that was only hearsay, and wrong wrong wrong. SMILE. that was just a silly advert. Not a public Service announcemnt against foreigners.
Look, everytime an advert here uses a Catholic priest or a funny foreigner or a black man or whatever, do we have to call FOUL?
no, it is just the creative side of the ad industry. and maybe with a pinch of taiwanese humor added in too.
Relax cake, this is just creative advertising. No harm intended, no harm done. And the boys in the ad are celebrities now! Cool!
BTW, AMOs, you said one of your mates was in the ad. can you ask him or tell us here, how he got the gig, how they found him, how much he got paid, was it a fun shoot, etc? Just for enjoyment of a good story.
earlier post":
And speaking of ads, right now, there’s this cool advert on TV, every 10p minutes or so, featuring 8 foreigners dressed up as jail criminals in black white striped uniforms, for some cellphone or electronics outfit. can’t understand what they are saying, but very funny, and each felon is unique. Who are these guys? A new hip hop group in town from overseas or just the usual suspects? Spin and 45?
Formosa, he got paid either 7 or $NT8,000 for that gig, not much compared to some of the gigs both he and his roomate have had before. Anyway he was approached outside a pub quite a while ago, and after going in for screen tests, a few photos etc, the ad agency just calls up whenever they have a gig suitable for him. I suppose I need to drink more piss in town if I’m ever to score a spot on an ad 
sheesh, if you guys think that is offensive and racist, you should listen to the “jacky show” on tv… the presenters tell blatantly racist jokes, mocking and stereotyping minorities regularly… Plus “jacky” himself is or was the proud owner of a jail themed resturaunt here in taichung city, the internal decor of which prominantly features large blown up photos of immaciated jews from the concentration camps of WW2… taiwan redefines “unethical and offensive” behaviour and practices every day… it’s just the way it is… sometimes it’s hard to maintain a perspective of cultural reletivism, but it’s important, especially when living in someone else’s country…
When does that show air?
Like to see it.
It’s on Sat and Sun nights I think. Just one of those variety/light comedy shoes. I personally don’t find anything he says offensive, but I do know of Taiwanese parents who won’t let their teenage kids watch the show, buy hey, if they could watch the Simpsons, they probably wouldn’t be allowed to watch that either.
cake and Hartzell… It’s just a commercial using foreigners to make it appear different from all the other cell phone ads. There’s no indication or even a mention of “crime” anywhere in the ad (I have seen it a few times, but like many of you, never paid much attention). Take it easy guys. Should I flip out if I see an Asian playing a bad guy in the movies from Hollywood? Or should I call the ACLU everytime I see more black people in a jail cell in the movies? Or should the foreign workers in the movie industry of Hong Kong file a formal complain against the industry there since everytime when you see a foreigner in one of those cheap HK movies, he’s always the bad guy (I mean, ALWAYS)? Now that I think about it, you SHOULD file a complain against the HK movie industry! What the hell… I guess that puts Jackie Chen and Bruce Lee in the racist category! Damn Kong Fu movies.
Relax and breathe a little and we will all live a little longer.
scchu
I don’t think you really understand scchu, how little things like this grate on your nerves.
I really don’t care for the stupid posters on banks telling people to be careful around ATMS. They use a couple of caucasian people with sinister looks pointing at some women using an ATM. Combine this with actually trying to legally get a phone/ADSL line through Chunghwa without a guarantor. The constant whining of those “poor mistreated” foreign born Chinese against the “whites.” Don’t even get me started about the whole Taiwanese women/foreign men debate.
This is a constant that we have to deal with in Taiwan. I find this similiar to being told racist jokes by some ignorant redneck. I don’t find it funny and I don’t think it is appopriate to that “international image” Taiwan is always spouting off about whenever they are being shown in a negative light.
You might agree with me once you get here.
CYA
Okami
Woah… Take it easy Okami… Take it easy… count to 10 and breathe… All I am saying is, just look at things in life in a more positive and different perspective. Yes, I do understand how frustrating it can be when you have to do it on a daily basis. But one life time is all you got. Just breathe…
Hey, not that I want to get myself into trouble. I AM actually interested in hearing more about that… What’s the “debate”? I think I may have asked a similar question in a different threat. But I honestly would like to hear what’s on other people’s mind (Asian/foreign girls, Asian/foreign guys… etc). I am not trying to promote a racial debate – just honest curiosity. I don’t find it appropriate asking this in people’s face, that’s why I feel that asking questions like this in a more or less open-minded forum can stimulate healthy conversations. And please, none of that sexists or racial stuff…
scchu
Well, you’ve come to the right place. A simple search should net you tons of “debate” on Western guys/Asian girls on this forum.
Wow, those guys in the ATM cartoon are Caucasian? I never noticed that. Then again, most of the cartoon figures Taiwanese people draw look Caucasian, except for the one of the guy yakking on his cellphone on the MRT amid all the disapproving ghosts.
I’m a bit puzzled by that remark. Do they really sometimes ask for a guarantor? I’m very big-nosed and foreign, but I had a phone line and ADSL installed in my new flat a few months ago without any problem or any reference at all to needing a guarantor or anything like it. I went in person to Chunghwa to apply for it, unaccompanied by any Chinese person. I live alone in the flat, and it’s registered in my name. But everything was done simply and smoothly – indeed, I was surprised at how much Chunghwa’s service has changed for the better in the last few years.
Oi… I think I will stay away from that. The famous (or “infamous”) “3 Kind” (and was later amended to “4 kind”) discussion was funny though. I have some comments to make about that. But I think i will keep those to myself for now 
.
Rubbish! The guys, all of whom are foreigners, are dressed up in striped jailbird uniforms and the dialogue says [url=http://www.synnex.com.tw/]
I guess I should pay more attention to the lines in those silly ads from now on. [in voice of Homer]Youuuu little stupid ads…
Juba. thanks for the details. you are great at this! You should set up a service for expats like moi who cannot read Chinese and hear Chinese but want to know what’s going on. keep posting like this, please. very enlightening. thanks.
btw… those ads in print are all over Taiwan now on trucks and billboards too. those expat models made off like bandits!
Rubbish! The guys, all of whom are foreigners, are dressed up in striped jailbird uniforms and the dialogue says [url=http://www.synnex.com.tw/]