A pub in Sydney’s east has come under fire for displaying coronavirus signs deemed racist and discriminatory, as social tension mirrors the seriousness of the global disposition and not all appreciate attempts to make any light of the situation.
The Maroubra Junction Hotel was spotted displaying signs advocating its “Chinese” coronavirus plan, also featuring a potentially misplaced dig at Victorians – specifically hipsters.
Federal Labor MP Andrew Giles, shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, saw the offending notices, reportedly on screens outside the pub, and personally went inside and spoke to the owner and manager.
He asked for the signs to be removed and was told this would happen.
“They said they will take it down immediately, as they should,” he tweeted.
“There’s never any excuse for racism. Now, it’s especially important that we reject the forces of hate and division that are attacking our social cohesion and diminishing us all.”
There were said to be further signs inside the pub, referring to COVID-19 as the “Wuhan” coronavirus, and some have offered on social media that similar signs have been up at the Hotel for eight weeks.
The ‘scandal’ has driven coverage for the MJH via the likes of 9News, New Daily, 7News, News.com.au and more.
While many have been tempted to associate the deadly virus with China, it stands to exacerbate societal divide and actually “misses the point” on the true underlying influences of the global pandemic.
Criticism of China mostly focuses on either the country’s Communist party concealing vital information during the early stages, or on what appear to be extreme cultural practices of the Chinese people giving rise to the disease.
While it may be unequivocal the state’s suppression of Dr Li Wenliang was wrong, and that the severity of the novel virus was downplayed in apparent protection of party image, it should be noted that once human-to-human contact was assured the Chinese swiftly made the map of the entire genome of the virus available to governments around the world.
Armed with this information, many governments took far longer to react than the time for which China is criticised – even with the WHO cautioning its potential. The UK pondered for eight weeks, while the US polluted the argument with politics and took 70 days to initiate a response.
In terms of culture, the consumption of pangolin, the creature best-estimated to be the source of COVID-19, has become one of the signs of capitalist success in the country, in line with its 4,285 per cent price rise since 1994.
Brands and businesses around the world have been walking a marketing tightrope, hoping to keep their presence known in the minds of consumers while not appearing opportunistic of a calamity.
Publishing cornerstone Time said of this challenge that “overwhelmed, stressed-out consumers may have a long memory for how those companies make them feel in this moment”.
Presumably, Melbournian ‘hipsters’ were also offended by the sign, but no-one seems to care.
(ABOVE: example of well-executed brand communication during COVID, by Budweiser)
