An Asian-American watchdog group is taking issue with a USA Network promotional campaign featuring a voice-over actor using a bad Japanese accent, the New York Daily News reports.
The Media Action Network for Asian Americans wants USA to put the kibosh on its "Banzai Movie Friday." The group expressed anger after an airing of the first edition of USA's new "Banzai Movie Friday," a series of on-air promotional shorts that poke fun at Japanese game shows, on Aug. 10.
Guy Aoki, president of MANAA, told the News he was unhappy with the accent of the actor used to narrate the spots. "Although the games on the show are fine, the announcer's accent makes all Asians sound strange," Aoki told The News. "It perpetuates the notion that Asians are, and always will be, foreigners in this country."
The short segments, which air during commercial breaks, include contestants participating in offbeat games such as balancing mugs of lamb urine on their heads, while the announcer urges viewers to bet on the outcome via phone.
Participants are eligible to win prizes, such as digital cameras. It's a device to bolster USA's Friday night movie franchise, stretching the spots over several commercial breaks so viewers stay tuned to see who wins.
