The recent advertisement which was aired on Media Prima’s 8TV in conjunction with Ramadan has triggered a public uproar, as it is deemed by many to contain elements of racism. The purpose of the advertisement was to heed the Malaysian public to acknowledge the importance of the month of Ramadan. However, it is done so by depicting a scantily dressed Chinese female who behaves inappropriately during a Ramadan Bazaar. It is generally perceived that this advertisement is an attempt on being slapstick, which has backfired miserably. The decision to exploit the stereotypical nature of the Malaysian public has evidently not gone down well with the public. Pang (2011) says “The station shot three different story lines but with the same derogatory insults directed to a certain race and at the same time it has misled the public with intolerant religious practices.”
8TV has leapt to the defense of its trivial advertisement by claiming that it is a product of a multicultural team of producers. Ang (2011) however, says “Make no mistake that the ad which was “written, produced and directed by a multi-racial team” is indeed racist in its denigration of Chinese.” The reactions to the advertisement were heavily scrutinized and discussed in various social media networks, which eventually caught the attention of Media Prima. The people were demanding for a sincere and humble apology from the producers, but were taken aback by the nonchalant reactions of the producers. The seriousness of the issue was played down by the former chief executive of 8TV, Ahmad Izham, much to the dismay of the public. Chong (2011), mentions that this issue has set a very bad example for ordinary Malaysians to an extent that many of them see racism and sexism as a non-issue.
Nevertheless, there are also divisive opinions within the public in regards to the advertisement. Some claim that the advertisement was indeed offensive, but were not intended to be racist, at the same time not ruling out the possibility of misinterpretations. All in all, local producers should be more sensitive when shooting an advertisement as mentioned above. Also, 8TV should have acted in a more professional and respectable manner when issuing a public apology, in the sense that they do not play down the seriousness of this issue.
References
Pang, H 2011, Malaysiakini, 8TV Ramadan ad product of racist mindset, Malaysia, viewed 15 November 2011, < http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/172175>
Ang, H 2011, Free Malaysia Today, 8TV Ramadan ad: Chickens Coming Home to Roost, Malaysia, viewed 15 November 2011, < http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/08/03/8tv-ramadan-ad-chickens-coming-home-to-roost/>
Chong, W 2011, Free Malaysia Today, Root cause of racist and sexist Ramadan commercials, Malaysia, viewed 15 November 2011, < http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/08/03/root-cause-of-racist-and-sexist-ramadan-commercials/>
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