Mister Wong, the Offensive Social Bookmarking Portal

By Ernie | Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | 271 Comments

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20110527 cyec3qwk2htbn7g2hb95wuxqdh Mister Wong, the Offensive Social Bookmarking Portal Alex, I’ll take “European Web 2.0 companies that make you say WTF” for $200: In Germany, a country where there is the most broadband users in Europe, the biggest social bookmarking website isn’t Yahoo! owned del.icio.us, but a site called… Mister Wong. Why yes, that WOULD be the logo of Mister Wong to the right, thank you for noticing.

Yeeeeeah. Wow.

I mean, being an engineer in the web industry, I’m sure it has some of the standard features that make a social bookmarking portal interesting and relevant, but seriously, who were the branding and advertising geniuses that came up with this one? I mean sure, it’s based in Germany, which is practically a whole world away. Maybe people aren’t as sensitive to political correctness as they are here in North America. But seriously, one of their web badges has the slogan “ping pong, king kong, Mister Wong.” Which I, of course, interpret as “ching chong, Mister Wong” and get INCREDIBLY FUCKING ANGRY. It’s like Jeeves, the ask.com butler and Uncle Ben had a stereotypical illegitimate Asian son.

I mean, Christ, his face is on soccer jerseys. SOCCER JERSEYS.

And just when you think I couldn’t get anymore WTF’ed – Mister Wong has a Chinese version of their site. Seriously. Now, I’ll fully admit to being the naive American here – maybe my cultural American bias is slanted and that people from mainland Chinese won’t be completely horrified to see a caricature of someone their ethnicity touting the virtues of the social web. Hell, you have Wang Lan of the Chinese support team on the front page. “It’s okay to use this page,” she seems to beckon. “I’m Chinese too, you see?”

Since I don’t speak German and there is just an intro English page, maybe there’s a story on how the site came up with its name and branding and someone can help out. Mister Wong had better been based on a real person and saved twenty burning German orphanages, because otherwise, I’m calling foul.

(Thanks for the heads-up, MJ)

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http://www.netlab-webdesign.blogspot.com aknet

Hello boys and girls,
I came back to say: “I´m sorry!”. I´m new to the internet-business and I am working a lot with social bookmark-sites… Sometimes I comment articles before thinking about it. Well, this happened yesterday. Fact is, I am not interested in politics but I was always (and will always be) against racism and I never get tired of fighting against racial prejudices. If you guys feel like you were treaded wrong and Mr. Wong reacted in the way to change it´s logo, this is a very respectable reaction. I hope, more companies would take this example as a good advice. Peace – atothek
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chrale

As a Chinese guy who has studied in Germany, I would have to agree that the Germans are far more friendly towards Asians than in America.

In Germany, the white Germans tend to have a very positive view of Chinese people. The Germans tend to have very positive stereotypes about Chinese people being very intelligent and hardworking.

It is a lot easier for Chinese men to be accepted as an equal in Germany than in America.

In Germany, Chinese people used to be highly respected and most of the Chinese men used to marry white German girls.

As a Chinese man, I take it as a positive compliment from the Germans that some German internet company has thought positively about Chinese people being smart, friendly and appealing to the German internet consumer market by choosing a Mr Wong logo.

I am very flattered. Thank you sincerely, Germany from the bottom of my heart.

Just like I took it as a positive compliment that many nice German girls thought positively of me and wanted to go out with me just because many German girls had positive stereotypes about Chinese guys being mysterious, exotic and highly attractive for white German girls.
chrale

As a Chinese guy who has studied in Germany, I would have to agree that the Germans are far more friendly towards Asians than in America.

In Germany, the white Germans tend to have a very positive view of Chinese people. The Germans tend to have very positive stereotypes about Chinese people being very intelligent and hardworking.

It is a lot easier for Chinese men to be accepted as an equal in Germany than in America.

In Germany, Chinese people used to be highly respected and most of the Chinese men used to marry white German girls.

As a Chinese man, I take it as a positive compliment from the Germans that some German internet company has thought positively about Chinese people being smart, friendly and appealing to the German internet consumer market by choosing a Mr Wong logo.

I am very flattered. Thank you sincerely, Germany from the bottom of my heart.

Just like I took it as a positive compliment that many nice German girls thought positively of me and wanted to go out with me just because many German girls had positive stereotypes about Chinese guys being mysterious, exotic and highly attractive for white German girls.
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