Adelaide`s new Asian-themed gourmet bar, Hotel Longtime, has provoked outrage among social media users and has been denounced and subject to racial discrimination.
According to the Daily Mail, the bar`s owner and boss, Alex Fahey and Tin Chu, denied that the bar was racist, saying the name "ping-pong club (Ping Pong Club Room)" had nothing to do with sex shows.
Critics say the name of the bar is reminiscent of the scene of Vietnamese prostitutes saying, "I`ve loved you for a long time, (Me love you long time)," in the movie "all Metal Shell." (Full Metal Jacket).
They said the ping-pong club private room was prostitution-themed, referring to "Asian strippers performing indecent behavior" and posters of "brothel pimps".
According to the Advertising newspaper, Vietnamese boss Chu said the design of the Hotel Longtime was definitely not associated with what critics said. "it`s worth mentioning that I`m one of the directors of this licensed company, and I`m a proud Asian woman, trying to run my own business."
"our name doesn`t mean anything to insult or offend women. "if someone feels insulted or offended, we have to apologize," she said.
Fahey denied that the table tennis club room was a table tennis sex show, saying the name had been used for a long time. "it`s like a club room, like a football club room for guests to finish playing ping-pong and have a drink. It has nothing to do with the table tennis show in Thailand. "
Alice Whittington initiated petition on Change.org and asked the couple to change their names. These themes, she says, perpetuate negative stereotypes about people of Asian descent.
She said the couple may be hard-working culinary people, but they can also not be involved in creating destructive racial stereotypes. "I want to represent the Asians, especially women, and want them to change the name of the store and acknowledge the blatantly aggravating stereotype of the name and concept. I`m proud of myself, half Asian, born and raised in Adelaide. Here and the rest of the world, I`ve been horribly slandered, racially harassed and sexually harassed in this movie`s all Metal Shell. "
Whittington said she did not believe the couple`s name and subject matter were innocent, and that while Chu was Asian, it did not mean it could be done.
The Asian community, she said, did not support Chu`s claim because she said she was Asian, and it would be fine to do so.
Many social media users agree with Whittington, leaving a lot of one-star reviews on Longtime`s Facebook page.
