[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – The Health Promotion Council (HPB) has removed one of Pepe the Frog's posts from one of his videos, after a report has designated the cartoon character as a symbol racist.
The news and lifestyle website Coconuts.co reported on Tuesday, October 23, the disappearance of the frog in a recent video of the HPB promoting the National Steps Challenge.
A screen shot posted on the website shows Pepe the frog that appears in a corner of the frame when the actor Chua En Lai interacts with audience members.
Coconuts then cited examples of Pepe's use by the far-right movement in the United States. The anti-defamation league, a Jewish non-governmental organization, has also classified the frog as a symbol of hatred.
In response to questions, HPB said Wednesday at the Straits Times that it had thanked Coconuts Singapore for explaining how the image was used in the United States.
"Neither we, nor our video producer, were aware of the different interpretations of the image," the council said.
"Given the reactions received and in order to avoid any misconception about the intention of the image, the video has been removed to remove the image of the frog from the video."
A new video without the frog has since been downloaded.
According to the American channel CNN, Pepe the Frog first appeared on the Internet in 2005, as part of Matt Furie's cartoons at Boy's Club.
The Internet was quickly captivated by the frog's distinctive mocking smile and Pepe became a popular meme to express different emotions, such as sadness and anger, as well as experiences, such as feeling good or bad about something.
But the frog's image took a political turn in the campaign for the 2016 US presidential election, after far-right groups have appropriated themselves, as CNN reported. , Adolf Hitler, a Klansman member and racist cartoons, among other performances.
[ad_2]
Source link
