Is Ashton Kutcher's new ad racist?

indian movies, ads serials are always making fun of the nepali 'guard' stereotype and his accent. Funny we Indians don't find that racist! We call Africans derogatory terms in India as though we being a few shades lighter than them makes us superior to them! We call Indians from other states derogatory terms but that is okay!! We keep showing white girls as morally loose in movies.
But if someone abroad calls us curryhead, brownie or even does an impersonation of an 'Indian accent' or any other Indian stereotype..all hell breaks loose! Indians are such hypocrites!

Fri, 2012-05-04 00:57 — Anonymous

Well said. We Indians are our worst enemies. I find it so sad when people say they want a "fair"groom or bride. When will we come out of this mentality?

I wouldn't say it's racist. It's playing up a stereotype. Also, Indians were not the only group stereotyped. What's racist is the portrayal of African people in Bollywood. The mogambi references in Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge were uncalled for and inappropriate. And in Fashion Priyanka hits her low when she sleeps with a black man. So it's ok to sleep with a married man and get pregnant out of wedlock, but sleeping with a black man is the ultimate sin?

Accent was horrendous.

Racist!

This is not the first time that such ads have surfaced. Why wasn’t there any fiasco at the time?! I don’t find it particular “racist” towards Indian people. He also dons the look of Karl Lagerfeld (creative director of Chanel) who’s openly gay as well as Rastafarians and red necks of America. So why are Indians so offended by it? It’s not targeted towards only a particular race. Do you guys get offended when Raj in Big Bang Theory or Ranjit in How I Met Your Mother speak with a thick Indian accent?
And I agree with the people below: there’s enough content in Indian media that portray other races in a funny way. But when it comes to us, it’s terrible. The worst has happened to us. I’m sure there are a lot of desi people who’ll watch the commercial and just have a good laugh without getting offended.

It's not racist. It's a stereotype.

He is propagating the stereotype of the Indian male - massive nose, stupid hair and mustache combed like Rajnikant, a big black mole on the cheek, and the "to-to-to-to" accent.

If you really want to witness racism, you have to live in India as a darker than average man or woman. Then you really encounter racism, from other Indians. In all the years I've lived outside India, I have had less focus on my skin color than I did in India with the constant judgment of my dark appearance.

I couldn't even tell it was Ashton. Great job! I bet he would have encountered racism within India if he had gone a few shades darker and if nobody knew he was a white dude.

If I have to pin-point the problem with this ad, it's not the 'brown-face' ( which I see as a clever well-done disguise), but the problem is the constant de-masculinisation of Asian males on American TV. There hardly ever is an Indian dude playing an Indian on an American show who isn't like a Fez / Raj Koothrapali type of an extremely non-threatening joke character with an exaggerated accent.

It is not really racist, he did not target "indian" particularly. He chose a lot of other countries as well, presenting their behaviour. Some people who are insecured, thinks it is racist...not really. Try to respect your countries, then only can other people respect.

How many of you were actually born in and grew up abroad. You'd know that people mock Indian accents all the time, and stereotypes likes this do not help matters!

You say it is humour, would it be humourous if our child is bullied by kids who are making fun of hi heritage because they see other people, like Ashton in this video, doing so?

Indians really needs to stop being a push over, just because Hollywood makes fun of you, it does not make it right.

Indians don't think this is racist because there is no racism in India, only discrimination by classes.

Yes Bollywood films are racist, but why compare yourself to a Bollywood film then?

GET OVER YOURSELVES!!!!!!
INDIANS TIME AND TIME AGAIN HAVE PORTRAYED SOMEONE NON INDIAN IN THEIR MOVIES IN WORSE WAYS ....AND NO ONE COMPLAINS BECAUSE ITS TAKEN IN AS GOOD HUMOR, BUT YES OFCOURSE NOW LETS MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS SO WE CAN GET IN THE $$$ AND GET A LITTLE ATTENTION.
PUH-LEASE, DAMN HYPOCRISY!!!

To call this Ad "racist" is pure over-reacting. Im indian and I saw this Ad & had nothing but LOL's for this Ad. How else is some1 meant to potray an indian man? He did impersonations of other men, texan, jamaican.. I dont get why the "indian man" potrayal needs to get otehr indians so touchy! Geez.. learn to laugh n chill a bit.

OMG i thought it was some indian!! that was a really good makeup. Anyway, indians are such cry babies. this is far from racist. if u look at bollywood movies, they blatantly make fun of the british, americans, chinese. for eg- k3G, kal ho na ho...indians themselves are so racist.

How is this racist?! He isn't doing anything wrong. :\ He's chose various different types of people, it's not like he is picking on Indians.

right, like indian movies aren't racists....and i've seen indian actors in american shows do the same accent, just because they are told to by the writers. hyprcrites.