A Japanese rock band has pulled the music video for its new song “Columbus” after drawing flak for scenes that depicted Christopher Columbus with ape-like men.
The video shows three historical figures teaching the ape-like beings to do various things, like how to ride on horses and play musical instruments.
The video swiftly sparked a backlash after it was released on Wednesday - it was removed just a day later.
The band, Mrs Green Apple, apologised on Thursday, saying the video “contains expressions that lack understanding of historical and cultural backgrounds”.
How do people not know these things are insulting and racist?
You should see China’s new year shows. I saw one a few years ago with a Chinese person in blackface and African garb/dress with fruit on their head. Also an ad where a black person goes into a washing machine and comes out Chinese.
I went looking because I was curious. Link for anyone else: https://youtu.be/Few8kJ0zfnY
Best comment was “now that’s ethnic cleansing!” Lol.
That is the ad I was talking about. Didn’t realise it was so old though.
Japan is still a fairly insular nation, especially in regards to the topic of history. During the Meiji restoration they basically rewrote their own history, which also kinda requires you to ignore or reshape everyone else’s history to suit your perspective. As a result, I doubt world history is very well covered in their public education.
Most Asian countries influenced by the US don’t have a real understand of our history. Just like we are taught about slavery, they get even less truth.
and U.S slavery isnt even the biggest portion of slavery, its just the most shown due to hollywood. Slavery elsewhere (carribeans, south america) as a much more brutal and underrepresented portion of history in the Americas.
Well in the US we focus on why we needed them. I learned more about cotton and tabacco then actual slavery. I also grew up in Tennessee and learned the KKK protected poor southern women. They also kept the peace. This was in the mid-90s at about 13 yrs old.
Similar in Texas.
I took Texas history in college. Never mentioned slavery, it was more of a “we grew a lot of cotton during the 19th century.”
In my middle school they tired to “highlight” other grievances with Mexico in regard to our independence. Rereading as an adult it is more of a microcosm of lost cause stuff. Mexico had done away with slavery and independence was a way to bring it back.