0:00 Equinox is under fire for this offensive Asian woman ad. >> This ad outside of the Equinox storefront has been here for almost 1 year and we pass by almost every every day. I actually heard several Asian women passing by. They would ask question like, "What's this ad about?" And every time I feel very uncomfortable and I feel objectified by this ad because it's displaying a Asian woman head as a object with a finger in the mouth. What does that mean? So, today we finally decided we we got the the we we made the preparation and we are going to go into the store and try to see if we can file a official complaint and see if they can document that and remove that. Let's go. Okay.
0:51 >> That looks like somebody got a dick in her mouth. >> We chose not to film inside. >> The people say they already told them >> I got a dirty mind. >> I don't know when they did it, but it's time for the Asian people to say something. >> Because they are like the receptionist, so they have no right to >> So, she's talking about they went in there real quick. They couldn't film the interaction, but they were talking to the receptionist trying to get the ad taken down by the receptionist. >> decide what's the marketing message the company Equinox will deliver. So, even even though the receptionist they are very kind and nice people. They took the complaint well and they said they already told their general manager their store manager, but their store manager also doesn't have any power to change the the marketing >> probably true. >> It's about like the corporate marketing
1:41 >> if they are going going to change it. So, I think as Asian people we have to be vocal and make people hear what we think about. That's what we at least what we can do here. So, and then they give us their their store manager's card and we're going to send an email to >> This is just more of like yeah, what she's going >> It says question everything. >> It just says question everything. >> finger in the mouth >> There's a thumb in her mouth and it and then it just says Equinox at the bottom. >> Her head's on a metal stick as well. >> Oh, like a depac like a decapitated >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Oh, ████ What's the meaning of that? >> is it like it looks like an AI chick basically. >> Is it like fake? Is it like a robot humanoid head? >> Oh, I thought it was decapitated like like you know how like head hunters would >> Yeah. >> chop a head and put it on a stick. >> That would be pretty jarring. >> I'm like what the >> But it's supposed to be like an Android.
2:31 >> Like a humanoid type of >> I'm going to try to get the clean image of it for you. >> Dude, that just that just looks like a ████ ████ shot in the mouth. Like that's where my mind goes. Like that just I just thought that girl was getting ████ a dick jammed in her mouth. >> It's Equinox, the gym. >> But the Equinox Why would that would that >> That's kind of that's kind of what people think is weird about it, yeah. >> What does that even have to do with it? >> still of it without the chick in front of it. >> That's so weird. I questioned this post. That's what I questioned. >> It's life. >> What the hell? Was that just an excuse to It's like they just repurposed an existing ad and then made it an Equinox ad. There's no What's the correlation? >> I think it's one of those marketing campaigns that just makes people talk. >> Oh. >> had to guess and I don't know that. >> Sure, so good job, I guess, but like >> a bad ad. It's not even like an I don't
3:21 even know how that's an Asian offensive thing. >> make you want to get a pump in? >> No. >> Well, she was right cuz she goes, "It looks so sexual." And I was like, "You're right. It does look like I stuck my dick in there and she I'm coming." And then she goes, "Yeah, that does not like good look good." And I'm like, "I know." >> But I think you have to be a little bit realistic though in the fact that like yeah, that's that's like a sexualized ad. It can be seen that way and it probably is. But most of these Android ████ robots are being made by ████ Asians and they make them Asian all the goddamn time. So, say something to them because that's what that's based on. >> Yeah. That is very true. Nikki um sent me this and she she just thinks it's creepy. She's not like oh this is racism or anything. She just thinks it's really creepy and she doesn't understand why Equinox did it. >> I still just can't put the I like even if we ████ stretch our minds like
4:12 what's the connection? >> think it's racist because if you change the race, will that race complain? I don't know. I don't think so. I don't think I don't think white people would be pissed >> if it was a white girl. It looks weird because it just looks like you chopped a woman's head off. I didn't really see the whole like mechanics, but it just looks I don't know. It to me it looks it it it looks scary and weird for for girls. >> yeah. >> Cuz it looks like I'm sticking a dick in her mouth. >> I think yeah, I think I got that. >> But because of that is not good cuz there's kids walking by. >> Yeah, but that that doesn't happen a lot. Like aren't there, you know, American Horror Story has >> Yeah, no. I As a kid I wouldn't even see that sexually or I wouldn't be like ooh la la over that. It doesn't look like anything to me. It's more of like I think more people are going to be offended than turned on by this. >> Mhm.
5:03 So, what's interesting about this as well is this post is about a week old as of yesterday, I think. And the Equinox has not taken it down. And in fact, it seems to people and I don't know if this is true, that more ads are going up. >> Of Asian ████ chopped >> Of the same ad. >> Because if there's a if there's a series of these, you know how like some ads they'll just run like 20 variants and it's just different heads. Does that make it any less racist, this lady? >> If the different heads are not Asian, I'm I think yeah, it's a campaign and it's less racially focused, sure. Still a bad campaign. >> It's a I don't think it's a good campaign. That's a dumb ad. I don't understand it. >> campaign. >> that's not for me, so I don't >> Yeah. >> When everything's related to business like they have hired agitators, right? Like, come on, dude. Like, targeting the Asian community is one of the easiest things
5:54 cuz it's just you get people riled up talking about it, sharing it, but then nothing ever really effective effectively happens, right? So, like that could be baked into the whole plan. >> Well, now, let me show you the next part of the ad that's showing up around town. >> What is that? >> Johnny Depp from 21 Jump Street. And then it's a different chicken kind of under boobs right here. Think it's a kind of a whitey. For sure. >> That is weird. That's really weird. But, yourself. Like, everything is like super fake. You're like really real. >> I believe so. >> Well, that's weird to have two different races set in that exact order. >> But, why did they take time or is it all there? They're just working on it. >> Oh, you Oh, I think it's this is the ad
6:44 campaign. I think cuz they have >> it slowly? >> No, they have like a bunch of butt yourselfs out there. Like, I have another one right here. >> understand the imagery behind question everything. >> Here's another butt yourself. It's >> Tupac. >> Black dude. >> Jesus. But, you know that Tupac photo? That's pretty famous. Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Way to clean up your mess. It's good that you cleaned up your mess right away. But, yeah. So, see, there there there it's kind of part of it. Like, it multiple people around town. >> Okay, I think this gets infinitely worse if it's like a butt yourself and it's like everybody's represented all amazing and it's always that Asian chick's head. >> chick is the thing you're questioning, but white and black, you don't need to question that. You're good. >> Yeah, that would be crazy. >> see spinning it that way, but you still have to do a spin. I just think the imagery is like kind of like what's the pay? >> Well, like, you didn't need a thumb
7:34 there. You could have made it more animatronic like fake. More clearly like this is like a not real. >> But, what if the ad creator fantasizes Asian women? >> I think I I understand now now in a sense I understand where they were trying to connect it by way of saying like cuz that is what kind of sells every like everybody fantasizes women like Asian women like that in a sense. >> co-sign >> So so I I can kind of understand like hey you want to be like fake sexy you want to be like real sexy. I feel like they're kind of selling that. You know? Um it's it's weird though but at the same time like it's a different clientele it's not meant for the normal people maybe maybe those people are like yeah. >> That is true that's cuz it's Equinox membership but a lot of Asians have Equinox memberships. >> You thought maybe they were trying to be relatable. Hey what about our Asians?
8:25 You know what? That AI was originally white but then the Asian stole the job and then they're like they're so ungrateful we gave it to the Asian. >> I honestly thought Equinox was a gay gay gym because of where we lived it was like West Hollywood yeah. >> I mean it's just it's pretty gay. It's like over three hundred bucks a month type stuff you know it's like it's just a different it's just a different category of people. >> Yeah. >> I don't know man I don't think it's racist but I can see Asian women going ████ another image of us being sexualized. >> Yeah Nikki dude that was creepy as ████ >> how much time has to go by before you can just be like a normal person? Like cuz if that if it's a white person that's not sexualized right? >> I think it's the representation right? So like if you're only being depicted in porn >> Right only the keyword being but I think
9:15 I I don't know that I might I might I might be like anti neck shark in this moment but like I think Asians are prevalent enough that you can sexualize some of them. You know what I mean? >> We are the majority but for some reason in America we're like not. >> I think every race gets sexualized at least some of the time in different ways. >> Definitely. >> So I'm like so wait so just Asians can't be anymore because it was a is and is a popular thing. >> Damn, are you flipping this thing? >> No, I just think it's a bad ad, but I don't I don't think it's like worthy of that type of outrage. I think you should be more outraged about getting ████ mugged as an Asian. >> That's true. >> Like you wouldn't go see the manager if you saw this? >> No. Well, because I'm an adult that understands the ████ receptions can't control that. The post itself is a better job than
10:06 talking to the people inside. >> I wonder if she was like, you know, I don't like that and then she expected it to go, "You're right." and then they all walk outside and tear it off. >> I get you tried to pass it up the chain. Yeah. >> This does fight the stereotype that all Asians are really smart. Cuz that Asian lady is not that smart if she thinks she can tell the receptionist this ████ and they'll ████ change the ad. >> she's just trying to get out there and be active with her with her concerns and I appreciate I appreciate that. >> of bases right here. >> Yeah, I appreciate that. >> This is just like come out here, complain about someone on the street, move on with your you know. >> You guys don't think there's actual merit to her argument though where she's like, "We got to stop the imagery of with like Asian women just being looked upon as like sex workers and all this stuff." >> I think that slowed down a lot. I just think that if you're going to show an Asian woman and she's fine, how are you
10:57 not sexualizing? That's the thing. It's like someone's going to see that that way, but if you just use like ugly Dove soap Asian chick >> Yeah, target that Asian chick. >> And then it's like you don't get that complaint because they're not banging. It's like >> What if she was jealous? >> thing that you're not saying. >> If you're if you're at a party and you're like, "Oh, my chick's a model." and you're like, "Oh yeah, what's she in?" And you say, "Dove." People just walk away. >> Head and Shoulders >> People turn around and walk away. >> Vidal Sassoon No, Herbal Essences those were the hot >> Herbal Essences were first. Yeah, if you're like Herbal Essences 1997 >> Cuz I still think we're we're more in terms of what era we're in. I feel like we're still at the tail end of the performative ugly. >> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. >> You know what I mean? >> The performative >> No, where they kicked all the Carl's Jr. chicks out of the ads and they had like just regular people in them and stuff. >> Or they just they literally make characters uglier for the new design.
11:49 >> Like video video games. >> Like like April O'Neil or just anything like yeah, they'll they'll just not make them Asian next time. >> They made Tomb Raider flat, dude. How do you make Tomb Raider flat? >> we're still in that era, so I don't know. If that's what's happening, it's I'm like, "Dude, there's still other kinds of like Asian portrayals. I think you can have a sexual one." But this doesn't make sense. >> So she's probably just jealous of beautiful women and she goes, "That's not a real depiction of Asian women. Look at me. I should be on the poster." >> Just another jealous ass ████ right, Joe? >> Yep. >> Hell yeah. >> That's the real reason. >> No, I'm running for mayor. She's not jealous. She's not jealous. All right, end the video. >> I knew you're going to run for mayor. I knew you would.
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