Here's the latest response from MANAA's board on that SalesGenie Super Bowl spot:
We've heard a number of inquiries and concerns about the Salesgenie ads from the Superbowl with the pandas and with the Indian American salesman. People are sitting there watching the game and the commercials, and suddenly get these stereotype Asian accents thrown at them for a cheap laugh. Vin Gupta, the apparent writer of these ads, indicated in an article before the game that what matters is getting people to go to the Salesgenie website. We don't want to reward the company with more coverage than it's already received. Many people were offended by the ads, understandably. For one thing, the ads probably bring up for people the experiences they've had with being mocked for speaking with an accent or just for being Asian (by the way, that applies to the Budweiser/Mencia commercial too, though we haven't heard as much about that one). We should ask ourselves why Asian characters almost automatically have to speak with accents, when of course in reality many do not. However, MANAA is stopping short of denouncing the ads as racist. Panda bears and salesmen speaking in foreign accents to get a laugh may be examples of uninspired writing, but there's nothing inherently racist about using accents. As an organization, we are more unimpressed than offended.
Comments