Is Volkswagen's Super Bowl ad racist?
The big game's first advertising controversy has arrived, and it involves former ad darling VW.
This year's Super Bowl has revealed its first advertising controversy: a commercial from Volkswagen (VLKAY) that's coming under fire as racist.
The commercial features a white Minnesotan who suddenly starts speaking in a Jamaican accent, urging his dour co-workers to "Turn the frown the other way around." (To see the ad, click here.) The punch line? His happiness stems from his ride: a VW Beetle.
Some are finding the ad offensive, with New York Times columnist Charles Blow telling CNN, "It's like blackface with voices." Another CNN commentator said the spot reminded him of Jar Jar Binks, the maligned "Star Wars" character who was criticized as reflecting some racial stereotypes.The stakes are high, with this year's commercial time selling for a record $3.8 million. That means some marketers are willing to take risks in order to grab viewers' attention. After all, the game's advertisers represent a who's who of America's top brands, including M&Ms, Coca-Cola (KO) and Ford (F).
That the controversy involves VW underscores how even top marketers can slip up when it comes to Super Bowl advertising. The automaker created one of 2011's most beloved Super Bowl ads,"The Force," in which a boy dressed up as Darth Vader tries to use his "force" to move sandwiches, toys and laundry. (To see that ad, click here.)
VW is standing by its Jamaican accent, with chief marketing officer Tim Mahoney noting, "there is no thought to pulling it," according to USA Today.
The automaker talked with 100 Jamaicans and used a speech coach to make sure the white actor in this year's spot accurately reflected the accent, Mahoney told CNN.
Super Bowl ads that go awry often have a common theme: they backfire when the marketer tries to shock or takes on polarizing issues. And, as VW has found, humor can miss the mark with some viewers.
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Really? Who wrote this?
Let me tell you why this isn't racisct. Here's why:
A black person of Jamaican Parents born & raised in, lets say the country America.
Would that make him Racist against whites if here were heard acting out in an American Accent while clearing being seen in Rasta attire?
Picture the commerial the other way around people... Black guy acting like a Hippie or something.
I'm white and I wouldn't consider the opposte scenario Racist at All.
What do you guys think?
You know what is racist? A media and government that pushes an agenda to ban guns because 20 white kids are murdered in a school but make no mention of the over 500 (mostly minorities) murdered in Chicago! I guess they figure they will make themselves feel like they are doing something by putting more laws on people that actually obey laws!
WTF…YOU have GOT to be joking! Keep it up…shout racism at the least little thing that could even REMOTELY be defined as racism. Remember the “boy [ref. young male of any ethnicity NOT RACIST] who cried wolf”? The Boy Who Cried Wolf is one of Aesop's Fables and is derived the English idiom "to cry wolf", meaning to give a false alarm.
The more folks “cry wolf” or shout racism about the least little minor thing…the more you dilute the meaning and destined to draw less and less attention.
NOW children, let’s review the definition of the word [n.] racist [adj.] racism:
| 1. | the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and thatthis endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others |
| 2. | abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief |
Name me one black nation that can feed it's self.
Truth,
90% of Blacks are killed by the hands of Blacks
Truth,
In America since the civil rights amendment was passed the intelligence of america has fallen to the point america has the intelligence of a third world nation , Global ranking 17th, Global ranking in math 37th. Integration is what has destroyed every advanced nation that has ever existed.
Truth,
America will never come back because of white trash race mixing with blacks which produces children which can never have advanced intelligence.
Truth,
America will fail and it was planned out.
Truth,
Black's are the most racist people and will not stop until the total destruction on the white race.
Truth,
The white race will die out with in 100 years.
Truth,
I support assured mutual destruction when the white race dies out all humanity must end , We must Plan for an earth with no humans. It is the most compassionate thing we can do.
Truth,
Blacks are the lowest form of humanity and our afford to save them has destroyed the the greatest nation that ever existed humanity would have been better off if evolution was allowed to happen and they died off.
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