Offensive or not? Chicago Cubs 2008 print ad... (1 Viewer)

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Somebody done messed up. At the very least, it's a chance you don't want to take, is it not?

The Chicago Cubs unveiled their 2008 print ad campaign yesterday. One of the ads focuses on this year's marquee free agent signing, of course, Kosuke Fukudome. Could he be any more Japanese? The answer... is no.

Anyway, here's the ad. What's wrong with this picture?

fukudome_outdoor.jpg_20080122_15_13_03_75-160-400.imageContent


Doesn't seem that anything has hit the fan... yet. But as more and more people are seeing it for the first time, it seems well on its way to becoming "an issue."

All I know is that it's a good thing the Cubs didn't sign a German player. No telling what would have made it into that ad. :hihi:

At any rate... yikes. Lighten up, Francis? Or do heads need to roll?
 
As if many foreign players don't need a translator. How many years has it taken Ichiro to learn English? He's still not that good at it.

I like the addition of the Rising Sun though.
 
Does it have anything to do with the name on the back of his jersey?
 
I see SeminoleMarine browsing this thread. I'm sure he'll pick up on it. Perhaps we need to READ MORE from someone with military experience on this issue.

The Rising Sun logo doesn't exactly evoke bright and sunny feelings in many Americans. Particularly WWII vets. There's a reason the U.S. banned its use as part of the Japanese surrender. I'm aware that it's been re-adopted with the establishment of the Japanese "Self-Defense Force" but still. Were it a German player being spotlighted, you think they'd throw up a swastika?
 
I see SeminoleMarine browsing this thread. I'm sure he'll pick up on it. Perhaps we need to READ MORE from someone with military experience on this issue.

The Rising Sun logo doesn't exactly evoke bright and sunny feelings in many Americans. Particularly WWII vets. There's a reason the U.S. banned its use as part of the Japanese surrender. I'm aware that it's been re-adopted with the establishment of the Japanese "Self-Defense Force" but still. Were it a German player being spotlighted, you think they'd throw up a swastika?

Yeah, but the stigma is different for most people. To the younger generation the Rising Sun simply appears as a cool little logo and something that, quite frankly, most people don't have a clue as to what it has stood for in the past. There isn't nearly the negative connotation associated with it as there is with a swastika. A swastika is pretty much understood, whatever your age. A swastika, true or not, represents far more evil and awful past occurrences.
 
I saw the rising sun and it evoked the same feelings, as I have several members of my family who fought in WW2. I noticed geauxboy picked up on it although he seems to like the look. I understand the feelings of anyone who is disturbed by it (and also agree with the swastika analogy), but I think as Waymer said, it (the rising sun) represents nothing more than a "cool little logo" to younger Americans today. In any case, I think it is just an advertising ploy by some young ad agent who doesn't even know that the logo brings back bad memories to some although not nearly as much as a swastika. I would also be willing to bet that 3/4 of the people on this board don't even know that the image was banned. In either case I am willing to let this particular case slide by. Afterall, I am a Cubs fan.;)
 
uh, most Japanese DO know what that stood for.

However Japanese do not consider it offensive. The Rising Sun with Rays was never the national flag of Japan, it was the flag of the Japanese Imperial Navy. In fact, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces still use that flag.


(edit: I wasn't thinking if it would be offensive to vets... original post is too vague or its just too early in the morning for me ;) )
 
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I think the fact that you can only see part of his name making the ad read as "F-U. I don't need an interpreter" is going to be more offensive to people than the rising sun imagery.
 
To answer the OP's question, there's no mushroom cloud.
 
It would be much more offensive if it said "I don't need an intelpletel."
 
I saw the rising sun and it evoked the same feelings, as I have several members of my family who fought in WW2. I noticed geauxboy picked up on it although he seems to like the look. I understand the feelings of anyone who is disturbed by it (and also agree with the swastika analogy), but I think as Waymer said, it (the rising sun) represents nothing more than a "cool little logo" to younger Americans today. In any case, I think it is just an advertising ploy by some young ad agent who doesn't even know that the logo brings back bad memories to some although not nearly as much as a swastika. I would also be willing to bet that 3/4 of the people on this board don't even know that the image was banned. In either case I am willing to let this particular case slide by. Afterall, I am a Cubs fan.;)

Honestly, history was always one of my better subjects in school but I have never heard that the rising sun was offensive....of course, they always taught more about the European Front when it came to WWII.
 
I have to admit that I am not tied to the Rising Sun design the same way older generations are. Am I to be held at fault for not being born soon enough to know? I hope not and I am not suggesting that anyone here is saying such things.

To me, when it comes to past "evil regimes" and their logos or designs, I don't put so much stock in it. To play devil's advocate, IF the Japanese had beat us, we'd view the Rising Sun flag in a much different manner. Same goes for the swastika. I actually have two swastikas in my apt and I don't associate it with the Nazis the way most do. Sure, I get slack when someone comes over and sees it, but that's their limitations at work. I can't blame those that were directly affected by those bearing that symbol though.

If one country's army loses a war, everything associated with them will be vilified, but on the other hand, the winner's associations will be glorified. I just don't get it. Now, I could be WAY wrong, but wasn't the Rising Sun more of a representation to the rising of Japan more than it was just a war symbol? The Chinese were the ones to coin that phrase due to Japan being east of China by the Sui Dynasty. I remember reading something about the symbolism of the flag and it's intended meaning, but I don't have the patience to do the research on the dinosaur of a pc I have here at work.

Imagine it if you will. For whatever good or evil it's intention, the Germans could have used the swastika for it's original intended use. Good luck. It makes it a bit unerving, but it could be just that. You're about to war and you want good luck in your endeavors. Nothing really wrong with that, but it does depend on what side you are on that decides your viewpoint on it's intended usage. Same goes for the Japanese. They felt it was their time and they used the flag to represent their rise. Haven't we done the same thing?
 
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Honestly, history was always one of my better subjects in school but I have never heard that the rising sun was offensive....of course, they always taught more about the European Front when it came to WWII.

From answers.com

***The flag was used in overseas actions from the Meiji period to World War II. When Japan was defeated in August 1945, the flag was banned by Allied Occupation authorities. However with the re-establishment of a Self-Defense Force the flag was re-adopted in 1954. The flag with 16 rays is today the ensign of the Maritime Defense-Force while the Ground Self Defense-Force uses an 8 ray version.

This flag is often considered offensive in countries which were victims of Japanese hostility, particularly China, Australia, United States and the Koreas, where it is seen as alarming, nationalistic and hostile.***
 

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