Advertisements featuring some Chinese models have sparked feuding in China over whether their appearance and makeup are perpetuating harmful stereotypes of Asians.
German automaker Mercedes-Benz and a Chinese food company are the latest to get caught up in the fray.
Some Chinese consumers complained after the local snack brand Three Squirrels featured advertisements for noodle products on its Weibo microblogging account showing a Chinese model with eyes they said looked slanted. Critics accused the company of spreading Western stereotypes.
Mercedes Benz also was attacked by some Chinese online who accused it of using a model with "slanted eyes" in its advertisements on Weibo. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The "slanted eyes" stereotype emerged in the West in the 19th century and is considered offensive and derogatory to Asians.
The latest backlash over advertisements followed one over luxury brand Dior, which apologized and withdrew a photo at an art exhibition showing an Asian model with freckles and very dark makeup clutching a Dior handbag. In response to criticism in China, the company said that it "respects the feelings of the Chinese people."
Three Squirrels said in a post Saturday on its official Weibo account that it did not intend to portray a Chinese person in a bad light. The advertisement was shot in 2019, the company said in a statement. The model is Chinese and the makeup style was designed to suit her natural features, it said.
"In response to the feedback from netizens that the model's makeup does not conform to publicly-accepted aesthetics standards and caused discomfort, our company apologizes," the statement read.
"The page has been replaced and arrangements have been made to check other company pages to ensure that this situation will not happen again."
Online, Chinese internet users have criticized the selection of models and makeup styles to deliberately portray the "slanted eyes" image.
One user with the handle MaoBuErXiong said that such slanted eyes imagery is derogatory and is deeply embedded in the fashion industry, with Asian models and their makeup styles often selected to fit a stereotype.
The model featured in the Three Squirrels advertisements has spoken out against the criticism.
"Just because my eyes are small, I'm not good enough to be a Chinese person? I don't know what to say to these comments … I'm really helpless," the model said in a Weibo post under the handle Cai Niangniang.
"As a professional model, what I need to do is be photographed accordingly to what the client wants, I don't know how this became about me humiliating the Chinese people," she said.
The communist party newspaper Global Times said Cai's response drew more than 330 million views.
"I hope people online would stop messaging me with personal attacks. I'm not a supermodel nor am I a public figure, I'm just someone who loves my motherland and a law-abiding citizen."
“Scandal” cast will reunite for online script reading for hurricane relief in western North Carolina
The cast of ABC's hit political drama "Scandal" may need to brush up on their snappy, speedy delivery known as "Scandal-pace," because they're reuniting for a good cause. Its stars including Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young will take part in a live virtual script reading on Nov. 17 to raise money for hurricane relief in western North Carolina.
Beginning Friday, fans can go online and donate to reserve a spot for the online reading. Proceeds will benefit United Way of North Carolina. Everyone who donates will be able to take part in a virtual pre-event with the cast and Shonda Rhimes will give an introduction.
Additional guest stars will also be announced. The online fundraising platform Prizeo is also holding a contest where one person who donates online via their site will be selected to read a role from the script with the actors. The winner should not worry about the "Scandal"-pace, assured Young over Zoom.
"Whomever the lucky reader is can read at whatever pace they want," she said.
Young, who played Mellie Young, the first lady and later Republican presidential nominee on "Scandal," was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She came up with the idea for the effort with a friend and took it to her fellow "Scandal" actors, who all jumped on board. Young said this is the first script reading the cast has all done together since the show ended after seven seasons in 2018.
Which episode they will be reading has not been announced yet.
Young said it's "been devastating" to see so many parts of her hometown badly damaged by Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western North Carolina one month ago.
To research the best use for donations, Young spoke with numerous political leaders, including North... Read More