A friend shared the commercial above with me yesterday and my first reaction was wtf? In the commercial, a husband walks into a kitchen and starts screaming and hitting his wife for buying the wrong honey. The wife looks terrified and is being apologetic while the husband continues to shout at her before leaving the kitchen angrily.
The commercial got a lot of negative reactions for normalizing domestic violence so I assumed the brand removed the video from their Instagram account, except they didn’t.
Last week another friend of mine shared the screenshot above on her instastory which she took from a show on KTV called “Block” where they had a blackface character.
I don’t think I’m a very PC or an over sensitive person but, I do find it disturbing how the majority of people seem to be OK with this. I’m assuming the majority are ok with it or else the commercial would have been removed and the show would have apologized or been canceled for blackfacing. Yet neither has happened but oddly enough, the commercial below for Mug Coffee House was supposedly suspended by the Ministry because they found it Masonic. So bizarre.
46 replies on “Not Enough Controversy”
That Honey commercial is so wrong in so many ways… unbelievable!
Re: Blackface: the backlash has been severe and swift, both here and from Sudan itself. How anyone thinks this is funny is beyond me
The Mug Coffee ad might include a subtle dig at Starbucks – and we all know how powerful they are here
Right now the eggslut name seems to be more controversial than everything here 🤦🏻♂️
Yeah, am really interested to see what happens to the name. It will be like how the infamous mascara ‘Better than Sex’ is named ‘Better that Love’ in the middle east. Lol !!
i loved the Mug Coffee ad! they did a great job and i noticed the not so subtle dig at starbucks too.
The honey commercial is so so bad
The honey brand’s tagline is healthy lifestyle yet they dont portray that in the commercial. I’m quite shocked that they would find this acceptable, the commercial itself is so lame. They could have turned it around to make it related to anti-domestic violence somehow rather than blatantly promoting it as normal behavior.
This is what happens when you drink to much coffee and honey honey ….
the honey commercial is retarded,
the black face is also dis respective but that is the result of an uneducated majority population.
all the shows on govt. channels and arabic channels are devoid of any smart comedy thoughtful topics or anything of value. they are racist cheap stereotype promoting productions by actors of little to no talent
Ah Yes. “Everyone else is uneducated” and yet you call something retarded. The kuwait experience
if you wish to indulge your over sensitive bs help yourself
Had i been in her situation, i would beat the shit out of that guy. You want a particular kind of honey, go get your own! Am sorry if am being over the top, but i really can’t stand to watch such crap in 2018.
The honey commercial has nothing to do with the product, since when does a man beat a woman over honey? I can’t believe people would promote caveman antics. My mom actually brought a couple of those honey spoons, her sister-in-law bought a box which cost around 50 KD because she saw it on IG.
I like the coffee commercial, reminds me of A nightmare before Christmas type production, I guess the Ministry doesn’t realize that banning something makes it even more popular. At least something creative has caught our attention which has been inundated with lame/boring ads.
Well I bet she doesn’t buy the wrong honey again.
That mug advert is amazing is crazy, I love it! The person at the ministry of information is horrible, he kicked out that woman for calling the reporter hot and in the space one 1 year he doubled the number of banned books in Kuwait. He also demanded KTV men wear dishdashas and women “yt7ashamoon” which is a demeaning/degrading way of saying cover up.
Mug coffee easily one of the best commercials i have seen in a while.
Crazy creative. Love it.
I’m only gonna comment on the blackface issue. IMO, people who are offended by it are doing so because it is a huge issue in the US and are aware of that fact. What’s deemed offensive in one country can also be considered harmless humor in another. Sure, we have stereotypical thoughts about black people in Kuwait but, those stereotypes are mostly different from those in the US. Many people I met in the US find Japanese humor offensive, homophobic and sexist. Whereas Japanese people just laugh about it because of their different history with those issues, if you can even call them that.
Blackface here is just comedy. Younger people find it offensive because of their exposure to western ideals and the media. America makes it such a big deal, which it is there, that they have to include in it school curriculums to teach everyone that it is wrong. Compared to Kuwait, no one saw the need to educate the people cause the culture is vastly different. I wont deny that black people have their own issues here but to them this isn’t that big a deal. If you know some of them who are 40+ years old, just chat with them and see their reaction. The younger ones might take offence because they are being treated worse the more we are westernized. It’s ironic that the more aware we are of US issues, the more racist our young generation is becoming.
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No personal attacks. If you want to respond to Mass you can do so without name calling.
+1
good observation
i just posted a comment which is very similar before even reading the comment section. i couldn’t agree more. blackface is in american history
I’m pretty sure racism against south asians and asians has been trending since the very beginning. nothing to do with exposure to the west
Racism against asians is a whole different matter, which I agree has little to do with the west, if at all. I was talking about black people of African origins. On another note, what in the world did “Dude” write to get his comment removed.
He kinda had a good argument but 80% of it was just naming calling and insulting so removed it
Oh dear, let’s not insult racists who defend the indefensible… Some people deserve to be insulted. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. My response obviously had merit, as the BBC picked up this story today. So, I’m not wrong. Listen to the people who this has offended. Post my response without the harsh words so that the people who are defending this garbage can possibly, maybe, see the error in their backward ways. If anything, my taking the time to respond to this person was an act of charity and community service. The recipient, obviously, does not deserve my time. Best to let them wade in their sea of ignorance. Keep doing you, Kuwait. The world is watching. And shaking their head in absolute wonder and disappointment.
What a prick you are. As a Kuwaiti it’s not weird to know black Kuwaitis since you’d get to know them from kindergarten and on. Look at the current and previous Crown Prince for the love of god. Don’t make it seem like all black people here are Sudanese only. Now if you’ve talked to the Kuwaiti’s, and as I mentioned previously those who are 40+, the majority of them don’t take offence to it and think of it as comedy. So this charity you speak of is better saved to educate your children to be more civil than you.
What does a civil society look like to you I wonder? One where our racism and sexism here is normalized and accepted as part of everyday life? So we grew up with black people, that gives us carte blanche to ridicule them? And for the record I never said all black people here are Sudanese, I said the Sudanese community was offended. Here and abroad. Answer this question honestly: Would you be offended if a white European dressed up on TV in brown face paint and a fat suit and beat their wife and maids to act like a Kuwaiti? Because what you’re saying is that tropes are harmless and fun, right? There’d be an outcry in Kuwait if that happened and you know it. Double standards here exist, that’s clear to everyone with eyes to see. Again, I’m wasting my time on someone who just doesn’t get it and probably never will. Good luck to you, and may YOUR children turn out better than you are. To think I’m receiving lessons in civility from people who don’t even understand the meaning of the word…
Ah, yes. I’ll be sure to take lessons in civility from someone like you who clearly has no understanding of the word. So let me ask you, do you teach your children that it’s ok to make fun of black people? How would you feel if a white European dressed up in brown face paint and a fat suit to make fun of Kuwaitis on TV? Would that be ok? Something tells me that wouldn’t go down too well here.
We don’t care about the USA. We don’t care about SJW and we don’t care about the femenazi.
Now do us a favor, grow up, and move along
Ah, yes. Everyone else should grow up and leave us free to engage in antiquated, overtly racist “comedy” that appeals to the lowest common denominator in Kuwaiti society while offending a brotherly nation. Nice one.
“IMO, people who are offended by it are doing so because it is a huge issue in the US and are aware of that fact.” unless someone lives under a rock, not being aware of the black issues is what they call ‘ignorance’. ‘Black face’ issue is not US issue. If you as a society, think they can make fun of someone’s color and it isn’t affecting anyone – that’s an issue. Younger people feel offended because they are more ‘aware’ of their rights as humans. It is a big deal – read about black history. But let’s just put this very simply – I’m super black and when an ad makes fun of blackface, I feel bad. Bad that it is funny. I don’t even need to know US history for it.
Being aware of an issue that is derogatory in other parts of the world doesn’t equate it to be in another. There has always been black middle easterners and they weren’t treated as their American counterparts. You mention rights, have you ever heard of black people marching for their rights in Kuwait? No, because when it comes to color every citizen here is equal. I’ve spoken to my friends about this and they understood why it is offensive to some, but for them, black Kuwaitis, it was just comedy. They are more offended by being portrayed as only dancers and musicians in parties. This being hurtful to them personally wasn’t even a thought.
Oh, every citizen here is equal? Is that so? Perhaps you need to learn more about your own country, guy. You mentioned earlier something about education and civility. Does civil society normalize blackface and misogyny? I don’t think it’s my education that’s in question here.
What the hell are you talking about? For once, can you type coherently and present a clear argument instead of a few disjointed sentences here and there?
Why are you always shouting and condescending to anyone you reply to? The only thing missing from your comments are the all “CAPS” effect.
Ok, let me make this simple for you since big boy words are apparently a bit hard for you to grasp. This is the point I’m trying to get across to you:
Racism bad. Blackface bad. Racism and blackface make Kuwait look like an international laughingstock.
But, go ahead. Keep trying to make the argument that blackface is somehow OK, and that racism and humiliating others is somehow just fine.
Since you’re replying all over the place, I’ll keep it simple for you. You have anger management issues and like to make up points for other people when they haven’t even said those things you claim they’ve said. This is it for me. I dread the thought of having a conversation with you daily. Why do you attack others constantly? Enjoy your life.
Normalizing wrong action/ideas and teachings over a period of time does not make them right.
Caste system is wrong, But normalized in India, still doesn’t make it right.
What do you expect from a society that isn’t really bothered by racism, in fact encourages it? Or the fact that women are afraid to come out or report abuse and sexual harassment because of reputation and social stigmas and taboos?
i agree Kuwait is sexist but not racist
Kuwait isn’t racist, we will all get citizenship, people aren’t dieing in Palestine, no one went to the moon, Earth is flat. All true
To be fair, that Mug Coffee ad does have the typical Illuminati imagery that one finds in mainstream movies, TV and music videos.
What do you mean “to be fair”, the illuminati ain’t real. It’s just a scam, like 2012 or how people are told that humans are the only cause of global warming. What even is “illuminati imagery?” Triangles cause Ancient Egyptians have used it 3 thousand years before the illuminati where created. God forbid the illuminati (if real) would be interested in some coffee shop in the middle of nowhere.
The Illuminati is real, the artist in the industry exposed it, and still are. Grow up and do your research kid.
i’m only here to comment on the blackface. it is a big deal in the US because of the slave-related issues and history. so i understand why it is mortifying for an american. the way i see it if a man dressed as a woman or painted his face it is a character. don’t make a difference to me if his face was black pink or blue. our society unfortunately is sexist and that what bothers me on tv they make abusive husbands seem heroic and manly while it is expected from a good wife to behave well to that type of “man”
i’m not black but not racist this is my opinion and cant speak for any dark skinned person in Kuwait if they think this was offensive or not.
Don’t defend this. It’s not a good look. Have you not seen the responses from the Sudanese community? It’s obviously offensive, and VERY understandably so. Let’s not damage our country’s already very poor international reputation. The equivalent would be a white European painting themselves dark brown and wearing a fat suit to depict Kuwaitis. Does that sound offensive to you as a Kuwaiti? Well that’s all you need to know then.
every country and region has a general thing about it whether they liked it or not. i mean how certain people have certain traits. i dont mean it is accurate but it’s how people are. i’m not saying racism that’s not acceptable. i mean Sudanese were angry about how the episode showed them to be lazy. honestly i think i’m open minded enough to know while watching that rules dont apply to an entire country or race. so i think it is humorous to over do something.
kuwait has like all other countries bad people with bad morals and behaviors. and different point of view on humor. we dont have to play by western rules and follow what is acceptable there so they watch it and then accept us. i dont think Kuwaitis have anything to prove to the world.
sorry for my letter LOL 😀
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-44378519/kuwait-blackface-comedy-show-causes-outcry
I am sorry but I have to say Kuwaitis are so proud of themselves, which is not bad – but their attitude that rest of the world is inferior to them is very sad. I have seen how they treat the Asian and Arab nationals. Where are some other countries in the gulf treat others much better.