I got this one from Tim Yu’s blog. The video above was created by a group called Americans for Job Security to protest against Bill Halter, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Arkansas. The ad accuses Bill Halter of exporting jobs to Bangalore while he was in the private sector, and it uses South Asian actors who thank Bill Halter for sending jobs to India while pseudo-Indian music plays in the background. Both Bill Halter and his opponent, incumbent Blanche Lincoln, have condemned the ad as racist.
What do you think?
I for one wasn’t too impressed with the acting in this commercial. It looked stilted, and I wasn’t buying any of it. It occurred to me that the best people to play Indians from Bangalore are Indians from Bangalore. These “Americans for Job Security” probably could’ve found more realistic portrayals of Indians from Bangalore by going to India, and they could’ve hired actors at a fraction of what South Asian American actors charge, even at minimum wage.
Oh wait…that would negate the message of this commercial, wouldn’t it?
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What?! From the Wiki:
“Americans for Job Security (AJS) is a Virginia-based 501(c)(6) group that OpenSecrets.org describes as “a pro-Republican, pro-business organization” headed by David Carney. … AJS runs “issue ads” that attack liberal and moderate candidates nationwide, but is not required to disclose its political contributions or expenditures.”
Liberal businessmen are sending our jobs overseas while the Conservatives loathe the use of low-cost third-world labor. I feel like I’ve stepped into backwards land. So is there a standard party line view on outsourcing for either the Dems or Republicans? Or is this just a weird paradox that needs to go away so I can finally sleep?
It reminds me of when Enzyte hired someone to play a Japanese businessman for their commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS9xwV2qaBg). I thought it was weird that they muted the voices, but after seeing it a few times I realized the actor was speaking Cantonese! The “Japanese” businessman lips “yat baak maan” – “1 million” in Canto.
Haha!
I think outsourcing is a non-partisan action. Many of the tech companies, most of which are run by more liberal types, have offices in Hyderabad and/or Bangalore. When you called customer service for banks, most of which are run by conservatives, you still get routed to India.
I think the general rule of thumb is this: if you run a company and can save money by outsourcing, you’ll usually outsource, regardless of which party you belong to.