One terrifying circumcision ad (f. Wolverine)

As shared on Twitter by @AccordionGuy. Origin unknown.

From the Philippines, where foreskins are apparently as disposable as copyright laws.

I really have nothing else to say, except thanks to @MikeGormanHFX for the tip (so to speak).

Malaysian bank ad offends with goofy Filipina maid stereotype

Oddly, South China Post is calling this an example of "blackface":



Nonetheless, it is pretty racist. In a comedy bit that would be at home in the west in the 1960s, the unnamed Chinese actor plays both himself and his bumbling Filipina maid. It's an ad promoting advertisement "domestic helper insurance" from Malaysia’s Hong Leong Bank.

The ad, which ran in Hong Kong, was harshly criticized by advocates for migrant domestic workers:

“You are making comedy out of someone, out of a community,” said Eni Lestari, spokeswoman for the Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body. “For [Hongkongers] it’s funny, but what they don’t realise is what’s funny is actually racist.”

The bank, in turn, issued the standard non-apology:

“We regret that our recent advertisement … resulted in comments about the advertisement being racist,” said spokeswoman Norlina Yunus. “At no time did Hong Leong … intend to offend any person or be to any extent discriminatory on grounds of race, sex or otherwise.” 

No, maybe they didn't "intend" to, but insensitivity is not always an intentional offence. That said, it wouldn't hurt to say, "We are sorry for being so insensitive to the dignity of Filipinos, as well as to domestic workers of any ethnicity. We are taking steps to ensure that all of our advertising is more carefully reviewed against our corporate values, and a gesture we are contributing X to a fund to help make this right."

Pantene attacks the sexist double standard for confident women

This Pantene ad from the Philippines reminded me of a recent conversation with a woman colleague. She was saying that people tell her she's "aggressive" and "pushy." I told her they had a name for men who are like her: "Sir."



This double standard, unfortunately, is still with us. We see it everyday. Confidence and aggression are celebrated when men display them, but women who do the same are put down by women and men alike.

Perhaps a shampoo ad can't end it, but it's at least good that we're talking about it.

Via Adfreak

Retailer suggests that your daughters learn "the importance of looking nice"

Facebook humour group Condescending Corporate Brand Page shared this status update from Lazada Super Moms, the targeted outreach of the Lazada Online Shopping Mall in the Philippines. 

And what do they have for boys?

Girls look nice, boys get respected. And that's how the gender roles are policed.

F'd Ad Fridays: Cat got your... umm... nose?

It's a nasal decongestant ad from the Philippines. Since cat hair is one of the things that causes snotageddon for me, I'm going to be seeing this image in my nightmares.

Thanks a lot, Copyranter.

Coke's new green billboard is covered with fukien tea plants

No, that is not a typo. Coca-Cola Philippines has teamed up with WWF to build an innovative outdoor ad:

"The 60 x 60 ft. plant billboard, located along Northbound EDSA-Forbes, utilizes a thriving species of Fukien tea plant, which absorbs air pollutants. According to botanist Anthony Gao, each plant can absorb up to 13 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year, on the average. 'This billboard helps alleviate air pollution within its proximate areas as it can absorb a total of 46,800 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, on estimate.' Gao says.

Recyclable materials were used for the overall make-up of the billboard. 3,600 pots were used, recycling old bottles of various Coca-Cola products. These bottles were filled with a potting mixture made up of a combination of industrial by-products and organic fertilizers—a formulation that is stable and light-weight . These bottles were also designed to hold the plants securely and to allow the plants to grow sideways. Additional holes were made for proper drainage and for holding the drip lines in place.

A drip irrigation system, also known as trickle irrigation or micro-irrigation, was especially installed for efficient water distribution. This irrigation method saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing and emitters. The system is operated on a schedule to distribute water with nutrients to the plants. It provides the plants with what they need when they need it.

With all the eco-friendly mechanism it employs and the relevant advocacy it stands for, this innovative advertisement is a salient reminder for Filipinos to take an active hand in protecting and saving the environment."

Perhaps Coke could do more for the atmosphere by not trucking megalitres of packaged liquid all over the place, but that's just me. It's still a cute PR stunt.

Thanks to AdFreak for the link.

Manhood in the Philippines: circumcision and spicy noodles

Copyranter got tipped off (pardon the pun) to this bizarre Filipino ad in which a boy and his father bond over mannish pursuits like circumcision and spicy noodles:



He even provided translation:

Doctor: Mr. Suarez, he's OK.
Kid: Dad, it didn't hurt!
Dad: I told you you can do it. You're a big boy already!
Kid: I didn't even cry!
VO: Because he's already a big boy, he can now eat Sweet & Spicy Lucky Me! Pancit Canton. It has the right blend and the right amount of spice that we enjoy.
Dad: Oh, can you handle it?
Kid (lowering voice): I can!

Beyond my "intactivist" leanings, the age of the boy getting circumcised freaked me out. Here's Yahoo! Answers' explanation:

"In the Philippines it is expected that all males are circumcised before puberty. If not, a boy will be teased as "supot". It is because he is not seen as "man enough" to face the pain."

Although I guess I should consider this boy lucky to have been brought to a doctor:

"In the rural areas, the quack doctor pulls the foreskin, and places a block of wood under the foreskin. The kid is given a leaf to bite on as the quack doctor whacks the foreskin off, often with a sharpened bamboo or coconut knife, or now, mostly machete knife."

In this context it's not all that different from female genital mutilation, is it?

Coming soon:

Old woman: Mrs. Rahim, she's OK.
Kid: Mom, it didn't hurt!
Mom: I told you you can do it. You're a big girl already!
Kid: I didn't even cry!
VO: Because she's already a big girl, she can now eat Sweet & Spicy Lucky Me! Iskudhexkaris. It has the right blend and the right amount of spice that we enjoy.
Mom: Oh, can you handle it?
Kid (lowering voice): I can!

I don't want to be too xenophobic here, but ads like this make me happy I live in a country where a typical coming of age is having a sip of your dad's beer while out fishing...