It appears some people find this racist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9H0xPWAtaa8
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270134/Volkswagen-accused-racism-Super-Bowl-ad-uses-white-actors-Jamaican-accents.html
Quote'It's like blackface with voices': Volkswagen accused of racism for Super Bowl ad that uses white actors with Jamaican accents
- The 60-second commercial called 'racist' and 'off-putting' by prominent critics
- Car maker will spend $8 million to air ad during Sunday's game
- Volkswagen defends ad saying 'they did their homework' and tested it with 100 Jamaicans
German car company Volkswagen's Super Bowl ad today ignited claims of racism over its use of Jamaican accents from white actors with one critic saying 'it's like blackface with voices.'
The 60-second spot, which was unveiled Monday, features a white man who is apparently so happy that he owns a Volkswagen that he speaks with a Jamaican accent as he tries to cheer up others in his office.
But the advert, which will cost the car maker $8 million to air during Sunday's game, has struck many has being offensive since it suggests that all people in the Caribbean are relaxed and don't feel stress.
'It's just saying, ''Black people are happy,''' complained Barbara Lippert, editor-at-large of Mediapost.com, on the Today show.
'Didn't anyone look at this? This is so racist,' she added.
She predicted the car company would pull the ad before the game, which is routinely watched by more than a hundred million viewers and costs companies $4 million for just 30-seconds of airtime.
During a segment Monday on CNN's Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien, New York Times columnist Charles Blow blasted the ad.
'I don't like it all,' he said during the roundtable discussion.
'It's like blackface with voices. I don't like that.'
The ad begins in a crowded office elevator with one person complaining about Mondays, with another quickly chiming in that they are 'the worst.'
'No worries man, everything will be alright,' the Volkswagen owner tells his colleagues in a thick Island accent.
The man is later seen hanging out at the coffee machine and then approaches a co-worker who appears overwhelmed.
'Julia, turn the fround the other way around,' he instructs her.
Later, the man admits to a co-worker that he is from a place as opposite as a tropical island as one can find - Minnesota.
He then tells a conference room full of people hearing terrible news about the company that: 'You know what this room needs? A smile. Who wants to come with us?'
He then takes his boss and another person along for a ride in his red Beetle.
When they get back to the office, an uptight man tells them they are three-minutes late, prompting the other two men in the car to respond in their Jamaican accent 'don't be no cloud on a sunny day' and 'yeah, chill out Winston.'
Tim Mahoney, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Volkswagen of America, said on CNN that the company consulted with 100 Jamaicans and used a dialect coach on-set to ensure that the accents were accurate.
'We obviously did our homework to make sure that we weren't offensive,' he said.
Mahoney added that famed Jamaican performer Jimmy Cliff sings a cover of the Partridge Family's 'C'mon, Get Happy.'
But that hasn't satisfied everyone.
Christopher John Farley, a Jamaican-born journalist, wrote in the Wall Street Journal that the accents reminded him of the controversial character Jar Jar Binks from the Star Wars movies, who used a Caribbean accent and broken English for comedic effect.
'It's off-putting to see the Island spirit used as a punchline,' he wrote.
'The Jamaican aesthetic–shaped by such Jamaican-born notables as Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey and the revolutionary Nanny of the Maroons–is founded on positive vibration, not mindless happiness.'
The ad has found a few defenders, however.
During the CNN debate, O'Brien, who has developed a long-running series, 'Black in America' that probes issues of race in the country, said she enjoyed the ad.
And during the segment on the Today show, host Matt Lauer responded to Lippert's criticisms by saying, 'I take a completely different view of it, to be honest with you.
'I thought, If you buy this car, it puts you in a happy place.
'And what's happier then the memories we all have of being on beautiful islands on island time. That's the way I took it,' he said.
And one commentator, Michelle Stalling, on the car company's YouTube page, where the ad has already been viewed more than 500,000 times, wrote, 'Jimmy Cliff and VW. I see positivity and happiness in this Ad. I love it.'
The criticism is rare for the car company, who two years ago produced the most talked-about ad for the Super Bowl.The commercial featuring a young boy pretending to be Darth Vader and remotely 'starting' the car was widely praised.
'It ate up the internet, it was the most popular ad ever,' Lippert said of the 2011 commercial.
'This one is clearly a mistake in judgment.'
I don't understand why they paired Jamaican voices with white people. I think the Jar Jar Binks comments in the article feels about right on.
Having a sister in law who's a trustafarian and a nephew of color, I feel qualified to speak on this subject. No, it is not racist.
Seriously, FFS lighten up people.
Quote from: garbon on January 30, 2013, 03:34:26 PM
I don't understand why they paired Jamaican voices with white people.
Hey! Something like 5% of Jamaicans are white people.
Anyway this is more about the reputation of Jamaicans to party and be laid back then about all black people so while it may be playing on a national stereotype it feels odd to characterize as racist.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on January 30, 2013, 03:43:20 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 30, 2013, 03:40:31 PM
Seriously, FFS lighten up people.
This.
Easy for you to say. Your race and nationality are not being drawn through the mud by Nazi-descended Germans.
Quote from: Valmy on January 30, 2013, 03:41:35 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 30, 2013, 03:34:26 PM
I don't understand why they paired Jamaican voices with white people.
Hey! Something like 5% of Jamaicans are white people.
Anyway this is more about the reputation of Jamaicans to party and be laid back then about all black people so while it may be playing on a national stereotype it feels odd to characterize as racist.
Oh I agree with you. Really just seems sort of juvenile - isn't it funny when we take the "funny" accent of one group of people and pair with video of another group?
If this add has even made it to the deep recesses of Languish consciousness, it sounds to me like they have hit superbowl ad gold with this one.
My nephew speaks English with a Jamaicanesque accent. Cute little guy. I speak back to him the same way :)
Quote from: crazy canuck on January 30, 2013, 03:51:32 PM
If this add has even made it to the deep recesses of Languish consciousness, it sounds to me like they have hit superbowl ad gold with this one.
It's nowhere near as good as their 2011 Darth Vader commercial.
Quote from: Syt on January 30, 2013, 03:53:14 PM
It's nowhere near as good as their 2011 Darth Vader commercial.
Yeah that one was awesome.
Great ad. Totally awesome Jamaican accent. Still won't buy a Bug.
I think any Jamaicans saw it they would howl with laughter. Unless maybe they were enrolled in a Black Studies program.
Yi apparently has the right of it
http://news.yahoo.com/jamaica-embraces-controversial-super-bowl-190953703.html
QuoteJamaica embraces controversial Super Bowl ad
Jamaica is embracing a controversial Super Bowl commercial that depicts a white office worker from the U.S. Midwest feigning the Caribbean island's lilting patois accent to display a cheerful, upbeat outlook.
Some U.S. critics have described the pregame Super Bowl ad from Volkswagen of America as offensive and culturally insensitive, apparently seeing the commercial that hit the web on Monday as an echo of segregation-era depictions of white people posing as happy-go-lucky black folk. Jamaica's population is predominantly black.
On NBC's "The Today Show," Barbara Lippert, editor-at-large at mediapost.com, said she believed the commercial was racist because it was "just saying that black people are happy." New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow said during an appearance on CNN that the advertisement was like "blackface with voices."
But the charged reaction has met with puzzlement in Jamaica, which has very visible white, Asian, Middle Eastern and mixed-race minorities that also often speak with the local accent.
The island's government has endorsed the commercial, which shows an ebullient white worker from the U.S. state of Minnesota trying to cheer up glum colleagues with a Jamaican patois accent because he is so happy with his Volkswagen. At the start of the commercial, he paraphrases the lyrics to late reggae icon Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" as he tells his co-workers: "No worries, mon. Everyting will be all right."
The company's website continues the theme, offering a clip of Jamaica's Jimmy Cliff singing "C'mon, get happy."
On Wednesday, opposition lawmaker Edmund Bartlett said the television ad "is a perfect illustration of Jamaican culture's global reach and our uncharacteristic penchant to be happy even in challenging situations."
Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeill said he believes the Super Bowl commercial has the potential to increase tourist arrivals.
"I think this is a very creative commercial which truly taps into the tremendous appeal that brand Jamaica and its hospitable people have globally," McNeill said in a late Tuesday statement.
At a Kingston bus stop, office assistant Jennifer Blake said she saw the Volkswagen advertisement online and thought it was amusing to see an American trying to speak patois.
"I'm not sure why people would think it was offensive or anything," she said Wednesday, adding that many of her friends have shared links to the commercial on social media.
Nearly all islanders, regardless of class, can speak and understand the country's patois. Jamaica's official language is standard English, but many people cannot speak it.
Those who speak standard English fluently, mostly people from the middle and upper classes, tend to use patois for emphasis or to affect a down-to-earth persona.
A representative for Volkswagen of America said Wednesday morning that the company has no plans to pull the Super Bowl spot.
"As of this morning, we received no consumer calls or complaints about our ad. In fact, we've only received positive endorsements," Scott Vazin, a company spokesman, said in an email.
So basically looks like media being offended. :D
The ad plays lightheartedly on stereotypes generally, including the boring, anal middle class white office worker and high-quality German engineering. It's kind of goofy, but harmless.
It is no news that a lot of people seem to thrive on finding things to be offended by. Some even make their careers by doing it. If racism didn't exist they'd have to invent it.
Quote from: derspiess on January 30, 2013, 03:40:31 PM
Having a sister in law who's a trustafarian and a nephew of color, I feel qualified to speak on this subject. No, it is not racist.
Seriously, FFS lighten up people.
Lighten up?
RACISS!
Like I'd buy a VW in the first place.
Quote from: Scipio on January 30, 2013, 07:27:01 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 30, 2013, 03:40:31 PM
Having a sister in law who's a trustafarian and a nephew of color, I feel qualified to speak on this subject. No, it is not racist.
Seriously, FFS lighten up people.
Lighten up?
RACISS!
Weightist :contract:
Quote from: Ed Anger on January 30, 2013, 07:47:42 PM
Like I'd buy a VW in the first place.
I had one once. Once.
I had a vw scirocco in college. Fun car til it died.
Herbie would be rolling around in his grave.
Back in 2000 I dated 2 girls who drove Jettas.
Then I got back together with my ex-wife.
:shivers: That was a rough year. :yuk:
I find it substantially far less offensive than Kia's advertising series from a couple years ago, with "urban culture" rodents. Blacks = Vermin? Figures for an Asian car company.
http://youtu.be/Ty-BMr6SVlI
I liked that one just for introducing me to that song.
Fuck the racism, that's a horrible tune.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on January 31, 2013, 06:40:46 AM
I liked that one just for introducing me to that song.
And you were where in the '80s/90s?
Isn't Jamaica as a very laid back place a stereotype that has been used in dozens of adverts before? Hell, IIRC some brands (tropicana maybe?) even base all their advertising on it.
I friggin hated both the KIA ads and that song.
Incidentally, could someone explain to me why it is ok for (white) actors to use "hillbilly" or "gay" voices for comedy value, but when they use a "black" voice it is unacceptable?
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.haitilibre.com%2Fimages-a%2Fg-4408.jpg&hash=2f10a24c37b28427a004d15667966a7aa3818d4a)
This is Haiti's Tourism Minister. She's not black. She has the biggest haitian accent (in french) I've ever heard.
Sometimes, white people have traditionaly black accent because thats where they live/grew up.
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 08:20:58 AM
Incidentally, could someone explain to me why it is ok for (white) actors to use "hillbilly" or "gay" voices for comedy value, but when they use a "black" voice it is unacceptable?
Because both hillbillies and gays are also white people in many cases?
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 31, 2013, 08:30:11 AM
This is Haiti's Tourism Minister. She's not black. She has the biggest haitian accent (in french) I've ever heard.
Sometimes, white people have traditionaly black accent because thats where they live/grew up.
Yeah I already mentioned that a certain percentage of Jamaicans are white. But, as I said, they are not playing up a racist stereotype but a national one so I do not really get the racist angle.
Quote from: Valmy on January 31, 2013, 08:32:54 AM
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 08:20:58 AM
Incidentally, could someone explain to me why it is ok for (white) actors to use "hillbilly" or "gay" voices for comedy value, but when they use a "black" voice it is unacceptable?
Because both hillbillies and gays are also white people in many cases?
Yes but so what? Why it is alright to laugh at the way a hillbilly speaks but not ok to laugh at the way an inner city black thug speaks? I white city-dwelling comedia has as much to do culturally with the former as with the latter.
I thought you were smarter than to offer me such an obviously stupid response. :huh:
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 08:56:26 AM
Yes but so what? Why it is alright to laugh at the way a hillbilly speaks but not ok to laugh at the way an inner city black thug speaks? I white city-dwelling comedia has as much to do culturally with the former as with the latter.
I thought you were smarter than to offer me such an obviously stupid response. :huh:
Um it is perfectly ok to laugh at the way an inner city black thug speaks but a black person has to do the mocking. They do all the time. And it has to do with our, as in US, cultural history. When black people make fun of other black people it does not bring up White Supremacist type associations. And, come to think of it, there are some white comedians who can make fun of black people and everybody is cool with it, they just do it in a certain way that feels ok. It is complicated but race in the US makes all of us nuts.
Valmy, why are you even arguing the issue of minority sensitivities to a European whose traditional national sport is Jew murdering?
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 31, 2013, 08:30:11 AM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.haitilibre.com%2Fimages-a%2Fg-4408.jpg&hash=2f10a24c37b28427a004d15667966a7aa3818d4a)
This is Haiti's Tourism Minister. She's not black. She has the biggest haitian accent (in french) I've ever heard.
Sometimes, white people have traditionaly black accent because thats where they live/grew up.
She looks about a quarter black to me. Maybe half.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 31, 2013, 09:14:59 AM
She looks about a quarter black to me. Maybe half.
She looks like a white chick that gets some sun.
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 08:20:58 AM
Incidentally, could someone explain to me why it is ok for (white) actors to use "hillbilly" or "gay" voices for comedy value, but when they use a "black" voice it is unacceptable?
Partly for the reasons Valmy said, and party because those are the rules of political correctness.
Once you have achieved Official Victimhood Status, if you say something is offensive, then it's offensive.
Quote from: Valmy on January 31, 2013, 08:58:57 AM
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 08:56:26 AM
Yes but so what? Why it is alright to laugh at the way a hillbilly speaks but not ok to laugh at the way an inner city black thug speaks? I white city-dwelling comedia has as much to do culturally with the former as with the latter.
I thought you were smarter than to offer me such an obviously stupid response. :huh:
Um it is perfectly ok to laugh at the way an inner city black thug speaks but a black person has to do the mocking.
Why?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 31, 2013, 09:14:59 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 31, 2013, 08:30:11 AM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.haitilibre.com%2Fimages-a%2Fg-4408.jpg&hash=2f10a24c37b28427a004d15667966a7aa3818d4a)
This is Haiti's Tourism Minister. She's not black. She has the biggest haitian accent (in french) I've ever heard.
Sometimes, white people have traditionaly black accent because thats where they live/grew up.
She looks about a quarter black to me. Maybe half.
No she doesn't.
Anyways, to change ad topics, Arab-Americans are protesting a Coke ad is racist.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/arab-american-groups-say-coke-super-bowl-ad-racist-1B8191874
Quote
Arab-American groups say Coke Super Bowl ad is racist
Arab-American groups have sharply criticized a Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad depicting an Arab walking through the desert with a camel, and one group said it would ask the beverage giant to change it before CBS airs the game on Sunday before an expected audience of more than 100 million U.S. viewers.
"Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC.
Coca-Cola released an online teaser of the commercial last week, showing the Arab walking through a desert. He soon sees cowboys, Las Vegas showgirls and a motley crew fashioned after the marauders of the apocalyptic "Mad Max" film race by him to reach a gigantic bottle of Coke.
In its ad, Coke asks viewers to vote online on which characters should win the race. The online site does not allow a vote for the Arab character.
"The Coke commercial for the Super Ball is racist, portraying Arabs as backward and foolish Camel Jockeys, and they have no chance to win in the world," Imam Ali Siddiqui, president of the Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies, said in an email.
"What message is Coke sending with this?" asked Abed Ayoub, ADC's director of legal and policy affairs. "By not including the Arab in the race, it is clear that the Arab is held to a different standard when compared to the other characters in the commercial," he said.
CBS declined comment. Coca-Cola spokeswoman Lauren Thompson said Coke took a "cinematic" approach with the ad, employing the characters as a nod to movies of the past.
"Coca-Cola is an inclusive brand enjoyed by all demographics," she said in an email. "We illustrate our core values, from fun and refreshment to happiness, inspiration and optimism across all of our marketing communications."
Ayoub said ADC intended to contact Coke and CBS Corp on Thursday to "hopefully start a dialog."
"I want to know why this happened and how can we fix this if possible before Sunday," he said.
The ADC garnered attention back in 1992 when it complained that lyrics in the Walt Disney animated film "Aladdin" were racist.
Ronald Goodstein, professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, said he was surprised by the image as well. "If Coke's vision is to be an arm's distance away from every customer, why would they want to offend the Arab world?" said Goodstein.
Ayoub said the commercial could harm Coke's business with the Arab community.
"Coke should understand and respect their consumers and have a better understanding of the market they are sharing," he Ayoub.
The company has a large market share in the Middle East and North Africa, he noted, and many convenience stores and other retail outlets in the United States that offer Coke are owned by Arab-Americans.
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 09:46:50 AM
Why?
Because, as I said, if a white person does it it seems like White Supremacy more than simply making fun of how silly people are. And since White Supremacism has been social problem #1 for centuries it tends to bring up strong emotions.
Quote from: Valmy on January 31, 2013, 08:58:57 AM
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 08:56:26 AM
Yes but so what? Why it is alright to laugh at the way a hillbilly speaks but not ok to laugh at the way an inner city black thug speaks? I white city-dwelling comedia has as much to do culturally with the former as with the latter.
I thought you were smarter than to offer me such an obviously stupid response. :huh:
Um it is perfectly ok to laugh at the way an inner city black thug speaks but a black person has to do the mocking. They do all the time. And it has to do with our, as in US, cultural history. When black people make fun of other black people it does not bring up White Supremacist type associations. And, come to think of it, there are some white comedians who can make fun of black people and everybody is cool with it, they just do it in a certain way that feels ok. It is complicated but race in the US makes all of us nuts.
Robin Williams always got away with it somehow.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 31, 2013, 09:17:12 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 31, 2013, 09:14:59 AM
She looks about a quarter black to me. Maybe half.
She looks like a white chick that gets some sun.
I could see 1/4.
She looks blacker than Blake Griffin.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 31, 2013, 09:57:06 AM
She looks blacker than Blake Griffin.
My wife said something very unkind about him the other day :(
Quote from: derspiess on January 31, 2013, 09:51:35 AM
Robin Williams always got away with it somehow.
He is not the only one. It is possible but tricky.
Quote from: derspiess on January 31, 2013, 09:58:17 AM
My wife said something very unkind about him the other day :(
Slacks on defense? Doesn't box out? :unsure:
Quote from: Valmy on January 31, 2013, 09:49:28 AM
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 09:46:50 AM
Why?
Because, as I said, if a white person does it it seems like White Supremacy more than simply making fun of how silly people are. And since White Supremacism has been social problem #1 for centuries it tends to bring up strong emotions.
Ok but that's stupid. It's like saying that a heterosexual person cannot tell a gay joke because gays were discriminated against in the past.
I mean, I realize that these are the rules of political correctness, but I find it quite surprising and disappointing that you are attempting to rationalize them. They are stupid and based on a victimhood status some groups have attained.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 31, 2013, 09:48:13 AM
Quote"Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC.
How is a Bedouin nomad any of those things? And this is nonsense they are not always shown as one of those things, rather he has it backwards. Oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, and belly dancers are always Arabs. Maybe we should mix in some central Asian and African terrorists...well actually we probably do do that.
QuoteThe ADC garnered attention back in 1992 when it complained that lyrics in the Walt Disney animated film "Aladdin" were racist.
Ironically a movie where all the human characters were arabs and not one was a Oil-rich sheik, terrorist, or a belly dancer. Well ok maybe Jafar was a terrorist and some of the women were sorta dressed like belly dancers.
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 10:03:56 AM
Ok but that's stupid. It's like saying that a heterosexual person cannot tell a gay joke because gays were discriminated against in the past.
For the most part they can't. :huh:
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 10:03:56 AM
I mean, I realize that these are the rules of political correctness, but I find it quite surprising and disappointing that you are attempting to rationalize them. They are stupid and based on a victimhood status some groups have attained.
I am not justifying it, I am just explaining it.
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 10:03:56 AM
They are stupid and based on a victimhood status some groups have attained.
Like the one you always claim, stuck in that little closet of yours?
Quote from: garbon on January 31, 2013, 10:11:07 AM
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 10:03:56 AM
Ok but that's stupid. It's like saying that a heterosexual person cannot tell a gay joke because gays were discriminated against in the past.
For the most part they can't. :huh:
Only fag hags can do it, if I recall my heterophobe social protocol correctly.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 31, 2013, 09:17:12 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 31, 2013, 09:14:59 AM
She looks about a quarter black to me. Maybe half.
She looks like a white chick that gets some sun.
If Rashida Jones and Jennifer Beals are part black, I could definitely see it with this chick too.
So every brunette has some Sally Hemmings in her. Got it.
No, it's funny.
Quote from: garbon on January 31, 2013, 10:11:07 AM
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 10:03:56 AM
Ok but that's stupid. It's like saying that a heterosexual person cannot tell a gay joke because gays were discriminated against in the past.
For the most part they can't. :huh:
Which is stupid, as well. There is only one aspect of a joke, parody, comedy etc. that should be subject to judgement - whether it is funny. Telling people they cannot tell some joke because of their race, gender or sexual orientation is discrimination at its vilest.
[quote author=jimmy olsen link=topic=9255.msg533663#msg533663
Anyways, to change ad topics, Arab-Americans are protesting a Coke ad is racist.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/arab-american-groups-say-coke-super-bowl-ad-racist-1B8191874
Quote
Arab-American groups say Coke Super Bowl ad is racist
Arab-American groups have sharply criticized a Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad depicting an Arab walking through the desert with a camel, and one group said it would ask the beverage giant to change it before CBS airs the game on Sunday before an expected audience of more than 100 million U.S. viewers.
"Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC.
[/quote]
Well, obviously, the solution is to ditch the camel, and show the Arab guy setting a timer on a roadside IED instead.
It is boring that there must be a "controversy" about Superbowl commercials/performances. Doesn't that event have enough coverage on it's own? God damn.
Quote from: Martinus on February 01, 2013, 02:19:17 AM
Quote from: garbon on January 31, 2013, 10:11:07 AM
Quote from: Martinus on January 31, 2013, 10:03:56 AM
Ok but that's stupid. It's like saying that a heterosexual person cannot tell a gay joke because gays were discriminated against in the past.
For the most part they can't. :huh:
Which is stupid, as well. There is only one aspect of a joke, parody, comedy etc. that should be subject to judgement - whether it is funny. Telling people they cannot tell some joke because of their race, gender or sexual orientation is discrimination at its vilest.
No that's not discrimination at its vilest. Get a clue.
He hasn't found one in all his years, think he's gonna start now?
Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 31, 2013, 09:48:13 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 31, 2013, 09:14:59 AM
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 31, 2013, 08:30:11 AM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.haitilibre.com%2Fimages-a%2Fg-4408.jpg&hash=2f10a24c37b28427a004d15667966a7aa3818d4a)
This is Haiti's Tourism Minister. She's not black. She has the biggest haitian accent (in french) I've ever heard.
Sometimes, white people have traditionaly black accent because thats where they live/grew up.
She looks about a quarter black to me. Maybe half.
No she doesn't.
Anyways, to change ad topics, Arab-Americans are protesting a Coke ad is racist.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/arab-american-groups-say-coke-super-bowl-ad-racist-1B8191874
Quote
Arab-American groups say Coke Super Bowl ad is racist
Arab-American groups have sharply criticized a Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad depicting an Arab walking through the desert with a camel, and one group said it would ask the beverage giant to change it before CBS airs the game on Sunday before an expected audience of more than 100 million U.S. viewers.
"Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC.
Coca-Cola released an online teaser of the commercial last week, showing the Arab walking through a desert. He soon sees cowboys, Las Vegas showgirls and a motley crew fashioned after the marauders of the apocalyptic "Mad Max" film race by him to reach a gigantic bottle of Coke.
In its ad, Coke asks viewers to vote online on which characters should win the race. The online site does not allow a vote for the Arab character.
"The Coke commercial for the Super Ball is racist, portraying Arabs as backward and foolish Camel Jockeys, and they have no chance to win in the world," Imam Ali Siddiqui, president of the Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies, said in an email.
"What message is Coke sending with this?" asked Abed Ayoub, ADC's director of legal and policy affairs. "By not including the Arab in the race, it is clear that the Arab is held to a different standard when compared to the other characters in the commercial," he said.
CBS declined comment. Coca-Cola spokeswoman Lauren Thompson said Coke took a "cinematic" approach with the ad, employing the characters as a nod to movies of the past.
"Coca-Cola is an inclusive brand enjoyed by all demographics," she said in an email. "We illustrate our core values, from fun and refreshment to happiness, inspiration and optimism across all of our marketing communications."
Ayoub said ADC intended to contact Coke and CBS Corp on Thursday to "hopefully start a dialog."
"I want to know why this happened and how can we fix this if possible before Sunday," he said.
The ADC garnered attention back in 1992 when it complained that lyrics in the Walt Disney animated film "Aladdin" were racist.
Ronald Goodstein, professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, said he was surprised by the image as well. "If Coke's vision is to be an arm's distance away from every customer, why would they want to offend the Arab world?" said Goodstein.
Ayoub said the commercial could harm Coke's business with the Arab community.
"Coke should understand and respect their consumers and have a better understanding of the market they are sharing," he Ayoub.
The company has a large market share in the Middle East and North Africa, he noted, and many convenience stores and other retail outlets in the United States that offer Coke are owned by Arab-Americans.
Why would a desert dweller eschew a caffeinated drink in the desert?
THIS IS RACIST?
If it was an alcoholic beverage, would they respond similarly?
Honestly. What a bunch of stupid fucking entitled nonsense. Why don't you drink diuretics in the desert? What could POSSIBLY be the reasoning behind that?