Oreos, China & World Hegemony
On the surface, this ad for Oreo cookies seems to be saying “Kid’s are the same the world over.” Closer study however reveals a more troubling message…
At the beginning, an American girl boards a train in China. Looking around her foreign surroundings, she sees people eating noodles. Obviously not enthused about such local fare, the girl is relieved when mom presents her with a familiar snack of Oreo cookies and milk. Getting down to the business of snacking, the girl looks out her window and catches a Chinese girl doing the exact same thing. The Chinese girl then appears to mimic her every move as the American girl looks on in quiet disbelief. As soon as the American girl turns to inform her mother, the Chinese girl’s train takes off leaving the American girl gazing in helpless wonder. Her mother gives her a look of mild disbelief and goes back to the blissful ignorance of reading what’s most likely the latest edition of People magazine.
What are we to take from this? Chinese youth has already embarked on a train ride of world domination as America’s children watch helplessly from the station. While America has slumbered and been comforted by an image of China as a simple land where simple folk follow old-fashioned customs (eg. eating noodles), the real China has blossomed and can now not only mimic Western ways (eg. eating Oreos), but is also now leaving the West behind in the train race for global hegemony.
What is the solution to this problem? The good people at Nabisco don’t give us an answer, but by bringing the situation to the nation’s attention they have done us a great service.
