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Kao's #beWhite campaign leaves firm red-faced

60 Comments
By Charly TRIBALLEAU

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60 Comments

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People really need to get a life! I live my white company, white (clean) clothes, white wine, and so on. Can't say anything anymore without someone connecting it to something negative.

4 ( +15 / -11 )

This leaves me foaming at the mouth.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I applaud the company for deciding to not use the slogan. What some posters may not have understood, is that we already understand existing terms, but an advertising slogan has room for ambiguity, which can then lead to misinterpretation and/or offense. This may especially be true in advertising, where ads often can be accessed, globally, out of their original context.

One only has to look at the United Colours of Beneton ads (featuring a black mother, suckling a white baby) to see how an image designed in one culture (in Europe, to show intimate and equal love between black and white people) could be misinterpreted in another (the USA, seen as a black slave "wetnursing" a slave-owner's baby).

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

At the same time, I can't help but think of the national obsession with white skin and whitening products, which Kao also makes.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

I applaud the company for deciding to not use the slogan. What some posters may not have understood, is that we already understand existing terms, but an advertising slogan has room for ambiguity, which can then lead to misinterpretation and/or offense. This may especially be true in advertising, where ads often can be accessed, globally, out of their original context. 

One only has to look at the United Colours of Beneton ads (featuring a black mother, suckling a white baby) to see how an image designed in one culture (in Europe, to show intimate and equal love between black and white people) could be misinterpreted in another (the USA, seen as a black slave "wetnursing" a slave-owner's baby).

You don’t get it do you. It’s intended for the Japanese market, but you’re stuck in the globalists black hole where in their future, we all become blank slate consumers.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

you’re stuck in the globalists black hole where in their future, we all become blank slate consumers.

Please tell us more! Who are these globalists, and what is their reasoning behind wanting us to become blank slate consumers? And how does supporting the company’s decision to pull their ad feed into the globalists plan to make us blank slate consumers?

0 ( +8 / -8 )

I'm white and proud of it!

I have white furniture.

White computer tables.

White cupboards.

White shirts.

White fish.

White wine.

Seriously, people need to stop being so damn sensitive and using race in everything! Pathetic.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

This leaves me foaming at the mouth.

Is it white foam?

8 ( +10 / -2 )

This is what SJW accomplishes. Making people upset about nothing. Reading negative meaning where there is none. Taking offense where none is given. Claiming moral superiority when there is none.

A

6 ( +12 / -6 )

jcapanToday - At the same time, I can't help but think of the national obsession with white skin and whitening products, which Kao also makes.

I'm surprised the Japanese have not been attacked for placing such an emphasis on white skin being beautiful as some kind of evil.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

This leaves me foaming at the mouth.

Just like Pavlov's dogs, eh.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I'm surprised the Japanese have not been attacked for placing such an emphasis on white skin being beautiful as some kind of evil.

Wanting to keep your skin naturally white is just fine, even if you look like a moonbat when you're out in public. Bleaching your skin, common in much of Asia, is bent. Not evil, but like rampant plastic surgery in Korea, totally warped.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

This is hilarious. 'We can't use this campaign because it might offend someone in another country that it has nothing to do with'!

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Wanting to keep your skin naturally white is just fine

Whoah! Careful there! Are you suggesting “white = natural” and therefore “not white = unnatural”?

Careful there!!!

2 ( +7 / -5 )

It's not the right that gets offended. It's the loony left!

2 ( +8 / -6 )

So y'all really just forgetting non-Japanese people live in/are born in Japan, huh?

I'm glad they decided to shelve the campaign. They can think of a better phrase.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

It launched the #beWHITE project on Tuesday as part of marketing efforts for a detergent, urging an equitable distribution of chores at home.

The terminology deserves scrutiny, but also shouldn't we be questioning the legitimacy of any huge corporation that rails against unequitable distribution? It would be interesting to know what the pay ratio of CEO to average employee is and if the company uses cheap Asian labour to expand profits. Also, to what extent does the company redistribute its profits sufficiently to address the environmental damages caused in the production and use of its products, or is this cost not born by the company? Just how off-white is this corporation that moralizes about home life to boost profits?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

someone should tell this company it´s ok to be white

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Hmm there's two ways to look into this, it says #bewhite why couldn't be #sparklingwhiteclean instead? Or specific to the point, to avoid harassment from the sensitive bunch. On the other hand, define 'white' most 'white' people in the west are Anglo Saxon, which is a mix of multiple European and other races. Caucasian is defined by the genetic makeup.

As Asians being Mongolid and so on..

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

White wine or white coffee is different, the classification and naming of wines or coffee in the past has always been referred to based on color. The whole race thing is due to the SJW generation and media brainwashing today.

It's not defined or connected to race in any regard. And again 'white' Anglo Saxon are a combination of multiple races. Same as black, Africa is the world's largest continent. So if someone is black, there are hundreds of countries in Africa. Be specific when one says white or black and get over race baiting

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Don't use English if you don't understand it.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

It wouldn't be #beyellow we don't even care if people call us yellow, that's cause we are, we aren't white.

Being fare skinned, as Asians we are still Mongolid, regardless of skin melanin tone. Africa also can vary, not everyone in Africa is black.. I.e north Africa etc have lighter skin melanin. And I've seen darker skinned Europeans too.. Spanish, Southern Italian etc. So be specific before having a case. And stay awesome!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

White skin in Asia is a sign of affluence, not mimicking the West, and has been for hundreds of years. Poor farmers and labourers worked outside and got suntanned, rough skin, looking aged before their time; whilst the landowners stayed indoors, and only went outside with sun parasols, to protect them from the sun's rays. Popular actresses in many countries such as Thailand are well-rounded and white, not slim and dark. Fair-skinned people with sun tans are the reciprocal of this, it shows that they too were affluent and could afford holidays and travel overseas to sunnier climates.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I'm white and proud of it! 

I have white furniture. 

White computer tables. 

White cupboards. 

White shirts. 

White fish. 

White wine. 

Seriously, people need to stop being so damn sensitive and using race in everything! Pathetic

I definitely agree with that.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Kenji FujimoriToday  10:26 am JST

It wouldn't be #beyellow we don't even care if people call us yellow, that's cause we are, we aren't white.

You might want to say "I" instead of "we".

Asian skin is not yellow

5 ( +8 / -3 )

True. It definitely has more melanin then Caucasian skin, but so called “yellow” skin, it does not.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Popular actresses in many countries such as Thailand are well-rounded and white, not slim and dark. 

I lived in Southeast Asia for 1 year. It doesn't matter the country, from CD covers to billboards and commercials on TV, 90% or more of the people is very fair skinned, and by no means it represents the vast mixture of colors of the said country. Same can be said for India, Africa, South America, places I witnessed the same trending to achieve a fair skin no matter what.

I particularly love white beauty, regardless of the race. It's a shame the word 'white' became almost a curse word these days....

3 ( +7 / -4 )

I think the point here is that the agency that came up with the tag didn't do a simple, "Could there be an issue with this?" check.

Remember: if in doubt, ask me. It's my job.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Like my man Kerwin White used to say, "If it ain't white, it ain't right!"

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

It would be called fair skin not 'white' Asians are Caucasian

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

*Arent

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Asian skin is not yellow

Tell that to the Japanese: 黄色人種

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Showchinmono

Oh yes the Anglo-Saxon with yellow fever thinking Asians are white..

Just cause some of us have fair skin, doesn't make us white genius.

There is Japanese with darker skin too. We are not Caucasian

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Is it white foam?

@Bugle Boy

What happens to toothpaste when you brush your teeth?

whoosh!

;-)

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Some women here actually do use skin bleaching to be 'white'

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The wife certainly seems to think she’s “yellow”.

Should I tell her she’s misinformed?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Should I tell her she’s misinformed?

According to the posters here, Japanese people and the language are both wrong, because they say Japanese are yellow.

It’s amazing that posters here know more than the Japanese know themselves.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Fair is surely a loaded word too. Do others then become unfair or not fair?

Suzuki Sonoko was the epitome of whiteness, covering her skin with some kind of cream like a Geisha. She looked bright white, like a peeled egg.

Whiter than white!

https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm30466049

All this skin color/colour stuff is surface deep, just human shallowness, but cultures all over the world, India, Africa, South America, Asia, suck it up as if it were some eternal truth.

None of us chose this beautiful face covering that we were born with.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I particularly love white beauty, regardless of the race. 

What is white beauty??????? Sounds like an oxymoron!

White skin is popular because people typically want to hide details like physical imperfections. Dark skin is desired because it emphasizes details like physical perfections. The older women get the whiter they want to become until they look like talcum powder.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Just cause some of us have fair skin, doesn't make us white genius.

There is Japanese with darker skin too. We are not Caucasian

Sure We aren't and I didn't say we are. I think "We" didn't have to be.

I said Asian skin is not yellow.

Asian skin is not yellow

Tell that to the Japanese: 黄色人種

A mere translation does not make Asian skin yellow

 

Marc O'Polo described Chinese white people in his book. Those missionaries described east Asians white people in 18c. The first suspect who stamped yellow label on the Asian faces is said to be Carl von Linné(1707~1778) who described the skin color of Asians fuscus, luridus. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach(1752~1840) streched Linne’s description to totally different level such as mongolianess, gilvus.

European of those days created the color of skin and invented Mongolian eye, Mongolian mark, Down’s syndrome and made “yellow race” a pronoun of abnormality, “yellow peril” a pronoun of every single negative implications ...... BY Michael Key Park

0 ( +1 / -1 )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_race

So we came from Europe did we? Interesting..

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

ALL Asians are not white, bar Russia

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Are you at risk of discrimination against using white, black and yellow words? It is ridiculous. Indeed, anti-Japanese companies. I did not like it originally, but I hate it more and more.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

White

Black

Yellow

Light Brown

Dark Brown

Colorful

Colorless

Describe yourself with one word above and put yourself into the circle of all colors/less and tell the difference.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Another offended group. At this writing, I not sure which color is offended.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

This whole conversation has been 面白い (literally)!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@sourpuss

@Bugle Boy

What happens to toothpaste when you brush your teeth?

whoosh!

;-)

Toothpaste isn't natural! It is manmade!

You know what is natural. People's skin usually turn white when they are dead. Ghosts or other dead things are white. Boo!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Diego3Today  04:16 pm JST

This whole conversation has been 面白い (literally)!

That's good one. but word origins seem slightly different

omo= Your field view. in front of you, visibility

shiroi=bright, clean.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A mere translation does not make Asian skin yellow

Um, did you even look at the kanji?

黄色人種 - translates as Asian, but the caracters are yellow-color-person-type (yellow race).

Also, if you ask pretty much every person raised in Japan what color Japanese people are, they will say yellow.

I've also met a number of Chinese who said the same thing to me over the years.

White people are not white (I'm more of a pinkish hue myself), yet we call them white. Very few black people are actually black, yet we call them black. The Japanese call themselves yellow, to the point that the term for Asian literally contains the characters for yellow person.

So please, someone explain how the Japanese are wrong about themselves.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

That's good one. but word origins seem slightly different

omo= Your field view. in front of you, visibility

shiroi=bright, clean.

That obviously went right over your head.

面 (めん men) - face

白い (しろい shroi) - white

面白い - Funny/interesting, but the characters literally mean face-white.

Do Diego's comment was actually a nice little word play, based on the topic of the thread. I liked it when I read it.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

StrangerlandToday  04:44 pm JST

A mere translation does not make Asian skin yellow

Um, did you even look at the kanji?

黄色人種 - translates as Asian, but the caracters are yellow-color-person-type (yellow race).

Also, if you ask pretty much every person raised in Japan what color Japanese people are, they will say yellow.

I've also met a number of Chinese who said the same thing to me over the years.

White people are not white (I'm more of a pinkish hue myself), yet we call them white. Very few black people are actually black, yet we call them black. The Japanese call themselves yellow, to the point that the term for Asian literally contains the characters for yellow person.

So please, someone explain how the Japanese are wrong about themselves.

Did you even look at my posts? I wrote Asian skin is not yellow.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Did you even look at my posts? I wrote Asian skin is not yellow.

And the Japanese say otherwise. Add to that that white skin is not white, and black skin is not black, I would like you to explain how your opinion is more relevant than the Japanese, who say otherwise, about themselves.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

StrangerlandToday  04:48 pm JST

That's good one. but word origins seem slightly different

omo= Your field view. in front of you, visibility

shiroi=bright, clean.

That obviously went right over your head.

面 (めん men) - face

白い (しろい shroi) - white

面白い - Funny/interesting, but the characters literally mean face-white.

Do Diego's comment was actually a nice little word play, based on the topic of the thread. I liked it when I read it.

Iknow. He's got good sense and quick to think.  It might have been unnecessary post I made but

I used the word "seems" as I learned it from word origin dictionary for 面白い。

http://gogen-allguide.com/o/omoshiroi.html

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I used the word "seems" as I learned it from word origin dictionary for 面白い。

You must be a blast at comedy shows.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

> StrangerlandToday  04:56 pm JST

*I used the word "seems" as I learned it from word origin dictionary for 面白い。*

You must be a blast at comedy shows.

Like I said, I should have KY-ed but it's nothing wrong to know word origins

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You don’t get it do you. It’s intended for the Japanese market

That may be the case, but they did use a 'foreign' and globally ubiquitous language for the hashtag.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

StrangerlandToday  04:54 pm JST

*Did you even look at my posts? I wrote Asian skin is not yellow.*

And the Japanese say otherwise. Add to that that white skin is not white, and black skin is not black, I would like you to explain how your opinion is more relevant than the Japanese, who say otherwise, about themselves.

Are you saying "the"+"Japanese" think they are all yellow and have no problems being called yellow?

That's the start that idiotic tough guy made comments as such. So I suggested to say "I" instead of "we".

What's your problem? Stranger I am a little tied up here

0 ( +0 / -0 )

> StrangerlandToday 04:54 pm JST

> Did you even look at my posts? I wrote Asian skin is not yellow.

> And the Japanese say otherwise. Add to that that white skin is not white, and black skin is not black, I would like you to explain how your opinion is more relevant than the Japanese, who say otherwise, about themselves.

Are you saying "the"+"Japanese" think they are all yellow and have no problems being called yellow?

That's the start that idiotic tough guy made comments as such. So I suggested to say "I" instead of "we".

What's your problem? Stranger? I am a little tied up here

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Readers, you are going around in circles. Discussion on this thread will be suspended for a little while.


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