'Six Flags' TV ads get thumbs down from some Asian Americans
A recent AM New York article reports that my favorite salesman the "Six Flags More Flags More Fun Guy" is a racist, buffoonish stereotype. I still think he's awesome.
"More Flags, More Fun" may mean "More Outrage" for Six Flags over the amusement park chain's summer ad campaign featuring a screaming, thickly-accented young Asian man.
The commercials, which have been airing nationally for months, are being called offensive, or worse, racist.
"It's a pretty offensive ad, not only because of the thick accent, but also because someone is screaming at you," said Margaret Fung, executive director of New York's Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
"I can't believe that the company thinks this is effective."
The organization will be contacting other activist groups as it considers taking action against Six Flags, Fung said. The organization has received several e-mail complaints about the ads, she added.
Six Flags did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The campaign seems to be a riff on Japanese game shows or commercials featuring pop-up, hyper salesmen.
"How often have we seen this type of satire? LOTS. Now Six Flags is taking this ignorance nationwide," writes blogger Angry Chinese Guy. (HAHAHA - your name is "Angry Chinese Guy".)
The commercials are certainly obnoxious, but not racist, said Democratic City Councilman John Liu, who represents Flushing, a neighborhood with a large Asian population.
"I'm frankly annoyed by it," Liu said. "It's more than a bit annoying. But I'm not sure if I see a racist component in it. I haven't received any complaints about it."
Bob Garfield, ad critic for Advertising Age and co-host of NPR's "On the Media," said that while the ads carried no blatant racism, they lack sensitivity.
"I don't see this as stereotyping because it really doesn't conform to common stereotypes of Asians. A common stereotype would be 'inscrutable' or 'good in math,'" Garfield said.
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