<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">China bans Nike basketball commercial as insult to national dignity posted December 6 @ 16:52, EST BEIJING (AP) - China banned a Nike television commercial showing LeBron James battling a cartoon kung fu master, saying the ad insults national dignity. The commercial, titled Chamber of Fear, was broadcast on local Chinese stations and on state television's national sports channel before being pulled last month. It shows James, the Cleveland Cavaliers' reigning NBA rookie of the year, defeating the kung fu master, two women in traditional Chinese attire and a pair of dragons, considered a sacred symbol in traditional Chinese culture. The advertisement "violates regulations that mandate that all advertisements in China should uphold national dignity and interest and respect the motherland's culture," the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television said on its website Monday. "It also goes against rules that require ads not to contain content that blasphemes national practices and cultures." The statement added: "The ad has received an indignant response from Chinese viewers." It did not say why the advertisement was considered offensive. But communist officials are sensitive about the use of Chinese cultural symbols by Westerners and might have been especially angered that the Nike advertisement showed a foreigner winning the fight. James and Nike based the ads for the 19-year-old's Air Zoom LeBron II sneakers on films featuring martial arts icon Bruce Lee. James, who is a fan of Lee's work, said he was sorry that some found the ads offensive. "It was never intended to hurt anybody or any culture or anything like that," James said after practice in Cleveland on Monday. "We put the ads together basically for kids." James said Asian reporters told him they liked the commercials. He was disappointed the ads were pulled and will prevent some of his fans from seeing him. "That's big. I need as much fans as I can get," he said. James, who signed a seven-year, $90 million US endorsement deal with Nike shortly before turning pro straight out of high school, hopes to have things patched up with his Chinese fans in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "I'll be there in 2008, so maybe they'll love me a little more when I get there," said James, who played for the U.S. Olympic team this summer in Athens. Maurice Zhou, a spokesman in Shanghai for Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike Inc. said the company had no response except to say that it "respected the government's decision." "We respect and follow the Chinese government's laws and regulations," Zhou said. The Chinese television regulator tightened controls over programming in May by prohibiting the use of English words and imported programs that promote "Western ideology and politics." The Nike advertisement is part of fast-growing foreign efforts to cash in on the huge popularity of basketball in China and the celebrity of James and other NBA players, such as China's Yao Ming. Last month, a series of Nike ads in Singapore designed to resemble graffiti drew attention in a nation known for civic order. The small, page-size posters featuring anime-style images of James were pasted over the ad panels of 700 bus stops, surprising commuters who were used to very tidy shelters. At least 50 commuters complained, shelter officials said.</div> http://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/shownews.jsp?content=v120623A
yea^ and when i first saw that commercial i thought it was aimed at getting more chinese people interested, but i guess i was wrong
Il ike the commercial but that's kind of stupid. People get made fun of all the time. It's something you have to deal with. I thought it was aimed to get more Chinese people interested to but I didn't think they would take it personally.
^I thought so too, I just thought they were trying to expand his popularity even more. I doubt this will really effect his sales in Asia, hey they have him playing against african-american kung-fu guys, you don't see any african-americans complaining about that. And I'm sure if there were caucasian people in it they wouldn't be offended. China's government took this commercial too seriously.
Well I thought the commericals were okay, but not that great. I don't think they should've banned it though. It's not that degrading. The new colorways for the shoe are great. The white/blue ones I'm talkin' about.
Haha, I'm sorry but I thought those commercials were terrible. To be honest, I started laughing when I first saw it. I'm 1/8 Chinese, and this doesn't offend me . Then again, I wasn't born in the Chinese culture so really I have no clue why they're offended.
If I was Chinese, I might be affended by the LeBron commercials. You have to be able to understand other people culture and beleifs. I'm sure Nike didnt make these commercials to offend Chinese people, just a creative way to describe LeBron accomplishments.
Come on guys, obviously we aren't going to understand why they were offended, but should still be understanding.
They really took this serious, enough to ban the commrcial. its not like it was an intend to offend the chinese or anything. I think the commercials funny.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting DerfZ:</div><div class="quote_post">lmao^ its supposed to b funny</div> Good. I still think it's lame though.
I didn't really like that part where LeBron kicks that kungfu guy while he's hanging on to the rim. It offended me.
pretty nice commercial, and i'd guess its understandable that the chinese people would be offended considering their culture and all.
Those commercials are sweet. I especially like the one where hear's guarded from driving to the basket, the guy says he aint got no game, and then he shows his 3 shot. Kinda like letting the world know he's got a new weapon in his arsenal. Anyways that sucks for Lebron. I'm sure kids will find a way to boot leg it.
Chances are it was old doods in the Chinese Government who got offended. Most of these old guys like portrayals of Chinese people to show their strength and honor and glorify their culture. The Soviet Union milked the victory in World War II for 40 years. They showed WWII movies on Russian tv all the time. Showing these images which show the triumph of Communism over facism helped legitimize the regime. Of course after a couple of generations, that didnt work, by the 80s the economy was crap and they were getting their butts kicked in Afghanistan.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ming637:</div><div class="quote_post">I didn't really like that part where LeBron kicks that kungfu guy while he's hanging on to the rim. It offended me.</div> Um wasn't he kicking the animated version of himself?
