Last month a commercial (广告Guǎnggào) for laundry detergent aired on Chinese TV and prompted outrage from people all over the world. Laundry detergent advertisements usually include kids, food stains, and satisfied moms. Qiaobi (俏比Qiào bǐ ) Laundry Detergent`s commercial isn’t that innocent. This laundry detergent advert doesn’t include a kid or a mom, but a woman and two men: an Afro-American guy (黑小伙子Hēi xiǎohuǒzi ) and a Chinese lad (中国小伙Zhōngguó xiǎohuǒzi) . The ad starts with a beautiful Chinese gal (中国美女Zhōngguó měinǚ) doing her laundry (洗衣Xǐyī). Then the Afro-American enters the room. With a brush in his hand and paint stains over his face and white T-shirt (T恤T xù), he flirts with the girl. She waves him over, and when he leans to kiss her, she thrusts a detergent capsule into his mouth and pushes him into the washing machine (洗衣机Xǐyījī). A moment later she delightfully pulls out a clean handsome Chinese lad wearing radiant white T-shirt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijQqqm_PE3I

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijQqqm_PE3I]

Internet users labeled the controversial ad as offensive and racist. Playing with skin colors wasn’t funny for most of the viewers and they found this ad reprehensible. Honestly, I don’t think Qiaobi company wished to hurt anyone’s feelings. But I do think they should find another way to advertise their detergent.  Like another Chinese Laundry Detergent Company did:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PdMh7OTx3o]

 

Text vocabulary

广告Guǎnggào = advertisement, commercial

洗衣Xǐyī = wash clothes, do the laundry

洗衣机Xǐyījī = washing machine

T恤T xù = T-shirt

白色Báisè = white

男人Nán = man, male

女人Nǚ = woman, female

小伙子Xiǎohuǒzi = lad, young fellow

黑人Hēirén = Black people

黄种人Huángzhǒng rén = yellow man, Asian

 

Related sentences for practice

这则广告很无礼

Zhè zé guǎnggào hěn wú lǐ

This advertisement is offensive

 

俏比广告是种族主义

Qiào bǐ guǎnggào shì zhǒngzú zhǔyì

Qiaobi advertisement is racist

 

白色的洗衣机

Báisè de xǐyījī

A white washing machine

 

中国美女洗黑色的T恤

Zhōngguó měinǚ xǐ hēisè de T xù

Beautiful Chinese girl washes black T-shirt