Propaganda and Racism: Thoughts on the Chinese Professor YouTube Video

By Edward | Sunday, October 24, 2010 | 19 Comments

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By now, this political ad of a Chinese Professor paid for by “Citizens Against Government Waste” has certainly created quite a splash in the Asian American blogger & social media world, most notably Angry Asian Man who posted a very angry entry about it:

“This new political ad, titled ”Chinese Professor” and paid for by “Citizens Against Government Waste,” is running on some serious Red Menace juice, and has to be one of the most racist and xenophobic pieces of fear-mongering propaganda I’ve ever seen.”

But is this ad truly racist and xenophobic? Let’s break this video down under an objective lens and look at it carefully, after the jump:

What is the purpose of the ad?
If America does not change their spending ways, they will fall under massive debt that they will not be able to recover from. The government and their economical system will collapse and if major steps are not taken, a bleak future is ahead of us.

What’s the deal with the Chinese professor and the students?
China is a rising superpower whose influence cannot be underestimated. If America’s national debt continue to soar the way it is, there is no doubt that China will become top dog..this is merely a matter of logic. The Chinese professor and hist students are a reflection of that possible future. It is a scenario where a dominating superpower will reflect on their world history as much as we reflect and muse upon fallen empires that have come to pass.

From the way the ad campaign was shot with the chilling blue shading effect, the ominous Chinese music playing in the background, and the Chinese professor and students laughing amongst themselves over the downfall of America, the mood is rife with unease and fear for the average American viewer. Regardless of your ethnicity and your beliefs and understanding of racial/social/political dynamics, you WILL feel this feeling because that’s what the ad wants you to feel. How is this made possible? By using your knowledge of mainstream media news reports and how problematic the Chinese government is when it comes to human rights, freedom of press and religion (or lack thereof), and so on. It’s down to a science and the Citizens Against Government Waste group knows that.

But this ad is racist! It’s xenophobic! It’s not science!!
It’s really dangerous to use the Racist word when you are only going by assumptions of what you see. Perhaps it was not the intention of the media folks who created the ad to be portrayed that way. Perhaps they were misguided. Larry McCarthy (no relation to Joseph McCarthy) produced this ad and when hearing about that some folks have considered the ad China-bashing, he responded: “I don’t think Chian’s being bashed at all here — if anything it is noting the economic success that China has had, is currently on the trajectory to have, and may have in the future,” McCarthy said, adding that “this ad is about America, it’s not about China.”

If that is the case, then perhaps the APA community is being overly sensitive and are not understanding what the point of the message is and neglecting the fact that China is a superpower that cannot be underestimated. But then perhaps, the APA community may be right on the money and the insensitive depiction needs to be addressed.

Okay. But what do YOU think about the ad personally?
I had no problems with the ad, even with the cheesy Chinese music playing in the background. That is, until the professor gives an evil smirk and the whole class laughs at the statement that China owns America. I was almost thinking that people will see this ad and go, “remember the Chinese Exclusion Act? Hey, let’s bring it back now!” I think they could’ve edited that out of the ad campaign and just focus on an alternate future where a superpower country OTHER than America is reflecting on America’s downfall and the message still would’ve gotten across. That yellow peril aura at the end was completely off-putting and almost made want to vomit.

So there you have it. Although I understand what the point of the ad is and will not go as far as declaring that it’s racist, the ending of the ad was problematic and makes me wonder why that was even necessary. But I want to hear what you guys have to say and the floor is now open to you all — what do you guys think?

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alexm82

I find it ironic that people are more offended by being labeled as racist, than having a racial slur used against them. I recommend defining complex terms (such as racism) first, before speaking on the issue. This common confusion often causes truly racist issues to be ignored, and non-racist issues stewed upon. Not to mention racist ideas can come from every individual even without the intent of doing so.

Even the actors in the commercial should be held accountable for portrayals, and rarely are. You can tell by looking at them, that they’re just various Asian-Americans, and not Chinese from China. At best I would just say it’s a portrayal of bizarre and unrealistic behavior. No matter how obscene people can be, I can’t imagine people sitting around and laughing about how we own Iraq.

To conclude I would say it’s just weird a weird ad, almost as weird as the anti-pot advertisements, and just perpetuates any stigma of China. If there is a term for being prejudice against a nation, then that should be used, and I don’t think xenophobia quite fits into that category.
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Chen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwJzxynTFLg
tassiekaz

1. no-one in china wears this type of clothing any more
2. despite what people think, Chairman Mao is not everywhere
3. cultural revolution posters are relics and items of nostalgia these days.
4. so this is a totally mythical china which will never exist. China in 2030 will not look like a slicker version of china in 1968 which is what this ad is referencing (Cultural revolution, young people etc)
4. I dont think this is racist per se. But it is misleading and fear inducing which could lead to racist acts as well as racial slurs.
politicalad

I thought the ad was alright. I’m an American who has lived in China and enjoyed it. I focus on the message it is trying to get across about the so called “stimulus” and health care bill expense. Using China is a powerful way to get the people’s attention today. Similar to Japan in the 1980′s. I believe the ad is meant to be humorous if you aren’t too politically correct about the whole thing.
KerenUnderwood

Good Gracious, people! Racism???…really? Must you ALWAYS claim such crap?!
This is about the economic success that China has had, is currently on the trajectory to have, and may have in the future…& how US is NOT on that path.
Princy16

I have to say when i first saw this: i was like OMG…i KNEW it! bt there is the idea of racism there…however, the underline idea is understandable…the fact that we are so far in debt and in much trouble that maybe someday it would end up like this..i hope not–goodness..not that i hate asians or anything..no..frankly i love asians=)…its the idea that my future is at stake due to mistakes of current leaders.
Hmmm

Part 2– thanks for bearing with me

A good test of the ad would be to replace the Asian faces with something Anglo- Americans might see as more benign—perhaps Brits. The United Kingdom owns a good bit of the American debt. If the setting were a British university, would Americans be as frightened? Or would they just be annoyed by the snooty accents? 
The “other message” contains dissonant music, inscrutable faces, dark shadows, the visage of Mao, and a huge red “Red” flag. Is the use of these elements racist? I submit that their use is beyond racism, beyond xenophobia. It is scapegoating. The United States is having economic problems. Blame the debt. The debt is out of control. Blame high taxes and government spending. My cousin is unemployed. Blame the Chinese. I hardly need to point out what happens when people go down the scapegoating road. We can change the setting to Berlin, the projected date to 1939, and the audience to Jews. Germany is having economic problems, and Jews are to blame. The rest of the story is well known.
alexm82

I just view political ads, as political ads. If you replaced the Chinese with Russians, it would be equally scary. Where as it would make no sense whatsoever if you put in the British. The only way you could form a similar comparison between Nazi Germany is if the ads were blaming other types of Americans, such as Mexican-Americans, since they are the current scapegoats of American society today. Considering that Asians are the “model minorities” we wouldn’t be the scapegoat of economic issues. People blur the line between racial identity and national identity, and it’s quite ignorant. Perpetuation of racial stereotypes is more so displayed in the entertainment media, not political ads.

It certainly is not a compliment to economic success, because it would be a really weird way of displaying it. When corporations are successful economically they don’t sit around with evil laughter, they get together and announce their success formally, give out some bonuses, maybe throw some sort of party where everybody gets cake. If anything, it insinuates that China succeeded economically purely through sinister means.
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sachiko2

Its back again . . . ugh!!!
UltraN

The ad is an appeal to ‘yellow terror’ racist fears & is funded through CAGW by billionaires like Merryl Lynch and Phillip Morris who want to scare people away from making them pay their fair share of taxes, which is the REAL reason we’re in so much debt. This always happens without fail – when the wealthy crooks in the country fear for their wallets, they always always ALWAYS try to distract people with racist scapegoating bullshit.
jfkequipsales

The professor forgets one of the causes of a society’s downfall. The shipping of it’s industry overseas.

In fact, did Rome or Britain ever do that one?

From the average American’s perspective, who really cares. Either Chase/Bank of America owned them, or the Chinese own them.

At least, if we owe China a lot of money, they will never attack us militarily! So the average American, who would have to fight such a battle, is likely better off!
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Micht

China is already building half of all the skyscrapers in the world, half of all the factories and half of all the construction buildings in the world. China will soon have one half of the world’s skyscrapers, one half of the world’s factories, and one half of the world’s shopping centers.

China will soon have 50% of the world’s entire manufacturing capacity. By 2018, the real GDP of China should represent 50% of the world’s economy. By 2018, the GDP of the US will only represent 16% of the world’s economy.

The real GDP of China will be 3 times bigger than the GDP of the US by the year 2018!

link http://asians-against-racism.socialgo.com/forum/topic/48
JonathanThang

Of course this is racist, the entire undertone of the video is to have Americans be vary of China. Asian will once again be the Yellow Peril as they were in the times of the Cold War with threat of Communism; we will be seen as the source of the threat and be treated according, thus perpetuating the stereotype of Asians in America as the perpetual foreigner. Whoever the author of this article is, whatever your biases may be, how can you so blatantly ignore the social and political implications of this ad.
Tim Tsai

Britain had WWII. When the country’s bombed to hell and back you really don’t need to send your industry overseas. It’ll already be gone and you’ll depend of industry overseas.

China doesn’t attack anybody militarily. Its policy clearly states that it will only defend itself and counterattack. Just look at how its handling the invasions of the Spratley’s and Diao Yu islands.
http://twitter.com/hall_kathi Kathi Hall

Is everything racist that is potentially a future reality. It is so true that governments can’t spend and tax their way into prosperity or out of it.
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