Yes, this has gotten out of hand. We've seen hollywood produce movies with people of one race portraying people of another race, and it's laughed at and accepted by people from all over the globe. We see people with no handicap portray handicapped people, both physically and mentally. Following stupid complaints like this one, we should expect to see fast food workers suing hollywood for not hiring real life fast food workers to portray themselves in commercials.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/29/opinion/ling-kutcher-apology/?iref=obnetwork
Editor's note: Ling Woo Liu is the director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education, which helped pass California's Fred Korematsu Day, the first day in U.S. history named after an Asian American. She is a former reporter and video producer for TIME, CNN's sister publication, in Hong Kong.
(CNN) -- I'm starting to lose patience. It's not like the guy doesn't understand communication. Actor Ashton Kutcher has 11 million Twitter followers and nearly 13 million Facebook fans. Maybe he just forgot to put a stamp on the letter he should've written to America, saying, "I'm sorry I painted myself up in brown-face and spoke in a mock Indian accent in order to sell potato chips. I understand the serious impact this has on society, and I'm trying to undo the damage I've caused."
It's been nearly two months since Kutcher's offensive commercial -- disguised as a dating video -- for popchips, a snack food company, appeared on YouTube, showing him as "Raj," a Bollywood producer. (In it, he also plays a hippie, a fashionista and a biker.) And while the ad has been removed, and popchips CEO Keith Belling has issued a predictable "we did not intend to offend anyone" apology buried on the company's blog, Kutcher has gotten away scot-free.
As the Internet buzzed over the gaffe last month, Kutcher was posting links on how to "pull out a tooth with a rocket" and "80s Cartoon Beats by DJ Tee." Today, Kutcher's Twitter and Facebook accounts still link to the original popchips video, while the company's website prominently features him as its "president of pop."
Ling Woo Liu
I work at a civil rights organization located two blocks from popchips' San Francisco headquarters. Walking to the office every morning on Montgomery Avenue, I am assaulted by Kutcher's 15-foot tall ads for popchips. Seeing his relaxed, smiling, "never baked but perfect if you are" face, I am reminded that the controversy has not scratched his reputation or earning power.
Many of you may be thinking, get over it! It was just a joke! Why do you have to take this so seriously?
History can tell us why. In 1961, actor Mickey Rooney taped his eyes, wore buckteeth and spoke in a mock Japanese accent in order to take on the role of a bumbling landlord, Mr. Yunioshi, in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Hilarious? Well, this was just 15 years after the closure of the last of the Japanese American World War II internment camps, which incarcerated 120,000 innocent people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens.
Up until the 1960s, white entertainers were still painting their faces black and their lips bright red in order to play the roles of hapless houseboys or eager-to-please mammies. These minstrel shows amused generations of audiences with their grotesque exaggerations of stereotypes and reinforcement of crippling Jim Crow laws, which upheld a separate and very unequal society in the South for nearly a century after the Civil War.
Popchips' Facebook page had featured the video campaign with Ashton Kutcher but not "Raj."
Kutcher's brown-face ad comes at a time when South Asian Americans, along with Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans, have been subjected to more than a decade of post-9/11 racial and religious bullying, profiling and hate crimes.
Need I go on? Unfortunately, there is no shortage of examples. But Mr. Kutcher, don't feel helpless, because here's what you can do:
Ashton Kutcher looking for love?
1. Apologize. Just do it. C'mon, you apologized (and took a Twitter leave of absence!) for lamenting the firing of Penn State coach Joe Paterno. For an example of a truly excellent I-take-responsibility-for-my-actions apology, look to actor Jason Alexander (George Costanza on "Seinfeld"), who apologized on June 3 for calling cricket a "gay" sport two days earlier.
2. Work with people who make you better. You are in the enviable position of being rich and famous, so you have more flexibility than others in choosing whose money you take. Do some research on the companies you work with before accepting their paychecks. Do they advocate the
By: Amusing
In: Regional News
Tags: racism, hollywood, Ashton Kutcher, frivilous
Location: United States (load item map)
Marked as: approved
Views: 2179 | Comments: 73 | Votes: 1 | Favorites: 1 | Shared: 0 | Updates: 0 | Times used in channels: 2
Advertisement below
|
|
| Liveleak on Facebook | |
|
LIKE Liveleak.com |
-
Ashton Kutcher is a fucking idiot
-
The Alamo (1960) - Hollywood Racism
-
Ashton Kutcher 1 Million followers on Twitter - 04-16-2009
-
Ashton Kutcher Recreates The Michael Jackson Baby Blunder.
-
NEWT Gingrich & things that are wrong
-
Ashton Kutcher Caught Canoodling With Ancient Disc Made Of Pure Evil
-
Rihanna scotches Ashton Kutcher romance rumours: 'I'm single'
-
Five Friends Uncensored
-
Ashton Kutcher's Alleged Other Woman- We Had Unprotected Sex
-
Demi Moore can't Dance!!
-
UK's first 'Salute to Israel' parade sweeps through London and Manchester
-
Twitter users 'not sticking around'




@T0M65 ALL VALID POINTS
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByDFTERC (516.70) 
DFTERC View Channel Send Message
(0)
People need to take their delicate sensibilities and feigned indignation and shove them right up their asses. If nothing else, it'll keep their heads from getting lonely.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByEventHorizon2012 (1857.58) 
EventHorizon2012 View Channel Send Message
(9)
@EventHorizon2012 that was a good one. :)
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByAmusing (5223.48) Amusing View Channel Send Message
(3)
@EventHorizon2012 Is that Mr Rogers?
Posted Jul-15-2012 BySinglecoilsnap (615.60) 
Singlecoilsnap View Channel Send Message
(0)
@Singlecoilsnap
No this is. He is signaling the producers who put the goblins at the table.
http://chirpy.tv/2012/05/funny-mister-rogers-giving-kids-the-finger/
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByRoccoSantoro (506.20) 
RoccoSantoro Send Message
(0)
@Singlecoilsnap
The one and only.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByEventHorizon2012 (1857.58) 
EventHorizon2012 View Channel Send Message
(1)
@EventHorizon2012 lol, someone gave me the link to the video. Pretty damn funny. http://chirpy.tv/2012/05/funny-mister-rogers-giving-kids-the-finger/
Posted Jul-15-2012 BySinglecoilsnap (615.60) 
Singlecoilsnap View Channel Send Message
(0)
Political correctness has produced a generation of whining, hypersensitive, emotional pussies. The only reason they bitched about the "stereotype" is because it's accurate, and they don't like the truth.
Interesting that all the other stereotypes were considered acceptable, but they were all white people, which makes it okay. I can't imagine the outrage if he had appeared as a negro.
Posted Jul-15-2012 Byjafll (1000.94) 
jafll View Channel Send Message
(8)
Don't tell these people about Sacha Baron Cohen.
They would flip out beyond all belief.
Seriously. Political correctness gone mad. It's a joke, harden the fuck up.
I am a gay Indian hippy biker, I didn't find this offensive.
Posted Jul-15-2012 Bysungam (1349.48) 
sungam View Channel Send Message
(8)
@sungam Sascha is jew,and they will not touch him.
Posted Jul-15-2012 Bytaipohh (82.46) 
taipohh View Channel Send Message
(3)
@taipohh kutcher is a closet jew but won't have any VIJ treatment until he comes out.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByThunderscratch (373.46) Thunderscratch View Channel Send Message
(0)
apparently white people are the only ones who can laugh at a joke these days....seriously when was the last time a white person complained about being portrayed as nerdy, square dorks in almost every single black-movie,or when a non white comedian makes fun of white people, it's comedy for fucks sake. or should white people complain about this commercial because he's dressed as a hippy so it promotes the stereotypes we're all hippies? for fucks sake, people need to get over themselves and learn More..
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByOlDutch (172.30) 
OlDutch View Channel Send Message
(7)
@OlDutch Remember the white cop from Sanford and Son?
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByAmusing (5223.48) Amusing View Channel Send Message
(2)
@OlDutch Or not.. I'm going to laugh anyway.
Posted Jul-15-2012 Bytipsypyro (574.14) tipsypyro View Channel Send Message
(0)
Only a racist whines and makes something a racial issue.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByPathfinder27 (120.20) 
Pathfinder27 View Channel Send Message
(6)
politically correct bullshit at it again. Racism everywhere. Idiotism
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByEMAG-K (518.32) EMAG-K View Channel Send Message
(5)
Christ, everyone has such a sore ass anymore..................
Posted Jul-15-2012 Bytat2d (3090.38) 
tat2d View Channel Send Message
(5)
First of all, Ashton Kutcher is annoying and a terrible actor. Secondly, WHO CARES about the commercial?? There are so many bed wetters out there crying their eyes out over things that are so ridiculous.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByArmed24-7 (153.70) Armed24-7 View Channel Send Message
(5)
Truth is not a stereotype..
Look at the music videos they make over there..
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByMyheavynuts (500.20) 
Myheavynuts View Channel Send Message
(5)
@Myheavynuts
He was spot on. If he wasn't, they'd be complaining that he was not accurate.
I'm surprise that Conservatards haven't complained that Obama hasn't apologized for portraying a president.
Mike Myers did "The Love Guru". Did anyone complain? (someone probably did but not loud enough to make the news).
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByRhemis (974.48) 
Rhemis View Channel Send Message
(3)
@Rhemis I know the Love Guru was a totally mocking those who complain about stuff like this..
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByMyheavynuts (500.20) 
Myheavynuts View Channel Send Message
(1)
@Rhemis the same with the movie "white girls". two male black actors portraying two white girls. no protests that i can remember, and no one asking or demanding an apology.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByAmusing (5223.48) Amusing View Channel Send Message
(3)
Apologize for.... acting? He's and actor, that's his job. That's what actors do. They act like something else.
Apologize for doing his job. If anything, the ad campaign people need to be asked to apologize. Not the actor they hire. That's like asking the builders of a bad house design to apologize instead of blaming the architect in charge.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByRhemis (974.48) 
Rhemis View Channel Send Message
(5)
So the Gay Fashion Guru community, the Hippie community and the tattooed southern biker community didn't complain.
And they say the race card doesn't get played when certain people feel fit to dish it out.
Posted Jul-15-2012 Byfunction (91.70) 
function View Channel Send Message
(4)
well maybe the indians would have liked us to see the other side, the poor ,undeducated,woriking class who eat garbage drink mud water and have not wahsed themselfs in a couple of years,who shit where they live and kill their children.
Posted Jul-15-2012 Bytaipohh (82.46) 
taipohh View Channel Send Message
(4)
He should have heeded the advice given by Robert Downey Jr., who was wearing black face, in Tropic Thunder: "Never go full retard!"
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByBunkerGearGal (915.54) 
BunkerGearGal View Channel Send Message
(4)
@BunkerGearGal
He did such a great job that I thought it was Tim Meadows. He deserved an Academy award for that.
Posted Jul-15-2012 ByRoccoSantoro (506.20) 
RoccoSantoro Send Message
(1)