Today's Paper | May 11, 2024

Ad with Ashton Kutcher as ‘Raj’ yanked after outcry

AP Published May 3, 2012

Actor Ashton Kutcher poses for photographers at the premiere of “Open Season” in Los Angeles, in this Sept. 25, 2006 file photo. An online ad featuring Ashton Kutcher as an Indian man has been pulled offline after it received online criticism. The images and video for Popchips featuring the 34-year-old “Two and a Half Men” star in brown make-up portraying a Bollywood producer named Raj who is “looking for love” was removed from YouTube and Facebook after it was criticized for being racist. - AP Photo

LOS ANGELES— An online ad featuring Ashton Kutcher as an Indian man has been pulled offline after viewers called it racist.

The images and video for Popchips feature the 34-year-old "Two and a Half Men" star in brown makeup portraying a Bollywood producer named Raj who is "looking for love." They were removed from YouTube and Facebook after being criticized online.

Other videos featuring Kutcher as a stoner, tattooed Southerner and pasty fashionista remain online.

A spokeswoman for Popchips says the dating parody featuring the four characters was "created to provoke a few laughs and was never intended to stereotype or offend anyone." She added that the company hopes "people can enjoy this in the spirit it was intended."

A spokeswoman for Kutcher hasn't return messages seeking comment.

Read more

On DawnNews
Dawn News English
Comments (3) Closed
jamal
May 03, 2012 10:30pm
i would have liked to watch it .
Recommend 0
Shaan
May 03, 2012 06:37pm
I don't see any fuss about it.
Recommend 0
Jack
May 03, 2012 11:12am
The adverts are quite amusing. What a great plan for free media spotlight. Get your ads promoted by the AP by dressing Ashton as an Indian. Good thing he didn't pick any other ethnicities to portray. Imagine the outrage. Let's get beyond the pseudo-sensitivity and learn how to laugh. Kudos to Kutcher for having a creative sense of humor.
Recommend 0

Latest Stories

dawn images site

Most Popular

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09

Must Read

Opinion

Editorial

Taxing pensions
Updated 11 May, 2024

Taxing pensions

Tax reforms have failed to deliver because of distortions created by the FBR bureaucracy through SROs, apparently for personal gains.
Orwellian slide
11 May, 2024

Orwellian slide

IN recent years, Pakistan has made several attempts at introducing an overarching mechanism through which to check...
Terror against girls
11 May, 2024

Terror against girls

ONCE again, the ogre of terrorism is seeking the sacrifice of schoolgirls. On Wednesday, just days after the...
Enrolment drive
Updated 10 May, 2024

Enrolment drive

The authorities should implement targeted interventions to bring out-of-school children, especially girls, into the educational system.
Gwadar outrage
10 May, 2024

Gwadar outrage

JUST two days after the president, while on a visit to Balochistan, discussed the need for a political dialogue to...
Save the witness
10 May, 2024

Save the witness

THE old affliction of failed enforcement has rendered another law lifeless. Enacted over a decade ago, the Sindh...