17-12-2002 21:41									#1
	Malaysia bans "humiliating" Brad Pitt ad Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Oh, this is funny...

CNN story

quote: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysian officials have banned a car advert featuring Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt, saying the promotion could be humiliating to Asian looks. According to the official Bernama new agency, the move comes as part of a broader effort by the government to reduce the number of non-Malaysian faces used in local advertising. In comments directed at the country's advertising agency, Malaysian Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said the widespread use of Western faces in advertisements could create an inferiority complex among Asians. "Why do we need to use their faces in our advertisements? Are our own people not handsome?" Bernama quoted him as saying. Commenting on the Pitt advertisement he said: "We barred the advertisement as it appeared as a humiliation against Asians." Hollywood actors and other Western stars frequently appear in advertising across Asia, where they can earn millions of dollars simply by associating their face with a particular brand.

	17-12-2002 21:48									#2
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I saw a documentary about how Asian people were going through painful operations to change their looks to european.

"Rounding" of the eyes, change of the nose etc etc etc


It was pretty freaky.

If that's what it takes, then Pitt has to go!

	17-12-2002 21:50									#3
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It's quite popular among some "trendy" asians to have surgery done on their faces (specifically their eyes) so that they can look like western pop-stars.


But I'd agree with this on the general principal of geting rid of hollywood influences.

	17-12-2002 21:55									#4
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I suppose this kind of 'influence' explains Michael Jackson's freakish degree of plastic surgery...

	17-12-2002 21:58									#5
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Sure. He wanted to be "white".

Didn't you see this movie with Clooney?

The Iraqi explained everything.

	17-12-2002 21:58									#6
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quote: Originally posted by Osweld But I'd agree with this on the general principal of geting rid of hollywood influences.

What has Hollywood done to you? It seems like these people have other issues beyond Hollywood.

	17-12-2002 22:01									#7
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quote: Originally posted by paiktis22 Sure. He wanted to be "white". Didn't you see this movie with Clooney? The Iraqi explained everything.

You do know that was a Hollywood actor right? I guess even you get your opinions from Hollywood.

	17-12-2002 22:03									#8
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It was a joke Spray. One that would be easily accessible to all. (since most watch Hollywood films in Poly).
Not that this doesn't make it true, maybe.

	17-12-2002 22:04									#9
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quote: Originally posted by Sprayber What has Hollywood done to you? It seems like these people have other issues beyond Hollywood.

It's not what it has done to me, it's what it has done to the world and all of the different cultures in it.


I imagine it would be very strange growing up in a place where everyone is asian, but the majority of pop-stars, celebrities, ect... are all non-asian. It presents people with an image of beauty that doesn't apply to themselves. Of course, the same thing is applicable in our own society, but not to the same extreme.

	17-12-2002 22:10									#10
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We used to have ads featuring non-locals but they are now very rare. Perhaps those ads don't sell, or those companies are seen as using recycled ads.

I think Mr Maidin has a point, but is overreacting. Even the ads in China are mostly localised. Foreign ads just don't do any good.

	17-12-2002 22:11									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Osweld It's not what it has done to me, it's what it has done to the world and all of the different cultures in it. I imagine it would be very strange growing up in a place where everyone is asian, but the majority of pop-stars, celebrities, ect... are all non-asian. It presents people with an image of beauty that doesn't apply to themselves. Of course, the same thing is applicable in our own society, but not to the same extreme.

It seems like to me that would provide the perfect situation to develope local alternatives that would out sell anything Hollywood can deliver. Doesn't India do very well with it's film industry in counteracting Hollywood? Instead of simply banning something (making it even more wanted) why not develop something to showcase your countries abilities. Of course they can do whatever they want. Just seem more productive to compete than to simply ban.

	17-12-2002 22:12									#12
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Cultural imperialism is very real.

In some parts of Africa Nestle managed to "persuade" through aggresive advertising mothers to use its products of powder milk instead of maternal milk to feed their babies, since it was "cooler and more western".

Due to the bad quality of water scores of little ones died.

Nestle made a profit nevertheless.

Check out Cultural Autonomy by Hammelink for more details.

This is themost extreme example of cultural imperialism though, taking human lives. There are a lot more subtle yet as devastating onces.

	17-12-2002 22:16									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger We used to have ads featuring non-locals but they are now very rare. Perhaps those ads don't sell, or those companies are seen as using recycled ads. I think Mr Maidin has a point, but is overreacting. Even the ads in China are mostly localised. Foreign ads just don't do any good.

Yeah, I would think that western ads would generally be poorly received simply becuase they aren't in step with the local population. If I was trying to see coke in China I sure wouldnt bring some guy from New York and drop him off there to start cranking out coke ads. I would want people from China selling my stuff. Especially considering the goofs that occur when going from one language to another.

	17-12-2002 22:17									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Sprayber It seems like to me that would provide the perfect situation to develope local alternatives that would out sell anything Hollywood can deliver. Doesn't India do very well with it's film industry in counteracting Hollywood? Instead of simply banning something (making it even more wanted) why not develop something to showcase your countries abilities. Of course they can do whatever they want. Just seem more productive to compete than to simply ban.

Actually "Bollywood" is bigger than Hollywood in total sales.

But just compete instead of ban is not always the premium choice.

Studies have shown that by banning the import of (mass) cultural products actually enhances the local cultural productivity. Whereas if you leave them unhindered there is a risk of almost eliminating the latter, with all the negative aspects this holds for each given society.

	17-12-2002 22:20									#15
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I don't know how true these are but they are funny anyway.


http://bears.ece.ucsb.edu/personnel...or/humor91.html



Here's a look at how shrewd American business people translate their slogans into foreign languages:
When Braniff translated a slogan touting its upholstery, "Fly in leather," it came out in Spanish as "Fly naked."

Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."

Chicken magnate Frank Perdue's line, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," sounds much more interesting in Spanish: "It takes a sexually stimulated man to make a chicken affectionate."

When Vicks first introduce its cough drops on the German market, they were chagrined to learn that the German pronunciation of "v" is f - which in German is the guttural equivalent of "sexual penetration."

Not to be outdone, Puffs tissues tried later to introduce its product,only to learn that "Puff" in German is a colloquial term for a whorehouse. The English weren't too fond of the name either, as it's a highly derogatory term for a non-heterosexual.

The Chevy Nova never sold well in Spanish speaking countries. "No va" means "it doesn't go" in Spanish.

When Pepsi started marketing its products in China a few years back, they translated their slogan, "Pepsi Brings You Back to Life" pretty literally. The slogan in Chinese really meant, "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave."

When Coca-Cola first shipped to China, they named the product something that when pronounced sounded like "Coca-Cola." The only problem was that the characters used meant "Bite the wax tadpole." They later changed to a set of characters that mean "Happiness in the mouth."

A hair products company, Clairol, introduced the "Mist Stick", a curling iron, into Germany only to find out that mist is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the manure stick.

When Gerber first started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as here in the USA - with the cute baby on the label. Later they found out that in Africa companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside since most people can't read.

	17-12-2002 22:22									#16
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quote: Originally posted by Sprayber It seems like to me that would provide the perfect situation to develope local alternatives that would out sell anything Hollywood can deliver. Doesn't India do very well with it's film industry in counteracting Hollywood? Instead of simply banning something (making it even more wanted) why not develop something to showcase your countries abilities. Of course they can do whatever they want. Just seem more productive to compete than to simply ban.

I agree that it'd be preferable to create their own cultural media, and that banning such things is questionable at best, but still, hollywood/pop-culture is prety much an unstopable behemoth - Particulaily once you start talking about third and second world nations that do not have alot of money and industries that can compete against things like McDonalds and Hollywood films.

	17-12-2002 22:27									#17
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Ironically enough the most "vulnerable" countries for an "ursurpation" of their local cultural codes are those that share the most cultural aspects with the primary exporter of mass culture products! Main way of mass culture penetration appears to be language.

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc)

"We look to Los Angeles, for the language we speak, london is dead, London is dead, London is dead"
Morrissey (overeacting as usual )

	17-12-2002 22:39									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Osweld I agree that it'd be preferable to create their own cultural media, and that banning such things is questionable at best, but still, hollywood/pop-culture is prety much an unstopable behemoth - Particulaily once you start talking about third and second world nations that do not have alot of money and industries that can compete against things like McDonalds and Hollywood films.

Those third and second world countries should be concerned about so many other things other than hollywood ads. Unless maybe that advertising is from tobacco companies. That is one American import that I would definitly be concerned about if I was a leader of one of those countries. But maybe that's another thread

	17-12-2002 22:40									#19
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quote: Originally posted by paiktis22 Ironically enough the most "vulnerable" countries for an "ursurpation" of their local cultural codes are those that share the most cultural aspects with the primary exporter of mass culture products! Main way of mass culture penetration appears to be language. (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc) "We look to Los Angeles, for the language we speak, london is dead, London is dead, London is dead" Morrissey (overeacting as usual )

I dont know about the UK, NZ, or Canada, but the Aussies beat the hell out of us where choclate is concerned.

	17-12-2002 22:46									#20
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Besides chocolate Australia was one of the first coutrnies to implement a concrete restrictive policy against mass cultural products some time ago, fearing it will be completely overrun by UK and US cultural products.

The result was a big boost in local cultural production and not only that, benefiting from the mass cultural distributing networks that use the english language it even started exporting! its local brands.

Which were as crap as the mass cultural products but that is a given if you want them to reach "mass culturalism".
They have to be towned down to the least common denominator.

But it worked.

	17-12-2002 22:52									#21
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quote: Originally posted by paiktis22 Besides chocolate Australia was one of the first coutrnies to implement a concrete restrictive policy against mass cultural products some time ago, fearing it will be completely overrun by UK and US cultural products. The result was a big boost in local cultural production and not only that, benefiting from the mass cultural distributing networks that use the english language it even started exporting! its local brands. Which were as crap as the mass cultural products but that is a given if you want them to reach "mass culturalism". They have to be towned down to the least common denominator. But it worked.

When your greatest star is Kylie Minogue, you have to restrict most other forms of cultural influence for fear of being overwelmed.

	17-12-2002 22:53									#22
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Precisely

	17-12-2002 22:59									#23
	Suffering from ads?

I seem to remember Aussies paying large amounts of money to see the WWF(now WWE) several months ago. Is that big in Greece? Or are you guys above senseless violence for the sake of entertainment

	17-12-2002 23:03									#24
	Tired of ads?

Considering Pangrateon (which evolved to the better known Greco Roman wrestling) I'd say, no!

But no, no WWF here.

Which is a shame 'cause I laughed my ass off watching it in Belgium

	17-12-2002 23:07									#25
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We kind of have our own brand with the legendary ZOUGKLAKOS!

But that's another story

	17-12-2002 23:22									#26
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at least I know its not just the U.S. where liberals and PC nuts have gone crazy. It warms my heart to know other countries are just as screwed up as the U.S.

	17-12-2002 23:33									#27
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It's not enterirly the same. Whereas in the US people are complaining about the "effect" of show biz or whatever to whoever, they talk about indigenous products. In other countries they talk about foreign products (hence the parameter of mass cultural imperialism steps in). While all the time they ignore the crapness of certain domestic products. Which is accomodating. Actually they don't even ignore that.