Filed under: Comment
First they’ve had to put up with skin whitening creams … then they’ve had to put up with GREY’s EYE ON ASIA “research” report and now this …
When Charinee, one of my wonderful colleagues, first showed it to me, I thought it was a spoof and then when I looked up the website, I realised it was probably true.
I openly admit I am not religious – at least when it’s based on how organised religion says I should behave and believe.
Infact, if truth be known, very few things can piss me off as much as listening to a religious zealot act all self-righteous because they’re talking to someone who doesn’t share their views or faith.
The weird thing is, I probably feel more distain towards blind followers of Catholicism and/or Christianity than any of the other religions.
Maybe it’s because as a kid, I was more exposed to those faiths so I’m slightly more aware of some of the 2 faced, double standards that exist within both the religion and some of their followers [as it does in all faiths] – but at the heart of it, I guess I still can’t work out how something that tells you to treat others as you’d like to be treated yourself can end up being the foundation for more troubles and death than all the other possible contributing factors put together.
Yet despite all this, I am a huge believer in the power and value of faith.
I genuinely believe that it can help people improve and better their life … give them support, belief and encouragement at times where they feel isolated, helpless and alone.
And for the record, I’m not saying this because in a twisted kind of way, religion was the earliest form of branding and advertising and I want to feel better about what I do … I mean it, because I’ve seen it and felt it at various times in my life.
Faith only starts to really piss me off when people use it to judge or control others but then maybe that’s what it was always created to do given one of the most well known pieces of ‘advice’ is “the meek shall inherit the earth” even if the Truth Ministry will probably claim it actually meant to say “the meek shall not be Asian”.
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its still sunday for me so reading your anti organised religion post is more satisfyingly evil than if i checked it out a few hours from now.
the fuckers at the ironically named truth ministry are in need of a good fucking slap, we can all tell that, but what i want to know is if that shit is real, how is it not banned because its just as fucking incendiary as some fame hungry pastor threatening to burn the koran.
i dont give a fuck if you follow god, allah or magic fucking johnson, but dont tell me what i should think or ill put a fatwa on your fucking ass.
nice fuck you post for the start of the week campbell, but its a bit fucking rich having a planner complain of religious brands putting words in peoples mouths when thats all you do all fucking day. well not you, all you do is fuck around, blog and destabilise w+k, im talking about more diligent and professional planning wastes of fucking space.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 6:49 amI’m surprised you didn’t pronounce yourself as God and that anyone following one of the ‘others’ is a stupid fuck or something.
And for what it’s worth, the bit where you say:
“its a bit fucking rich having a planner complain of religious brands putting words in peoples mouths when thats all you do all fucking day”
… made me laugh out loud, especially when you followed it with:
“well not you, all you do is fuck around, blog and destabilise w+k, im talking about more diligent and professional planning wastes of fucking space”
You’re on fire – but that’s what seeing your bank balance [and holiday home] get turned into rubble does to you which means your pain is our gain and on behalf of everyone here, I thank you.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 8:28 ami dont state the fucking obvious especially when i dont get fucking paid for doing it like planners and brand managers.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 8:39 amAs we Quakers say, “That Friend speaks my mind.” And that applies to both the post and the comment. As a recovering Catholic, worse than that, as a recovering Irish Catholic, i would be very happy to become a charter member of the Fatwa on Your Fucking Ass Society. Just show me where to sign.
Comment by Ciaran McCabe September 13, 2010 @ 7:35 amCiaran
this could be the start of a wonderful fucking friendship ciaran.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 8:07 amThat can’t be real? Is it real? Please tell me it’s not real because that will just piss me off. Freedom of speech is one thing but it appears freedom to lie is the right of the government, religious groups and the National Enquirer.
Comment by Pete September 13, 2010 @ 8:11 amAs I said, I wasn’t sure – and to be honest, I’m still not – however if you go to their site you will see the stuff they’re shouting about is so fucking ridiculous that you may sadly find it is.
When Charinee comes in, I’ll ask her where she found it and where the poster was located. I’m actually hoping it was somewhere in China because it means the people behind this stupid stunt will be being paid a little visit from some Government officials.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 8:29 amdont pick on the national enquirer or i start picking on you.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 8:39 amAre these the twats that say Snow White is satans work and Bambi is about loose morals. Don’t they realize that made me stop playing my records backwards to hear the devils word and switch on the VCR. They might be the truth ministry but they need to start praying to the lord of common sense.
Comment by Billy Whizz September 13, 2010 @ 8:16 amNot sure if they’re the ones Billy … but you make a valid point for once. Remember the South Park campaign we did? We’re still probably on that religious mobs hit list. Or you are.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 8:30 amI have to say I gave quite a bit of thought to this post before putting it up – not because I don’t stand by what I’ve said, but because I don’t openly want to upset anyone who has a strong faith in a particular religion – however the people who read this blog should know me by now and be able to interpret my ramblings into the point I’m trying to make which is not about making a blanket/scatter gun attack, but highlighting the stupidity of some groups of which those who thinks Asian’s are somehow ‘lesser’ than them, are near the top.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 8:25 amYou don’t need a poster from some religious fanatics to show how divisive faith can be, just go to lower manhattan and see how an act that had nothing to do with religion has now been seized by religion to try and bolster support. Feels more like a Fox news promotional stunt than a country who claims to value freedom of speech and democracy.
Comment by Bazza September 13, 2010 @ 8:54 ami put on a film of the fuckers down in lower manhattan shouting against islam (read any muslim or none fucking white] and then change it for a film of the fuckers in iran shouting against christianity (read any westerner, especially white) and play spot the fucking difference.
havent found one yet.
religion is a weapon of mass destruction so why hasnt any army gone and bombed all their fucking weapon hideouts then? oh thats right, because churches are immune from responsibility or guilt arent they. best fucking contract negotiation ever.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 9:01 amThanks for taking me out of the crosshairs of all the religious fanatics and getting them to aim it at you with your uber-incendary comment. What a guy … and of course being ‘God’ means that even if they launch several nuclear bombs up your ass, you’ll still survive so it’s a win:win. Well, for us anyway.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 9:28 amdoesnt bother me. anyway the fuckers wouldnt find me even if they wanted to because ive got the number of salman rushdies plastic surgeon and if that fucker can turn him into jordan, ive got no fucking fears.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 10:25 amAnd there I was thinking he was Heidi Montag!
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 10:50 amgood fucking call there campbell. hes trying to keep those fatwa fuckers on their feet. clever.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 10:51 amWhen I saw that ad I muttered “Oh god”. Maybe that was the real intention. Cunning bastards those religious freaks.
Comment by DH September 13, 2010 @ 1:50 pmIf that’s the case, I’m worried because when I saw it, I went “Oh shit”.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 2:00 pmAre the “truth ministry” offering something that some Asians desire?
Comment by The Kaiser September 13, 2010 @ 2:33 pmIt would be more relevant if it was the Tooth Ministry – though that would also be quite appealing [at least from an American perspective] for the entire British population.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 3:27 pmOn a level we need to defuse this: The billboards were put up somewhere in South Carolina, nothing to do with China, and this happened in 2008. I was reading from the website that “allegedly” somebody took the original “Are you Gay or Lesbian and don’t want to be? There is hope for change,” [We can have a whole discussion about it in another post!] photoshopped it and changed it to “Are you Asian…” to pull their leg.
Comment by claudio September 13, 2010 @ 3:13 pmMmmhhh… ‘cos I was thinking there can’t really be many Asians living in South Carolina?!
Dunno, always thought that religions are a waste of time, mostly used to control and manipulate the weak minds.
Rob, I share your attitude, live and let live; you want to believe, go ahead, but the moment you start preaching to me I will become very angry and get medieval on your ass.
At the same time, I can’t help but think that if it were for the Catholics, we would still think that the sun spins around earth, and we would still feed the heretics to the lions.
Done my soul-searching years ago and I decided that if I were to embrace a religion, Buddhism would be my choice; but after spending time in temples, reading books, chanting, I also thought during a moment of enlightenment: ‘I don’t really fucking need this either.’
Hi Claudio – thanks for the clarification, it sort-of makes me feel a bit calmer though I know if I spent another 2 mins reading the shit the Truth Ministries spout on their website, I’d definitely start seeing red again and for the record, I think the only reason they didn’t make that Asian spoof a reality is because they haven’t “sorted out” the gay and lesbian issue yet.
Despite that, the attitude that somehow Asian’s are desperate to be Western still exists in many brands marketing but as I’ve bust a few bloody vessels over that [see my post on GREY’s “EYE ON ASIA” bullshit] I’ll go and do some breathing exercises to try and keep a bit calm.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 3:26 pmNot sure, but I have run into Asians who would die to be more…. Western: obviously it can’t be generalized.
Comment by claudio September 13, 2010 @ 4:35 pmI don’t think that Asians are desperate to be Western, not consciously. Its just that there are few alternatives out there. This is more of your area than mine but when I watch TV, apart from some bank ads, its always the same Western brands and messages – yes with a slight tweak here and there.
Look, I honestly cringe when I see all these Singaporeans with these English football jerseys. I can’t help but wonder ‘why, of all the countries, do you want to support this one country that does not really welcome you with open arms?’ (and the same can be said about many other western countries!) but the product has been well-packaged and excellently sold to them. So, who’s the sucker?
True – there are some who crave to be Western, but [1] I think that’s more to do with wanting specific attributes of the West that are culturally seen as representing more important social or status cues and [2] there’s a fuckload less of value being placed on the West than there used to be and I genuinely believe the financial crisis has had a major effect on that … but I’ll leave that for another day as the wife’s away and I have to get home to feed the cat.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 6:59 pmAnyone heard of Betrand Russel’s tea pot argument?
Comment by northern September 13, 2010 @ 3:33 pmAnnnyway
Thinking about a staged buring of Beyond Disruption…there’s blind faith and then there’s being completely cretinous
I’m not happy, my tea mug is still kidnapped
Liking the tea mug banter…
Sounds like a Northern and Marcus team up event!
Comment by Rob Mortimer September 13, 2010 @ 5:00 pmOh, and I replied to your Shakespeare comments Mr H. I look forward to your reply.
Comment by Rob Mortimer September 13, 2010 @ 5:01 pmKidnapped/stolen mug? I didn’t realise you worked in Australia.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 6:52 pmAre Australians tea mug thieves? ISs that something to do with their convict heritage?
Comment by northern September 13, 2010 @ 7:59 pmThey even stole our union jack to put on their shit flag so tea mugs are a natural evolution.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 8:01 pmYou gave some thought to this post – that’s a good development.
Comment by John September 13, 2010 @ 5:35 pmGo on … say it … “it’s a good development but it’s still shit”.
Comment by Rob September 13, 2010 @ 6:54 pmhope for change. i got some cynical comments to make on that, which i spare you.
what amuses me (tho its not really funny) is the model they used for the billboard. its not some blonde lgbt whitebread standing there full of shame. must be shit if you cannot tell by appearance who is ‘strange’ and who and what to be afraid of.
Comment by peggy September 13, 2010 @ 8:12 pmso it was a fake ad. a fucking fake ad. all that angst for nothing. what a bastard. good job northern gropers tea mug has been nicked or id sue for raising my blood pressure for no fucking reason.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 9:48 pmDo I take from this that you’re pleased some bastard has taken my mug?
Comment by northern September 13, 2010 @ 10:09 pmIf so, I hope one of you’re impoverished builders drops a brick on your foot.
According to twitter, the mug has been returned.
Comment by The Kaiser September 13, 2010 @ 10:20 pmIndeed it has, but that doesn’t excuse Andy’s attitude to my former predicament
Comment by northern September 13, 2010 @ 10:32 pmtwitter?
Comment by John September 13, 2010 @ 10:59 pmBugger off Dodds.
Comment by The Kaiser September 14, 2010 @ 12:09 amyou thick northern bastard, i was saying i was swapping my anger from the religious twats and the fake “dont be asian” ad bollocks to the issue of your fucking poxy tea mug beon stolen but i shouldnt have fucking bothered especially as you decided the one we sent you for free (fucking free!) was surplus to requirements.
and theres no way the cowboys could drop a brick on my foot because the fucking lazy bastards never lift one up in the first fucking place.
Comment by andy@cynic September 13, 2010 @ 11:13 pmGlad to know you’re on my side, you’re all heart after all
Comment by northern September 13, 2010 @ 11:44 pmAnd, for your information, the biscuit mug proudly resides at home, where thieving bastards cannot steal it and clumsy twats cannot break it.
clearly advertising is the real evil here – without it, neither of these fucked up ads would have existed.
Comment by lauren September 13, 2010 @ 11:44 pm😉
Comment by lauren September 13, 2010 @ 11:45 pm