By Britt L
Westside Gazette
Black face, for black donuts?
Human Rights Watch, a well-known human rights group, is outraged by Dunkin’ Donuts for releasing a “bizarre and racist” advertisement for their new chocolate doughnut — “Charcoal doughnut.”
The American brand name franchise launched a new campaign in Thailand early August, showing a woman covered in black face makeup, bright pink lips, and sporting a subtle grin. In her hand is a charcoal colored doughnut. “Break every rule of deliciousness” is the slogan that can be read at the very bottom of the controversial photo.
Human Rights Watch says the photo is reminiscent of 19th and early 20th century American stereotypes of African Americans. “Blackface” was a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a Black person for the entertainment of Caucasians. Blackface is now considered an offensive symbol of the racism era.
“It’s both bizarre and racist that Dunkin’ Donuts thinks that it must color a woman’s skin Black and accentuate her lips with bright pink lipstick to sell a chocolate doughnut,” said deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, Phil Robertson. “Dunkin’ Donuts should immediately withdraw this ad, publicly apologize to those it’s offended and ensure this never happens again.”
Robertson believed that the campaign would draw an abundant amount of protest and outrage if the campaign was released in America.
Nadim Salhani, the CEO for Dunkin’ Donuts in Thailand, claims that Robertson and anyone else who criticized the ad, is “paranoid and American thinking.”
“We’re not allowed to use Black to promote our doughnuts? I don’t get it. What’s the big fuss? What if the product was white and I painted someone white, would that be racist?” exclaimed the boggled CEO.
Salhani claims that the Thai franchise of Dunkin’ Donuts has nothing to do with the American franchise of the business. Sales of the Charcoal doughnut have skyrocketed a whopping 50 percent since the release of the campaign.
“Not everybody in the world is paranoid about racism. I’m sorry, but this is a marketing campaign, and it’s working very well for us,” said Salhani, who is a Lebanese expatriate in Thailand.
Americans who have seen the campaign over the internet might be baffled by the advertisement, but Thailand citizens are not so much amused or surprised by the Ad.
Thailand is known for its racial and obscure advertisements. A Thai brand of house-hold mops called “Black Man” uses a logo with a smiling Black man in a tuxedo and bow tie.
Maybe we Americans are just a bit sensitive. Or maybe the people of Thailand are just a little bit too culturally insensitive.
