An image from the Qiaobi laundry detergent television commercial. Credit YouTube
A Chinese laundry detergent commercial has spurred outrage online, with many social media users accusing it of blatant racism.
In the commercial for Qiaobi laundry detergent, an Asian woman shoves a detergent pod into the mouth of a black worker and unceremoniously pushes him headfirst into a washing machine.
After a quick cycle, the machine is opened and a pale Asian man emerges with a wink, to the woman’s delight.
The advertisement, which has been airing in China at least since April, has been met abroad with a combination of anger and disbelief.
But in China, where racial stereotypes in popular culture are rampant, the commercial did not seem to provoke a great deal of reaction.
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