A week or so ago, Bayo launched an advertising campaign that
sparked outrage among Filipino Internet users. The advertisements have Anne
Curtis' sister Jasmine Curtis-Smith and a number of mestiza models, each executing the theme “What’s Your Mix?” Each
model are extremely beautiful and dressed in Bayo’s latest items. Each model is
accompanied with curious captions describing their mixed heritage—in Jasmine
Curtis-Smith’s case: “50% Filipino, 50% Australian.”
It’s difficult to pinpoint the reason, at first; but I
instinctively knew this was definitely offensive. There was something seriously
wrong about these models being labeled as “60% African, 40% Filipino” or “80% Chinese, 20% Filipino.” As far as I see it, this advertising campaign
completely misses the discrepancy between race and nationality. But then, this
article reacted to it:
According to the author, those who complained about the
campaign are hypocrites for being offended at all. In a nutshell, the author
believes that:
1.
The campaign does not intend to offend anyone,
and it doesn’t claim that the models are beautiful because they are mestizas.
2.
People who are offended are being oversensitive.
3.
The people who are offended shouldn’t be
offended when they yearn to be white anyway.
I disagree.
I think intentions are irrelevant; even if they didn’t mean
to give unfortunate implications, they are there. Advertisements are designed
to appeal to the psyche. These images appeal to hidden desires to be like the
models in the advertisements. It is practically impossible view these images
objectively. Yes, it is true that each ad states a fact; but can you expect
ANYONE to NOT see anything else?
The message that the theme “What’s Your Mix?” is getting
across is that the creativity of mixing and matching seemingly incompatible
items of clothing makes a perfect mix. On that line of thinking, YES, the ad
campaign strongly implies that these models are beautiful because they are mestizas. Using models of mixed race and
addressing this fact revive the guilt Filipinas have about the still-undying
notion that mestizas are more beautiful
than purebred chocolate-skinned, ebony-haired Filipinas with coffee-bean eyes.
Furthermore, why is it necessary to bring RACE of all themes
as a metaphor for mixing and matching clothes? Aren't these advertisers aware
that in America, these kinds of thinking are worth banning because it hurts
people's feelings? Yes, we don't live in America, but we have racial issues of
our own. We don't need to ignite them in things as insignificant as
advertising.
Let me just point out that people are not angry because they
want to believe they are more beautiful than these half-breed models. They know
full well that these models are beautiful because of racial mixing. What they
are offended with is the implication that they are NOT as beautiful because
they are, as far as they know, are purebred Filipinas. The phrase "What's
Your Mix?" sounds like an accusation, an attack.
Let's say there's a girl who is short, has even chocolate
brown skin, frizzy ebony hair, a small mouth with thick lips, and a button
nose, and coffee-bean eyes; what do you think she would feel if she is
confronted with the question "What's your mix?" while there are
extremely beautiful mixed race models in her face? Wouldn't you think she would
be humiliated? "Oh, my God! I don't have a 'mix.' What am I, then? I must
be unimportant." They don’t want that. They don't need that. They don't
deserve that.
Yes, it is hypocritical to claim this campaign is racist
when most of us still cling to two contrasting notions that are fundamentally
racist: that purebred Filipinas are more beautiful and don't need much makeup,
and that purebred Filipinas are NOT as beautiful so we need to bleach our skin
and hair and wear blue contact lenses. However these two notions are only
symptoms and do not quite address the underlying issues that borne them.
What this advertising campaign poses to us Filipinas is the
Doña
Victorina mentality that we want to scrape off but can't—not at the moment. It
was foolish of Bayo to construct their advertising campaign this way and expect
people to not react the way they did.
Most Filipinos nowadays would rather just identify has
Filipino. Yes, it is true that we have our brand of racism, but these hasn't
been addressed yet because the media perpetuates it, and we haven't yet had a
serious talk that addresses the issues on our race, our national identity, and
our worth. However, most people identify Filipinos as a nation of people of
mixed race, all unified with having at least one ancestor tracing their lineage
from this tiny archipelago in Southeast Asia. But if you want to be purist
about it, we also identify Filipino as these Malayo-Austronesian people with
the physical qualities I've explained at least twice before. Yes, we all need
to know that we shouldn't rest our worth on our appearances alone. Yes, we are
yet to have a concrete and consistent national identity. But we don't need or deserve
to get something as wrong as "What's Your Mix?" slammed onto our
faces like cream pie.
Most importantly, no one, not even these gorgeous models,
deserves to be reduced to an equation. So what if Jasmine Curtis-Smith has a
Filipina mother and a white Australian father? Isn't she a whole person with as
much beauty, charisma, and promise as her famous sister Anne? So what if I had
a Spanish ancestor that gave me an unusual look that some people do not
immediately recognize me as a Filipina? I am still born and raised in this
beautiful country and a colorful history. I am still me, a girl who wants to become
a great novelist someday. Shouldn't that be more important than the race of my
ancestors?
Further reading: http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/136-technology/viral/6559-viral-what-s-your-mix-campaign-earns-ire-of-netizens
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