UK & World News
- 3 May 2012, 11:22
Outcry Over 'Racist' Ashton Kutcher Advert
An online advertisement featuring Ashton Kutcher as an Indian man has been pulled after viewers complained it was racist.
The images and video for Popchips show the 34-year-old Two-And-A-Half Men star in brown make-up portraying a Bollywood producer named Raj who is "looking for love".
They were removed from YouTube and Facebook after being criticised online.
Other videos featuring Kutcher as a hippie, a tattooed biker and an androgynous fashionista remain online.
A spokeswoman for Popchips said the dating parody featuring the four characters had been created "to provoke a few laughs and was never intended to stereotype or offend anyone".
She said the company hoped "people can enjoy this in the spirit it was intended".
While some people attacked Kutcher via the web for his alleged stereotype, other YouTube users stood up for his portrayal.
One user, who said his name was Raj, an Indian who had been born in the US, wrote that he found Kutcher's act "hilarious".
"I do not believe there was any sort of racism or offensive nature. People should be broad-minded and not take entertainment or commercial industry seriously," he said.
Another user pointed out: "The Simpsons has been doing this for decades," referring to Kwik-E-mart convenience store owner Apu.
Popchips is a brand of crisp that is cooked using high pressure instead of being fried or baked.
As well as advertising the snack, Kutcher is said by business magazine Forbes to be an investor in the company, along with rapper, singer, record producer, actor and entrepreneur Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
what do you think?
ABritMum
Do you perhaps think maybe Popchips, who I and probably nobody else has never heard of, has maybe created this for publicity?
Windows Live User
These "racist police " need to get a life instead of viewing everything in this world looking for a reason to complain. It's ok for someone to portray a foreigner you know.
B. Wise
Whoever has complained needs their head feeling. They are doing more damage to race relations then anyone. The way things are going people will have to wear a multi coloured mask before they act. Maybe Zebras have it right?
julian Stepien
You can bet your life it was white people that complained
Roger Siviter
These 'Anti racist complainants' are the biggest racists of all, simply trying to stir up touble where it doesn't exist. They need a brain enema!
Neil C
Anyone remember the scene out of Blazing Saddles when the sheriff went into the KKK meeting and asked "where the white women were at". Mate those were the days of fun and laughter on both sides.
Name witheld
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
Jock Haggis
As an Englishman I was referred to as " Limey" by "Paddy" my Irish Labourer. Was I offended? No. Mind you that was some years ago.
DermottJoe
limey refers to fairing ways.i.e. english sailors were famed for using limes to keep the scurvey at bay as opposed to lemons.not an offensive term.unless your friend was in fact called paddy or patrick,then you were offensive to him as paddy is a referal to all irishmen,in a way that one(usually an englishman) dosent have to remember the undesirables actual name.
Matthew Stoner
Common sense and a serious lack of a sense of humour is whats wrong with these "complainers".......
Steve Pickering
why do the white people never say you are being rascist to others - becouse we dont care. as a youth i was taught stick and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me, but they cannot thats there fault.
Stuart Harley
WHO EVER COMPLAINED WILL NEVER ADMIT IT, THEY HIDE BEHIND A SCREEN ........NEVER TO BE LAUGHED AT AND RIDICULED
Charlie Williams
I saw a German comedian on television last week, He said he was glad his country lost WW1 as nobody left Germany as they were broke. He was glad because he said 'When I iphone a call centre, I KNOW I'm going to get somebody who speaks German' ...LOL... He was in Edinburgh, which he said was nice, but he didn't like Glasgow, where catholics fight protestants. His message 'GROW UP' got a round of applause. He then said 'All the Christians unite in Germany.......agiant the Muslims.' and the audience laughed,. He carried on 'Well we have to, there are no jews left.' And the older membrs who you tjhink would be most offended, actually laughed, but the younger generation, who are indoctrinated by political correctness, groaned.
Richard Pievaitis
political correctness is the "newspeak" of our generation.refer to george orwells' 1984 for further details. rascism and politcal correctness are purely designed to confuse us.one minute its fine to refer to some one as ......the next minute some one has decided that now its not and the new P/C temr is now....... etc etc. i wonder just who it is that decides what the correct words are and when ? is there a government department that sits all day and makes up these new terms ?its all to create confusion within our brains.so my advice is to stand back for a few moments and just use some- ones own name,then surely you cannot get caught out by any thought police can you. but really this is now so well out of hand that its time we stood up against this verbal nonsense and asked just who is behind it !
Roger Siviter
The year is now 2012 and 'PC' is dated and old tat. The new term should be 'RC' which simply means --- 'Rationally Challenged' and in my mind that neatly sums up these pseudo so called intellectuals!
Neil C
11:11am on 3/5/2012
Take it like it was meant to be a "LAUGH'. Boy this is why the world has gone bonkers!!!!