Outrage at Tesco Lotus commercial showing Thai maid being slapped

Tesco Lotus has been forced to apologize for an advert which shows a Thai woman abusing her maid after it was slammed on social media for depicting domestic worker abuse.

The Thai-language advert, which is meant to be light-hearted and targeted at a Thai audience, shows the maid dropping a plate of crisps into the lap of her boss who then gets up and slaps the maid across the face.

But in the next scene when the boss is told by the maid that Tesco Lotus has a promotion offering huge discounts, she says to the maid “Mai pen rai,” or It’s okay.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuXc1Vu_t9E
Jerome Taylor, a journalist based in Bangkok, tweeted that the ad covered a “real issue.”

Viewer Rob van Gelder said the advert was “a disgrace".

"What is even worse is that they make the final statement with exactly this scene," he wrote on Twitter.

A spokesman for Tesco said in a statement: “It was not our intention to cause offence and we’d like to apologize for any upset caused. We’ll be removing the scene from the advert going forward.”

But is the advert offensive in Thailand? Leo Burnett Thailand issued a statement regarding the scene:

“This scene is actually from a classic Thai drama, which the agency tweaked to add a sense of humor to it. As you see, this particular scene is part of a series of scenarios of people eating chips in the spot. In fact, this work is tracking well locally, as the locals are familiar with this classic scene.”

While the English subtitles provided for the scene loosely refer to the abused woman as a “housemaid,” the Thai narrator specifically calls her “Podjamarn”, the name of a character in a classic Thai novel, “Baan Sai Thong,” who was forced to be a maid in her own house — a lot like the Thai version of Cinderella.

The story has been turned into movies, television dramas, and plays about a dozen times since the 1950s.

Despite the fact that the advert is aimed at the Thai market where consumers are used to seeing acts of domestic and union violence every day on their televisions, creating jokes out of domestic violence is problematic....

Farangs outraged by Tesco Lotus commercial showing Thai maid being slapped (VIDEO) | Coconuts Bangkok

PC fooking wankers have nothing better to do?

Hardly shocking, when most Lakorn (drama) features a few slaps anyway...

I always found Thai adverts to be quite well made, better than their TV programs in fact... (doesn't say much, I know)...

Honestly, a fuss about nothing jing jing.. :spankme:

Not shocking at all. It clearly wasn't a real maid or a real smack, and given the context, it was mildly "amusing". It certainly wasn't promoting the smacking of maids due to their dropping snacks that weren't bought at super low prices.

a lot to do about nothing

Juvenile shyte aimed at cretins with the mental age of a mayfly.

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Originally Posted by Neverna

It certainly wasn't promoting the smacking of maids due to their dropping snacks that weren't bought at super low prices.

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I think you'll find it was....

The second time the maid throws the snacks; they are thrown on top of the woman's head, which will probably get you killed here, but she gets a mai pen rai because they were bought at smashing plices plomotion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NZdick1983

PC fooking wankers have nothing better to do?

Hardly shocking, when most Lakorn (drama) features a few slaps anyway...

I always found Thai adverts to be quite well made, better than their TV programs in fact... (doesn't say much, I know)...

Honestly, a fuss about nothing jing jing.. :spankme:

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Did ya notice that the critique cited and concerned derived from Farang?

Think about it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neverna

Not shocking at all. It clearly wasn't a real maid or a real smack, and given the context, it was mildly "amusing". It certainly wasn't promoting the smacking of maids due to their dropping snacks that weren't bought at super low prices.

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It's not promoting the smacking of maids, but it's normalising it.
Monkey see, monkey do. Especially when monkey see rich person do it: That's how rich people act, I'd better act that way to appear rich.

Farang mistakenly offended on behalf of Thais. Who'd a thunk it.

There's no way that was a maid, she had very light skin...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Juvenile shyte aimed at cretins with the mental age of a mayfly.

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A tad harsh, but yes, I did quite like the ad. :)

The advertising executives obviously know their audiences psychology mind set.

Other than the slap - which is subjectively culturally accepted as humorous or not, great fucking advert.

Irony of the whole sketch is, the "contentious" issue focuses on an ultimately fucking irrelevant point.

What should be contentious is that companies are allowed, nay encouraged, to coax folk into stuffing their faces full of chemical shit that kills them
:)

Where was the maid?
I saw the woman smacking some other hi-so but must have missed the maid bit..

Had it been already edited for youtube?

^ Fast forward the video to around 0:56 and the small subtitles at the bottom say "This is a housemaid..."

I just saw the advert..... I liked it.

My maid is gonna cop a total hiding now that I know it's acceptable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bettyboo

There's no way that was a maid, she had very light skin...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Juvenile shyte aimed at cretins with the mental age of a mayfly.

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A tad harsh, but yes, I did quite like the ad. :)

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Me too. I enjoy shopping at Tesco's also, stepping around whole villages picnicking down aisle #7.

This is how I view this fuked up place.

Farang should simply shut the fuk up, if they don't like shit then Fuk Em, piss off out of the Joint.

I like Thai people much better than these shit stained moaning Farang.

Dill's OK though and Katie. :)

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Originally Posted by terry57

Farang should simply shut the fuk up

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yes tweery ? or is that except on dingy forums in the dark corners of tinternet ?

falang no unnerstand thai - I am surprised that there are not more commercials depicting drunk thai men giving the wife a slapping

Are this lot a better advert for tesco?
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2016/03/1509.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bobcock

I just saw the advert..... I liked it.

My maid is gonna cop a total hiding now that I know it's acceptable.

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Absolutely! If you have money, slapping the menial staff is a sign of your rank in society. You are OBLIGED to do it.

Sarcasm, of course. And this is the point of the protesters: This kind of scene encourages the same in real life.
It's very similar to anti-smoking proponents in the West who successfully got media to stop showing cool or admired people making out that smoking was cool.
Don't show the great unwashed that xyz is ok, whether it's smoking, slapping staff, or whatever.
I think the detest for the scene is warranted.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DJ Pat

Are this lot a better advert for tesco?
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2016/03/1509.jpg

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Nah. They might be an advert for Walmart or the US in general, or they could be an advert for (insert fast food chain).

Talking of Thai Add's...this one always made me smile :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1DxmmpzrTM

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DJ Pat

Are this lot a better advert for tesco?
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2016/03/1509.jpg

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That is sickening Photo Pat and exactly why most of us want to have fok all to do with the real world.

I'd Red ya but i can't. :)

Surprised the TD boys mostly agree on this issue (or non-issue)...

I bet the Farang wankers that were horrified by it, were not living in Thailand.

The boundaries are set differently there.. anyway, what gives them the right to censor (or try to) Thai ads??

If the Thais are offended, they will complain using their own medium..Let the PC Farang wanker brigade, stick to protecting us from ourselves in their own homogenized backyard - and leave the god damn madness of Toyland alone FFS...

Makes me want to bitch slap them.. :op:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by boloa

Talking of Thai Add's...this one always made me smile :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1DxmmpzrTM

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There are some really good Thai ads.

As an aside....why can't the same people that make the clever ads be also employed in other areas of Thai media? Some of these producers and directors are world class.

I was watching a muay Thai bout the other day....and, can you believe it, it was edited with "thwack" "bang" "boof" sounds over the commentary every time a punch or kick was thrown. Adding sound effects, and comical sound effects at that, to a fight????
TIT.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NZdick1983

Surprised the TD boys mostly agree on this issue (or non-issue)...

I bet the Farang wankers that were horrified by it, were not living in Thailand.

The boundaries are set differently there.. anyway, what gives them the right to censor (or try to) Thai ads??

If the Thais are offended, they will complain using their own medium..Let the PC Farang wanker brigade, stick to protecting us from ourselves in their own homogenized backyard - and leave the god damn madness of Toyland alone FFS...

Makes me want to bitch slap them.. :op:

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Farang, but not "horrified", and lived here for two years, and have been coming here for ten or more years. Those that know me don't consider me a wanker.
Have a read of my posts on this thread, the last one being #20?
Sure it may be commonplace in Thailand, but you're missing the point.
Showing this as normal normalises it.
The more "normal", advanced, forward-thinking farang point out the flaws in Thai thinking, the more smart Thais will catch on and drive forward-thinking in Thailand.

Really, if you have any affection for the country, you should be promoting forward thinking, not maintaining the mai pen rai attitude.

^ Come on.... it was a light hearted funny add.....so would you condemn this lady for slapping bald men on the head :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8pjGn4x4lc

I wouldn't be so rude to call you a wanker, bro..

I see you point.. I just think it's within the boundaries of good taste (for Thao society), people take those ads for what they are, humor and shock value.

I didn't see any venom or humiliation in that ad.. just mildly funny is all...
I'll be on your side if the ad was condoning men hitting women, etc... in fact, I'm on your side with those dramas that show women being raped and abused..

Just hand on heart, think there is nothing to worry about with that ad.. it's not going to perpetuate abuse towards the 'lower' class, or anything...

Whitey is just thinking too deeply.. as the Thais say "Farang kid mak"...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by boloa

light hearted funny add

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those were the words I was looking for... too tired to find them... green owed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DJ Pat

Are this lot a better advert for tesco?
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2016/03/1509.jpg

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Whoa! Reminds me of this. (Scared the shit out of me as a kid) :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl3YXl_m0uk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NZdick1983

PC fooking wankers have nothing better to do?

Hardly shocking, when most Lakorn (drama) features a few slaps anyway...

I always found Thai adverts to be quite well made, better than their TV programs in fact... (doesn't say much, I know)...

Honestly, a fuss about nothing jing jing.. :spankme:

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Simply seconded. I could not have written a better post.:chitown:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kmart

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DJ Pat

Are this lot a better advert for tesco?
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2016/03/1509.jpg

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Whoa! Reminds me of this. (Scared the shit out of me as a kid) :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl3YXl_m0uk

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That must be what inspired my dad's joke, told to me 45 or more years ago.

A chap is riding the train into Sydney and sees a man tearing off pieces of pink paper and throwing them out the window.
After a while, the chap is intrigued and asks the man why he is throwing bits of pink paper out the window.
The man replies that it's to keep the pink elephants away.
Chap responds, "Pink elephants? There are no pink elephants!"
"Yes", replied the man, "See it's good stuff this paper, isn't it?"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maanaam

Really, if you have any affection for the country, you should be promoting forward thinking, not maintaining the mai pen rai attitude.

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It's not my place to promote forward thinking in Thailand.. that's the good general's job...:rolleyes:

I don't particularly have any affection with Thailand.. more indifference as the country has towards me, to be perfectly honest...

When Toyland shows me affection with it's laws to do with foreigners, doesn't charge 200% more for attractions because I am an 'alien'... allows me to buy land and houses like Thais can in NZ, shows more care (especially towards women *think recent rape cases) and values our personal safety, etc, etc, etc..

I swear on my life, I shall return that 'affection' 100 fold... however, until such time..
meh... indifference... I'll reserve my love for Japan.. at least she respects me and doesn't treat me like a 2nd class citizen...:bananaman:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maanaam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NZdick1983

Surprised the TD boys mostly agree on this issue (or non-issue)...

I bet the Farang wankers that were horrified by it, were not living in Thailand.

The boundaries are set differently there.. anyway, what gives them the right to censor (or try to) Thai ads??

If the Thais are offended, they will complain using their own medium..Let the PC Farang wanker brigade, stick to protecting us from ourselves in their own homogenized backyard - and leave the god damn madness of Toyland alone FFS...

Makes me want to bitch slap them.. :op:

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Farang, but not "horrified", and lived here for two years, and have been coming here for ten or more years. Those that know me don't consider me a wanker.
Have a read of my posts on this thread, the last one being #20?
Sure it may be commonplace in Thailand, but you're missing the point.
Showing this as normal normalises it.
The more "normal", advanced, forward-thinking farang point out the flaws in Thai thinking, the more smart Thais will catch on and drive forward-thinking in Thailand.

Really, if you have any affection for the country, you should be promoting forward thinking, not maintaining the mai pen rai attitude.

---

Far Angs pointing out the flaws in Thai thinking to Thais.
Exactly what I do at Immigration each year...are you fookin' kidding me.

Exactly what Monty Python or Comedy Channel would have a good laugh about.:rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NZdick1983

I wouldn't be so rude to call you a wanker, bro..

I see you point.. I just think it's within the boundaries of good taste (for Thao society), people take those ads for what they are, humor and shock value.

I didn't see any venom or humiliation in that ad.. just mildly funny is all...
I'll be on your side if the ad was condoning men hitting women, etc... in fact, I'm on your side with those dramas that show women being raped and abused..

Just hand on heart, think there is nothing to worry about with that ad.. it's not going to perpetuate abuse towards the 'lower' class, or anything...

Whitey is just thinking too deeply.. as the Thais say "Farang kid mak"...

---

Cheers bro, I'm with you.
All I'm saying is that the whiteys disparaging the ad have a good point and hearts in the right place, so maybe those whiteys should not be disparaged.

^ Wow, so many typos in my post.. I must be tired... plastering a 160 m2 house in 3 days, will do that - I guess...

Their hearts might be in the right place, mate..(as I'm sure yours is) it's just that their good intention is misplaced/misinterpreted... Thai society is so far removed from Western society it's like night and day... they really can't impose the same value system on them... and vice versa

Where are you from Maanaam? lucky bugger living in Thailand... (envy)..:puppy_dog_eyes:

[quote=Maanaam;3240565]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by boloa

I was watching a muay Thai bout the other day....and, can you believe it, it was edited with "thwack" "bang" "boof" sounds over the commentary every time a punch or kick was thrown. Adding sound effects, and comical sound effects at that, to a fight????
TIT.

---

Almost as bad as the football, with the commentators shouting out ''oh ho'' every time something mildly exciting happens

Men are routinely humiliated in UK tv ads, thanks to the PC/feminazi movement

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NZdick1983

^ Wow, so many typos in my post.. I must be tired... plastering a 160 m2 house in 3 days, will do that - I guess...

Their hearts might be in the right place, mate..(as I'm sure yours is) it's just that their good intention is misplaced/misinterpreted... Thai society is so far removed from Western society it's like night and day... they really can't impose the same value system on them... and vice versa

Where are you from Maanaam? lucky bugger living in Thailand... (envy)..:puppy_dog_eyes:

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Gib-stopping/plastering such a big place in three days!!! You must have a good team. Respect.
Aucks, mate. But I sold up during the peak and re-bought in Te Kauwhata...upgrade in land size and house quality, and cash to set up a household and sustain me for years in Thailand.
Still have a home to return to, all the while getting rent while I'm here. I'm married to a Thai, and she is awesome. A teacher of English and an unconventional thinker as far as Thailand goes.

I don't see it as imposing a lifestyle, more as opening eyes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maanaam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NZdick1983

Surprised the TD boys mostly agree on this issue (or non-issue)...

I bet the Farang wankers that were horrified by it, were not living in Thailand.

The boundaries are set differently there.. anyway, what gives them the right to censor (or try to) Thai ads??

If the Thais are offended, they will complain using their own medium..Let the PC Farang wanker brigade, stick to protecting us from ourselves in their own homogenized backyard - and leave the god damn madness of Toyland alone FFS...

Makes me want to bitch slap them.. :op:

---

Farang, but not "horrified", and lived here for two years, and have been coming here for ten or more years. Those that know me don't consider me a wanker.
Have a read of my posts on this thread, the last one being #20?
Sure it may be commonplace in Thailand, but you're missing the point.
Showing this as normal normalises it.
The more "normal", advanced, forward-thinking farang point out the flaws in Thai thinking, the more smart Thais will catch on and drive forward-thinking in Thailand.

Really, if you have any affection for the country, you should be promoting forward thinking, not maintaining the mai pen rai attitude.

---

Another self righteous 'we'll civilise these damn savages one way or another' foreign saviour of Thai moral standards .

And how is it possible to 'normalise' what is already normal behaviour?

^ hehe... no team, just me and my brother... I have painters and tilers working for me, but I mainly do the plastering myself.

Sounds like you got your shit together bro, on ya.. my Japanese wife and I, have a little apartment in Auckland city (off K' road)... we plan to buy a couple apartments in Fukuoka (Japan) for investments/rentals where we will move soon(ish).. working like a nigger saving like mad...

Auckland crazy house prices are way out of our reach...

Speaking of ads... have you seen NZ's "wicked camper van" rentals? now there's some nasty advertising right there... funny (but crude) I dare say we should clean up our own back yard, before we try to clean up our neighbors... brings society morals down to the 'lowest common denominator' (as my Grandad used to say)

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...8542150160.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...images%7E1.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...stralia-05.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...043b9a321d.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ked-Camper.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ked-camper.jpg