Surely everyone has seen this ad somewhere:
“Mình đi đâu đấy?”
“Lên núi”
“Mình uống đi cho khỏe”
“Mình đi đâu đấy?”
“Lên giường”
“Uống đi cho khỏe”
An advertisement for an energy drink broadcast on national television which initially seemed harmless caused a strong boycott wave….because its content was reminiscent of “love-making”. The ad remains controversial to this day as in addition to being openly offensive and vulgar, it also indirectly shows disrespect towards ethnic minorities: the male character speaks in a faint Vietnamese accent; the details of costumes and ethnic homes are also said to be far from reality.
The ad features disparaging sexual innuendos at the expense of ethnic peoples’ image.
Hoang Thu Thuy, a Tay writer specializing in ethnic cultures also voiced her strong objection to this promotional clip.
In addition to the "ludicrousness" of the ad, Ms. Thuy pointed out the media piece’s contempt for ethnic minorities. To her, the actor's use of general rather than specialized costumed to represent ethnic groups in Vietnam seemed inconsiderate.
Ms. Thuy hopes ethnographers will speak up about this clip to protect the integrity of ethnic minorities. In her experience, this ad is usually shown during meals when her family would be watching TV together, and as soon as this ad appears, she has to turn off the TV.
"Ads are put up for people to see, but if their appearance causes them to turn off the TV, then what's the point of advertising anyway? It is such a bad move to take advantage of their image in this manner!" Ms. Thuy said.
This ad infuriated even a diplomat. Mr. Vu Quang Minh called it "the most ungraceful advertisement in the Gulf of Tonkin".
(Excerpt from tuoitre.vn newspaper)
In fact, this is not the first time images of ethnic minorities were used indiscriminately for misleading purposes. Therefore, the managing agencies need to soon take measures ASAP to eradicate this trend once and for all. At the same time, united contributions are mandatory to create an equal environment for all ethnic groups to thrive.
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