8 Asians

Asian Americans going on a date in a Wells Fargo commercial

By John | Sunday, July 27, 2008 | Comments


I saw this television ad for Wells Fargo last week and realized that this was depicting an Asian American man about to take an Asian American woman on a movie date. I think this is the first time I’ve seen an Asian American couple in a TV ad. If you slow down the commercial (at least on my DVR), you can see the woman’s facial expression of surprise and bewilderment as she sees how old and torn up the couch is, which is pretty funny.

I had blogged previously about an Asian American man in a, what I thought was a funny, CareerBuilder.com commercial. We at 8Asians.com have also blogged about Lucy Liu’s character dating and kissing a fellow Asian American in Cashmere Mafia – shocking, I know, to actually see an Asian American couple on a major television network show.

We know Asian Americans aren’t really represented well in the media. I had previously posted about Entertainment Weekly’s write-up on the issue: EW: Diversity in Entertainment: Why Is TV So White? So even something as minor as having an Asian American couple in a TV commercial, well, it’s a small big deal, at least for a post on 8Asians!

And my least favorite television commercial featuring an Asian American in recent years – Kaiser Permanente’s “Thrive” campaign, titled “Entourage”:

In general, I have liked Kaiser Permanente’s “Thrive” commercial campaign. It’s just that in this particular ad, the only ad to feature a couple, they highlight a White male, coming home after a hard day’s work, to his subservient welcoming Asian wife and head immediately to the bedroom so they can make a baby. Maybe I am being over-sensitive, but this commercial just rubbed me the wrong way.

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  • Jason
    Haha, funny commercial. It seems like the guy in the Wells Fargo commercial is Randall Park from Dr. Miracles. Not sure about the female though.

    http://www.8asians.com/2008/01/28/paging-dr-mir...
  • The guy in the Wells Fargo commercial is my friend Randall Park.

    It was weird because I recognized his voice before I even saw his face. Thanks for sharing!
  • Ken
    I think that Home Depot ad with the Asian American family was better.
  • @Ken -
    I just found the Home Depot commercial on YouTube (though a poor quality recording). Thanks for mentioning - I have yet to see this one on the air.
  • Sophia
    The Thrive is cool. but yeah! what up with the subservient, sex asian wife?

    what about having a power asian woman coming home and making babies with her subservient white husband? wouldn't that blow some minds?

    or the asian man coming home to the white wife?
  • @Sophia -

    I will be *shocked* if we ever see an asian man with a white wife in a TV commercial or TV show!
  • Ken
    Notice how no one mentioned the idea of an Asian man or woman coming home to strong Asian spouse.

    Maybe it's a mental lapse but I doubt it.

    Asian Americans...where dating *must* involve white people at some point.
  • Jay
    It sounds like you haven't seen Jon and Kate on TLC! Thats an reality show with a korean husband and Irish/Italian wife and 8 kids. Funny show and I was surprised when I first saw it
  • Oh yeah, I think I read about that show on AngryAsianMan.com.
  • Yeah, this rubbed me the wrong way too. I watched it again thinking, "would it be different if it was a white wife"? and the answer is -- she'd just as cold and unromantic as the Asian wife (what kind of kiss was THAT at the door?).

    Basically, it's not a very compelling commercial all the way around.
  • Oh, come on. The subservient Asian wife is a reigning stereotype, but some interpretations are just ridiculous. Now I feel like any white male/female Asian pairing will always be seen as the fact that the Asian woman is in a subservient position. What difference would it have made had this woman been any other ethnicity? Just because she's Asian, we're assuming they took on the "subservient wife" role? Seriously?
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