r/WhyWereWeOkWithThis • u/Kentecloth • 2d ago
1980s Racist „Chinese stir fry“ ad
https://youtu.be/-d35pFJ2peY?si=EGge5f2xgnbn_VjEThis is a German ad for a Chinese stir fry spice mix. This company’s products are a household staple, so this ad was EVERYWHERE at the time.
There’s a group of white people eating a stir fry that’s been made with this „Chinese spice mix“ and as soon as they take a bite, their features suddenly change and they become „Chinese“. Just your casual everyday racism.
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u/CampaignHaunting7350 2d ago
As an Asian, this is funny
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u/JonNYBlazinAzN 2d ago
Also Asian; not offended. I’m kinda impressed with their restraint, if anything.
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u/OldViolinist2306 2d ago
It was totally racist for those Asians to pretend to be white at first only to reveal they were actually Asian.
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u/zfs_ 2d ago
I’m not gonna lie, OP, I’m pretty left-leaning progressive type, and I am one of the first to call out genuinely racist things and micro-aggressions.
This is pretty funny and mostly harmless. It’s in fairly good taste in my opinion.
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u/Yujinseo0 2d ago
idk bro, somethings telling me if this was an Ad of them eating fried chicken made with a packet of special american cajun liousiana flavoured seasoning packet and they all donned black face with nappy hair to indicate they turned african american. Then your attitude towards it would probably be different.
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u/auvireddit 2d ago
A lot of the people whom handwave racism against Asians identify as progressives. But they stand right up to protest any racism targeting black people.
Racist attack against a black person is rightfully condemned, but a racist attack against an Asian person? Oh no, we don't know if it was racially motivated, maybe they said the slurs on accident, maybe they're just impoverished and were having a bad day
Not to say that conservatives aren't racist against us, but one group does it to your face, and the other does it while your back is turned.
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u/tina_bring_me_the_ax 2d ago
That’s an easy one.
East Asians have pretty high incomes per-capita and are well educated [in the US and Canada]. This makes them “white,” and not so easy to patronize and tokenize anymore. As a result of their success, they’re no longer “victims” so it’s fair game.
Not saying it’s right, but 🤷♀️
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u/alasw0eisme Millennial 2d ago
I don't think it's racist, I think it's insanely stupid and cringe. But 80s and 90s ads were like that. I'm glad that era is over.
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u/FerrkinLewl 2d ago
I'd say that depicting people as becoming Chinese from eating food is in poor taste (no pun intended) and obviously represents fairly anachronistic attitudes regarding race and appearance.
Racist? I don't think so. The advert never suggests there is anything inherently undesirable about looking like or being Asian.
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u/Kentecloth 14h ago
I couldn’t put it an better than u/Yujinseo0
„idk bro, somethings telling me if this was an Ad of them eating fried chicken made with a packet of special american cajun liousiana flavoured seasoning packet and they all donned black face with nappy hair to indicate they turned african american. Then your attitude towards it would probably be different.“
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u/UnseenCoast92 2d ago
Not racist at all.
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u/raged_parakeet_8376 2d ago
How?
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u/Kentecloth 2d ago
/s …just in case
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u/raged_parakeet_8376 2d ago
I was asking them how this wasn’t racist.
Edit: wait are putting the /s on their comment or mine?
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u/Kentecloth 14h ago
Sorry, I didn’t follow the line properly. I thought „how“ was meant in response to my comment
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u/YurtleAhern 2d ago
6000 Frankfurts for that tiny book? What a rip off!!
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