I’m highly critical of ads, I think every one of them is bad. I don’t even care about the ones during the Super Bowl anymore.
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Apple Pulls Latest Ad After Criticism Over Depiction of Thailand
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what needs to be done is to look at the film's portrayal of thailand and decide if it is
an accurate portrayal of current bangkok thailand and its people
or
an accurate portrayal of bangkok thailand in the past
or
just a white man's stereotypical version of bangkok and its people
this short was produced by Indochina Productions.
the head of Indochina Productions is a white man who is known as “Hollywood’s man in Southeast Asia.”
my take:
i liked the short film.
it took me back to an era when bangkok was indeed very much like what is portrayed.
however, that makes it clearly more in the realm of "a white man's stereotypical version of bangkok and its people" rather than what it is actually like today.
to be sure, there are elements of the short that are still present even today. but, by-and-large, definitely this film is in the realm of only a stereotypical homage to some western people's experience in a bygone Bangkok.
worthy of saying is that all of the people portrayed as thai people in the short are, portrayed as "quirky but kind".
thai people are very kind people. a generalisation maybe, but one that is true.
an accurate portrayal of current bangkok thailand and its people
or
an accurate portrayal of bangkok thailand in the past
or
just a white man's stereotypical version of bangkok and its people
this short was produced by Indochina Productions.
the head of Indochina Productions is a white man who is known as “Hollywood’s man in Southeast Asia.”
my take:
i liked the short film.
it took me back to an era when bangkok was indeed very much like what is portrayed.
however, that makes it clearly more in the realm of "a white man's stereotypical version of bangkok and its people" rather than what it is actually like today.
to be sure, there are elements of the short that are still present even today. but, by-and-large, definitely this film is in the realm of only a stereotypical homage to some western people's experience in a bygone Bangkok.
worthy of saying is that all of the people portrayed as thai people in the short are, portrayed as "quirky but kind".
thai people are very kind people. a generalisation maybe, but one that is true.
Apple: Offending straight white men is NOT a problem. It’s even encouraged as “Funny.”
Also Apple: Offending Thai Buildings (not even Thai People) is a MAJOR problem! It is morally wrong and offensive, and we need to apologize now!
Also Apple: Offending Thai Buildings (not even Thai People) is a MAJOR problem! It is morally wrong and offensive, and we need to apologize now!
I enjoyed it and thought it was obviously not real Thailand but some fun cartoon version.
Everything seems to be offensive nowadays…
At the same time, it’s not offensive to play uncensored Bad Bunny and other music with foul language in public places (restaurants, stores, etc.). On the contrary, it’s very commendable.
At the same time, it’s not offensive to play uncensored Bad Bunny and other music with foul language in public places (restaurants, stores, etc.). On the contrary, it’s very commendable.
It's not a great ad, it's negatively stereotypical in a weirdly flamboyant negative way, the casting and acting are good, it's got a quirky Wes Anderson feel to it, and is shot nicely. All that said I hate living in a society where everyone is being forced to apologize all the time. There's just too much content out there to be so sensitive. In fact we need to be erring in the other direction, of being more immune to being "offended". Who cares?
It's no secret that portraying a place with a yellow tinted filter is speaking a very specific language in visual communication, and that the language conveys information about the place: it is poor, dirty, undeveloped, maybe even savage, inferior, or inhospitable. This is a racist statement spoken by the wealthiest corporation on the planet based in a country still navigating its complex history of white supremacy. It's too bad media literacy on this forum is so low that all the replies immediately jump to "people are too sensitive and woke! crybabies! get over it!"
Apple: "We apologize again for the fault in the advertisements. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked have been sacked."
Based on the world around us in every corner of the globe, I would not say "human things" is something everyone has in them.
Are they offended someone showed the truth, or are they offended someone stated facts?
Detroit actually IS built up and not even comparable to thailand. Get outside of BKK and what’s it like? Go ahead, describe it to us all…
Apple, and anyone for that matter, should never apologize over the factual truth.
Detroit actually IS built up and not even comparable to thailand. Get outside of BKK and what’s it like? Go ahead, describe it to us all…
Apple, and anyone for that matter, should never apologize over the factual truth.
It was hilarious…!
The overly-sensitive people are killing creativity and fun.
What about when Chris Tucker made fun of China in Rush Hour 2?
The overly-sensitive people are killing creativity and fun.
What about when Chris Tucker made fun of China in Rush Hour 2?
So you want the richest, most privileged country in the world and its multi-trillion dollar company to punch down? Good luck with that. I'm not saying these things can't be taken too far on both sides, but it's hard to ignore the inequalities between the US and every developing or 3rd world nation that have lasted for hundreds of years and continue today. Now add the fact that Apple is looking to manufacture in Thailand too and the relationship becomes very strained.
Apple's response was about money, not an admission of being morally wrong or offensive.
As someone whose wife is from Thailand, and I spend at least three months per year there, I can say that there are places not nice and there are amazing places. I have stayed at amazing five-star resorts for $100 nightly when we vacation to places, and I have stayed at $20 two-star resorts that were dives. Having lived in three condos and a house in Thailand, for $500 USD monthly get a pretty amazing condo. But one has to remember the minimum wage is around $350 USD per month there. So most people cannot afford it except in the Bangkok area.
I have been in some crappy cabs, and some really nice Grabs (their version of Uber). I think people are overly sensitive. At the same time, I don’t like when I am outside the USA and people say how bad America is just because they can’t get a visa, or they hate the president. And I just think I am not my government and I don’t agree with most of the politics - but don’t bash my country if you’re not from it. And that’s the way Thai people probably feel.
I have been in some crappy cabs, and some really nice Grabs (their version of Uber). I think people are overly sensitive. At the same time, I don’t like when I am outside the USA and people say how bad America is just because they can’t get a visa, or they hate the president. And I just think I am not my government and I don’t agree with most of the politics - but don’t bash my country if you’re not from it. And that’s the way Thai people probably feel.
It's not a tourism spot. There is no such thing as truth in advertising. It was a light-hearted stereotypical joke at the expense of a country and its people. Apple has the right to entertain and advertise just like Thailand has the right to take offense. They both have more to economically gain by working together so this will be sorted out.
I had a hair raising legendary Tuk Tuk ride with a Yaba crazed driver and many other adventures in BKK.
The ad may be fiction but BKK is for real.
The ad may be fiction but BKK is for real.
Another American company pushing American propaganda that the USA is superior to other countries. Shocking. Gotta keep American citizens convinced of that lie so they don’t demand better from their governments.
LMAOOO. They big mad. This is crazy lmao 🤣. The House of Representatives too?! They really mad fr. This is hilarious lmao
Sounds like it's time to replace their current ad mentality and get back to showing smart people using fun gadgets in interesting ways with great camera work and current musical backdrops. A lot of prior ads were very memorable , this is below a B movie skit.
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Hahaha! Before I watched it, I thought that it would be an over reaction. Nope! That is horrendous. It stuns me they thought they should release this. I can't believe Apple not only made this, but released it. Whoever approved this should be fired. Not because of the PC angle or because Thailand complained, but because it's really bad.
I do not believe so much that it is a mass of people being sensitive to the subject but rather (like most politics) media responding to the media echo chamber of the reporting of a few sensitive people. I highly doubt that many people are up in arms. Even their heads of state stated as much. They liked it.
I would love for folks like yourself to see a poll of the average person reacting to something like this with no prior knowledge of the issue or commentary from others. Just watch > Respond > results.
I don't even understand what this ad was trying to sell. It just seems ... random?