Because the world wasn’t already confusing and disturbing enough, a new YouTube video posted by a Thai cosmetic company is giving us an extra dose of crazy.
Cosmetic maker Seoul Secret Thailand uses two images in its new video; one of actress Sirin “Cris” Horwang and the other of a model whose skin has been darkened.
Horwang starts the flick by discussing her struggles in the entertainment industry and how she has to keep her skin white in order to remain on top of her career.
You don’t need to speak Thai to get the message:
But the ad for product, Snowz, has caused outrage, even in Thailand where skin-whitening products enjoy a concerning amount of popularity.
“You just need to be white to win,” Horwang tells viewers, before adding that if she stopped taking the cream, she would become a “dusky star”, while the screen shows the black model looking downcast and dismayed.
Social media has been the place for people to share their disgust and dismay, while some actually want to know where they can purchase the product.
Wow. Another incredibly racist Thai advert. “You just need to be white to win” https://t.co/g75sjr7fUj pic.twitter.com/9MlWHoUL2B
— Nick Day (@NickDay13) January 8, 2016
Thai craze for whiteness rears its ugly head again. It never ends. Thai ad agencies are the worst of them all! https://t.co/ixUe65pdrj
— Kaewmala (@Thai_Talk) January 8, 2016
In a press release the company said the video was intended to share real-life insight “that every woman has experienced: people who have white skin tend to be so attractive that they ‘steal the scene’ from other people”.
On Saturday morning, Seoul Secret pulled the video and issued an apology.
“Our company did not have any intention to convey discriminatory and racist messages,” it said. “What we intended to convey was that self-improvement, in terms of personality, appearance, skills and professionalism, is crucial.”
