An ad about biscuits usually involves actors simply crunching on biscuits. But a recent heartwarming ad by Malaysian confectionery Julie’s Biscuits went viral, by having a bunch of makcik talents complain about being fed gender stereotypical lines by their ad director.

Titled “Ini Iklan Raya, tau?” (This is Raya ad, you know?), the almost four-minute clip by homegrown creative agency GOVT Singapore has racked up nearly a million views on YouTube since being posted on May 3, 2021.

The entertaining meta storyline revolves around the makcik actresses, who are filming a series of vignettes about a family celebrating Hari Raya. Egged on by the director, an elderly makcik wails melodramatically about her children not visiting her for the festive season.

Once the camera stops rolling, the makcik - who fulfils product placement duties by angrily stuffing a Julie’s wafer back into its tin - grumbles about her passive role. “Director, if my kids can’t come home to see me, why can’t I go to them?” she challenges, only to be dismissed by the director, who yells: “This is a Raya ad, okay!”

In another vignette titled ‘Onion Tears’, a second makcik gags as she tries to force out a line directed at her on-screen daughter: “When are you getting married?”

When confronted by the exasperated director, the rebel makcik cries out: “Eh! Why can’t I talk to her about other things? Like crypto? Global warming? Mental health, maybe? Or gender inequality? Something! It’s always about marriage, marriage, marriage! Why?”

She, too, is swiftly shut down by the director, who tells her that her character will be killed off after that scene.

A third vignette, ‘Homecooked Tears’, has the offed makcik's daughter wearily cooking rendang alone for Hari Raya. It also includes a clever reference that involves wafers and crunchy rendang (remember the 2018 MasterChef UK ‘Rendangate’ hooha where a judge criticised a Malaysian contestant for not serving “crunchy” rendang?).

As the ad director encourages the actress to “only cry from your left eye”, the fed-up actress retorts: “Why am I the only one cooking? Don’t I have siblings who can help?”

The ad ends with the director stomping off due to his cast all going off-script, and a sentimental message that says: “It’s time to change the script. Let’s give women the love and appreciation they deserve.” Food for thought, yes?

Watch the YouTube ad here.