Local Hmong outraged at Burger King’s depiction of ‘tribesmen’ who ‘don’t even have a word for burger’

“What happens if you take remote Chiang Mai villagers who have never seen a burger, who don’t even have a word for ‘burger,’” asks the narrator of Burger King’s new “Whopper Virgins” commercial, “and ask them to compare a Whopper versus Big Mac in the world’s purest taste test?” The ad, which, naturally, claims that these “tribesmen” — actually Hmong residents of northern Thailand — preferred the Whopper over McDonalds’ offering, has offended local Hmong, writes Mary Turck at the Twin Cities Daily Planet. Seng Vang wrote a letter to the company challenging their assertion that members of these hill tribes have never heard of Burger King (I noticed the fast-food chain near Chiang Mai’s famed night market a year ago) and that these villagers are “pure.”

“I’ve got news for you,” Vang wrote. “It has now been confirmed that those individuals in your commercial spot are in fact quite familiar with Burger King as well as McDonalds, two fast food chains that are quite popular right in the heart of Chiangmai, Thailand! In fact, a couple of Hmong Thai students are employees at both places as I write!”

Burger King responded with a letter (pdf) of its own, stating that the company “always strive to be sensitive to cultural concerns” and that it is their “practice to associate our brand with campaigns that are within the bounds of good taste, executed appropriately, and not offensive to any substantial population group.”

But the answer wasn’t satisfactory to Vang, who wrote a follow-up:

The Hmong of the world, especially those in Thailand and in the U.S. are NOT satisfied by your explanations.

Let’s look at the your ad, again, word for word, line for line.

BK claims in it’s ad: “What happens if you take remote Chiang Mai villagers who have never seen a burger?”

This is obviously a false, as the specific people in the ads (who are our relatives) HAVE seen burgers before, lots of it. Almost every Hmong Thai villages in Thailand have a TV. Thailand has how many BK franchises? How many commercials in Thai have these franchises run in the past several decades? Even the most remote Hmong villages in Thailand, like the ones in your ad, drive Toyota Tundras, talk to their relatives in St. Paul on their cell phones, and watch CNN and BBC on their satellite TVs. Never seen a burger? Pure fiction. Hmong villagers in Thailand aren’t as backward or primitive as you want Americans or the world to think. This type of stereotype needs to stop! BK eating Hmong Americans demands it.

BK ad claims: “[Hmong] Who don’t even have a word for burger?

In Thai, burgers are called, “Ber-Gerh”. Hmong Thais may not pronounce “burger” you and I would, but they know what a burger is. It’s not like lutefisk or something. Please.

BK ad claims: “And ask them to compare a Whopper versus Big Mac in the world’s purest taste test.”

They have had burgers before. They have had Whoppers before. They have had Big Macs before.

BK ad claims: “The Whopper is America’s favorite.”

I’m sure millions of Thai people, including the Hmong of Thailand likes the Whopper too. They also like the Big Mac just as well. If they can afford it.

BK ad claims: “But what will these people choose?”

“These people?” Those primitives in remote places of the world? As if they exist in a time warp and isolated from the rest of the world. Last I checked, there was a Hmong Super Delegate for Barack Obama. Get your heads out of the sand. We all live in a very tight knit global society.

Finally, your BK ad claims: “The Whopper Virgins will decide.”

Obviously, BK and their ad agency, CONTRARY to their claim that they “carefully constructed the campaign to respect the cultures of the people who participated in the test,” yet have by calling remote Hmong villagers in Thailand “virgins”, BK has committed a grave and unspeakable cultural gaffe, especially with images of Hmong men chumping on “burgers.” Need a little Hmong cultural and diversity orientation, BK?

Let the apologies come forth, and hopefully soon. Some of these Hmong people know how to run viral campaigns on Youtube too, you know.