Las Vegas nightclub and Asian bistro Tao is at the center of controversy for a sexually provocative billboard in Los Angeles that some are calling racist, LA Weekly reports.
The billboard near LAX shows an image of a woman’s back covered in Chinese character tattoos, with a caption that reads, “Always a Happy Ending.”
The “happy ending” cheekily refers to prostitution at Asian massage parlors in Las Vegas and elsewhere. The billboard was first spotted this week by Christine Lu, head of investment firm Affinity China. Lu took a photo of the billboard and posted it on Twitter.
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“It’s disgusting,” Lu told LA Weekly. “As an Asian American female who has had to grow up aware of stereotypes of Asian women in this context, it’s very insulting.”
Tao is owned by Republican billionaire Sheldon Adelson who runs the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
“The Venetian is one of the casinos that relies in Chinese tourism,” Lu said. “That billboard happens to be near one of the busiest airports for Chinese visitors. Asian clientele are a big part of your business, yet you’re okay with a marketing campaign that degrades them?”
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Cal State Northridge’s Asian American Studies department chair, Gina Masequesmay, told LA Weekly that such billboard is a catch-22 once it’s up for the public’s viewing as simply removing it will not change the ongoing promotion of prejudiced racial stereotypes to maximize business.
“Take down the billboard, but they still have their business selling sex,” Masequesmay said. “If they remove it, it will be less a sore in my eye. But I think the issue is larger than just a billboard.”
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