Episode #24: Shock (Again) over Racism in China, Why it's Important to Have Unfettered Access to Case Law, TikTok's Aggressive PR Statement, Enya and the Beastie Boys

Talking Shop Podcast

While America continues to wrestle with racism, most people would be shocked at how tolerant other countries are of overt discrimination. Case in point: the removal of Star Wars actor John Boyega from Jo Malone's advertisements in China -- because he's black. It's not the first time this has happened to black actors in China, and not even the first time it's happened to John Boyega! Cam looks at what went wrong, why this is not a situation with easy answers, and what PR teams can consider before signing off on a global ad campaign.

Ewan dives into the issue of public access to case law and other legal documentation in the United States, and explains why this seemingly mundane issue is so critically important to people everywhere.

Also: looking again at Enya and the Beastie Boys, TikTok's combative PR statement, and the thorny issue of intellectual property.

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Links and Show Notes

• Travel bubble for Hong Kong: will overtures to 11 countries get the city anywhere amid COVID-19 pandemic? - South China Morning Post
• The class of RBG - Slate
• Bill to tear down federal courts' paywall gains momentum in congress - Ars Technica
• What should brands do when they're 'cancelled'? - The Drum
• John Boyega drops Jo Malone after being cut from brand's China ad - The Drum
• John Boyega gets apology from perfume brand Jo Malone after being cut out of Chinese commercial - Variety
• 'Star Wars' China poster sparks controversy after shrinking John Boyega's character - Variety
• The 'racist' China washing powder ad and the truth about Afrophobia in China - Quartz
• Black man is washed whiter in racist Chinese detergent advert - The Guardian
• TikTok says Trump ban attempt shows 'no adherence to the law' - The Verge

Check This Out

• Enya is everywhere - Pitchfork
• The 'Beastie Boys Story' documentary is both a history lesson and a raw live experience - Pitchfor
• QAnon explained with NBC's Ben Collins - Recode Media Podcast
• Buying myself back: when does a model own her own image? - The Cut

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.